• The hits are real • Tax confusions • A call for undergrounding • Chemical-free learning places, good The hits are real This is in reply to Joel Whitley’s letter (“Greatest show on Earth?” Letters, Feb. 4): It always amuses
• The hits are real
• Tax confusions
• A call for undergrounding
• Chemical-free learning places, good
The hits are real
This is in reply to Joel Whitley’s letter (“Greatest show on Earth?” Letters, Feb. 4):
It always amuses (and sometimes ticks me off), when I read the proffering of folks who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Football is without a doubt one of the most physically violent sports (along with MMA) in which one can participate. The blunt force trauma experienced by football players can only be compared to being hit by a 300-pound wrecking ball, again and again and again. Yes, some of the backs and receivers only play a small percentage of the game. But your core players, linemen, backs, even quarterbacks usually play at least half the game. And the fact that they can even take getting hit like that over and over again says tons for their exhaustive and comprehensive conditioning, training and work ethic. I can’t honestly believe Whitley ever played any sort of football, or he would remember the teeth jarring crunches one has to endure, and overcome, in football, be it sandlot, school, or pro. As a tomboy with brothers, I took my share of hits in our sandlot games, and it ain’t fun. But that’s nothing compared to what these professional athletes deal with week after week, knowing one injury could end their careers in a heartbeat. So I would like to affirm that the Super Bowl really is super, with great athletes in one of the best competitions we are blessed to have.
Susan Straight
Waimea
Tax confusions
I find Harry Boranian’s letter (“Getting out of the subprime debacle,” Letters, Feb. 3) highly amusing. I’m not sure when he refers to private jet, yacht, etc., if he was referring to himself or not. If he is, he doesn’t deserve my sympathy. He admits he put pressure on his advisers to get a better return on his money. That’s exactly the reason we have a subprime problem. Congress (not Bush) put pressure on lenders to make the American Dream possible by owning their own home. So lenders made imprudent loans to people on adjustable loan rates where they were gambling the price of the home would rise a lot and they could sell for a profit. Too bad for them their mortgage rates went up and home prices went down. Again, obviously the fault of Bush. Wish I was wealthy enough to need a financial adviser. So Boranian can know how the wealthy benefited (the Bush for the wealthy tax Cuts) for the 2006 tax year the top 1 percent of wealthy taxpayers paid 39.38 percent of the taxes. They paid at a rate of 23.13 percent of their income. The bottom 50 percent of taxpayers paid at a rate of 2.98 percent. Easy to see that the wealthy 1 percent really benefited from the Bush tax cuts, only paying just under 40 percent of the taxes paid. Tax info from United States Internal Revenue Service. Surely there are other things we can truthfully blame Bush for. I for one blame him for doing mostly nothing to solve our illegal immigration problem. I’m really pleased Boranian is a Democrat, as with his knowledge of taxes and who pays them I hope he doesn’t turn into a Republican.
Bob Yount
Kalaheo
A call for undergrounding
The article in the Feb. 1 The Garden Island about KIUC checking for hazardous electric lines brings up an important point that has been overlooked for far to long. As a company owned by the people, KIUC should begin to underground all electric wires. This would eliminate the constant problems of fixing, checking and cutting trees that is necessary now. In another hurricane there would be huge dividends. It would also enhance the beauty of our island.
The problem of the cost of undergrounding wires, even though it decreases maintenance over the long run, is a real one. Mostly when there is any discussion of undergrounding, people talk about the cost of undergrounding the whole island, but that is not the way to start. KIUC should make a commitment to underground one or two miles every year, in the most visible places, and then do it. Over time our island would be far more beautiful.
It is time for us all to push KIUC to underground electric wires and get the phone company to include their wires also.
What about it KIUC?
Marge Freeman
Wailua
Chemical-free learning places, good
The idea that companies such as Syngenta Seed and the state of Hawai‘i health and education departments can so easily ignore the idea that pesticides are causing health hazards around our schools is insane to me.
Our childern are our biggest investments on this island and in our state. Their brains are growing and these areas are a place for learning.
Long-term health issues have been well documented with the use of pesticides. That is why applicators wear protective gear. Where is the protection for our children and teachers?
What kind of message does it send to our children when our community tells our children not to put chemicals into their bodies because it will affect their health? Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc. Yet we do nothing to stop this poison chemical spraying around our schools?
Are these jobs worth so much that we will ignore a re-occurring health issue that effects the number one most precious investment, our children and our future leaders?
If they end up with long-term health issues in 10 or 20 years do we look back as with so many other reflections in this state, shake our heads and say what a shame we did nothing to prevent it?
There are many options to spraying chemicals for pest and weed control as most well educated farmers know. Can’t we just say no to spraying chemicals around our schools?
Keep SB3170 alive and give our children a safe chemical free place to learn.
Greg Holzman
Kekaha
