Rise up to stop the tax madness

Hawaii people must be either complacent or dead. What will it take for us all to revolt against all the financial madness that's happening?

To even suggest increasing the general excise tax to “;bail out”; the state workers and the state budget is not acceptable. Once we set this precedent, then whenever the state doesn't balance its budget—and there'd be no incentive to do so—the solution would be to increase taxes? Kudos to Gov. Linda Lingle for doing the right thing in reducing the No. 1 expense in the budget: labor.

And regarding Internet taxes: This, too, is madness. Why should the state get something for doing nothing? That's taxation without representation! What nerve. To take away the only little pleasure left in life in ordering something over the Internet, having it delivered to my house to save gas and saving 4.712 percent (though I pay for shipping)—and the state wants that 4.712 percent for doing absolutely squat?

Small telecom achieves much

Hawaiian Telcom's characterization that Sandwich Isles Communications is ill-suited to serve all of Hawaii with advanced telecommunications services is both unfortunate and uninformed.

Like its fellow small, independent telecommunications companies on the mainland, Alaska and U.S. territories, Sandwich Isles is committed to connecting those whom the big companies have bypassed in rural and largely isolated communities. As of 2008, more than 90 percent of rural telecom customers had access to broadband Internet service.

Of course, rural companies could not have achieved such deployment had they not committed to maintaining and upgrading their networks. Sandwich Isles and its peers may be small, but the quality and sophistication of their networks rival those of big competitors. Hawaiian Telcom certainly would benefit from Sandwich Isles' expertise and innovation.

Fire the fluff at state level

Gov. Linda Lingle should exercise all her legal options to fund the state's financial crisis before she strong-arms the public unions into a clearly illegal three-day-a-month furlough of bargaining unit state workers. She has stated that she has the authority to fire all her appointed state workers. Well then, do it. Many of those workers are appointed to those positions as “;thanks”; for prior political support during the elections, so get rid of those people first. Lingle's term, along with all her political appointees, will end in 2010 anyway, so why not get rid of the fluff that contributes to the state's financial woes? This may lessen the number of days that the state's bargaining-unit members go on forced furloughs.

Majority voted for city rail plan

In regard to Amelia Shelby's letter of June 27 (”;Now not the time for rail system,”; Star-Bulletin), I assume she was not here for the local elections when the so-called “;minority section”; voted in favor of rail. She may think that we are the minority but the vote said otherwise. The residents of the windward side have H-3, two other major roadways and several tunnels paid for by the entire state. Give us a break from the mind-boggling gridlock on the Leeward Coast.

New construction would also keep our building industry employed.

We are the majority and we have spoken. You naysayers have been giving us the shaft for far too long.

Proposed taxes can only hurt

B.J. Reyes's article regarding new taxes and proposed tax laws (”;Hannemann will let tax hikes take effect without signature,”; Star-Bulletin, June 27) was read in our home with disbelief.

Mufi Hannemann's proposal to create a home-owner class for property taxes, to differentiate between those who live in their properties and those who have the property as a second home or investment is ridiculous. His thinking is to increase taxes on non-occupant owners without affecting local residents. How so? Local investors would/could have reduction in their income and residents who rent would/could have to pay higher rents. Our household hopes this idea won't go anywhere.