Tracking ‘corpflation’
Robert Reich’s latest newsletter online regarding inflation stated the only reliable data used to measure the economy are prices, jobs and wages.
If — and that’s a very big if — corporate profits were measured as accurately as the other three, there would be a much better understanding of our economy.
Prices, jobs and wages are measured twice monthly, but corporate profits are “guestimated” quarterly, as corporations tend to use every accounting gimmick at their disposal so the true numbers are shielded in fog, as they don’t want anybody to know their true profits.
If all four data groups — jobs, wages, prices and corporate profits — were to be measured accurately twice monthly, it would be evident that corporations have a major impact on inflation, or what Reich calls “corpflation.”
Dave Kisor
Pahoa
Fix our roads
These days, our roads are not as nice as they once were. Many roads in Pahoa to Hilo are cracked and not very smooth in general.
On Orchidland Drive, there are many potholes that were filled in, yet there are still dips from where the potholes once were.
Hawaii County and the state should be fixing these roads. While our roads remain cracked, the roads in Kona are newer and smooth. Why are the roads in Kona nicer than the ones in Hilo to Pahoa? Hilo and Pahoa deserve nice roads, also.
We should be fixing roads that need to be fixed, and not fixing roads that had been fixed a few years prior, especially when it takes as long as it does to fix the roads.
Would you want your children driving on these roads? Some roadways are dangerous for drivers and makes Hilo to Pahoa an uncomfortable drive.
Improving the roadways that are damaged will keep the roads from getting worse. The rain contributes to eroding the cracks in the roads that already exist and makes even bigger cracks and potholes.
Nice roads will help people in Hawaii County who are commuting from place to place improve their daily life.
We need to know we can be safe while driving. These roadways make it difficult for me to learn how to drive. It could be easier without the potholes and such that make me feel uneasy.
Bad-conditioned roads affect our community, because it could be a faster commute to work or school, and if they were fixed properly now, then we wouldn’t have to fix them every few years.
We should be focused on fixing roads that are in bad condition. Let’s stop fixing roads that don’t need to be fixed for the betterment of our community.
Aila Rosehill
Hilo High School student