In announcing his tax reform framework, President Donald Trump said: “Our framework ensures that the benefits of tax reform go to the middle class, not the highest earners.”

But the president’s rhetoric is inconsistent with the details in his plan, which include repealing the estate and alternative minimum taxes, which would benefit only the rich, hiking the bottom tax bracket of 10 to 12 percent for low earners and lowering the top tax bracket from 39.6 to 35 percent for top earners and ending the deductions of state and local taxes, which would hurt the middle class.

Further, the plan abolishes personal exemptions, which would harm families with dependent children and parents.

Trump’s proposed tax reform is actually a package of giveaways to the wealthy. It contains nothing that would alleviate the financial miseries of the very people he purported to help — the poor and middle class workers. It’s a crying shame.

Rod B. Catiggay

Mililani

—

Full investigation of hangar work needed

It would seem the state Department of Transportation and the Attorney General’s Office have two investigations to pursue: one into DCK Pacific Construction LLC and the other into consultant Wesley R. Segawa & Associates Inc. (“Hawaiian Air fixes hangar defects,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 17).

It would be nice if the investigations were transparent and someone, perhaps an investigative reporter, started looking for an “under-the-table” money trail.

Robert Gillchrest

Pawaa

—

Don’t play anthem at Super Bowl

There is nothing patriotic about watching a football or baseball game. It’s merely a form of entertainment played by high-priced athletes who are more focused on winning rather than standing to show respect for our national anthem.

Do these athletes give a hoot as to what kind of message they are conveying to our young children, some of whom hold these athletes in high regard?

Let our national anthem ring out at more meaningful events, such as the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and even during the awards ceremonies at the Olympics Games.

I’m all for discontinuance of our national anthem being played at any future Super Bowls, NBA playoffs and the World Series. In this way our beloved national anthem won’t be disgraced any further.

McWarren J. Mehau

Mountain View, Hawaii island

—

There have never been acts like these

In the spirit of our president’s favorite phrase, “There’s never been anything like this before”:

>> Puerto Rico’s disaster ballooned because someone in Washington, D.C., seemed unaware that Puerto Ricans are Americans, leading to a too-little, too-late, ineffectual response.

>> The normal Obamacare open enrollment deadline is approaching, yet the enrollment program has been cut. This is criminal behavior.

>> The proposed tax cut is only for the richest 1 percent of Americans. The huge thriving middle class built from Presidents Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan has already disappeared. The richest 1 percent will spend all of its days hiding from the poorest 99 percent.

Richard Y. Will

Waikiki

—

Trump takes right stand on N. Korea

I seldom approve of anything President Donald Trump says or does, but as far as his current attitude on North Korea is concerned, I’m behind him 100 percent.

America has been bending over backwards for decades, trying to help those people out with financial and food aid, and all they’ve ever done in gratitude is to continually threaten to blow us up.

It’s obvious to me that diplomacy will never work with that country.

After what happened to us on 9/11, we can’t afford to continue to be so naive about this situation. The safety of our own people has got to be the top priority.

It’s time to finally be rid of this dark cloud that’s been hanging over our heads for so long. Besides, we might as well get at least one good thing out of what the Electoral College inflicted on us.

Kevin Johnson

Kakaako

—

Feral cats can pose health risk to people

A significant number of feral cats on Oahu are infected with the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. When first infected, cats shed large number of the parasite in their feces. The parasite is relatively resistant and may remain viable for long periods in the environment.

Toxoplasma can be transmitted to human food by flies and cockroaches. Human infection is usually mild, except in women during pregnancy, when it can cause damage to the fetus. Feral cats do pose a health risk to humans.

Gordon Wallace

Kaneohe

—

Parking gets worse at Aloha Stadium

For the past 30 years, University of Hawaii football fans from the Windward side have used Aloha Stadium’s Gate 3 in the lot closest to the H-3 Kaneohe- bound ramp so we can avoid traffic snarls when leaving the game.

But after the homecoming game against San Jose State on Saturday night, we were blocked from exiting through Gate 3 by three parking lot attendants, who were directing cars to exit onto Salt Lake Boulevard about half a mile in the other direction. The attendants told us we could turn left on Salt Lake Boulevard and double back to Kahuapaani Street to get on the H-3.

Except we couldn’t, because the sign at that intersection said, “NO LEFT TURN.”

It almost seems as if the Aloha Stadium management sits around thinking up ways to make it more inconvenient and frustrating for UH football fans to attend games. Seeing the 20,000 empty seats that night, I get it now: Why fight the traffic and parking lot attendants when it’s so much easier to watch the games on TV?

Rich Figel

Kailua