Letters to the Editor

Tax increase takes money out of economy

As usual the politicians are trying to sell a tax increase as a way to "generate" monies. All a tax increase ever does is take money out of the economy. Removing this money from the pockets of the consumers will result in a decrease in total revenue. Democrats and Republicans alike should be ashamed of themselves.

Politicians calculate the effect of a tax hike on a "static model": No matter how much they raise taxes, people's spending habits will not change. I'm going to start taking my friends to the PX and the commissary to shop.

Politicians are like ice addicts; you don't cure them by giving them more of what they are addicted to in return for a promise of no more. This is another way of taking money from the producers and giving it to the non-producers, the government.

In order to fund transportation projects on O'ahu, the county government should implement electronic road pricing for cars.

This program has been successfully implemented in other metropolitan areas, and the funds generated go directly into building and supporting public transportation and road infrastructure.

State conveyance tax should be increased

The city doesn't need to raise vehicle licensing fees or bus fares. The state doesn't need to raise our hotel taxes. The solution is simple and will tax those who can best afford to pay it: raise the state conveyance tax.

The state conveyance tax is a tax paid to the state whenever a piece of real estate is sold. The seller pays for it out of his or her sales proceeds. No deeds are recorded down at the bureau unless the tax is paid or unless there is a valid exemption filed (such as gifts between parents and children, or between spouses).

Our current conveyance tax rate is $.005 of every $100. For example, a sale of a $1 million property in Hawai'i would produce a $5,000 conveyance tax. The conveyance tax paid in New Jersey is approximately 50 percent higher, and in Florida it is 40 percent higher than that. New Jersey would receive an additional $3,000 in revenue from that sale, and Florida would receive an additional $4,000.

Hawai'i is experiencing a boom in real estate sales, and the state is failing to benefit from that as much as it could. Raise the conveyance tax rate and share some of that increase with the counties.

A word to the Hawai'i Association of Realtors lobbyists: Please don't fight this — it would benefit all of us to increase the conveyance tax.

Add Ashanti to list of divas who dis fans

Regarding "Hip-hop diva in a halfhearted show," Oct. 31: Add Ashanti to the list with Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston as those who come to Hawai'i to soak up the sun and dis their fans.

I was once a strong fan of Whitney — until I spent $65 to not hear her sing anything I recognized and to see her husband (Bobby Brown) shake his 'okole across the stage. I was also an "in-love-with" fan of Mariah until her show that featured her costume changes and back-up singers, but not her singing.

These folks have a lot to learn about fans and can take lessons from the '50s groups or Janet Jackson, who always give fans their money's worth. I will not buy another recording from the "dis divas" again.

Cockfighting should be legal in some areas

I would like to see the city enact legislation to legalize cockfighting in certain areas of O'ahu, such as Wai'anae or Waimanalo.

The sport would then become regulated and thus stimulate some much-needed revenue for the residents.

Cockfighting is not as inhumane as Brian Viloria trying to punch, cut and knock out his opponent in the boxing ring, and so many folks approve of the sport.

Better system needed to determine champion

All three ILH Division I football teams are included in your Hawai'i state top five. It is particularly noteworthy this year that existing rules for establishing a state champion exclude two of the ILH teams from participating. Surely a system more representative of top teams could be devised in the future.

An apparent mechanism would involve the possible replacement of the OIA Division I No. 4 by the ILH Division I No. 2 in any year. Since time constraints would probably preclude an actual game between these two teams, some other selection method might be required. One option, not without its own faults, would have automatic replacement if the ILH has the better inter-league preseason record.