With all the discussion on what our government should to do for the poverty-stricken and homeless, I would like to share the history of my immigrant Chinese grandfather.

Grandpa Ing was told, at the age of 15, “We do not have food for you. Go to America and work on the plantations in Hawaii.”

He arrived impoverished. Nevertheless, after working on the plantation and saving for 15 years, he was able to lease some farm land on Oahu.

He raised a family of 11, and they helped one another. All went to college, including my physician father.

They succeeded despite the fact there was no Medicaid, no Medicare, no pension plans, no medical insurance, no rent subsidies and no student loans to help them.

My Chinese grandfather decided that family integrity and education were the stepping stones out of poverty.

Malcolm Ing, M.D.

Nuuanu

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Where’s aloha for struggling taxpayers?

It seems evident that the aloha spirit has been hijacked by those less fortunate who seem to think their right to indolence supersedes those of the actual taxpayer who makes this place tick.

It also seems that the aloha spirit has paralyzed our city representatives, who fear seeming hardhearted and making decisions that some might not agree with, but that most feel are necessary at this point.

Where is the aloha spirit toward those who pay taxes, struggle to make ends meet, and know that even minimum success in life takes maximum effort? It seems to have been quietly stashed under the mountains of stolen shopping carts, trash, desperation, threats and outright lunacy of some.

As an Hispanic, I learned a slang word, “ganas,” which means drive, want to, will.

It appears the homeless have been conditioned to lose their ganas, and the city has lost whatever ganas it ever had to serve those who have ganas, and who elected them.

Jacob Vinton

Foster Village

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Non-issue detracts from real problems

I have one response to the City Council’s unanimous vote to make it illegal to smoke in a vehicle while children are present: Open up a window (“Bill urges smoke-free cars,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 12).

In the meantime, can we turn our attention to more pressing problems like chronic homelessness, cost overruns on rail, our poor roads and dams recently rated the worst in the nation, our crumbling airport, government and police department corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency and waste, runaway real estate prices, and so on?

But by all means, let us focus on non-issues that make us look like we’re doing something.

Edward D. Lasky

Hawaii Kai

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Smoking in cars with kids is health issue

I commend City Councilmembers Ron Menor and Brandon Elefante for introducing — and to the entire Council for passing — the bill to prevent smoking in cars with underage passengers.

I am especially grateful that the bill prohibits the use of e-cigarettes. While the rate of smoking cigarettes has declined somewhat, the use of e-cigs is rapidly on the rise. Exposure to e-cig aerosol has been directly linked to an increase in asthma. Hawaii already has a high incidence of this costly and incapacitating disease.

Thanks to the City Council for recognizing that children need protection from all types of smoke while confined in a car.

Bryan Mih, M.D.

Manoa

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Mind-blowing that many still pro-Trump

President Donald Trump’s daily tirades of stupidity don’t bother me anymore.

What I find truly disheartening, though, is the number of people who continue to fervently support him despite his blatantly clueless, mean-spirited and just morally indefensible antics.

Don’t get me wrong: I welcome opposing viewpoints and don’t feel my opinion is better than others, but come on now. How many gaffes do you have to endure before you realize that this is just not right?

The fact that literally millions of Americans continue to rally behind Trump is mind-blowing. Are we that naive, uncaring and irresponsible a country? Some may say Trump is an embarrassment to America, but his continued popularity and support among so many Americans is the real embarrassment.

That, not Trump, is the truly disheartening blow.

Steve Dang

Kaimuki

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Balanced budgets are what’s needed

Do our state and federal governments unfairly overtax some and undertax others? Yes.

That said, our blue state had nearly a billion-dollar budget surplus last year. That fiscal responsibility mirrors the thriftiness of our family.

We make about $70,000 per year combined and manage to save. Meanwhile, at the federal level, more unpatriotic, disgustingly self-indulgent tax cuts are in store that will only further enslave us and our children to bond holders (many of them foreign) and blow up already large deficits and debt.

Tax reform and some spending cuts are needed, but tax cuts that further max out our credit card are not. We do not want a federal tax cut; we want responsible, balanced budgets.

Daniel Laraway

Kapahulu