• Not the answer • Proposition 13 Not the answer Gentlemen: RE: Letter from Brent Forrester, Pacific Palisades, CA, The Garden Islander Letters to the Editor, Wednesday, November 5. We recently moved to Kaua‘i from Southern California to be with
• Not the answer
• Proposition 13
Not the answer
Gentlemen: RE: Letter from Brent Forrester, Pacific Palisades, CA, The Garden Islander Letters to the Editor, Wednesday, November 5.
We recently moved to Kaua‘i from Southern California to be with the rest of our family. If the letter from Mr. Forrester suggesting that Hawai‘i punish the shark that attacked young surfer Bethany Hamilton did not seem to be so vehement, I would be inclined to believe that he was joking. My boys have surfed and swam in the ocean all their lives, and they know that they are not the only animals out there.
What would be accomplished by killing an animal that is acting as nature intended and biting anything that looks tempting? Would the other sharks (or any other animal) think to themselves “We better not behave the way George did the other day towards humans or they’ll kill us too!” Of course not. Also, how would you determine what shark it was? Kill them all??? Executing human beings for committing murder has certainly not had any effect on the death rate from human mayhem.
I would much rather go swimming in Kaua‘i’s waters than risk another day on California’s freeways with cell phone toting drivers weaving through traffic in their huge SUVs at 80-90 mph.
I hope Mr. Forrester will reconsider and allow his family to visit this beautiful island. In the meantime, we will try to get along without his presence.
Robin Voorhies
Kapa‘a
cc: LA Times
Proposition 13
Mr. Lowell Kalapa’s article indicated the 25th anniversary of Proposition 13 in California. Mr. Kalapa, who has written on the menaces of taxation and unfettered government spending, blames Proposition 13 for all the ills of the Golden State. How wrong!
Mr. Kalapa, let me remind you that California had an 18 billion-dollar surplus when Gov. Davis took office. A combination of a runaway legislature passing bills without regard for fiscal consequences along with an increase of 40,000 jobs in state government, a disastrous and costly energy policy and a reduction in state income tax revenues caused the 38 billion dollar deficit facing California.
Property tax in California contributes to local services such as police and fire, where there are no deficits.
A charter amendment is pending on Kaua‘i to protect resident occupied homes from runaway taxation. It resembles Proposition 13. It is highly worthy of voter support. A petition is now being circulated to place this measure on the ballot for next year’s election.
Mr. Kalapa, you have made a wrong premise, given an unrelated discussion to the merits of a home saving proposition and arrived at a very erroneous conclusion. Blame an irresponsible and incompetent governor and legislature on California’s woes. Not Proposition 13.
Monroe Richman, M.D.
Koloa
