Candidates vying to fill the congressional seat that will be vacated by U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa do no service to Hawaii by framing campaigns as opposition to the Trump administration, even if it plays well in this bluest of blue states.

The effectiveness of our congressional representatives traditionally is measured by how successfully they have dipped into the federal purse.

With a Republican in the White House who is finding rapport with the Republican-controlled Congress, and a Supreme Court tending to overrule liberal lower courts that have the same biased approach to the Trump administration, it is foolhardy to start a congressional career binding oneself with a declaration of opposition.

It is especially risky from a Hawaii standpoint since these are the agents controlling the allocation of public funds. For instance, the thought of $1.5 billion of federal money the city is depending on to complete the rail project might suggest treading carefully when setting oneself at odds with the holders of the purse.

Tom Freitas

Hawaii Kai

—

Delegation should support tax breaks

One must wonder why the Hawaii congessional delegation as a whole voted not to give what will indeed be a substantial tax cut to more than 90 percent of their constituents.

In light of the overwhelming consensus by even the Star-Advertiser and the University of Hawaii economics department that taxes for most middle-class Americans would go down, one must ask why did they not support this benefit for the residents they represent (“Tax overhaul passes,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 21).

Make no mistake, it is obstructionist politics at its worst when our own politicians care only for the party they represent and not for us.

Rob Espinosa

Kapolei

—

Spend on education, not prison study

Instead of paying $1 million for a study of privatizing prisons, let’s pay $9 for a Netflix subscription and let prison officials watch “Orange Is the New Black” instead (“State prison officials consider private partnerships,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 27).

We already know that for-profit privatization of prisons doesn’t work. Let’s take the $1 million and put it into preschools. Every dollar spent on early childhood education comes back many times by helping children become productive members of society, instead of increasing the prison population.

Education first!

Lorna Holmes

Iwilei