In fairness, pensions should be taxed

Taxes are the price we pay for living in a civilized societyand should be fair. The selfishAARP and legislators who pandered to it clearly disagree with fairness. We have a graduated income tax already in placethat would ensure fairness to low-incomepensioners along with other programs. Also, pensioners who already paid "post-tax" money in Hawaiiare legallyexempt from further taxation. Old folks vote,making this last legislativesession a clear case of might makes right. Shame on you!

Daniel Laraway
Honolulu

Free-market ideology helped bust economy 

If an ideology can be blamed for this deep recession we’re in, it is the small-government, the free-market-can-do-no-wrong ideology propagated by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii ("Dick Rowland," Name in the News, Star-Advertiser, May 6). This ideology infected the minds of government regulators early in the decade, resulting in little oversight of Wall Street financiers, who sold high-risk, low-value derivatives to investors as safe investments.

When these derivatives were revealed to be what they were worth, it was already too late because derivatives were widely owned. When their value plummeted, the economy collapsed. It took hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to save the country from another Great Depression.

So it is infuriating to see the Grassroot Institute proudly "educating" the public about the "free market" and "limited government." Its efforts are for nothing more than to preclude federal oversight so that they may again freely generate enormous amounts of wealth for themselves through recklessness and fraud.

John Yoza
Pearl City

Key is for homeless to want needed help

We need to differentiate between those who are income-gap homeless, those with families and people who not only need help but want it, versus those who want to continue drinking and drugging, keep their pets and remain unemployed. Shelters need to reduce barriers such as making people leave early in the morning; up-front fees (usually impossible); and the inability to store people’s belongings. Tent cities and shelters for those who do not want to help themselves will soon result in public complaints about safety, sanitation, drug dealing, etc. How to help people shift from needing help to wanting help is the key.

Steve Walsh
Honolulu

Lualualei project not sustainable for area

Smart growth, sustainable development and food security are now recognized by our political establishment as directives for creating and maintaining higher living standards across Hawaii. Did the Star-Advertiser get that message?

It appears not, after reading the editorial supporting the unsustainable Tropic Land LLC plan for an urban industrial park in the pristine agricultural district of Lualualei Valley ("Project could help Nanakuli," Our View, Star-Advertiser, May 2). Fortunately, the state Land Use Commission gave the thumbs down. However, there’s a second opportunity for these developers to save their investment with a public relations campaign.

Your editorial repeats the developer’s sound bites in making it appear that valley residents are desperate for outsiders to arrive with the fetish of jobs to secure their future. In reality, residents early on organized to protect the long-term viability of Lualualei, one of just three planned agricultural districts on Oahu.

Ritxard Weigel
Honolulu

U.S. made right call on bin Laden photos 

Doubters will always doubt, regardless.Would the government showing Osama bin Laden’s dead body settle anything?No.

Al-Qaida already confirmed its anger over its leader’s death. Isn’t that enough confirmation?Publicizing these photos would stoke the fire and fuel the terrorists with much more rage and vengeance.Why create more anti-Americanism over some photos that will be doubted over their authenticity in the first place?

Han Song
Kaneohe