Gas tax holiday not the solution
Some of our politicians say “Let’s help lower the cost of gas with a gas tax holiday.” I say “Forget about the gas tax holiday and do something more meaningful, which is a permanent end to the annual vehicle safety inspections.”
Only a handful of states have these types of inspections and studies have shown that they have little or no impact on reducing traffic accidents as most are caused by the driver. These inspections may have been needed many years ago but today’s vehicles with all the safety enhancements make them antiquated and a waste of our money.
Come on state government do something that will really benefit us and dump these inspections for good.
Joseph P. Maria
Kapaau
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Why Hawaii should be concerned
In response to Robert Hastings’ My Turn article in the July 3 edition of WHT, here are a few of the reasons we here in Hawaii should be concerned about the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade:
• We are part of the United States and therefore are entitled to weigh in on how we think our national society should be conducted.
• The idea of the government, at any level, forcing a women or girl to bear an unwanted child is at least as repulsive to many of us as the idea that “abortion is murder” is to so many others.
• It is not unthinkable that our laws should reflect our civil behavior, instead of being merely aspirational.
• Congress has not been the final word on interpreting the U.S. Constitution since Marbury v. Madison was decided in 1803.
• The 9th Amendment to the Constitution states “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” Consequently, the fact that the word abortion does not appear in the Constitution has no weight at all as an argument.
• The Supreme Court has the authority to reverse a precedent it has previously set. However, in reversing a 50-year precedent, it has a duty to make a convincing case for doing so. The public reaction so far to Justice Alito’s opinion does not seem to reflect that his argument settled any disputes rather than simply siding with abortion opponents.
• Finally, since this issue goes to the heart of our understanding of our rights as private citizens in this country, its ramifications are of as much concern to citizens of Hawaii as of the other states and territories.
As John Stuart Mill remarked in his Inaugural Address at St. Andrews (1867), “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” This alone seems reason enough for us in Hawaii not to turn our heads and pretend to wonder what all the fuss is about.
John Sucke
Waimea
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