RAISING TAX RATES OF WEALTHIEST IS NEEDED

Richard Rees' letter (April 17) and Gov. Linda Lingle's threatened veto (April 23) ignore recent tax history. Rep. Marcus Oshiro's commen-tary (April 13) correctly points out "those with plenty of income typically spend only a fraction of their income ... Raising income tax on top earners (is) smarter than spending cuts."

Small businesses and taxpayers realize higher taxes and program cuts hurt us and mean less money in our pockets. Since consumer spending generates 70 percent of economic activity, common sense says policies that lessen consumer spending make no rational sense considering today's crisis.

Taxes were manipulated so the wealthy have more discretionary income. In the 1980s President Reagan cut the highest income-tax bracket at the federal level drastically. After Reagan's tax cuts, the federal government lost revenue needed to pay the country's bills, began borrowing to pay the bills, created the huge national debt and raised taxes on ordinary taxpayers. In Hawai'i, the highest tax bracket dropped from 11 percent to 8.25 percent.

Do Rees and Lingle say "Only the little people pay taxes?" Hawai'i needs to raise tax rates of the wealthiest back up — and get back the lost revenue.

RAISING COSTS WILL WORSEN ECONOMY

As the Legislature votes in another anti-business tax bill, SB 1111, I sit here trying to figure out what more I can cut from the operation of my retail business in Waikiki. Beside reducing my income and my executive team's income, cutting operating hours and several layoffs, which reduces payroll, vacation benefits, prepaid parking and all discretionary operational spending, I find myself in a frustrating battle with my various landlords to lower my rent structure while the tourist economy sinks into the west.

My message to the Legislature: Lower the cost of coming to Hawai'i and the cash flow will follow. Raise the cost and no one will want to come to Hawai'i and more layoffs will occur and less cash flow will follow. How dumb can elected officials be?

KA'AHUMANU

DOT NEEDS TO MOVE PROJECT FORWARD

I'm utterly frustrated that the bidding process for the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway Phase II widening project has dragged on for this long. This project should've already been under construction. However, that has not happened due to bid award protests from Kiewit Pacific Co. and Hawaiian Dredging.

I largely place the blame for this at the feet of the Hawai'i DOT. It seems they can't correctly solicit and award a highway construction contract. This is totally unacceptable, especially in light of Hawai'i's weak construction industry. Contractors like Hawaiian Dredging and Kiewit Pacific Co. are scrambling for any kind of construction work.

I hope the DOT can somehow move forward with this important roadway project in a timely manner. The residents of West Hawai'i deserve nothing less.

TOBACCO

PROGRAMS MEAN LIVES, MONEY SAVED

For the past two years, I have worked with many people to help them break their deadly addiction to smoking, and to teach kids the dangers of using tobacco. I have seen a woman become smoke-free after smoking two packs a day for 27 years. And I have had a patient thank us for believing in him, because he has tried to quit so many times in the past that none of his family or friends support him anymore.

SB 292 would decrease appropriation to the Hawai'i Tobacco Trust Fund from 12.5 percent to just 2 percent. The proposed cuts mean that at least 20 communities will lose their tobacco prevention programs.

These programs help to create a healthier Hawai'i, and ultimately save the state millions of dollars. If Hawai'i's smoking rate increases just 2 percent, it will cost at least $11 million more in healthcare costs over five years.

In these tough economic times many people ask how can we afford to invest in tobacco prevention and cessation, but I ask, how can we afford not to? We must take care of our communities and protect Hawai'i's health from tobacco.

ISLE PORK INDUSTRY

STORES, CONSUMERS MUST STOP SUFFERING

Live pigs shipped from the Mainland are still walking off or being hauled off long-distance containers to be slaughtered and sold as fresh pork on O'ahu and other islands here.

Until public outcry a year ago, this same meat was deceptively labeled "Island Produced," "Island Pork," and "Made in Hawai'i."

O'ahu newspapers carried several full-page public service announcements for animal protection organizations one year ago. These announcements asked Hawai'i to stop this cruel and unnecessary practice for good, and urged retailers and suppliers to consider purchasing chilled or frozen pork, which would include whole carcasses.

It has not happened.

As consumers, we can speak or write to the store manager or owners of our favorite supermarkets asking they not carry this product or kalua pork made from this product.

It is up to the mercy of Hawai'i stores and consumers to stop this unnecessary suffering as there are no regulations to prevent them from being shipped. There is certainly no aloha in any part of this practice.

SCHOOL SEARCHES

WAR ON DRUGS IS UNREALISTIC, WILL FAIL

I would like to answer Donna Dettloff of Kailua (Letters, April 26), who says "Please, give me a good (common-sense) reason for not doing everything possible to keep drugs out of our schools."

1. Any attempt to keep drugs out of schools is ultimately unrealistic.

2. When caught, the punishment may have a worse effect than the substance we're trying to protect the child from.

3. Locker searches and the like show kids that the effort puts everyone in the position of being suspected of wrongdoing.

4. Efforts like locker searches are what one can expect when an attempt to purge society of certain behavior is unrealistic and doomed to failure.

It seems on the surface that anyone abiding by the law should have nothing to fear in the increasing encroachment of the state on our persons, but that is a terribly naive perspective. When the society singles out a subgroup as needing to change, promotes fear of this subgroup and passes laws to punish them, it is unpredictable where it will stop.

What is common sense to me is to end the war on drugs, place on drugs restrictions like those for alcohol and, after some time of adjustment, we'll get to where we should be.