Raise taxes on out-of-state investors

A couple decades ago, I purchased three V.A.-foreclosed houses in Texas — two in Austin and one in Dallas. They were about $75,000 to $89,000 each.

V.A. loans were offered with no money down. The Austin rentals did very well; they were 99.9 percent rented because of the high number of colleges and the students and professors enrolled. Austin also was known as having the highest rate of book sales in the country.

Even if the homes were inexpensive, in the beginning it was hard to make a sizable profit due to the hefty property tax for out-of state investors. There was another hefty fee for a neighborhood association that kept an eye out on maintenance scofflaws. Since the tax went to the schools, it was no wonder there are so many colleges.

Why don’t we do something like that? Tax the out-of-state investor rather than resident- owned investment properties for the schools.

Sylvia Thompson

Makiki

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Racetrack would raise more problems

We all know opening a racetrack or a drifting track will only make things worse (“Provide racetrack for drifting, racing,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 27).

This would encourage more wannabes to learn their skills on public roads since they cannot qualify for the racetrack until they are proficient enough. Where do you think these people will get their experience and practice? On public roads, of course. Then you will have more unsafe people trying the sport on our streets.

And as others have mentioned, nobody wants to be responsible for finding (and renting) land, funding operations and insuring a track. It is not a winning situation for the city because of the logistics needed to run the track. The city will never make a profit because of the costs needed to employ, insure and rent land for a racetrack.

If it were a profitable venture, someone would have done it already.

Stan Sano

Makiki

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Invest in community, not more tourism

Continuing to advocate increased tourist arrivals to Hawaii, while ignoring the pressing need to protect our natural resources and (re)build much-needed infrastructure, is irresponsible and nearsighted.

There is little to celebrate with this unexpected benchmark of 10 million visitor arrivals (“They keep coming!” Star-Advertiser, April 27), when the end result is even more displaced local people, strained roads, utilities and other public spaces, undermaintained and overcrowded parks, trails and beaches and, ultimately, disenchanted visitors.

Hawaii must first re-channel our collective efforts to ensure local communities are stable and strong by providing affordable housing for every resident and fair wages for workers.

We must redirect funds to improve infrastructure and properly manage and preserve the very natural resources visitors come here to enjoy. We must address these pressing issues now in order to provide locals and visitors alike with the Hawaii experience they deserve. With visitor arrivals reaching the tens of millions, we don’t have any more time to waste.

Kimiko LaHaela Walter

Conservation program coordinator, Sierra Club of Hawaii

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Unfunded liabilities hurting education

I agree wholeheartedly with Keli‘i Akina regarding the huge debt left for taxpayers, attributed to the state’s unfunded liabilities for public pensions and health care benefits, which now exceed $25 billion (“Millennials will bear pension liabilities,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, April 22).

The $25 billion is an estimate based on certain assumptions, including estimated investment returns, which, if not achieved, could easily double this amount.

In an attempt to tame this huge beast, the state annually has been diverting hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenues in an effort to pay down these liabilities.

In 2016 approximately $1.5 billion was paid. In other words, tax revenues that could be used to fund education, teachers’ salary increases and other public services are being diverted each year toward these unfunded liabilities.

The system is broken and needs to be fixed now; otherwise this burden on taxpayers and program services will exist for decades to come.

Bernard Lum

Kakaako

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Zealotry found on all sides of issues

Gary Johnson’s letter includes such a seemingly unrelated list of issues — illegal immigration and benefits, immigrant crimes, China and intellectual property, NATO payments, North Korea, Mexico and tariffs, conservative columnists, collusion with Russia, attorney-client privilege, Hawaii’s rank in education, roads pensions, taxes, rail and more — that his main point seems beyond a reader’s grasp (“Local zealots pursue politics of insanity,” Star-Advertiser, April 27).

Clues to his agenda here might be found by noting that he uses the words “locals,” “zealots” and “ingrained politicians” to describe those with whom he disagrees.

His use of hyperbolic and untrue statements such as “receiving benefits” (immigrants), “reward with sanctuary,” “negates the attorney-client privilege,” and “proudly continue to support” may reveal this writer’s own “zealotry” for his point of view, to which he is certainly entitled.

As humans, we often forget that we all hold our own views and beliefs just as “zealously” as those holding opposing views. “Zealots” can exist on all sides of any issue.

William E. Conti

Waikiki

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Kate Middleton should be queen

In less than seven hours after giving birth to an 8 lb. 7 oz. baby, perfectly groomed Kate Middleton stood in high heels on the steps of the hospital and posed for photographers while cradling her new son. It’s obvious that it is Kate who should be next in line for the throne.

Sharon Holaday

Kailua