Scratch lottery is a win-win

There are other options to raise money for the state and organizations in need of funding without raising so many taxes that will affect just about everyone living in Hawaii.

Scratch lottery is the safest and most controllable way to have people happy to pay and raise money for a lot of the state Department of Education, health programs and others in desperate need of funding. Those who oppose will surely be among the people who will suffer from higher taxes and city services about to be levied against all of us. You will once again hear those voices complaining and whining about having to pay more to survive here.

Scratch lottery is voluntary and offers a high percentage of payback rewards for those who participate. A win-win for the people of Hawaii. Scratch lottery is the most affordable means to operate and maintain. It can be implemented quickly and, when needed, be stopped.

We have a choice to be angry and forced to pay higher taxes or have people excited to give money that might equal, or be more than, raising higher taxes for the masses.

Johnny Kai
Honolulu

Ka Loko blame is misguided

Okay, so people are (upset) that Jimmy Pflueger's grading project sullied a Kauai reef. He was wrong, crucified in the press and harshly fined. He paid his debt to society. It's pau. Are we so bitter about that reef that we'll hold him responsible for seven lives lost in a 100-year flood-caused breach of Ka Loko Dam?

Like the Sacred Falls disaster, the Ka Loko case is a grotesque example of a legal system gone haywire, our communal failure to accept acts of God, and our pathetic pathological desire to scapegoat/extort those with money.

People died. It was tragic. But do we really need to keep nailing innocent people, counties and companies to crosses to satisfy our petty needs for vengeance and satisfaction?

Donna L. Ching
Honolulu

No procreation, no planet growth

Permit me to chime in on the gay rights, civil union, homosexual and heterosexual equal rights debate.

The basis of mankind's total existence is the “;procreation factor.”; To beget or bring forth offspring; to breed, propagate, reproduce so that when one generation passes there will always be another to replace it ad infinitum.

Mankind must continually replenish and duplicate itself in a sustained measure of growth on this planet. This may be called the heterosexual growth factor, where due to the man-with-woman relationship mankind will continue to exist.

Not so with the man-with-man and woman-with-woman relationship for very obvious reasons. Procreation here is impossible; therefore the world and mankind would cease to exist. Can you imagine Hawaii or the world where there is no human growth factor?

Equal rights? Based on the foregoing reality on procreation, I don't think so.

Hank McKeague
Honolulu

Cell phone ban urged statewide

I want to congratulate the Honolulu City Council for doing something the state Legislature has not been able to do.

The measure to ban cellular phone use while one is driving is a public safety issue which will make our roadways safer.

There are other distractions for drivers — however, cell phone use while driving appears to be a growing concern which has been appropriately handled.

Although this measure will not be effective statewide, the neighbor island Councils would be very wise to pass similar legislation for their counties.

Mahalo to all City Council members who supported this bill.

Sen. Will Espero
Ewa/Ewa Beach/Waipahu