WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT SERVICES TO CUT

The best time to do a hard-nosed, bottom-up review of what we really need our governments to do is when the economy is healthy. Then, those who are laid off will not encounter the type of economic hardships they will when the economy is doing poorly.

But the fact is, our local and state governments have basically gone only in one direction in the recent past — bigger and bigger. A couple of months ago, I heard a senior state official tell us that while the state revenues were going steadily down, our state workforce had grown. Reason: the lag in the state personnel system. She did not explain why the state leadership did not see that and decide not to take those additional people on.

It just seems to us taxpayers that governments know only how to get bigger, not smaller. The leadership at all levels need to be taking a hard look to see what services could be reduced or eliminated or are not being performed efficiently by government forces and make some tough choices, explaining to the taxpayers why they are taking those actions.

Tadahiko Ono | Kane'ohe

FURLOUGHS

LEGISLATORS SHOULD TAKE A CUT AS WELL

If another proposed solution to the budget overspending is an across-the-board 5 percent pay cut for the government employees instead of three furlough days a month, there should also be a 13 percent pay raise for all the legislators instead of the 31 percent pay raise they are getting. I thought they ran for office for making it better for the majority of the population.

Russell Pang | Kane'ohe

YOU CAN'T NEGOTIATE AWAY A DEFICIT

The Hawai'i state public worker unions are now celebrating their "victory" in court with the ruling prohibiting Gov. Lingle from unilaterally using furloughs to address the budget deficit. Unfortunately, this only counts as a moral victory as the deficit isn't going away.

I guess it was all about the unions feeling disrespected by the governor not negotiating with them.

Unions are supposed to be about solidarity and sharing. Tell that to those low-ranking employees who are laid off and lose their health insurance. They will feel all of the economic pain while their privileged brethren workers with jobs will share none.

It is pure fantasy to think that the general public will fund most of the projected $730 million in additional taxes. You can't negotiate away a deficit. The budget crisis in California should be a wake-up call for Hawai'i. Layoffs, here we come.

Brice Conquest | Honolulu

HYBRID BUSES

WE SHOULD DEFER PURCHASES FOR A YEAR

Monday's paper (June 29) carried an article about purchasing 20 hybrid 60-passenger buses at a cost of some $975,000 each instead of the clean diesel 38-seat buses that cost less than $400,000 each. In addition, there in no accurate data on battery life of the hybrid buses.

The article continued, saying the hybrids could break even in 15 years if (get this) fuel prices continued to rise at the rate of 20 percent per year.

Standard, high-efficiency, clean diesel buses costing half as much are not dependent upon fuel prices rising more than 10 times their current price to be efficient.

In addition, that $20 million of stimulus money would go to Canadian owners and government taxes, not the U.S.

A better plan just might be deferring all municipal bus purchases for a year or two years. That would be real money saved.

Paul Rogers | Honolulu

FIREWORKS

IT'S TIME TO STOP THE INSANITY FOR GOOD

It's after 9 p.m. on the night of July 4. I am watching and hearing the reason personal fireworks should be banned. The people who set them off have no respect for the law. They have had eight hours to have "fun" — including many aerials in Kailua, which I'm pretty sure are illegal.

I would drive to find the actual addresses for the police, but I am caring for numerous animals who are at the moment pretty stressed and I am unable to leave my house. It's really time to stop this insanity once and for all.

Judy Mick | Kailua

MICHELLE WIE

NEWS MEDIA SHOULD BACK OFF WITH COVERAGE

Sunday, July 5, front page: "From the start, Wie oozed talent, drive."

Sunday, July 5, page C5, Sports section: "Wie's 70 puts her nine back."

Is it just me, or is it perhaps about time that our local media back off on coverage of Michelle Wie? I'm not even a golfer, but it would seem that Hawai'i has enough bona fide sports heroes who have truly proven themselves that would be much more appropriate for media coverage than one that hasn't dazzled her competition since she was a mid-teen.

How about this? No more major coverage until she wins her first major. Just a suggestion.

Ron Kienitz | Kailua