Letters for Aug. 17, 2015

Letters for Aug. 17, 2015

Bernie Sanders the right man to be president

Did you miss the Bernie Sanders rally held at Puakea Wednesday (July 29)? Sen. Sanders outlined his presidential campaign proposals via Internet videoconference to over 100,000 people at more than 3,200 gatherings.

Bernie usually spends an hour once a week answering direct questions from callers on the “The Thom Hartman Show.” His answers always support the average American and remain consistent. He just makes sense.

When Ronald Reagan destroyed PATCO (the Air Traffic Controllers Union) he initiated a war on Labor. Labor is anyone, and everyone, who works for a living including the small business owner who pours hours into making his business a success. Reagan’s war has been won because while worker (Labor) productivity has continued to rise, wages are flat forcing people to have multiple jobs.

You are working harder to make the 1 percent richer.

Financial regulatory “reform” over the last 30 years has enabled “Banksters” to raid your savings and your retirement funds. Do you recall Worldcom, Enron, the California Electric Scam, AOL-Time merger, NAFTA, the “Great Recession”?

When accounting rules changed pension funding from a liability to an asset, people like Mit Romney basically stole those pension funds and left retirees solely dependent on Social Security, which the Republicans are proclaiming to be “broke” even though it isn’t.

Bernie Sanders stands for the American worker. He will protect your job, your savings, your way of life and stop the theft of your labor.

John Zwiebel

Kalaheo

Kauai can be self-sustaining

We’re known as the “Garden Island” for great reasons: 1) Everything grows here with such quality and abundance; 2) we have Mt. Waialeale, known as the wettest spot on earth; 3) there are networks of underground wells all over the island; 4) it’s possible to grow our own food products to provide healthy food choices for the entire population of the all of the islands (residents and visitors included).

So, why not go all out and establish a robust, multi-dimensional agricultural program here to include groves of mango, papaya, lychee, longan, citrus and other varieties and the array of vegetables, as well? Why not have the extended life-shelf options like canning or bottling the ag products? Why not consider the medicinal and cosmetic alternatives that go hand in hand with these ag products?

While we’re providing healthy food choices for ourselves, we can also develop a range of exports to bolster our economic vitality, as well. This is what being the Garden Island should be about: the means by which we can be self-reliant, self-sustaining, and economically viable — all at the same time!

Jose Bulatao Jr.

Kekaha

Thank you for supporting education

On behalf of Koloa Elementary School teachers, staff and students, I would like to thank the Poipu Rotary Club and Aloha Angels for adopting our 20 classroom teachers.

The generous monetary donation will help our teachers purchase supplies for their classes and provide transportation for their field trips. Our teachers are grateful to receive the community support for our students.

I am honored to be the new principal of Koloa school. I look forward to working with the Koloa school community. I invite parents and community members to become active participants in the school.

Our teachers have started working with their students. They have set high, yet realistic, expectations and have taught, modeled and practiced classroom expectations. In every classroom, students are cognitively engaged and academically challenged to reach their highest level or proficiency.

We are charged with the responsibility of raising competent, effective and ethical citizens for our next generation. We cannot do this alone, so we appreciate the support that has been given to us and hope to count on the same support in the future. The Poipu Rotary Club has continued to support the school by having Rotary Readers work with our classes and students.

The Rotary Club and Aloha Angeles depends on community support as well, through active participation and donations. Please support these organizations.

Thank you again to these organizations and we look forward to a very good school year.

Linda Uyehara, principal

Koloa Elementary School