Bid Jones Act adieu
The news report in the April 26 WHT that the Trump Administration is considering a long-term waiver of Jones Act restrictions is the most welcome news for Hawaii since statehood!
The Jones Act is a relic of American colonialism, an anachronism based on 19th century political thinking.
The Jones Act cost to Hawaii residents and families is enormous. Most economists who have analyzed the Jones Act’s effect on Hawaii estimate a cost of nearly $7,000 annually to every Hawaiian family. The Jones Act is a “hidden tax” that supports an antiquated mainland shipbuilding industry; a hidden tax that is paid disproportionally by Hawaiians, Alaskans and residents of Guam and Puerto Rico.
Hawaiians — quite literally — are bound in economic chains by the Jones Act restrictions.
Every Hawaiian political leader should be clamoring for the release of our state and our citizens from bondage.
And every Hawaiian citizen should be carefully watching these political leaders: the representatives who support an end to The Jones Act have our interests at heart. The representatives who support a continuation of The Jones Act – both Senator Hirono and Senator Schatz — are shills for the shipping industry; Matson and mainland shipbuilders.
An end to The Jones Act would be the single most important and beneficial boost to the economy of Hawaii in the history of our state — an economic boost that would surpass even the advent of jet air travel!
Kenneth Beilstein
Holualoa
Land fund helps Ige’s green vision
Gov. David Ige has pledged that the state will absorb more carbon, by 2045, that it produces.
The world has its eyes on Hawaii to see how this environmental sanity can be accomplished. The “Hawaii Greenhouse Emissions Report for 2015” projects that in 2045 Hawaii will produce five times more global warming carbon dioxide than the state’s forests can remove.
Carbon sequestration is paramount. This is the perfect segue to the Hawaii County’s 2% Land Fund. This fund, created by citizens, would protect natural resources, watersheds, open space, parklands and cultural sites from pavement, housing tracts, commercial and industrial growth. I strongly support to have the county set aside 2% of property taxes each year to have a guaranteed source of funding to obtain matching funds to acquire property.
In 2012. this charter amendment was put on the ballot at the full 2%, not 1%. It was approved by 63% of the voters. Regenerating our forests and protecting our open space would positively address Ige’s goal of increasing carbon sequestration.
Gary Harrold
Hilo