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The Matson Foundation provided a major gift to a Maui United Way fund called A Hui Hou benefiting displaced Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. workers on Maui (“Matson charitable giving increases 32% to $2.9M,” Star-Advertiser, April 20).
It was a tremendous gesture by the Matson Foundation to donate this large sum. Together with this amount, we have received a total of approximately $147,000 in donations, and a separate steering committee of volunteers has raised an additional $31,000 through merchandise sales. These dollars are providing the HC&S workers with emergency assistance for rent, utility and medical bills, education, and other expenses to carry them over during their period of transition.
We are very appreciative of Matson’s generosity as well as Alexander & Baldwin’s monetary support to our general donor campaign fund over many years.
Stephen Kealoha
Chairman, Maui United Way board of directors
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SB 704 best choice for vacation rentals
I am writing in support of Senate Bill 704 to expedite the payment of state taxes by Airbnb and other rental platforms for vacation rentals.
My partner and I have owned two vacation rentals in Puna for the past three years and we deeply appreciate this work. This is a win-win situation. Tourists love the personal and intimate experience of staying in our homes and what makes having a vacation in Hawaii distinctive. Furthermore, this provides an income for us and for our community.
As it is currently written, House Bill 1471 would be difficult to enforce and potentially violates federal law. Lawmakers should move to pass simple, common-sense legislation like SB 704 that would bring in as much as $100 million per year in much-needed revenue for Hawaii. There are millions of dollars of taxes going uncollected right now.
With the state facing a major budget shortfall, Hawaii and its citizens would benefit from a bill that brings immediate financial relief to the state.
Robert Golden
Pahoa, Hawaii island
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Just another blunder by President Trump
How far we have fallen.
President Donald Trump bragged that he was sending an “armada” against North Korea, when the fleet in question was steaming to a different ocean 3,500 miles in the opposite direction.
If any one of the last 10 presidents made such a blunder, it would have been front-page news for weeks. But we have gotten so used to our glorious leader’s puerile blustering that this farce only made Page A4 in your paper (“Warships steam for Koreas days after Trump’s blunder,” Star-Advertiser, April 20).
Sad!
Jerry Dupont
Kaneohe
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Block off space under freeways
The roads and freeways with open spaces below that accumulate trash and other flammable materials need to be blocked off.
The city and the state should use concrete slab and reinforced hollow-tile walls to accomplish this. An enclosed space with steel doors at the high end would prevent hidden trash from accumulating and still provide workers access to the underside of the roadway.
Stan Yanke
Aiea
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