Nobody ever claimed that tax reductions alone would wipe out the deficit. President Ronald Reagan's budgets called for reductions in the rate of yearly increases in entitlements and discretionary spending equal to or greater than every dollar in tax reductions.
But guess what, the spending reductions never happened - because the U.S. House of Representatives was controlled by the Democrats.
Why didn't they follow through with these reductions in spending? Well, listen to what is being said right now by those very same Democrats: "Children starving, old people being thrown out in the streets, dirty water, dirty air, Armageddon, etc."
It is pathetic when our media don't even have the energy or aptitude to search out and give the whole truth about the issues.
Mark D. Traeger
Kapolei
He has shown himself quite willing to sacrifice the coming generations for the expediencies of the present.
Go ahead, Neil, vote for all the costly goodies for the present generations, knowing full well that we can't pay for them.
But it's OK; let our children and their children pay for your largesse. This is the heart and soul of Neil Abercrombie and of the failed programs he helps support in Congress.
Since Abercrombie also came from the mainland, I guess he is as much of a "carpetbagger" as Orson Swindle. True, Abercrombie came here earlier - while Swindle was fighting for his country in Vietnam and was a prisoner of war there for six years!
This gave Abercrombie the "head start" during which he has proven to be a steadfast puppet. What a fool he has made of Hawaii before the rest of America.
L.N. Nevels, Jr.
As a 33-year resident of Oahu, allow me to say that it is precisely Abercrombie's record of supporting far-left causes and policies that has brought us to the serious social problems we have now, locally and nationally.
Taxes are too high, government intrusion in our personal and business lives is too great, and the over-hanging federal debt is strangling our economy. Yet Abercrombie continues to vote for more spending and taxing. Just think, he is rated the very worst spender of the 435 members in Congress by Citizens Against Government Waste.
We need a change. The election of Orson Swindle to be our representative in Congress will provide us with a respected conservative voice there, a voice for Hawaii that will be listened to by the Republican leadership.
Donald G. Hasenyager
Kailua
It appears that some board members feel that once minimum graduation requirements have been met, any subsequent learning is of little significance, and that further school attendance should essentially be optional.
This lowering of standards needlessly undermines the authority of school principals. More important, it would encourage even more disrespectful, disruptive behavior by those students who sadly seek to graduate by putting forth a minimum of effort.
Once these students leave school, they will quickly learn that no employer will tolerate three weeks a year of unexcused absences, no matter how well they perform when at work.
Clifford Nishimura
Pearl City