VIBRANT ORCHESTRA CAN HELP ECONOMY

The Honolulu Symphony's difficulties are creating a harmful image of the state.

They undermine a major attraction for industries that the state is struggling to recruit. Leaders in business and technology who could benefit Hawai'i can live and work anywhere they wish. They are attracted by a vibrant arts scene, of which a healthy symphony is a prime indicator.

A symphony orchestra consists of more than 60 highly skilled professionals who have practiced for decades to produce a specific sound on an expensive single-purpose tool. This diverse array of specialists must then blend their individual efforts with all the other players to produce the particular musical composition.

If the century-old symphony is allowed to collapse, it could not be promptly resurrected when the economy improves. As in sports, it takes time to develop the chemistry among players needed for optimal team performance.

The state tourism authority is an overlooked source of money. A few million dollars diverted from its $60 million annual budget would at least enable musicians to survive, and would send the message to high-tech entrepreneurs that Hawai'i's leaders really do care about the symphony and what it represents.

THEBOAT

BOAT SERVICE SHOULD BE FIXED, NOT SUNK

To all of the City Council members that have decided to "sink" TheBoat — auwe. I have been riding the boat since it began in 2007.

Instead of "sinking the service," why don't the powers that be fix the service? You don't advertise (except negative news), you haven't looked for alternative bus routes or times that would allow more riders to utilize the service. You have shuttle buses from Aloha Tower that only go to Waikiki or UH. What about Sand Island, Campbell Industrial, Nimitz Highway? How many workers would utilize this service if shuttles were provided?

And furthermore, since when does public transportation ever make money? So instead of looking for ways to fix it, let's just shut it down! And wait for the rail! What will that cost the taxpayers?

TAX DAY TEA PARTY

PEOPLE SPOKE: TIME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

While the mayors of Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston are calling for thousands of city layoffs, Honolulu is hiring new positions for its rail-transit division with an average salary of $85,000. These will be some of the city's highest-paying public sector jobs.

While many elected leaders realize that sacrifices are necessary to close budget shortfalls, the same cannot be said for our leaders.

Here in Honolulu, hardworking taxpayers are still bankrolling the paychecks and pensions of comfortable city and state employees in the midst of rising unemployment in the private sector.

Yet, rampant taxing and spending that got us into this financial mess continue without visible improvement in essential services. It's about time Hawai'i's citizens see some accountability from their leaders before they themselves are laid off.

Mahalo to our follow citizens for the 2009 Tax Day Tea Party at the state Capitol and on the Neighbor Islands. We said with one loud, clear voice — we're not going to take it anymore!

TAXES

WE HAVE STEPPED ONTO SLIPPERY SLOPE

Thanks to Marcus Oshiro for his reasoned statement (Island Voices, April 13) about taxing "the rich."

No one should see his column as self-serving. After all, it is the responsibility of the Legislature to produce a balanced budget. Balancing it on the backs of the few has several advantages for a legislator. The tactic does not require hard decisions which might be unpopular with powerful segments of the electorate.

Most significant, however, is that once a taxing principle is established, for example a surcharge on the GET, it becomes bedrock and the basis for future tax increases. The surcharge gambit was so successful that we are being treated to its offspring, the proposal to let the counties set sales taxes. We have eaten the apple, stepped onto the slippery slope.

Hawai'i has far more government than it can afford. The courageous Mr. Oshiro might want to consider reasoning his way through that problem and then justifying it to "the nonrich" among us who nevertheless pay heavily for his thoughtfully balanced budgets.

LAWMAKERS NEED TO LAY OFF 'EASY BUTTON'

A few years back, I went from night shift to day shift, which meant a 10 percent pay cut. Next, my salary was cut an additional 13 percent. A few months after that, all overtime was canceled, which amounted to at least another 10 percent pay cut.

It was tough because I have a mortgage and a son in college. We tightened our belts and made a lot of sacrifices, but we made it! My company went from 240 people to less than 100. But they made it too. We all had to work together and make really tough choices, but now things are looking much better, in part because we've learned how to operate efficiently.

Today's headlines are "Tax hikes look more likely." That's our elected lawmakers' answer to balancing the budget. Why can't they do what thousands of Hawai'i citizens are doing — living within their means? It's because lawmakers have the "Easy Button." Just push it and take more money from the already overburdened taxpayers.

It's time for lawmakers to stop making token cuts, followed by tax hikes. If they stay on the path they are on now, more business and residents will head to greener pastures on the Mainland, further reducing state revenue.

OSHIRO HAS LOST TOUCH WITH REALITY

Rep. Marcus Oshiro (Island Voices, April 13) must have slept through Econ 101. Any fool can cherry-pick ideologies from this economist or that economist but the facts do not give much support to his argument.

Taxing "the rich" is a worn out populist mantra and Oshiro's supportive arguments are painfully thin.

Tax and spend, tax and spend comes the drumbeat from our Legislature year after year. Are these same legislators willing to cinch it up like the rest of us? Of course not! Instead they vote themselves a pay raise of 36 percent, and then say they'll give back 5 percent acting as if this is some kind of sacrifice. I don't know about the rest of you but I'd love a 31 percent increase on my Social Security check. This whole scene is so bizarre it defies the imagination.

When one starts adding up all the taxes, federal, state, city, income, property, GET, excise and on and on, it's a wonder we have anything left to live on. How much is enough?