Letters 4-24-13

Banner Health

Making misleading conclusions and assumptions

Ali Bairos, M.D., in his letter to the editor, WHT April 21, wants Erin Miller and “anyone else sharing the same misconception” to stop referring to the HHSC and Banner Health negotiations as a “takeover.” He states that the partnership “discussions are in the earliest of the most preliminary stage” which, I suspect, means “barely beginning.”

It is interesting that in spite of the “most preliminary stage” claim made by the doctor, he lists a number of conclusions the “state-of-the-art” facility would bring to our Big Island community. Nothing however, is said about the cost factor, which I can only presume is because of the “most preliminary stage” of partnership negotiations. I wonder if the benefits would equal the cost of the partnership and if so, to whom?

I remember the hype of investing in the stock market a few years ago and the guaranteed benefits some insiders received while others lost their okoles. In fact, last week I saw a commercial on TV on the benefits of buying gold just before the price of gold tanked.

I suspect that in this “takeover/partnership” there may be two sides (or more) to the story.

Leningrad Elarionoff

Waimea

Gun control

More deaths from alcohol and tobacco

Instead of our government using taxpayer money to try to infringe on our Second Amendment rights, why don’t they ban smoking and cigarettes to make a difference with the 443,000 deaths per year from tobacco use?

Or why not ban alcohol to put a stop to the 75,000 deaths per year due to alcohol use? Why not draft a bill for stricter regulation, stricter background checks and a ban on street-racer- style modifications since racing accounts for one-third of all traffic fatalities in our country each year (25,580 in 2012)?

Or pass a bill to ban alcohol and have stricter penalties for drunk driving since we lost 9,878 to impaired driving in 2011?

But no, they go after law-abiding gun owners as if that will stop criminals from committing violent gun-related crimes.

Where is the logic? Can any of you liberals or Democrats out there please explain this to me?

Shawn Lathrop

Waikoloa

Gun control

The real debate story

The real story on the gun control debate (WHT April 19) is how far Congress has moved away from actually representing the American people.

The U.S. Senate is dysfunctional due to the inept “leadership” of Sen. Harry Reid and a Democratic Party lost without political vision or courage. Add to the mix Republican senators totally controlled by corporate interests who show no concern for our country or American citizens generally.

Ninety percent of American want stronger gun control and thanks to Reid — his decision to allow the filibuster rule to continue — and a Republican philosophy firmly based in the 1850s, a huge majority of Americans are simply told by the Congress to shove it.

William F. Johnston

Kailua-Kona

Property taxes

Always a negative impact on lifestyle

Property taxes are something that affects all homeowners on our island, be they part-time or full-time. Tax increases are always have a negative impact on our lifestyle, something Democrats either don’t care about or just choose to ignore.

I am not fond of Democrats, never have been, as is obvious from my letters. I have voted for several because I’ve felt they had earned my vote via their actions or just because I knew them and actually believed what they were saying, that they actually care about America, not just their party — something that doesn’t often happen.

One person whom I’ve voted for more than once is our mayor. I have met him on several occasions and have been to several functions where he has been a speaker. I believe in him and think he cares about other things than the party, even though he is a party man. Reading the article regarding property taxes and his comments about proposed pay raises for county officials convinces me once more that my vote for him was the right thing to do.

I do ask him one thing though: If he does donate his raise, please consider donating to something truly beneficial to our county or local area that will help our children or the homeless, not the United Way, which I view as a somewhat dubious organization.

Frank Dickinson

Kailua-Kona