Harris uses doublespeak
to raise property taxes

Let me see if I can figure this out (duh). Mayor Harris promised that he would not raise taxes.

OK, so the property tax rate will stay the same (duh). But he said that this year's property tax bill will be exactly the same as last year's bill (duh).

That means that we will be taxed at last year's property value (duh).

But my property tax assessment showed a 3.9 percent drop (duh). OK, I figured it out - I got screwed!

See, Mayor Harris, I'm not as stupid as you thought. It was very stupid of you to think that you could sneak that one past us!

Robert Bonura
Mililani
(Via the Internet)

Chiropractors only want patients
to have choice

Kurt Butler suggests (Letters, Jan. 10) that the press, public and lawmakers take a look at chiropractors. As a licensed practicing doctor of chiropractic, I agree.

The original "Scope of Practice" law has been consistently interpreted to exclude availability of and payment for chiropractic services. These reviews are by insurance companies that do not want to pay on claims, and legislators who may be serving the interests of those who see chiropractors as competition.

In all other professions, the Scope of Practice (qualifications and services) are determined by the profession itself, often via a board as in the case of the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Only with chiropractic are people insisting that those with no qualifications within the profession be permitted to decide what chiropractors are qualified to do.

The original act was ambiguous, as is true of most licensing language for professions. The new petition is a summary of the education, training and testing that every chiropractor must go through to qualify as a licensed practitioner in Hawaii.

The document is more than 100 pages thick. I studied, learned and was tested on everything in there. Do you wonder what qualifications a chiropractor has in nutritional counseling? Read it! It is right there.

The issue is choice! Butler will never seek health care from a chiropractor and that is his choice. If you want health care from a chiropractor, then you should be able to make that decision.

Rik Cedestrom
Doctor of Chiropractic

Idea about school support
is misguided, too simplistic

In his Jan. 18 letter, Steven Togami said that both losing gubernatorial candidates did not send their children to public schools and one was a public school teacher. That is incorrect. Pat Saiki, a former public school teacher, sent all five of her children to public schools. As a supporter of hers, I can attest to her lifelong commitment to the betterment of Hawaii's public school system.

Moreover, Togami's analysis - that public teachers lack commitment and support of the public school system if they send their children to private schools - is misplaced. The mere fact that one chooses to be a teacher in the public school system, with its apparent problems, shows a commitment.

More important, it is not the teachers who bear the burden of improving the public school system. This obligation belongs to our Legislature and Board of Education.

Darryl M. Taira
(Via the Internet)

Japanese tourism dip
is because of crime

After reading your Jan. 17 article, "Slowdown in business from Japanese tourists worries industry," I wanted to point out that what you are seeing can be attributed to more than just a weaker yen and slow economy in Japan.

The major reason for the slowdown is the fear of crime in Hawaii.

Recently, TV footage in Japan showed a young female tourist walking through the upper parking level of an island shopping center in the middle of the day with her recently purchased high-priced items (Gucci, Fendi, etc.). The video showed someone from a passing car suddenly grabbing the woman's bags as it drove by her.

The woman was unable to let go of her packages and was dragged several hundred feet until she was able to break free. This story - about the safety of Hawaii in general - made a major impact in Japan.

Also, there were other stories circulating about island street gangs, young Japanese girls getting hooked into prostitution rings with no way out, etc. The sad truth is that all of these stories are not exaggerations, but the truth.

As a longtime resident of Kahaluu, I have a deep love for Hawaii and the aloha spirit, which is quickly fading.

I suggest that when the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau looks into why Japanese tourism is decreasing, it first look within the state rather than trying to explain the decrease on factors elsewhere, such as in Japan.

Mark A. Huffman
Tokyo, Japan
(Via the Internet)

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