Letters to the editor: 06-13-18

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Air quality always in the news

I’m responding to Louise Winn and her ridiculous letter about how some unidentified people are spewing propaganda to attract tourists by hiding the truth about Kona’s air quality.

She states that the local news barley mentions the facts about air quality. Really? Hawaii News Now seems obsessed with our air quality. The weather man Guy Hagi goes to the extreme of exaggeration nightly warning of hazards that I didn’t know existed. I feel lucky to be alive breathing the air here for the last 35 years after I watch him.

Anyway, Louise, so sorry to hear about your sore throat but you can monitor the air quality at www.hlso2index.info, the Hawaii Department of Health’s website.

James Duke

Hounaunau

Sad to see good friends leave Hawaii

The luaus are not the same, backyard jams and kanikapilas aren’t great like the good old days and life in general is not the same as I see great friends and good people leave Hawaii for other destinations, like Australia, Maryland and Alaska just to name a few. They all have one reason in common why they are leaving the Hawaiian island chain — exorbitant state of Hawaii taxes.

Despite the satanic “fake news,” the honorable President of the United States Donald Trump has generously given virtually everybody tax cuts. Personally, this one-party Democratic system in supposed paradise sadly doesn’t work as the state of Hawaii shoves higher taxes down people’s throats in an arrogant manner without any opposition.

Yes, it is sad that we see our families and friends leave us just because of taxes. It is definitely time to privatize the University of Hawaii system, which is rather controversial, as well as other government agencies for the price of Paradise Lost is way too exorbitant. People definitely have to wake up and vote more intelligently.

Dean Nagasako

Honokaa

Give money to Pahoa, not homeless

Our politicians are tripping over each other to establish their legacy on homeless giveaways. The movie said “build it and they will come” and in Hawaii they keep coming.

Both state houses want $50 million, Gov. David Ige has already kicked in $10-20 million and our phantom mayor several more millions. Plus, the indirect costs of high EMT usage, enforcement and cleanup, such as 10 dump truck loads from Old A. The total is possibly up to $80 million and the latest homeless count of 6,530 equates to $12,251 per homeless person. How dumb is that?

Now, certain people must be taken care of such as an invalid and elderly person, but not the able-bodied corner beggar.

Pahoa has a homeless situation for good citizens but no such urgency. Why did it take Ige as long as about a month to get money to volcano victims? Why didn’t he or legislators petition FEMA to task assign the National Guard engineers to set up housing, cooking and dining facilities weeks ago instead of working on a $50 million gift to the non-productive?

A church has begun to help in Pahoa without phantom Harry, who seems more interested in spending money in Hilo, on the homeless and raising taxes. He wanted a homeless village built in six months but can’t help the hard working responsible taxpayers.

Don Zero

Kailua-Kona