POLITICIANS SHOULD TAKE THE PAY CUTS

Regarding our statewide cuts, I have a question: Have our political people from our governor down taken pay cuts? Many are highly paid and could stand a cut much easier than a teacher or office worker.

As for our school cuts, there is no word for the craziness of that. Our children are our future.

Cutting the unemploy-ment offices' days was the second craziest move. It is an office that is more swamped with work right now than any other.

After choosing to spend more than 30 years as an adult on Oahu, I find myself questioning staying on this Island for the first time. I know I am not alone in my thoughts. When will these bad decisions end?

barbara williams | Haleiwa

HONOLULU SYMPHONY

EXPLANATION NEEDED ON ADMINISTRATORS

I will greatly miss the symphony, and am saddened by its demise. I have two questions: Why does it take 22 administrators for 84 musicians? Are they a terribly unruly bunch, requiring intensive management? And, did the administrative staff suffer the same salary delays and cuts as the musicians? Just curious.

deborah agles | Honolulu

HEALTH CARE REFORM

REPRESENTATIVE'S VOTE IS ENCOURAGING

I have to honestly say that I did not vote Rep. Mazie Hirono into office, and yet I applaud her for courageously standing up for affordable health care.

For one, there is no certainty as to whether I will be able to afford medical coverage in the months to come, and yet, I am encouraged when I think of more equal benefits coming to all people in our nation and world.

When I drive by the homeless on my way to and from work, I will not only be celebrating the fact that I am of sound health and do have work, but consciously grateful that those even less fortunate stand a chance of obtaining access to a proper health support system.

Big mahalo, Rep. Mazie Hirono. I can't thank you enough.

laxmi moore | Käneohe

BILL'S PASSAGE IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST

Republicans opposed Social Security and they opposed Medicare. After bringing the nation to the brink of economic disaster they opposed the federal stimulus package. They opposed the appointment of the first Hispanic woman to the Supreme Court, and now they oppose health care reform. How does it feel to consistently stand on the wrong side of history and against the best interests of the American people?

I am proud of those Democrats in Congress, like Congresswoman Mazie Hirono and all those who took a stand against special interests and corporate power to pass this bill. This is the job we elected them to do, and they will be rewarded for doing it by enjoying future victories.

Republicans who suffered historic losses in the last election and the decimation of their party since have merely dug a deeper hole to bury themselves by their refusal to legislate in good faith on behalf of the American people. The great majority of Americans want health care reform and we, the people, will stand with those Democrats who passed this monumental achievement in the next election.

mark jacobsen | Haleiwa

NEW LEGISLATION IS DESTINED FOR FAILURE

So the House has passed the health care legislation that has been termed by the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, as the most important piece of legislation since Social Security, which is broke, and Medicare, which is going broke. Funny how the Democrats, liberals or progressives, seem to think spending our money on programs that will ultimately fail is historic.

Is the historic nature the fact that these programs have always failed and they keep passing them? Or, is it that they have succeeded in denuding the independent, self-reliant nature that founded our country?

Personally, I believe it is far more sinister. When someone else tells you they know what it best for you, we are normally suspicious. Seems in these matters we are just plain ignorant.

Congratulations, Democrats, you ran our educational system into the ground and now you're starting on health care.

Keep voting for the liberals, Hawaii. The benefactors of all these "historic" policies love coming here to live for free.

john donovan iii | Honolulu

NET NEUTRALITY

REGULATORY REGIME STIFLES INNOVATION

Your Nov. 4 editorial "An open Internet depends on Net neutrality" mentions almost in passing the "fear" that strict Net neutrality rules might harm innovation and investment in wireless and wired Internet technology. That fear is justified and deserves better than your quick dismissal.

For years, a stream of witnesses has testified to the Federal Communications Commission that setting up an ad hoc regulatory regime to enforce Net neutrality will stifle the current flow of tens of billions annually in Internet technology. And before such concerns are dismissed as the typical whining by Big Internet, readers should know that no fewer than six dozen House Democrats sent a letter to the FCC echoing the same concerns.

Your editorial could cite fewer than a handful of examples of "abuse" that Net neutrality enforced by the FCC would remedy — all of which were corrected by a combination of market pressures and the FCC's current regulatory power. With so much at stake, handing ultimate control of the Internet economy to the federal government should not rest on such a thin reed.

james g. lakely | Co-director, Center on Digital Economy, The Heartland Institute, Chicago, IL