An April Fools’ joke
This must have been an April Fools’ Day joke. I’m talking about the report in Friday’s edition that government officials and their employees might be held accountable by a new commission formed after Rep. Ty Cullen and Sen. Kalani English recently pleaded guilty to taking cash bribes. Forming the commission is not the hard part. That’s mostly talk, talk, talk. You know virtue signaling. They have no problem forming commissions, funding new positions, studies, etc., but when I hear talk of term limits I have to laugh and believe it was an April Fools’ joke. Government officials, be it national or local will never vote to limit their own power. But humor me with this request. Make sure that any government official or their employees lose their pensions and all other government perks, health care and so on, when caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
Mikie Kerr
Waikoloa
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Time for Hawaii to step up, again
Hawaii stepped up and supplied President Joe Biden with a nice share of the votes he needed to become president.
Now it’s time for Hawaii to step up, again, and take its share of the illegal immigrants crossing the border because Mr. Biden is president. We have lots of space, no problem with establishing tent cities for some of these Biden followers who so desperately need a home.
Surely, no Hawaiian would object to taking their share of the millions of immigrants pouring over the border since Mr. Biden became president.
Sandra Gray
Kapaau
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The burden is being shared
In the Friday edition of letters to West Hawaii Today, Elizabeth Purse states “It’s not asking too much to ask visitors that can afford to come to Hawaii to help pay these workers.” This is a true statement and it would appear that the state and counties of Hawaii have taken up this philosophy: according to the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, visitors coming to Hawaii (and Hawaii residents visiting some other islands) are now paying a 13.25% “Transient Accommodation Tax” (TAT). The TAT, on top state and county General Excise Taxes means Hawaii has the highest tourist taxes in the U.S., topping out at 17.75%. As such, it seems a bit disingenuous to suggest that visitors are not paying for their vacations.
David Conrad
Kailua-Kona
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