We the people?
We the people?
In (a recent) Tribune Herald supplement (East Hawaii F.A.Q.), we saw that the 27 largest employers in Hawaii County employed a total of 20,623 people. But guess who comprised the top three? The state of Hawaii, 7,962; the County of Hawaii, 2,630; and the U.S. government, 1,429. The top three, therefore, employed 12,021 of the total.
Simple arithmetic will tell us that almost 60 percent of all working people in the county are employed by government. It is hardly a wonder that our taxes keep on escalating — taxes being the only source of revenues for these employers.
So maybe the preamble to the U.S. Constitution should be amended to read: “We the government of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union …”
Chris Tamm
Hilo
Turn to solar power
On Oct. 5, you reprinted an editorial attributed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “Global warming alarmists push false premises.” They concluded, “Let the global market set the price of natural resources. Let the free market determine which fuels produce our electricity.”
No! The problem with that is, the best solution to global warming is solar photovoltaic.
The cost of electricity from the sun is all up front. We need to provide a fund for financing it. The billions spent on defending oil shipping lanes from the Persian Gulf would be a great place to look for the money. Each naval task force called home could free up tons of cash to facilitate a revolving fund to pay for low-cost or free loans to people adding solar power to their homes.
Transmission costs are completely avoided and security is enhanced, both at home and abroad. Once installed, power is free for life and is actually cheaper over the long run.
Costs are locked in from day one. I know, because I have it myself on my own home.
Even if I lived on the grid, which I currently do not, I would install solar. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
One thing I have learned that was a pleasant surprise is that it isn’t sun that provides the juice. It is light. Even cloudy days, which don’t put out the necessary heat for my solar hot water will provide enough sun-power “photons” to charge my batteries.
Bob Wahler
Pepeekeo