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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, May 7, 2009

Solar heaters

CREATE JOBS, REDUCE OIL CONSUMPTION

I've wondered countless times why there isn't a statewide statute requiring new buildings to have solar water heaters. I would think that if every structure in the state had one, it would cut our oil consumption immensely. Especially now. An argument against it was that it would add $3,000 to the cost of a home some people wouldn't be able to buy if that was made mandatory. This is an ignorant idea. With the cost of homes here, even the cheapest around $400,000 and, more realistically $500,000, what difference is $3,000 going to make? Add a few dollars a month to the mortgage (while saving a hundred or more each month on bills).

Plus, there are all kinds of rebates and tax deductions on installing solar water systems. Let's get going on helping Hawai'i be less dependent on shipping oil into the state. I'd say vote anyone out of office who refuses to go along with this.

This could be one of the simplest and quickest ways to reduce our state's oil consumption, and also create a lot of immediate work for our unemployed.

STEPHEN BEHEE
Captain Cook, Big Island

TAX INCREASES

PENALIZING WELL-OFF FOSTERS COMPLACENCY

Kudos to Gov. Lingle for having the backbone to stand up and call the Legislature out on its abominable performance in handling taxpayer funds. Unfortunately, I suspect we'll see an override.

It's time folks realize that legislators' inability to manage cannot be compensated for by penalizing a sector that is already taxed progressively.

To impose further taxes on the well-off and small businesses is penalizing ingenuity, ambition and hard work and rewarding mediocrity.

The effects of this will be the promotion of complacency in a demographic that already shoulders a disproportionately high tax burden. If you see it any other way, I invite you to don a set of green leotards and take up permanent residence in Sherwood Forest.

Steve Hinton
Waialua

HARD WORKERS OUGHT NOT TO BE PUNISHED

I realize the majority of the masses somehow feel ripped off by "the system" and thus are always more than willing to levy punitive taxation on what is perceived as the "rich few." Unfortunately, the present proposed increases in taxes on those wealthy few encompass far more average Joes than you think. The upper limit of $150,000 in gross earnings is not stratospheric, and many hard-working people here achieve that along with making mortgage and car payments, possibly paying for private school and saving for college, so I take offense at people like Michael Inaba (Letters, May 1) insinuating that the "rich" get rewarded under any tax system.

It is a fact that the upper 10 percent of income earners in this country pay 70 percent of all the taxes collected. That, my friend, is an injustice, for if those few decided to take a break from earning anything and donated any passive income to charity, the government would cease to exist in its present form. Who would you tax then?

Anyone smart and hard-working enough to make millions should be entitled to spend and keep it without government interference and taxation.

KEKOA HEFLIN
Wai'alae Nui

KAREN'S LAW

OSHIRO'S OPPOSITION OF BILL OUTRAGEOUS

When a 15- to 17-year-old commits murder in the first degree, the accused should be tried as an adult and not coddled in juvenile court where the chance of being released at 18 could transpire. For the victim's family, this "what if" scenario is trauma, unjust and cruel. On May 1, the Legislature had the opportunity to end that trauma by passing House Bill 819.

I was outraged to learn that Rep. Marcus Oshiro, D-39th (Wahiawa) single-handedly killed HB 819, known as "Karen's Law," with the ploy that the measure had fiscal ramifications. The fact is that not one penny more out of the general fund would be expended to implement HB 819.

The folks of Wahiawa should ask themselves if this is the kind of representation they truly support. To include the mindset that stands in the way of properly protecting the safety of the public.

BEVERLY ROWE
Mililani

DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS

STUDENTS SHOULD BE TREATED AS CITIZENS

This is in response to the April 23 article on drug-sniffing dogs.

As a student of the Hawai'i public school system, I know that students have rights and should be treated as citizens. I think students should get together and have meetings to discuss keeping drug-sniffing dogs out of our schools.

Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto stated that "The other institutions (where) you find other drug-sniffing dogs are prisons. We should not treat our schools like prisons and we should not treat our students like criminals."

I also believe it is like treating students like criminals because schools are being compared to jail. It is an invasion of privacy for the students.

If they do have drug-sniffing dogs, they may catch many students. This may cause students to drop out of school and not get an education.

It is also a waste of money at this time because of our economy and the situation today. The money can be used for other school funds.

Kailialoha Kaawa
Kane'ohe

KAKA'AKO PROJECT

PLAN WILL REVITALIZE AREA, LIFT ECONOMY

I was invited to a Kamehameha Schools presentation for their proposed Kaiaulu'o Kaka'ako project as part of their solicited input from community groups, residents, tenants businesses and other stakeholders.

I was shown Kaiaulu'o Kaka'ako is a planned development to turn their 29 acres of underutilized area into sustainable and integrated residential, retail and commercial projects including parks, courtyards, public gardens and playgrounds.

I respectfully request all take the opportunity to review, evaluate and support this project based on its obvious merits as this project will revitalize an underutilized urban area, address the needs of Hawai'i's people and also provide private sector economic opportunity.

I also respectfully request our legislators listen to the majority of Hawai'i's people, not let another great project die because a loud and vocal minority opposes everything.

RICK MOSS
President, MOSS Engineering Inc., Honolulu