Letters: 6-28-17

United not divided we stand

United not divided we stand

Poor Mark Van Pernis, who wrote “Conservatives on wrong side of history June 20.

Mr. Van Pernis needs to read some U.S. history books and research more as he has blamed all the negative things he listed as being done by conservatives when, in fact, they were done by Democrats. And the things he gave credit to were done by conservatives, not Democrats.

What’s really sad, the same thing is being done today, making Americans angry, frustrated and it’s dividing us all — we even hear from left leaders encouraging chaotic riots where people are injured.

We still live in the only free republic in the world. It might not be perfect but it’s the best one around. And we still have free choice.

Please find out facts before choosing sides then work civilly together. We’re suppose to be the United States of America, not the divided states.

Mahina Watson

Holualoa

Oh the hypocrisy from the left wing!

When I see bumper stickers that say, “Love Trumps Hate” I have to laugh at the hypocrisy.

Phil Montag, a Nebraska Democratic Party leader just stated regarding Rep. Steve Scalise, “His whole job is to get people, convince Republicans to [expletive] kick people off [expletive] health care. I’m glad he got shot,” Montag was recorded saying. “I wish he was [expletive] dead.”

It is universities in this country that are supposed to encourage open discussion that are now shutting down any conservative speaker who does not agree with their very extreme left wing ideologies. And these liberal students, not conservatives, are rioting in the street and setting fire to cars and buildings.

It was a Bernie Sanders supporter and volunteer who was armed who hunted down Republican congressmen he intended to kill while practicing baseball a week ago. Can you imagine what the fake news media would be running every night for weeks as their lead story if this twisted individual was a Trump volunteer and supporter who had committed this crime? Remember when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and CNN and MSNBC “demanded” Sara Palin apologize for this shooting because she had a political map with “targets” on cities to identify where her staff needed to focus for support? This demand for Palin to apologize for the Giffords shooting went on for months. All I hear from the fake news media now are crickets after Bernie’s volunteer shot several people a week ago.

Just remember the next time you see a bumper sticker that says, “Love Trumps Hate.” The hypocrisy from the left is stunning.

Don Nelson

Kailua-Kona

Hotels, resorts should pay tax bulk

Why exactly are property taxes going up? The assessments continue to rise even though they do not reflect the original purchase price for many homeowners who have lived here long before the boom town mentality took hold. We were here before Costco, before Lowe’s, when there was only one industrial area.

We are the public servants and hospitality workers who didn’t need mainland-style accouterments to survive. Those of us who did transplant did so knowing full well that diversity was part of the equation and we accepted local style: the easy-going awareness that we were all in it together. We didn’t require mansions, golf courses, resort-like amenities or five star hotels.

This, however, has changed. Many new full- and part-time residents can afford million dollar-plus homes, and if they really can’t, they use the HGTV ploy of using their home as a vacation rental to make up the shortfall. These newcomers have created a very profitable situation for developers, Realtors and investors, not to mention those politicians who favor high assessments to fill county and state coffers.

So, please don’t anyone complain that homeowners only pay 15 percent of property taxes and ag only pays 18 percent the residential, hotel and resort factions should pay the lion’s share; after all, they are responsible for causing the higher assessments.

Ann Fraser

Kona