Let shoppers gobble up all our holidays

Some retail workers were protesting having to work on Thanksgiving so shoppers could go crazy a few hours earlier. How shortsighted and unpatriotic. After all, shopping is the national pastime, a patriotic obligation.

In fact, I think all stores should be open all Thanksgiving Day. Instead of eating, we can be shopping, which is great exercise, helping the economy and our waistlines.

Retail workers could get an hour off to eat at fast-food places (serving turkey burgers) with their families. They would feel socially fulfilled for doing their patriotic duty.

If Black Thursday is too big a hit, it could be extended to Gray Wednesday or Murky Monday. We could even do this for Halloween, kids trick-or-treating only at malls while parents shop.

No, no, no, don’t thank me. Wasn’t my idea — some other corporate, bottom-line patriotic genius.

Kathy Brindo
Lanai

Pacific trade pact has very dark side

The commentary by Lori Wallach, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch director, relating to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting has been an eye opener for those opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other free trade agreements ("Today’s trade pacts not so much about tariffs as about empowering corporations," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 12).

Readers should view a speech made by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, which is accessed through GTWatch’s blog, Eyes on Trade. Consider one issue: The U.S. was forced by NAFTA to accept Mexican trucks on U.S. highways despite violations of truck safety standards. Similar investor-state provisions in TPP violate U.S. sovereignty and endanger more safety, labor and environmental standards.

Current FTAs have many more provisions that compromise federal and Hawaii laws. Governing becomes impossible without taking these provisions into consideration. Join those of us opposed to the TPP by contacting your congressional representatives.

Ralph Sato
Honolulu

APEC security units deserve mahalo

One big "mahalo" to the Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu Fire Department, City and County medical team, state Sheriff Division, and the many other law enforcement entities that did an outstanding job during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

From the beginning to the end of the conference, it showed that each of the respective leaders and their subordinates had a very strong and communicated game plan that was very successful.

They (law enforcement management) created and communicated a service vision that worked through cooperation.

For those who complained losing business, money, impairment by traffic, etc., take a hike.

We like the photo of all the world leaders together — though someone with an aloha shirt would have offset the photo.

Boyd Andrade
Honolulu

Holidays sweet, but curb sugary drinks

Over the holiday weekend, families considered all they have to be thankful for. Hopefully the health of their kids is among those things.

During the fall and early winter, American kids consume an excess of food rich in sugar and refined carbohydrates. The sugar is consumed not just in cookies and desserts but also in "fruit" drinks and beverages like Red Bull, Gatorade and even Vitamin Water, which contains half as much sugar as Coke. More than 100 grams of sugar can be easily consumed from soda.

It is time to consider how much sugar our kids consume during the holidays by taking a look at the amount of sugar in drinks.

At least 30 cities have considered taxes on soda or all sugar-sweetened beverages, and they’re a logical target. In Hawaii, Senate Bill 1179 proposed a sugar-sweetened beverage tax last session but did not pass because of big soda corporations. Simply, this tax would reduce consumption of unhealthy foods and generate tax revenue that could be used to subsidize the obesity prevention program or purchase of foods like greens, vegetables and fruits. It is time to celebrate and to think about how to have a healthy holiday season.

Eunhee Park
Master’s student, Department of Public Health Sciences, UH-Manoa

Schools’ financial oversight appalling

My questions concern all school finance managers:

Where did these people receive their accounting education? Where are the "internal controls" for the financial accounting of these institutions?

I believe the principals should also be held accountable as they are the primary managers of the schools.

In any private company, no one individual is the keeper of the hen house.

Gary H. Watanabe
Waipahu

True land value, not use, should rule tax

Before the city’s Real Property Tax Advisory Commission recommends abolishing real property tax exemptions of the blind, elderly and disabled, wouldn’t it be prudent to first examine the current tax assessments and tax rates to see if they are accurate, reasonable and fair?

Better yet, before taking from the have-nots, shouldn’t we ensure that vast private landholdings are taxed closer to their true value rather than their "designated land usage?"

Richard Y. Will
Waikiki