Arson or ashtray-less smokers? ADVERTISING Arson or ashtray-less smokers? Although multiple fires erupting within a short time span appear suspicious, I am unaware of any evidence of arson. Perhaps these fires were all accidentally started by careless smokers. Just about
Arson or ashtray-less smokers?
Although multiple fires erupting within a short time span appear suspicious, I am unaware of any evidence of arson.
Perhaps these fires were all accidentally started by careless smokers. Just about everyone has seen smokers who hold their lit cigarettes out the window, lest they choke their fellow passengers with the secondhand smoke. Even when they smoke inside their air conditioned cars, they flick ashes out the window, mostly harmless, but occasionally, hot and glowing.
I used to be a smoker, and I have seen sparks on the highway in my rear-view mirror. I am not sure who is to blame for the fact that it is so politically incorrect to smoke nowadays that auto manufacturers are omitting ashtrays and car rental companies seem to remove those ashtrays that do exist. Is this intended as a way of enforcing their smoke-free policies?
Let’s be pono and wise up to the fact that, despite a decline in smokers, smoking still exists and is legal. I believe that all cars, especially rentals, should contain ashtrays, regardless of any no-smoking terms in the underlying rental contracts.
After all, if Congress passed a law stating that ants are forbidden from attending picnics, would that really solve Yosemite’s ants-in-Yogi’s-basket problem?
Eliminating ash trays from cars seems to have backfired (no pun intended, merely accidental, but convenient). I believe that the elimination of ashtrays has contributed to wildfires on this windy island, rather than help prevent them. Join the “non-smokers for ashtrays” movement. Give a bean-bag ashtray to all of your friends who are smokers.
James Donovan
Waikoloa
Clarifying the charitable donations on taxes
As a member of the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide team at Hale Halawai, I would like to thank Ms. Wallis for the kind comments published in the Saturday, March 5 edition of West Hawaii Today. I would also like to clarify her statement regarding the $10,000 limit for charitable donations.
What she is referring to is the point where it becomes beneficial for a taxpayer to itemize deductions instead of taking the standard deduction. In addition to the amount of charitable donations, this figure includes medical expenses, some taxes paid, mortgage interest, and other miscellaneous expenses. The figure also varies by filing status and age, and is normally between $6,300 and $15,200.
Congress has enacted an extremely complicated tax code over the years but the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are trained at an advanced level and must pass an IRS exam covering both ethics and current tax law before they prepare any tax returns. The Tax-Aide program has no age or income limits but is meant for taxpayers with low to moderate income with a focus on those over 60 years of age. Membership in the AARP is not required.
On the Big Island AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites can be found in Captain Cook, Hilo, Kailua-Kona, and Waimea. To find the site closest to your readers and the hours of operation, they can go to http://www.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action or call 888-687-2277.
John Gross
Kailua-Kona
Mad and not going to take it
I had seen a recent mention of vehicle fee increases for us in West Hawaii Today (Feb. 21), but it didn’t quite ring home until I read in the Honolulu Star Advertiser (March 1) “Senate panel votes to raise vehicle taxes.” Senate Bill 2938, a proposal by Gov. Ige’s administration.
It seems to me that our governor drags his feet for months in taking any action regarding our dengue fever outbreak yet is quick to increase our taxes. Now get this, based on a “think tank” research report from the mainland, Hawaii ranks as the worst state in the country for overall highway performance and cost-effectiveness, most likely from administrative costs siphoning off money for repairs.
Hawaii spends $90,000 per mile in administrative costs compared to Texas at $4,000 per mile or Kentucky at less than $1,000 per mile. The irony is that Hawaii DOT has over $600 million of federal funds that it hasn’t spent and may lose if not used. So let me get this right, Gov. Ige, you want to raise our vehicle fees more than $85 per vehicle when your DOT has yet to spend millions that were “given” to us by the feds?
I know it’s out of character for you to make tough decisions (dengue, TMT, health care exchange, etc.), but for me, it’s an easy decision when I go to my polling place this fall to “get mad and not take it any longer” and vote for new representatives who can be sensitive to the skyrocketing cost of living in this state. I wonder if Gov. Ige would ever imagine that he could be a single-term governor like the one he unseated?
Paul Robinson
Kailua-Kona
Neighbor dispute
shockingly un-aloha
I know there will probably be a few letters about this, but the article on Tuesday’s front page (March 8) is just sad. I can’t believe what I was reading about the lack of aloha and respect between neighbors.
We all deserve to have a view here if we are lucky and blessed enough to afford it, but when our neighbors become spiteful, hateful and have no regard for their neighbor (“I don’t give a (expletive) about your view”), well, that just makes me angry. This person with the trees, and now sounds like a building, ought to be ashamed of themselves. I would be horrified if I was quoted in an article for all the world to see (yeah, you are now online) that you did not care about your neighbor.
My advise to these people — Mr. Bates and Ms. Rawsthorne — is please leave this beautiful island and move to someplace where no one cares about the view. Just my opinion.
Lynn Neering
Waikoloa
