Ban on plastic bags will add to expenses

The ban of plastic bags is supposed to decrease the amount of bags in landfills and the environment.

I’m all for that.

Currently, I use the bags to throw my garbage away.

When the law goes into effect, I will have to buy reusable bags to carry merchandise home, and, as I will still have garbage, I will then have to buy plastic bags to throw away my garbage. So, instead of my "free" bags filling the landfills, the plastic bags I buy will fill the landfills.

How does the environment come out ahead in this? It’s a wash. Plus, I now have to spend money on buying reusable and garbage bags when I had "free" bags before. It makes no sense, and will cost me money.

Eugene Kawaguchi
McCully-Moiliili

Ige nominees raise doubts about future

Regarding the Star-Advertiser article, "A Fine Line" (Feb. 8), I agree with columnist David Shapiro (Feb. 1): The voters who elected Gov. David Ige have indeed enabled him to distribute the keys to all the candy stores in Hawaii.

With his nominations of registered lobbyists to spearhead some of Hawaii’s most precious commodities — land, justice, human resources, inter-island/mainland shipping — it is unclear how they will parlay their skills from representing corporations to the people of Hawaii.

Is it too late to implement that reverse revolving-door law?

Deborah Luckett
Kahala

Sacrifice for rail not as bad as some think

Let’s do the math.

A recent letter to the editor claimed that the 0.5 percent general excise surtax adds a $1,000 expense to a family of four in one year.

This would be true if that family of four spent $200,000 a year on items susceptible to the tax; many major expenses, like mortgage payments, are not covered by the tax, so the overall yearly expenses would likely be much higher. In other words, this would be a very rich family to be able to afford $200,000 in spending in addition to its untaxed expenses.

But assuming that some family did indeed incur $1,000 more in GET liability, that hypothetical family of four would end up paying about $20 per person, per month, more than if the 0.5 percent surtax were not in place.

That comes to about $0.70 a day per person — about the cost of a candy bar. I’m sure a family that can afford $200,000 a year in taxable spending could give up one candy bar a day or its equivalent to support such an important and long overdue public project as rail.

Tom Koenig
Mililani

Language programs have deeper value

State Rep. Isaac Choy, chairman of the Higher Education Committee, wants to know why the university should continue toreceive state funding forprograms with fewer than 10 majors.

One of the criteria forranking a schoolis the diversity of itscourse offerings. Students needa wide range of course electives that will make them more attractive to potential employers who are looking for well-rounded and intellectually motivated applicants.

According to a recent report, Hawaii ranks dead last among the states in the number of high-tech companies located here.

Do we think we will attract these companies if we don’t have a top-flight university with a pool of expertise and talent from which they can draw?People are already leaving the islands in great numbers because of lack of opportunity.

Do we think we will reverse this trend by cutting back on higher education and putting it on a starvation diet?

Rep. Choy should know better.

Edward D. Lasky
Hawaii Kai

Aiding Cancer Center is to invest in life

I have cancer.Most readers do not.

The results of "The Big Q" on Feb. 5 gauging public opinion regarding University of Hawaii Cancer Center support is discouraging: 47 percent of those polled feel that the center should be dismantled.

If we do not invest in cancer research, how can we expect to find the kinds of innovations needed to cure this disease?

I am a participant in a clinical trial sponsored by the cancer clinic. There is no other research facility in the Pacific doing this work.

Let’s bring it home.Should anyone, or their loved ones, be diagnosed with cancer expect cutting- edge procedures without personal contact with a local research facility?

Invest in life. Support the UH Medical School/Cancer Center.

John Shockley
Makakilo

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

“Heists called prison pleas,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 9:

>> The merciful thing would be to send him (repeat bank robber Marc Shiroma) to Kaneohe State, where they can deal with the root of his problem, mental illness. The federal pen is not equipped to deal with his problem, and won’t.

>> Shiroma is not mentally ill, he’s smart. He knows his situation and has accepted it. I’m hoping he has a job in the prison to keep himself busy and pay back the prison system.

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“UH-Manoa saved $3.4M on last year’s power bill,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 9:

>> A credible, outside source should audit the University of Hawaii to verify any savings.

>> Occasionally, whether by accident or design, UH-Manoa gets things right.

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“Waialua man charged as third suspect in theft of 20 goats,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 10:

>> This guy was arrested in 2013 and they did nothing? Just released him so he could do it again? It’s no wonder no one has faith in the police or our justice system. 

>> Whatever sentence received, they should be duct-taped like how they did to the goats.

>> This would make a great “Hawaii Five-O” episode.

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“Stopping burglars tops HPD to-do list,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 10:

>> How about attacking drugs first? That’s what’s causing a lot of burglaries.

>> Yes, the war on drugs has been so successful. Wake up and review how successful Prohibition was.

>> Hawaii has to maybe utilize some of the laws of African nations where hands are cut off for stealing. Another drastic measure to consider would be to chain thieves by their legs with a 4-foot chain to a post in the ground. This could help.

>> A better idea would be to break the fingers of people who post drivel on these pages. 

>> Want to reduce crime? Grant some concealed carry permits.

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“Senate panel OKs 8 bills covering police conduct,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 11:

>> The legislators should monitor their own Department of Public Safety before approving legislation on the county law enforcement agencies.

>> The Legislature is using its function to curry favor with the public.The biggest factor in Hawaii’s crime rate is how fast the criminals are returned to the street. Period!

>> All these bills should be enacted, The Honolulu Police Department is an institution out of control.

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“Slow sales sound piano store’s coda,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 11:

>> Bill (William Sanders) is one of the hardest working small business owners I had the honor of doing business with. The closing of his great store will leave a large void in Honolulu. Good luck to him in his retirement.

>> Best wishes and thanks to Bill for helping bring the joy of music to countless local households over multiple generations. It was always a pleasure just to drop by his store. It was a true house of music.

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“Cuts could go deep for UH athletics,” Star-Advertiser, Feb 12:

>> Is the University of Hawaii a school or an athletic program?

>> To help answer you question, consider that Harvard University maintains 42 collegiate athletic programs, including football.

>> Harvard competes in the Ivy league. It’s farthest opponent — Princeton — is about a four-hour bus ride. Tuition at Harvard is around $50,000 per year.

>> The funding cuts combined with the unrealistic financing plan for the UH Cancer Center are what have actually precipitated the fiscal crisis at the university.

———

“Rail borrowing pegged at $1.9 billion,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 12:

>> The higher rail cost is actually a blessing in disguise. Our economy here is booming right now. We could otherwise have lower rail cost and have our residents hurting in a bad economy with no jobs. 

>> Have you lost your mind? This is a tough economy, people are hurting, and about 50 percent of these jobs are going to mainland transplants who are competing with struggling local families for housing.

>> Bottom line is that the powers that be did a horrible job of estimating costs. Factoring in inflation and delays is a no-brainer when putting something like this together. I don’t mind paying my fair share but this is not fair by any stretch of the imagination.