BIKE SHARING

CHEAPER OPTIONS CAN AID PROGRAM'S SUCCESS

I'm so glad Nguyen Le is going to establish a program for bike sharing on O'ahu.

I hate to have to say this about my community, but I hope he knows that Hawai'i has the highest rate of property crimes (that is, thefts) per capita in the nation.

It's my strong belief that his $900 bikes will disappear in about a week, even with the $100 credit-card deposit.

I suggest he buy used bikes or ask the community for donations. That way the economic loss of the thefts won't break his budget, and this project will have a higher likelihood of financial success.

Maybe he's thought of this already, but I also suggest he contact the community colleges, public and private high schools, community service groups and technical schools to see if they are interested in partnering up for bike repairs for his project.

He's doing something tangible to help cut down on traffic and emissions, as well as creating an opportunity for more of our community members to get out and bicycle.

I wish him and his group success. By the way, Kailua is a great place to have a project like this.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

RESPECT SHOULD BE OFFERED TO ALL COUPLES

The argument on same-sex marriage recently once again became very personal for me.

I hope those against it are pleased with the insult I received at one of the worst times in my life. When filling out the various government forms when my husband (we were married in Vancouver), Bill Woods, passed away, I could only be listed as "friend."

It meant much to me when referred to as Bill's spouse in notes, newspaper articles and from certain elected officials.

I only hope that at some time, such respect can be fully offered to the couples who will follow.

NATIONAL DEBT

HAWAI'I COMPLAINS, YET WELCOMES THE "PORK"

The news media have recently been critical of Congress for adding to our horrific national debt by appropriating taxpayers' money to dubious pet projects in senators' and representatives' districts.

We all understand the immorality of wasteful "pork barrel" squandering of our money.

But now we in Hawai'i celebrate Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's enhanced ability to "bring home the bacon."

Local hogs crowd the trough, eager for "a big share of federal cash" for trains and all sorts of other projects of questionable merit.

One man's wasteful pork is another's tasty bacon. What hypocrites we are.

ECONOMY

MISINFORMATION BEING SPREAD ABOUT TAX PLAN

I wish the fear-mongers would stop trying to spread misinformation and trepidation among us. A letter Nov. 12 spoke of "a 90 percent tax rate" causing Hollywood actors to decline work, "movie industry workers" (aka the little guys) "didn't get work" and "thus beginneth the downward spiral."

Nobody is talking about a 90 percent tax rate or anything near that for anybody. According to President-elect Obama's Web site, "The top two income tax brackets would return to their 1990s levels of 36 percent and 39.6 percent."

A married couple filing jointly with a taxable income (after all deductions) of $500,000 would pay approximately $147,000 in taxes for 2008. Using the 1999 tax rates, that same couple would pay approximately $171,000 — a $24,000 difference between Bush's tax plan and Obama's.

How many entrepreneurs are going to forgo making $250,000 above the level set by Obama because they would have to pay an additional $24,000?

Entrepreneurs aren't stupid.

And those years in Hollywood, when the highest marginal tax rate was 90 percent and the aforementioned letter writer says wealthy actors were declining roles because of that tax rate and "movie industry workers didn't get work," never happened. Hollywood calls that period of time the golden years.

PUBLIC RESTROOMS

LACK OF BATHROOMS AFFECTS LOCAL TOURISM

Hawai'i's economic and financial well-being depends on tourism. Yet, there is a problem in our state that needs to be resolved immediately. The problem is the lack of public toilets.

Several weekends ago, a Japanese woman asked one of the Downtown stores to allow her daughter to use the store's bathroom.

The store refused, saying it is a liability issue. After I urged the store manager to make an exception to the store's policy, the manager reluctantly allowed the daughter to use their bathroom. Many service stations and restaurants refuse to allow the public to use their toilets to keep out the homeless.

Although there may be other urgent issues confronting our government officials, the lack of public bathrooms is a problem that must be resolved before the tourists resort to using other places to relieve their discomfort, especially children.

HUNTING

DLNR SHOULD CONDUCT THOROUGH INVESTIGATION

This is in response to the Nov. 14 article "State reassigns game official": I hope that a thorough investigation is done before any decision is made regarding the fate of the game official.

I do not condone abusive behavior, especially from people in authority. However, there is something disturbing about the circumstances of this story. The pig hunters acknowledge they were breaking the law when confronted by the enforcement officer.

My experience while hiking with my pet dog on Kuli'ou'ou Ridge Trail is that some pig hunters have an aggressive mentality. They carry guns, large knives and hunt with a pack of vicious dogs.

Many hikers, including myself, feel intimidated when coming across them. We appreciate the enforcement of hunting laws, recognizing that it is a difficult and dangerous job.

Perhaps one way to protect enforcement officers from false allegations is to require they work in pairs and use video taping during enforcement procedures.