Electronics recycling rules preposterous
I read with disbelief the article “Hawaii lawmakers push electronics recycling rules.”
Does anyone in the Legislature have an ounce of business sense? How in the world can a manufacturer of electronic equipment know where its products go and in what quantity? For example, let’s consider a ‘TLC” flat screen TV: Who is the manufacturer, who is the distributor, who is the wholesaler and finally who is the retailer? Now this manufacturer must establish a recycling center for every island with 1,000 inhabitants.
That means that Lanai with a 2010 census population of 3,102 could possibly have 2,100 recycling centers — one for each of the Consumer Electronics Association’s 2,100 members. If the manufacturers don’t comply they would have to pay an as-yet unspecified fee.
Can you imagine the size of the bureaucracy needed to enforce this farce? What is really scary is that this bill has already passed in the Senate.
Bob Green
Waikoloa
United’s actions are appalling
Now that we got our two-week notice from go! Airlines, I thought maybe United would announce after 60 years of service to Hawaii they would fill the vacancy with interisland flights. Must be a bad idea. Instead, United announced possible employee layoffs — replaced with cheap labor hires — so profits can be restored. I’m all for making a profit, but not at the expense of people’s lives.
This scenario is all too familiar. Management will claim it is up to the employees to keep their jobs by accepting the offer on the table: serious pay cuts, benefits slashed and nothing promising on the horizon. United has already dissolved employee pensions. This reads like a scene out of the movie “Wall Street.” First the merger with Continental then bam – “Our way or the highway.” What’s next? A strike? I wouldn’t blame the employees.
Employer abuse is going on everywhere. People are overworked, underpaid and if there are benefits they are being taken away. Yes, most people are thankful to have a job, but having dignity that’s another story.
If United and other companies following suit think they can conduct business this way and walk away clean — think again. I don’t have the answer, but let’s all dig deep and find a better one.
C. Moore
Kailua-Kona