Letters: 7-11-17

Budget should invest in people

While members of the Republican majority are competing to see who can make the deepest cuts, there is a budget proposal before Congress that would boost the economy for all of us while cutting the number of people in poverty in half.

It’s The People’s Budget, proposed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The People’s Budget invests in safe and productive infrastructure, education, affordable housing, health care and nutrition, child care and working family tax credits. It calls for increasing the minimum wage.

These investments will create 3.6 million jobs, and set us on a path to cut poverty in half in 10 years. The People’s Budget invests $2 trillion in infrastructure spending, expanding rural broadband, universal pre-K and free college tuition at state and community colleges.

Every year without fail our elected representatives give over half of the discretionary budget to the Pentagon, leaving less than half to be divided up to fund education, health care, environmental spending, infrastructure and everything else.

Donald Erway

Kailua-Kona

Punishment too light for sicko

I was disgusted to read about the light sentence that was given to Mr. Gutierrez after he killed those innocent albatrosses. The punishment should have been more severe and he should be made to do community service like working to help a conservancy program.

People like him and his buddies who kill innocent creatures are psychopaths and should be kept under close watch. Just because he’s a Punahou graduate doesn’t mean he deserves special treatment.

Let the punishment fit the crime, whether it’s against other creatures or humans. Brutality is brutality!

Colleen Miyose-Wallis

Kailua-Kona