Beat the gas tax hike by riding bicycles
Regarding the 11-cent gas tax increase: This is just one more reason to commute as "green" as possible, as often as possible, on bicycles. Long-distance travel aside, surely much of local commuting can be accomplished by cycling rather than using that convenient car which happens to dump 20 pounds of carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere for every gallon of fuel used. And hey, we'll even get a bit of exercise in the process. Government, repair the roads and install (or just paint) bike lanes to get this no-brainer going!
Readers, take action by purchasing a bicycle and contacting the state Department of Transportation.
Jeffrey Friedman
Honolulu
Gov should bring back gasoline price cap
For Gov. Linda Lingle to urge the Legislature to extend the excise tax exemption on gasoline, thus saving us about 11 cents per gallon, is the height of hypocrisy. If she really wants to save us some money, she already has the authority from the Legislature to reinstate the gas cap law, which studies show would lower gas prices by about 25 cents per gallon. For Lingle and the petroleum industry (
Letters, Dec. 27) to point at Hawaii's excise tax as the cause of our high gas prices is as disingenuous as the Bush administration pointing at 9/11 and WMDs as justification for the invasion of Iraq.
Roy H. Tsumoto
Kaimuki
Lawsuits distract from schools' purpose
I agree with Ted Chernin's
Dec. 7 letter: Not only are those who sue the Kamehameha Schools acting like spoiled brats, but those who sought litigation are taking valuable attention, resources and money that could be going for what the school was intended.
Think about it.
Lisa Noelani Robbins
Newport News, Va.
Obey the Constitution on budget surplus
Under the state Constitution's Article VII, Taxation and Finance -- Disposition of Excess Revenues:
"Section 6. Whenever the state general fund balance at the close of each of two successive fiscal years exceeds five percent of general fund revenues for each of the two fiscal years, the legislature in the next regular session shall provide for a tax refund or tax credit to the taxpayers of the State, as provided by law."
That does not say "toss the taxpayers a few cents and they will be happy." It does not say "meet and figure out how else you can spend the surplus." It says the Legislature will provide for a tax refund or tax credit for the taxpayers of the state -- that means you return all of the surplus. Every cent. Period. Anything less is stealing.
Dave Reed
Honolulu
More troops needed to fulfill mission
The U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, testified on Dec. 14 before the Iraq Commission that more troops are needed to sustain the commitments and the global war on terror. He indicted also that the Army isn't big enough to execute the vast missions being imposed on it. In all the years we've been pushing Congress to increase the size of our forces, the official administration position has been that the Army doesn't need to add at least 30,000 to 35,000 above the administration's budget proposal.
Now, faced with continuing deployments of troops who already have been in combat more than they've been home for years on end, Army leaders are speaking out. Schoomaker told the commission that the temporary 30,000 manpower increase needs to be made permanent, and that the Army needs to continue to grow by an additional 7,000 a year.
The Army is incapable of generating and sustaining the required forces to wage the global war on terror without active, National Guard and Reserve components surging together.
I would urge the new Democratic-dominated Congress to look at this situation seriously and act accordingly. National Guard and Reserve component leaders also have indicated a willingness to look at some rule adjustments, but worry that broad use of two-year call-ups could break the Guard and Reserve forces.
Al Eisner
Silver Spring, Md.
Retired lieutenant colonel
U.S. Army
Frequent Hawaii visitor