Progressive taxes needed to fix ills

Many thanks to Gary Hooser for supporting our homeless neighbors ("We can do more to address pervasive homelessness," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Dec. 23).

He calls for increased mental health services, building affordable housing, increasing employment, strengthening the social safety net and rebuilding core public infrastructure.

None of this will happen unless we correct the current imbalance in the distribution of wealth in the United States through progressive taxation.

Our country doesn’t work right when so much wealth is controlled by so few.

Thomas S. Dye
Honolulu

Give employers a break on taxes, too

Congress should scrap the payroll tax holiday and try a job-creating approach. There are around 140 million jobs in the country. Cutting employers’ payroll expense by giving them — rather than the employee — the 2 percent tax cut would allow them to employ 2.8 million more workers for the same outlay.

When jobs are scarce and precious, why not give the tax break to the job producer?

John LeRoux
Waikiki

All keiki deserve a good beginning

The federal Race to the Top — Early Learning Challenge awarded grants to nine states totaling $500 million. Although Hawaii did not win, we applaud state Early Childhood Coordinator Terry Lock and her team for developing an ambitious state plan for early childhood education reform.

The grant reviewers’ comments sent a strong message that our state must dedicate time and resources to develop a comprehensive plan so all keiki have access to early learning programs. This will happen when everyone in Hawaii sees it as their kuleana to advocate for our young children. This is why Good Beginnings Alliance is spearheading the public-will campaign, Be My Voice! Hawai‘i (www.bemyvoice hawaii.org), to provide all of Hawaii’s citizens a vehicle to voice their concerns for our keiki to our Legislature.

Hawaii will have another grant opportunity as the federal government will hold a Round II. Therefore, we must all come together now to strengthen the state plan.

Elisabeth Chun
Executive director, Good Beginnings Alliance

Jesus would have supported OWS

James Quimby criticizes the Occupy Wall Street movement for violating the golden rule promoted by Jesus ("OWS violates the golden rule," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 21).

However, he overlooks other important passage showing that Jesus would support the OWS movement. Namely, the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55:

"He hath shewed might in his arm:

He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat,

and hath exalted the humble.

He hath filled the hungry with good things;

and the rich he hath sent empty away…".

In Mark 11:15-19, Jesus used force to cleanse the temple, driving out "those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers …"

There is also Jesus’ controversial statement: "I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword …" ( Matt. 10:34).

The Bible clearly sides with justice against exploitation of the common people by the rich who have economic and political power.

Alfred Bloom
Kailua

City Hall must learn to do more with less

I got my new car registration fee notice. Maybe you got yours. It was way up from last year. And I do mean way up.

Those people at City Hall must know that times are tough, and that the car registration fee will be tough on many of us.

If we have to tighten our belts, why can’t City Hall tighten its belt? It seems to me that City Hall should have figured out how to do more with less, how to get by on less, and should have sent us bills that are lower than last year.

But no, City Hall doesn’t seem to care if we suffer. I guess the important thing is that those people in City Hall don’t suffer. Here, pay this bill, even if it’s too much.

Mayor Peter Carlisle should have had better sense.

Mark Terry
Wahiawa

A rail system will ruin island beauty

I am 94 years old and cannot imagine intelligent people would want to spoil a small island with a train. I have traveled all over the world and never seen a beautiful train area. Even in the old days the railway was on the edge of the island. We have the best bus system in the world!

Virginia Black Doyle
Makaha

Total cellphone ban in cars will save lives

I was extremely pleased to see that the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that all states enact total bans on cellphone use while driving. A few years ago, I was nearly hit by a car driven by a woman on a cellphone in a large supermarket parking lot. When I went inside the store, the woman using her cellphone turned a corner and hit me with her shopping cart.

In my 30 years of emergency medicine, I saw numerous incidents of distracted driving from all causes. I also heard numerous complaints about the rights of individuals versus government control. Two hours after the state’s seatbelt law went into effect, I took care of two young men in the Hilo emergency room involved in a violent car crash who would have been killed or severely injured except for their seat belt restraints. When I asked them if they always used seatbelts, both said, "Never, but it’s now the law."

Fred C. Holschuh
Honokaa