Isle reps let us down with bailout votes

If you had an employee who didn't listen to you and stole from your business to give to your neighbors, you would fire them, right?

So why is anyone considering re-electing senators and members of Congress who ignored the wishes of the 90 percent of Americans who were opposed to the federal bailout? Why are we even considering re-electing the people who stole from us, and our children, to bail out bankrupt companies on Wall Street? Both Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono voted for the bailout. It is time to send someone to Washington who will listen to the voters.

Corporations will enjoy McCain's tax breaks

A recent congressional reports indicates that two-third of U.S. corporations pay zero taxes. In the wake of this corporate welfare, John McCain calls Barack Obama's plan to reduce tax breaks for the rich and increase tax breaks to those making less than $250,000 “;socialism.”;

Many corporations (Halliburton, Blackwater, et al. ) have profited from the Iraq war, which cost more than a trillion dollars. McCain thinks it's OK that the middle class doesn't have the tax loopholes enjoyed by these corporations and supports the middle class' paying most of the trillion-dollar tax bill and thus subsidize these corporations.

McCain also promotes outsourcing jobs, allowing illegal immigrants to take American jobs, and deregulation and lax oversight that resulted in the high numbers of home foreclosures and the failing banking industry. McCain wants to privatize Social Security, putting your retirement funds in the stock market, which he helped deregulate. How much would your Social Security account have lost in the current stock market? Is it in your best interest to vote for McCain or Obama?

Abortion as important a topic as economy

In the 2008 election Barack Obama's supporters have accused pro-life advocates of skirting the “;more important”; issues of economics. Our country, our lives and our communities, however, are not compartmentalized into distinct areas of politics, economics and morals. Rather, they form a unified whole, and we cannot ignore one issue for the sake of another.

Consequently, Obama's support of “;partial-birth”; abortion is sobering. This is not a side issue. He criticized the ban on partial-birth abortion, which, according to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, is a “;gruesome and inhumane procedure that is never medically necessary.”; Under Obama's philosophy, even individuals who survive unsuccessful pre-term abortions are not safe, evidenced by his singular opposition to the “;born alive”; bills in Illinois.

What has so deceived the public that we would turn a blind eye to Obama's policies and hail him as the savior of our country?

Shared mourning and desire for better future

Barack Obama and I both returned to Hawaii last week for the same reason - he to visit his grandmother for perhaps the last time and I to visit my father, to be with him in what turned out to be his last few hours before he departed this Earth.

Before I returned to Hawaii to be with my Dad, knowing that I might have to be away on Nov. 4, I signed an absentee ballot and voted for Barack Obama. Now, knowing that he too had come home to do what I had done, I'm sure I made the right choice.

In the McCain campaign, much is made of the trials and travails of “;Joe the plumber”; and what his hopes are for changes that would be brought about by a McCain administration. Well, I guess you could call me “;Kalfred the IT guy”; (being a middle class professional). Although my situation is not nearly as dire as Joe the plumber's, I too have hopes for changes that would be brought about by a Obama administration. I hope to see an administration that make sense. I hope to have faith in my government. Faith that it will not send my sons off to fight a frivolous and unnecessary war. Faith that the welfare of the citizens will come first before the welfare of business interests. Faith that our government can restore America to a place of respect in the community of nations. Faith that I believe my government will do the right thing.

Palin sets pro-life example to follow

I am the older sister of a severely retarded brother. When my four other “;healthy”; siblings and I were growing up, we were often ashamed of Fred because that was the social milieu of the the fifties. It is such an honor to support Sarah Palin in this election because she has honestly confronted how I feel about the sanctity of life. Her youngest son will always be a blessing to her family as Fred has been to my family.

You never know what God has in his plan for us but I am thankful this courageous and intelligent woman may be our next vice president.

Like drug ads, rail ads need disclamers

We all are aware of the numerous drug ads on dinnertime TV newscasts or in magazines. The format of all of these ads is a glossy description of the benefits followed by a disclaimer that provides the factual information or possible adverse effects.

The same is true with the ads by the city supporting rail ... except that the disclaimer portion is missing. Most of these ads are skewed to make the recipient believe in benefits that will never be realized or that are not based on fact. Of course the “;true”; information is available to the public in the city's “;Alternatives Analysis”; and will be available in the draft environmental impact statement, but the former is not accessed by most people and the latter won't be available until after the election.

As with the drug ads, it appears that the city's real objective is to keep us from making an informed decision on such an important issue.

Mayor still has more to accomplish

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, I am casting my vote for Mayor Mufi Hannemann. We are well-off to have a city administration that has served its people with distinction. While much has improved throughout the city, the work is far from over. Challenges remain; increasing visitors, public safety, solving the traffic gridlock and preserving our aina, to name a few.

Hannemann's track record reassures me of his commitment to constantly improve our way of life.

While the percentage of voters in the primary election was a historic low, I encourage all registered voters to cast your ballot in the general election. It's up to you who you vote for, but do vote!

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