Tax and spend
Hold on to your wallets, ladies and gentlemen. The Legislature is in session, the governor has given his speech, and all of this has to do with spending money — your tax dollars.
In any of the discussions so far, has anybody mentioned spending cuts or the reduction of taxes? I see no mention of that in any of the speeches or announcements in the paper.
Bob Dukat
Pahoa
Mahalo, ‘Big Dog’
Wayne “Big Dog” Joseph was a bright light in our community. He will be sorely missed.
Rest in peace, Mr. Joseph.
A. Yamamoto
Hilo
Ruderman’s bad start
It seems our new state senator, Russell Ruderman, is trying to make a quick name for himself, or he had a hidden agenda all along.
Within just a few days after taking office, he has introduced or co-authored legislation to legalize marijuana and to tax soft drinks “to fight obesity.” He explained the pot issue by saying he asked his constituents what they wanted and was following their wishes.
Well, Mr. Ruderman, just how many constituents did you ask? I wasn’t, nor do I know anyone, who was asked. You represent more than just “pot heads” in your district.
Concerning the proposed tax on soft drinks, it looks like just another grab for revenue. And, did you ask any of your constituents how they felt about this issue?
All levels of government appear to be frantically searching for new revenue sources instead of trying to focus on REDUCING SPENDING! I don’t remember you campaigning on these issues.
Before closing, I would also ask that you send staff out to remove all of your remaining campaign signs. Or are you interested in following the law?
Larry Thurman
Keaau
Beware of Nazis
The communist-socialist party of Hawaii has finally reared its ugly head with the proposal of “gun confiscation” in Senate Bill 36 on Jan 17. A portion of the proposed law states that if a person does not satisfactorily complete a firearms course every two years, that person will be subject to, “forfeiture by the owner of any firearm and ammunition therefore pursuant to section 134-7.3(c).”
The state has collectively and unconstitutionally induced a law that it does not have the authority to mandate. Exactly what part of “… shall not be infringed” does the state legislative body not understand? There is no method of appealing a forfeiture; there is no criminal act; there is the violation of the 14th Amendment’s “… due process.” Due process means to be adjudicated in a court of law, which protects an enumerated right, and the Fourteenth Amendment’s “… equal protection of the law.”
To be fair, it should be assumed that everyone should be mandated to engage in a driver’s education course every two years to be reissued a driver’s license, since there are more killed in traffic accidents than by guns. Anyone caught and ticketed for DUI should be charged with attempted murder, if caught on the freeway. Legislators should be prosecuted under the statutes for embezzlement, fraud and contract kickbacks. It should be mandatory that they take lie-detector tests annually, to “protect the citizens from a broken trust.”
The proposed bill makes no regard as to how many safety instructors are in the state of Hawaii; how many certified shooting ranges exist on each island are available to the public; who will pay for the course fees, registration fees (taxes), transportation to and from the classes and the gun ranges for the homeless, indigenous and welfare people; or the loss of income from taking time off to attend classes.
Would this not be an excessive burden upon the less fortunate — yet still American — citizens with invested, enumerated rights? Would welfare hunters be denied their constitutional right to hunt for food on the table for their families or to use their kill to provide smoked meat to the bars, or to barter for fish or vegetables with neighbors?
And when it comes to self-defense, will the state be willing to accept liability for all damages, not for what they have knowledge of, but what they have intentionally prevented a person from doing? It is a fact that the state wrongfully depends heavily on the 11th Amendment’s “sovereign immunity,” a fact which has been abrogated when applied to violations of enumerated rights.
To all the Nazis, socialists, liberals and Democrats: If you are so “anti-gun” and think of public safety, please accept liability for the suppression of self-defense, and place a sign outside your house declaring, “This home is a Gun-Free Zone.”
George K. Young Jr.
Hilo
