Letters to the Editor - Letters

The Legislature deserves our appreciation. They spared Hawaii's humble majority.

[dargent77]

To the good Dr.: Become a vegetarian, exercise at the gym 3 days a week with weights, walk /run (!) on the beach daily. DO NOT drink those 40oz. Slurpies and Big Gulps, 6-12 cans of soda a day, DO NOT have your diet centered around McDonalds. Avoid Spam. People living in Hawai'i should be the healthiest on the planet.

[willie]

"we need healthy citizens"

Amen Doctor and a great place to start is QUIT GIVING healthcare to non-citizens!!!!!!!!!! That savings alone would go a long way to paying for care for those CITZENS who can't afford it.

[Get real guys]

Shockleys obviously are incapable of recognizing political grandstanding and opportunism.
Djou has stood against everything since he landed on the council. And guess what, he never got anything done.
Duke, nice guy on the surface but not above carpetbagging, deal cutting and lying about his residence.

[alice]

too many in Honolulu are obese.

[Scorpio58]

Regarding Ms. Wiess' posting, I agree that if the visitor program is funded by the State, then visitors should be taxed accordingly. However, I disagree with her comment about visitors littering the islands. I don't think I've ever seen visitors taking old stoves, refrigerators, air conditioners, stripped or burned cars, dead car batteries, used tires, mattresses, couches, etc., etc. off the luggage carousel at the airport, so they could dump them off the side of nearly every road of nearly every island. That honor belongs to our locals. In this regard, we need to clean up our act if you want visitors to continue to come here with their money. They can go elsewhere you know and will if this "paradise" degrades to the point of being just like an LA suburb controlled by gangs and low-class people.

[jayz]

"It's chump change to wealthy travelers, taken in stride with little thought, if any, and irrelevant. Many would say the visitors tax is fair game — tax away." Susan Kay Wiess

That's about as ignorant a statement as I've heard in a long time. The large majority of our visitors are NOT wealthy travelers. Many save up for years to visit here and many more may think about a return visit if Hawaii is reasonably priced.

There are other vacation destinations also vying for their vacation dollars, especially in these tough economic times. In this down economy, Hawaii is dangerously close to pricing itself out of the core-visitors price-range.

You say, "The visitors tax is fair game — tax away". You will soon see your Waikiki streets emptier than they already are.

Further, in most instances our visitors are better stewards of our aina. It is the locals who litter and trash our highways and beaches.

Get your facts straight.

[dargent77]

ALICE:!!! You got another "6-6-6" from the fruitcake in Honolulu. Wouldn't you love to have this idiot's home address, work #'s, cell phone number, e-mail address? I'm working on it. I'll pass it along.

[Mike]

Frome the good old days only a few years ago, until today our state workers servered the public with a chip on their shoulder. They knew that they have the most paid holiday that would make a Federal worker very jealous. But we Federal workers understand that someone has to pay for this excess. Governor Lingle is doing her best without laying off worker. They don't get it. The State has NO money! Time to flick that chip, and stop being so snooty to the public. If not, start the layoffs!! Be looking forward for that headline on the Star Bulletin!!

[Mike]

My mother is on welfare and she can't even get a eye exam this year due to lack of funds.

[miles to go]

Tax the hell out of the tourists. They wear and tear our island, our beaches, our rescue workers, our roads. Everyday a tourist is pulled out of the ocean, air lifted from a trail, on and on. WE pay for that. Tax them, tax them big.