Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Curious responses
The responses from the local community to the Paul Allen issue are indeed curious.
Firstly, a visitor writes after returning home to note the bothersome noise from Mr. Allen’s (himself in essence a visitor) helicopter as he presumably is shuttled from his ship immediately offshore to his property onshore. The fact this property is in what, for Kona, is a residential neighborhood seems to be forgotten.
Then there are multiple responses berating the first visitor for not being “more understanding” of the second visitor.
What I find particularly sad about all of these, but especially the response by Michelle Kerr, is they all infer that “you plebians” need to understand Mr. Allen, in essence an alii of old, and his whims, because of all the “good” he thereby brings to the community makes it worthwhile.
I find this sad because it is delusional thinking of the highest order. Mr. Allen is simply another sentient being who is responsible for his actions and the actions he directs others to perform on his behalf.
If the first visitor had wanted to live under the helicopter approach path or on the flight line of Kona International Airport, I am certain she would have made those arrangements.
Mr. Allen could have had himself flown to the Kona International Airport and then driven to his onshore property. He could have had himself transported to the Kailua Pier by small boat and then walked to his property. He could have even dived into the water and have done a swim stroke to the pier. We will never know.
I strongly suspect that Mr. Allen is a reasonably intelligent individual who knew what he was doing and what he was directing others to do on his behalf. I question his mindfullness of the consequences his actions had on the others around him.
Lonnie King
Kailua-Kona
The right perspective
Comparing Paul Allen and President Obama
Michelle Kerr’s cogent letter of Dec. 5 documented Paul Allen’s philanthropy and compared it to the White House waste of borrowed money in a $16 trillion indebted nation.
Raising tax rates on wealth producers is not about getting revenue, since it would pay only eight and a half days at the frightening rate of $1.7 million-per-hour-spending of borrowed money. It satisfies the far left, who can watch President Obama pound his deceitful chest, and it distracts everyone else from the European wealth distribution goal that will bankrupt the public and corrupt the national soul.
On March 16, 2006, then-Sen. Obama said, “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government’s reckless fiscal policies.”
The president and the cult media perpetuated (and endlessly repeated) the lie that President Bush’s “tax cuts for the rich” cost the government tax revenue and that caused the budget deficit, while the president’s redistribution spending policies actually caused it.
Many gullible folks bought that hook, line and sinker. However, the president’s own “Economic Report of the President” showed tax revenues went up after tax rates were cut and the budget deficit declined year after year.
The New York Times reported in 2006, “An unexpectedly steep rise in tax revenues from corporations and the wealthy is driving down the projected budget deficit this year.”
So, how can a president who is dragging the nation over a European-model cliff cover up his failed four years?
He sliced us into factions by race, gender, age, religion, political party and willingness to earn. He drove us to hate and envy each other. He didn’t win the election based upon his goal to establish European dependency, lack of ambition and insolvency. He won the election by getting struggling folks to vote against his opponent. He sweet-talked people into believing justice means keeping the poor in a nanny state, the work ethic should be penalized, and the Republicans are uncaring because they want growth and jobs and individual responsibility is unAmerican.
Now Hawaii has achieved national fame for its economic death spiral. Slap your forehead and vote Republican in 2014.
Donna Sweere
Kailua-Kona
Mahalo
Support appreciated
On behalf of Family Support Hawaii, Hawaii Island United Way, HOPE Services Hawaii, Inc., Neighborhood Place of Kona, The Mayor’s Office of West Hawaii, Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation, Mokuaikaua Church, Salvation Army, Bridge House, St. Michael’s Church, Solid Rock Ministries and West Hawaii Community Health Center, we wish to thank the many service providers, community members and officials for their support of the 2012 Hunger and Homelessness Awareness events.
This year there were more than 100 service providers and volunteers and nearly 200 attendees at the luncheon and homeless vigil.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we count as blessings the volunteers and in-kind donations of food and resources that brought these events to fruition. Your contributions were invaluable and gratefully received.
Jasmine Angeleo
Chairwoman
Cathie Amelotte
Co-chairwoman