Next time let’s Skype APEC was a financial pathetic disaster watching the state and federal government spend millions of taxpayers dollars while giving all APEC members tax exemptions on anything they bought while in Hawai‘i. First of all these APEC
Next time let’s Skype
APEC was a financial pathetic disaster watching the state and federal government spend millions of taxpayers dollars while giving all APEC members tax exemptions on anything they bought while in Hawai‘i.
First of all these APEC members are mostly wealthy politicians, why do they need tax breaks? By giving them tax breaks how are we going to recoup all the money spend on police, security, roadblocks, etc.?
Second, many businesses prepared for record numbers with buying additional inventories and having additional staff on hand only to find out many streets had been blocked to traffic which translated into loss of business.
Third, with so much funding being lost during this current recession, with cuts to programs such as Head Start, Medicaid and Medicare only to find the government pouring money into APEC, which consisted of glorified luncheons and dinner parties which only proves again that politicians are self serving narcissists into their own agendas.
Finally, until the recession is over may I recommend Skype conference calls for all future meetings of such.
Last but not least, wouldn’t it be pono with all the political fundraisers upcoming to use that money to help our economy in lieu of using it for self-serving needs?
James “Kimo” Rosen, Kapa‘a
Return to liberty
Immigrants to America came initially from an agricultural Europe, where most land was owned by aristocrats, who believed it was beneath their dignity to get their hands dirty and work. These immigrants came not with desires for handouts, but with desires for freedom to believe as they wanted and to enjoy the fruits of their own labor. They were influenced by the Puritan work ethic, which viewed hard work and thrift as a calling to be embraced, not a chore to be avoided.
For these and other reasons, America rose to become a mighty economic power, before it had any income taxes at all.
Today, while America is still prosperous, her finances are now a wreck, with out-of-control federal deficits and huge debts. This is the result of the excessive growth of Washington D.C. Four of the five highest-income counties in America today are in the Washington D.C. area. This demonstrates who the new aristocrats are, unwilling to get their hands dirty.
The way out of this mess is shown to us in our own history. We need to return to a more free and local economy. People can be responsible to take care of their own needs. When they need additional help, they should turn to their local families, friends and neighbors.
People in many other countries are living on a small fraction of what we spend here. Certainly, we can learn to live on what we can earn here through our own hard work, without needing to be become dependants and servants of Washington D.C.
A friend of mine was a drug dealer, a felon, and a drug addict in an urban setting on the mainland. Two years ago he turned to Christ and his life was turned around. Recently, he moved here to be with family. He is a convicted felon with no marketable skills. Yet, he started applying for jobs here and is now deciding between three different job offers. Not high incomes, but enough to live comfortably while he gains job skills.
This is still a land with plenty of opportunity to work hard and get ahead. I suggest that, slowly over time, we work to cut our national defense budget in half and eliminate most of the rest of what Washington D.C. spends. We became a great economy with a much smaller Washington D.C. and we can do it once again.
Mark Beeksma, Koloa
End Black Friday
No one forced anyone to go to the Black Friday sales.
However, one chooses to participate on their own free will. People set up camp to beat the rush and be first in line. By the time the store opens these people are over tired.
Then, lacking sleep, they rush in and get the items they want. Most of the time they don’t need an item but they buy it anyway. People get trampled over, and they fight. Remember last year someone died.
This year a woman got scratched and laid on a pallet while people stepped on her, breaking her eyeglass. People are actually addicted to this time of year when Black Friday sales occur.
Is Black Friday good for the economy? Most of the time people by items to hoard things.
If these stores have to get rid of their overstock items to make room for the new items, why don’t they put the overstock items for sale throughout the year?
End Black Friday sales to avoid the hoarding and the wild animal instinct in people.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
