Tougher gun laws, please
In view of the worst mass shooting in USA history, please Republican Congress and Republican President Trump, if you’re not at least trying to fix this, you’re effectively telling the country in your lack of action that this somehow is acceptable.
As John Mayer said, “This is a fact of modern day life that from time to time we’ll lose dozens of people in seconds? That daily life is a lottery system?”
The Republicans want people with mental issues to be able to buy guns and they want anyone to be able to buy silencers for those guns. Why is that, so people can’t tell the directions of the shooter? So more people will die?
The country is being held hostage by the NRA. The Republican thoughts and prayers have become a cliche.
Marian Hughes
Waimea
Limit high power weapons
I am saddened by the recent massacre in Las Vegas. Collectively, we must mourn and pray for the families affected by this senseless, horrific act.
However, we cannot just allow this to pass as “yesterday’s news.” We must take a proactive approach to eliminate this type of senseless violence. Law enforcement agencies can pontificate why this gunman did what he did, but at the end of the day, all we are doing is giving him his “15 minutes of fame.”
I have friends and family who own guns. That choice is their Second Amendment right. The fact remains that there is no need for semi-automatic and automatic weapons in the hands of private citizens. Owning a gun for sport or protection doesn’t require a 100-bullet round that can go off in a minute or two.
Please support federal laws to eliminate the private ownership of these types of weapons. Contact our state senators and let your position be known before it happens again in a different venue. Call Sen. Brian Schatz at (202) 224-3934 or www.schatz.senate.gov/ and Sen. Mazie Hirono at (202) 224-6361 or www.hirono.senate.gov/
Greg Colden
Kona
Outside the box doc fix
After reading last week’s article on Hawaii’s doctor shortages, and thinking outside of the box, I may have an easy, albeit expensive, fix to this problem.
To recruit good doctors we (the state and counties of Hawaii) must think outside of the box and incentivize them to come here.
How about this (all of which could be modified):
1. Waive state income tax
2. Pay relocation costs
3. Offer interest free housing loans
4. Pay for malpractice insurance
5. Pay “X” percentage a year of/on their student loans (10 percent after 10 years they are debt free)
6. Match a percentage of their contribution to a 401K
There could also be a “time in service-repayment” clause to insure that we taxpayers are repaid in the event they decide to leave Hawaii.
All of the above could also be expanded, in one way or the other, to our current doctors.
As mentioned above, YES this will be expensive, but what is the “real” cost of a doctor shortage? Like our Kona water shortage – we must think outside of the box to fix this/these problem(s).
Tony Poggi
Kailua-Kona