Many seniors doing just fine

As a 70-year-old recently retired senior, I see the massive entitlement expected by seniors and government retirees on the backs of our youth every day.

Restaurants are full of triple-dipping seniors and devoid of young families.

Politicians deride their opponent when they attempt to balance the budget, vote to hold down benefits, and ask seniors to pay their fair share of taxes.

Liberals such as Paul Krugman advocate increased spending like Japan, but recently Japan’s sales taxes have nearly doubled and the yen has decreased 35 percent this year. This would be similar to our general excise tax at 10 percent and a gallon of gas costing $8. It is coming.

The majority of Hawaii residents have repeatedly elected legislators who proudly voted for increased public and retiree benefits that will have to be paid for by our kids and grandkids.

Then they say they are for our keiki.Nonsense.

Gary R. Johnson
Kaneohe

Shapiro right about boomers

Dave Shapiro hit the nail on the head with his column — and he is qualified to say so, too ("Elders’ plush world comes at expense of youths’ future," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, Nov. 2).

The boomer generation has blown it for future generations, and I was born in 1951, so I also am qualified to say so.

Joel Peralto
Hilo

GOP insincere about vote fraud

In response to Michelle Kerr’s letter, I might not call her "racist," but I might call her "Republican" ("Vote on Election Day, not before," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 1).

At least 22 of the 27 states that signed on to Kansas’ Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s "Interstate Crosscheck," intended to purge voter rolls based on alleged duplicate names appearing on more than one state’s registration lists, are red states.

The lists of suspected "multiple voters," it turns out, are heavily weighted with minorities and immigrants.

Besides the identity card, other issues affecting ability to vote include: lack of transportation, release from work during voting hours, child care and lack of funds.

Early voting, mail-in voting, and absentee voting are measures which red states are trying to reduce or eliminate because they may help this demographic, which usually votes Democratic.

If voter fraud is a crime, why aren’t these states prosecuting anyone? They really don’t want to prosecute; they just want to keep them from voting.

William E. Conti
Waikiki

UH hoops fans deserve refund

Shame on University of Hawaii-Manoa athletics.

How can UH start selling season tickets for the men’s basketball team weeks before firing the head coach and suspending our best player?

Anyone who purchased tickets prior to the news coming out should be allowed to get a refund. Athletics Director Ben Jay must have known he was going to fire Gib Arnold before the tickets went on sale.

Trickery and underhandedness at UH? Who would have thought?

Ed Mehmel
Makiki

DHHL should be abolished totally

The Star-Advertiser’s suggestion to dismantle the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ Affordable Credits Program did not go far enough ("End DHHL program for housing credits," Our View, Oct. 28).

The reinstatement of a Hawaiian government will never succeed until the 1921 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and the DHHL are repealed by the U.S. Congress and the state, and equality is restored among the Hawaiian community.

Beneficiaries of the 1921 Act already enjoy benefits from the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs and federal entitlements.

Triple-dipping may be good for some, but what about the rest of the Hawaiian population?

Recent U.S. Department of Interior efforts have been plagued by the division between Native Hawaiians.

Is it plausible to have two governments for Hawaiians?

An independent constitution that co-exists with the U.S. should level the playing field. One Hawaiian!

Jimmy Wong
Heeia

Have OHA fund language schools

Recently, I read an article in the Star-Advertiser about a mother suing the state for failing to provide Hawaiian language immersion at her Lanai school ("Lanai mom sues DOE for failing to provide immersion program," Nov. 1).

Being part-Hawaiian, I can remember "small-kid time" growing up in the ’30s and ’40s when my mother, aunts and uncles spoke Hawaiian when they didn’t want me and my cousins to understand what they were talking about. Speaking Hawaiian, back then, was not encouraged; in fact, it was frowned upon.

I can remember my Japanese friends going to language school after regular public school. Not so much my Chinese friends; perhaps because they, like my Samoan friends, spoke their native tongue at home.

In any case, while I support Hawaiian language immersion, I don’t think it should be provided in our public schools. It would be better funded and supported by the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs or Kana‘ioluwalu.

Hamilton Winston
Kailua

Few vehicles use biodiesel fuel

Regarding the interview with Jeff Mikulina, executive director of Blue Planet Foundation, concerning electric and biodiesel vehicles, it should be noted that no new vehicles available for sale in Hawaii today are warranted to run on B100 biodiesel fuel ("Electric vehicles will save you cash down the road," Star-Advertiser, Akamai Money, Nov. 2).

Most manufacturers who sell diesel vehicles warrant the use of only B5 (5 percent biodiesel), and some up to B20 (20 percent).The last vehicles available on our soil capable of running B100, to my knowledge, were the 2006 VW TDI models, including Beetle, Golf, Jetta and Passat.

Pacific Biodiesel sells both B20 and B100, made from reclaimed vegetable oil, at stations around the islands. It is a shame that no new vehicles available for sale here are warranted to run on 100 percent biodiesel. But at least those who own newer diesels can use up to B20.

Chip Hughes
Kailua

Plastic bag ban will have costs

We all know that a plastic-bag ban is going to be hard on all condominium dwellers, as they will all have to find a source to purchase plastic bags to comply with the condo requirements for using their trash chutes. Paper bags are just not going to work.

Also, the ban is not good for our kupuna on fixed incomes, who will have to purchase bags for their trash.

The Reason Foundation said that San Francisco, which has banned plastic bags, has seen an increase in litter.

Is our ban not something that should be looked at again, so that we don’t make the same mistake?

Pauline Brooks
Ala Moana