Rates too high
I am a student at Honokaa High School. My issue is the high cost of electricity in Hawaii. The cost of electricity in Hawaii is more expensive compared to the mainland. The cost of electricity is higher in Hawaii because the cost of fossil fuel has gone up. Higher electricity costs in Hawaii it make it harder for some people to live.
The average cost of electricity in Hawaii is about $225 a month for about 500-600 kilowatts. High electric costs makes Hawaii the most expensive place to live.
Action is necessary, because if there isn’t anything done about it, our electric bills will get higher, and it’s going to make living in Hawaii even harder. If our electric costs go up people, will have a harder time to pay each bill, and some people wouldn’t be able to pay the bills.
A realistic solution to this issue would be requiring each home to have solar panels. For the people who can’t afford the cost of panels, they can get help from the state and then pay them back slowly.
If each home has solar power, I think it would really help because it can really help lower your bill. But the electric companies only allow a certain amount of houses with panels in a certain place. We should take advantage of solar power, because it’s free energy. We should also have more wind turbines because wind is free and it can be used for energy.
Kelson Villasista
Honokaa
Wishing safe return
Reading a letter from Dr. Peter Matsuura in the (Sunday, May 5) Tribune-Herald brought a tear to my eye and a tug at my heart.
Once again, this local orthopod will be deployed. This is the third such letter from Dr. Matsuura, and his third deployment, and for that I am proud of him and proud of all of our soldiers and veterans who are fighting and have fought our wars, both past and present.
Godspeed, Dr. Matsuura. We look forward to your September return.
Maya Bee Cooper
Hilo
Don’t raise taxes
Think: If the economy is poor to bad for the majority of taxpaying citizens and one of the effects is a reduction in commerce, closing businesses and lost employment, how does the solution appear anywhere close to raising taxes and fees to fund government?
Gov. Abercrombie raised automobile licensing fees 160 percent, remember? The mayor wants to take more. Billy (Kenoi): Ambercrombie has the money; go get it from him!
Oh, wait. Maybe you could use some of the $600,000 bucks you raised to get elected. Stop hiring more government employees. Start with the police and other employees who cannot or will not comply with aloha.
Gerald Ferro
Hilo
