Congrats to all state employees for receiving two extra days off in acknowledgment of their hard work (“Green’s offer of 2 extra days off confuses teachers,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 21). I wonder if some of them have the same questions I do.
1. Instead of this wonderful, one-time gift that is appreciated at a time when all Hawaii residents, state employees included, are suffering from high inflation, why did he ignore our underfunded pension and health liabilities?
2. Where is his empathy for nonstate employees? Without a commensurate action for all of the other taxpayers of our wonderful state, it’s easy to see this action smelling like political payback. How about eliminating the general excise tax on medicine and food for all? Or at least a tax holiday for others? Seems like a bit of tone deafness.
Again, congrats to all awarded this wonderful benefit; we know you have use for it. For everyone else’s benefit, though, it probably would not want to is not something to be bragged about around the Christmas and New Year’s dinner table.
Jeffrey Alameida
Waialua
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