Price of Paradise feedback
Band was not rude to Italian sailors
I was saddened and disturbed by the Sept. 1 publication of an inaccurate letter describing the Royal Hawaiian Band's participation during the arrival of the Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci on Aug. 28. The writer complained that band members thoughtlessly packed up their instruments and prepared to leave during the welcoming speeches. In fact, no speeches or formal ceremony of any kind had been planned.As we concluded our 30-minute concert with the playing of the Italian national anthem, the ship's gangplank was lowered. The band, positioned right at the foot of the gangplank, needed to clear the area quickly in order for the crew to disembark. At that point a crew member asked if we would play "Happy Birthday" for the captain and we were glad to oblige.
After we disconnected our sound system and were packing up, I was asked if the ship's captain could deliver an impromptu thank you. We reconnected the microphone and continued to pack up our instruments during his brief "mahalo."
The captain and the sponsoring organization were profuse in their appreciation of the band's participation. It is unfortunate that the letter writer portrayed the event in such a distorted manner.
Aaron D. Mahi
Bandmaster
Royal Hawaiian Band
Spraying planes will keep visitors away, too
I read recently that state House Speaker Calvin Say suggested to the congressional delegation that the interiors of "Hawaii-bound planes be sprayed with low-risk pesticides" ("Isles ready battle plan for West Nile virus," Star-Bulletin, Sept. 11). If isle-bound airlines start spraying "low-risk pesticides," we will never return to Hawaii. We spend one to two months every year in a rented condo, and spend a lot of money.I'm old enough to remember when DDT was considered low-risk and safe. I'm old enough to remember when full-body irradiation was considered safe. I'm old enough to remember when cigarette smoking was considered safe by most physicians. Do you want me someday saying, "I'm old enough to remember when it was safe to take a plane to Hawaii"?
Bob Blake
New Milford, Conn.
Atheists and believers aren't so different
Corky Trinidad insulted atheists and other non-believers with his cartoon depicting me in a foxhole, praying (Star-Bulletin, Sept. 6). While Corky's cartoons are normally right on the money, this time he missed the mark by a mile. I offer the following in rebuttal.Here is a true story of an atheist inducted into the Army:
Army: "What do you want on your dog tags, soldier: Protestant, Catholic, or Jew?"God-believers who are injured in battle are always evacuated to aid stations or field hospitals; they are never taken to churches. I guess faith only goes so far when one is in real danger.Atheist: "None. I'm an atheist."
Army: "If you are wounded in battle, who should we call: a minister, a priest or a rabbi?"
Atheist: "Call a medic!"
Just one time in my life I'd like to see a God-believer actually prove he trusts in God. Perhaps driver's licenses should have an option: "If injured, take victim to: 1) church, or 2) hospital." How many God-believers, I wonder, would be willing to select "church?" Atheists, on the other hand, consistently prove their trust in science and reason. I'll take a doctor over a minister every time.
Mitchell Kahle
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Don't turn tax policy into corporate welfare
Truly thoughtful lawmakers ought to consider the purpose of taxes ("Price of Paradise," Star-Bulletin, Sept. 15). Strictly speaking, taxes finance government. No more, no less. The reason government would want to initiate and nurture economic development is so it can generate more taxes. When the economy was tanking, Governor Cayetano and the Legislature cut income tax rates and supposedly "de-pyramided" oppressive excise taxes. Offering businesses tax credits to stimulate economic development would seem to be in the same vein.However, when lawmakers manipulate tax policy like silly putty to suit certain needs, they set a bad precedent. It is essentially corporate welfare, ironic considering individual welfare programs are being reformed. I don't believe anyone wants a state tax code as unwieldy and obtuse as the federal tax code.
Not only should tax policy be as simple as possible, it also should be absolutely fair. OK, Leeward Oahu needs economic development, but what about the Big Island? What about Niihau? Should the Legislature consider tax incentives to jump-start Kahoolawe's nascent economy? Sooner or later, the tax code becomes a conflicting hodgepodge.
Instead of targeted tax credits, why not redesign the tax code so opportunities like that offered to Ko Olina would be attractive and feasible without the need for artificial stimulus?
James Ko
Why not lower taxes across the board?
Sen. Colleen Hanabusa states that when legislators decide to apply tax credits to a given project, they "assume that the industry in question will not develop in Hawaii without tax credits" ("Price of Paradise," Star-Bulletin, Sept. 15). In this case, the "industry in question" in such need of government subsidy is a resort, aquarium and marine research facility.If projects having to do with tourism and marine research, which are well positioned to take advantage of Hawaii's natural assets, are not economically viable in Hawaii, what industries are? If there is no suitable answer, this might suggest that Hawaiian business is systematically overtaxed.
A large-scale overhaul of Hawaii's tax policy that reduces taxes across the board might be the remedy for Hawaii's economic woes. First, it will make all potential investment projects in Hawaii more attractive, regardless of industry. Furthermore, it's a lot more efficient to reduce taxes across the board than to approve tax credits for each project that comes up.
This would lead to lower tax revenues in the near-term, but this could be offset by reduced expenditures by the state. One idea is to cut projects supported by legislators motivated more by funneling funds into their constituencies than by sound economic judgment. Considering Governor Cayetano no longer has to worry about re-election, is his veto of Hanabusa's pork project evidence that he, free to think past November, is considering what is best for the Hawaiian economy?
Matt Pasion
New York City
Former Kailua resident
Start with BRT money to build light rail
Donald Choy asks how I would pay for light rail and seems to think we will have to raise taxes (Letters, Star-Bulletin, Sept. 12). Here's how, without raising taxes:>> Start with a $1 billion budget -- the cost of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system.
>> Use the $1 billion to build a line from Waikiki to the airport, using monorail technology and existing rights-of-way, with stations financed by developers along the route.
>> Take revenue from the first 10 miles of the system to pay for system extensions to Mililani, to Kapolei and to the University of Hawaii-Manoa, in phases.
Thanks for asking!
Galen Fox
State representative
Waikiki/Ala Moana
BRT just might help save our islands
I think some of the letter writers who object to the Bus Rapid Transit plan miss the point of the "Price of Paradise" discussion (Star-Bulletin, Aug. 25).We live in a beautiful island state. To maintain the splendor of Oahu, we need to control urban sprawl and allow our pristine resources to stay untouched. A good in-town mass transit system helps keep population and traffic density in the urban core. With transit stops conveniently located within a 5-minute walk of major employment, education, recreation and residential centers, BRT will be an inexpensive, useful and convenient transportation mode.
It is self-centered and myopic to think that the roadways "belong" to you and you alone, and only the other guy contributes to traffic congestion. Traffic is "our" problem and we all contribute. The price of paradise may mean that we have to start using mass transit rather than our cars, because it is more environmentally and economically responsible. We cannot go on polluting our land, beaches, ocean and air without expecting dire changes to our economy and way of life.
Yes, we live on an island, and we have to conserve and share, or our island will change forever.
Robert D. Harris
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The Price of Paradise appears each week in the Sunday Insight section. The mission of POP is to contribute lively and informed dialog about public issues, particularly those having to do with our pocketbooks. Reader responses appear later in the week. If you have thoughts to share about today's POP articles, please send them, with your name and daytime phone number, to pop@starbulletin.com, or write to Price of Paradise, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, HI 96813.
John Flanagan
Contributing Editor
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