Look behind headlines for the real story

Headlines of May 20: "U.S. terror alert raised on hints of major attack" and "4-year-old beaten to death while mom at war in Iraq." Both are the result of a man with no mandate or war experience or support who bullied us into his war of aggression with lies about weapons of mass destruction and involvement in 9/11. President Bush has caused nothing but death, destruction, more terrorism and debt for generations to come -- and a great photo opportunity.

Nancy Bey Little

Private insurance could offer better deal

I read the May 15 Gathering Place, "Long-term care tax plan has widespread support," with great interest. Ruth Ellen Lindenberg made some good points; however, I would like to know where families can hire in-home help, buy equipment and afford private long-term care insurance for $70 a day today, much less 10 years from now when benefits from the plan will be available.

I also would like to point out that government insurance programs never work the way they are proposed and usually cost far more than similar private insurance plans. Governments are notorious money managers and giving them another trust fund to manage could be a disaster.

Governor Lingle should veto the bill as it now stands and propose a similar plan involving private insurance companies. She could go to insurance companies and ask them what benefits our citizens could receive if we gave a $10-per-month, per-person premium. Using Hawaii's current population of about 1 million, we could offer a $10 million-per-month premium. We could negotiate for benefits to start now for some people, not 10 years from now.

By the way, I am not an insurance agent nor am I affiliated in any way with the insurance industry, except as a policy holder.

Rev. Otto Cleveland
Pearl City

Long-term care bill OK based on ignorance

The April 30 headline, "Elderly care tax bill passes," is a good example of the confusion and misinformation prevalent in the public debate of this bill. It's not an elderly care bill, it's a long-term care bill. It's not unheard of for someone not elderly to require long-term care due to debilitating injuries or illness.

I read the legislation and learned some interesting things:

>> While the tax will increase to $276 a year by 2012, a 130 percent increase, the benefit will increase to only $81.15 a day in 2012, a 16 percent increase.

>> It takes 10 years of paying to qualify for full benefits, but you will still have to pay the tax after completion of the 10-year vesting period. If you stop paying the tax, you lose benefits at a rate of 10 percent for each year you don't pay, even if you already had paid the tax for 10 years or more.

>> Anyone who has already exhausted the benefit is still subject to the tax.

I urge Governor Lingle to veto this legislation, so all concerned parties can better educate themselves on exactly what this legislation entails, and we can have a more informed public debate on it next year, and make a more informed decision.

Nobu Nakamoto

'Sunset' events drain taxpayer funds

Everyone loves a party, or in this case a free movie. The fact is the Sunset on the Beach/Rediscover Oahu program is not free; it is, however, a drain on the city's resources.

With our roads and sewers in such disrepair and the city parks in constant need of upkeep, should our city be directing the limited resources for the SOB programs? The answers is no.

The reality is the SOB programs are great community-building tools, but it is the state of Hawaii that should be supporting them financially, through either the Hawaii Tourism Authority or Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. This makes sense since it is the state, not the city, which is making money from the general excise taxes collected at these events.

The city has shown the state the way to help invigorate parts of our economy, but now is the time for the city to bow out and the state do its job. This also would help remove a lot of the political speeches from the program. Since in reality it's us, the taxpayers, who are paying for these "free" events, not any of the elected officials.

Michael J. Golojuch Jr.
Makakilo

Stop terrible injustice of war on pakalolo

Lt. Col. Jonathan Wills has been done a terrible injustice by the very country that he so proudly served. I am referring to his dismissal and 14 days in the brig for a small amount of marijuana (Star-Bulletin, April 26). I believe that he more than proved himself by being decorated in Desert Storm and thus proved that there is nothing wrong with this sacred seed-bearing herb that God so lovingly gave to us for our use.

Hold your head up, Lt.Col. Wills, because we who know the truth about marijuana thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for serving your country and helping to keep us free.

And thank you, my island girl (you know who you are), for turning me on to some of the best I ever smoked while I was on the North Shore two years ago. I still get tears in my eyes when I remember watching the sun go down and the moon come up at Sunset Beach while we sat and smoked. I remember how friendly the police were and how kind the Hawaiian people were to us. I pray that that never changes and that if I get to return some day, we can smoke our pakalolo in peace. Long live the memory of Brother Iz!

Rev. Steven B. Thompson
Director, Benzie County National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Coordinator for Northern Michigan NORML