Letters: 5-28-17

Please reconsider tax increases

Raising property taxes is especially unfair to the middle class. I cannot afford to pay the yearly tax, so it is taken out in my monthly payments. I bought my house 25 years ago, and while I do not mind that my property values have gone up, I can’t keep making higher monthly payments. I don’t plan on selling and would like to continue living in my home. This may force many from their homes, and raise rents as landlords will have to pay more … more homeless? It will definitely be a hardship on me.

Now, the gas tax … wow, horrible, this will affect the middle class as well, just keep beating us down. Unfortunately, many lower income families have to live where they can afford to live, which is usually down south with a longer trek to work, so tax the working poor? Why even work anymore? It will probably be better to just be another tax dependent instead of working for less.

Let’s figure out some other way, perhaps less wasteful spending? I can think of quite few things right off the bat. It’s amazing to me that they bought those hanging street lights that are still packaged up, and now are already being replaced with new ones without ever being used on the new Queen Kaahumanu Highway. I am always amazed that we spend half a million dollars for “consults” however I see these consultants recently got a raise too, to $700,000 for a consult to close the Hilo landfill. Hasn’t there been MANY of these over the years? Who asks anyone about these funds, who is getting them? Can we find someone less expensive? Why not just do the same as was done for the Kailua landfill? Or use the past consult from a few years ago.

Another thought is maybe use the discretionary funds for the council to cover all their new raises. I think they were always nice for the community, but this would give to the whole community. What a great gift to all. Please do not raise the taxes.

Debra Crumby

Kailua-Kona

Good tax points by locals

If our honorable Mayor Kim’s administration isn’t aware of the suggestions and interesting points recently raised by the two letters of Ann Fraser and John Powell (WHT May 25), I request that he take note of their comments and, hopefully, find cause to consider their suggestions toward developing a fair and reasonable tax structure that is resident-centric.

Likeke Bumanglag

Kailua-Kona

Poison is poison

I agree wholeheartedly with the letter written by Nani Pogline regarding the use of rodenticides.

I have been reading about the plans that the Fish and Wildlife folks have to irradiate unwanted creatures by putting poison as bait. Invariably, this action will cause other creatures to also be harmed or killed in the process. Poison is poison and never comes to any good.

Please, Fish and Wildlife department reconsider your actions before going through with this plan.

All living things have a right to exist.

Colleen Miyose-Wallis

Kailua-Kona