Congratulations to the designers and builders of the Hawaii Convention Center. What a beautiful structure they have created on the banks of the Ala Wai Canal. And, they completed it ahead of schedule. New convention center is beautiful structure
Traffic on Kapiolani and Kalakaua is flowing better than ever, with the addition of one more lane on both streets.
I have traveled a great deal, and never have I seen a convention center to compare with the beauty and location of ours. And, our beautiful Ala Wai Golf Course remains intact.
When the word gets out about Hawaii's new Pacific gathering place, convention planners will be waiting in line to get a booking.
An open house for the public would be nice. And how about making a videotape of the facilities to sent to convention planners around the world?
Ray Graham
Hawaii's elderly residents, who rely primarily on Social Security income, will not be able to take advantage of the state economic task force's proposed reductions in personal income taxes. Elderly are being treated like tourists in tax plan
Their Social Security income, which averages around $800 per month, is currently exempt from state tax. The elderly would have to pay higher prices due to the excise tax increase and will have no offsetting tax relief as the rest of the population.
It is shameful that the Economic Revitalization Task Force overlooked the elderly in its proposed plan. It treats them like tourists.
Ivan L. Kam
It is becoming increasingly evident that Hawaii's politicians prefer to tax the poor rather than the affluent. Group's recommendations are too harsh on the poor
The state administration is proposing to replace the progressive income tax with an increase in the flat general excise tax. The net result is that everyone will receive a substantial tax reduction except for the poor, those who subsist primarily on their pensions and those with small incomes.
These people will pay more taxes than before. What we have here is a morally depraved and fiscally unsound proposal to undertax the overlords and overtax the underdogs.
Perhaps our politicians were taught how to get blood out of a daikon or revenue out of the poor by the big business emissaries on the economic task force.
If that is so, they can call themselves voodoo economists or corporate converts, but never Democrats or anything related to democracy.
Richard Y. Will
When I read the headline and your Nov. 8 front-page "story" about Bank of Hawaii Chairman Larry Johnson and the quoted "bribery," my emotions evolved from shock to hurt to anger. To place such a story where you did and give it such a misleading headline does poor service to a man who has given so much to this community because he deeply cares about its future. Story unfairly tarnished father's integrity
Anyone who knows or knows of Johnson understands that his statement was legal, ethical and an honest expression of the passion he feels for the need for economic change to move this state forward.
I and many others find your coverage on that slow news day to be a despicable attempt to stir the pot and sell some papers by latching on to a non-issue.
So take your cheap shots at people who stand up to make a difference, but don't write any more editorials about the lack of private-sector leadership.
You may choose to use lesser terms in writing about Larry Johnson, but I am lucky enough to call him my father. You can be sure that I, too, will be supporting only candidates who support economic reform.
Mark L. Johnson
When I moved to Mililani in 1991, I thought it was a "town that had it all." Today, however, I see things quite differently. Great place like Mililani needs a good bus system
With six recreation centers, four elementary schools, three neighborhood shopping centers, a high school, YMCA, golf course, fire station, state public library branch and many parks, Mililani seems like a wonderful community.
But, with all these things and a population of 30,000 people, Mililani lacks one thing - a bus system. Currently, the only buses that service Mililani are express buses and those that travel only on Kamehameha Highway.
A bus system in Mililani would make traveling easier for its residents. Rather than seeing hundreds of cars leaving and entering Mililani, buses could service the community, thereby decreasing the amount of cars traveling.
As a teen-ager, I know many people (including myself) who have parents and friends who can't always be there to drive us to where we want to go. The Mililani Master Plan is expected to be completed in the year 2005. During that time, 20,000 more people are expected to live here. We need a bus system now.
Brad Kageno
Grade 9
Mililani High School
Who knows if carbon dioxide is causing global warming? It could be just talk between countries. Don't waste more money on studying global warming
If we spend our money on things to stop it, we can't get our money back if we find out that it's not really happening.
It would be really dumb to spend our tax money researching something that may not be happening. We should first make sure that it is carbon dioxide that is causing the warming of the earth.
Why not use the money on education first?
Matt Morgan
Grade 6
Enchanted Lake Elementary School
The banks, Rodrigues and Uncle Ben Economic task force is full of poetic shibai
Are set to shaft us once again.
It's coated sweet, "The Historic Agenda"
But me thinks it's aimed at my rear end-a.
Pump their PR, and distort the facts,
Don't cut spending, just raise the excise tax.
How stupid they think we all must be,
That their plan will revive the economy.
Legislators, take heed, for we'll all remember
Your tax increase come next November.
Jim York
Bishop Estate Archive
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