• Raising taxes is not the answer • Thank you for the help with flat tire • Balance climate change coverage • Prize made for more great memories Raising taxes is not the answer I totally agree with Mr. Joseph Lavery that “all our
• Raising taxes is not the answer • Thank you for the help with flat tire • Balance climate change coverage • Prize made for more great memories
Raising taxes is not the answer
I totally agree with Mr. Joseph Lavery that “all our elected officials take a paycut of 50 percent of their current salaries and also give up their expense accounts.”
If all of them were beamed up by Scotty, let’s say for six months, life would still go on as usual. There would be no significant changes in the lives of most people. Pensioners would still receive their entitlements, would still be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, HMSA, etc.
The gainfully employed would still be employed, the unemployed, hopefully, will be hired. There are people on Kauai who would work as mayor or as a member of the County Council for one third of what they are paid. There are counties on the Mainland with populations that greatly exceed the population on Kauai and the remuneration is far less than what is paid to public officials on Kauai.
There is a saying: “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” It seems as if Kauai’s elected officials panacea for everything is to raise taxes. Those salary increases come directly out of the pockets of the people of Kauai. My statements will not change any of the sense of entitlement by public officials.
Irvin Green
Kapaa
Thank you for the help with flat tire
Aloha, and a thousand thanks to the kind and true gentleman who helped me when I flopped out of SUDS carwash with a flat tire recently. This wonderful fellow, whose name I never did catch, saw my predicament and rolled his compressor over the oncology clinic where I was parked. With the help of one of the clinic workers (who also deserves a round of thanks), he hooked up the compressor and reinflated the tire. As if that was not enough, he then topped off the other three!
There are times when I know I live in the best community on Earth, and there are times, like this one, when I really know it.
Mahalo and God bless you, good sir.
H.M. Wyeth
Anahola
Balance climate change coverage
On Sunday, for the second time, The Garden Island newspaper published an editorial from fossil fuel and tobacco industry lobbyist Tom Harris.
The scientific consensus on climate change is equal to the scientific consensus that smoking causes cancer. Yet, TGI would never publish an editorial from a tobacco industry lobbyist pushing the benefits of smoking. I don’t blame Tom Harris for writing his piece, because as a lobbyist that’s what he does. He gets paid a lot of money simply to muddy the debate on climate change. But, I do blame TGI for printing it.
Over the last year, 9,137 scientists have published peer reviewed research on climate change. Of those, only one attempted to discredit the theory of anthropogenic climate change (that the planet is warming and humans are causing it).
So, in an attempt to accurately represent the views of the scientific community, I propose that TGI devote the next 9,136 issues (every issue for 25 years) to publishing editorials from actual scientists who support the theory of anthropogenic climate change. Only then will we get a fair and balanced view of the scientific concensus on climate change.
The planet is warming, humans are the cause and the effects (unless mitigated) will be disastrous. That conclusion is endorsed by every national academy of science of every industrialized nation on the planet, the IMF, the World Bank, the Pope, the UN, NASA, and the president of the United States. But, please don’t take this letter as fact: check out http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus and http://opr.ca.gov/s_listoforganizations.php for a wealth of information on the consensus behind climate change. The debate is over; it’s time to start talking about solutions.
Luke Evslin
Kapahi
Prize made for more great memories
My Kauai memories got a nice jolt the other day. I received more than exceptional service recently at Napa Auto Parts in Kapaa/PS & D Tires (based in Lihue), my usual auto parts place of choice.
My thanks to their general manager Gayle Shigematsu and sales manager Pat Victorino (also of KQNG Radio Group’s Country Show 95.5 FM) for their generosity in co-sponsoring the grand prize ticket to see the exciting Florida Georgia Line concert on Oahu, which I won.
The prize included a stay at Aston Waikiki which was wonderful. I’d return there, it’s a colorful hotel with great services. The ocean water was always a deep turquoise, very inviting as always.
Denise and Annette at KQNG Radio, thanks for the lucky draw! Thank you Ron Wiley for the nice greeting and wishes for a great trip. Again, thank you Pat Victorino! Finally, thanks to TGI for the picture, a nice surprise!
Craig Navratil
Kapaa
