• For a better America • Improving the system • Skewed look • We need a Chess Club
For a better America
Our leaders who are supposed to be honorable and knowledgeable have once again proven otherwise in reference to the move to raise our retirement age to 70.
This late retirement will cause problems for the younger generation to find work because of the delayed release of jobs.
Due to high education costs a lot of high school and technical school graduates will be looking for jobs — unemployment will rise.
Today’s younger generations are losing respect of our elders because of this bracket (70) hanging on to their jobs so long — depriving them in getting started in life.
Retirement age should not go beyond 67 because a lot of unfortunate retirees will not enjoy too many years after that even if life expectancy is increased in thoughts. They have paid the full price while working but there’s not guarantee of long life and full retirement benefits.
We pay enough taxes and fees to finance our government operations if process is done right — it’s like running a business.
Solution: Find other ways with incentives besides SS and late retirement.
One sentence tells all — streamline government operations here and abroad financially and involvement. Take care of our citizens first; we’re already stressed out enough with high unemployment, homelessness and tight affordable health services. We try to feed the world but starve our people doing it.
Is anybody listening? Seventy is too late; don’t do it.
The goal of retirement should be within reach and not after we get sick or handicapped.
Yasu Nakamatsu, Kapa‘a
Improving the system
In Alfred Laureta’s attempted obituary for the county manager topic (“Festering subject,” Letters, Aug. 16) he describes citizen efforts to present a better governmental system for our county as a “festering subject” which is his apparently obsessed way of thinking it is.
Not content with allowing the subject after its Charter Commission rejection to have a peaceful response, Laureta resurrects three imaginary criteria he asserts proponents for the system should have met to comply with the Charter “necessary or desirable” standard he cites.
He fails to mention that his criteria are not applied by the Commission in its determinations about other proposals it offers or that the real reason for the failure of the Commission to support the manager system was the opposition to it by the Administration.
So, Judge, the results of our effort to put more efficiency into the system have failed — you and the “status quo” have won and the people have lost.
The locked tight system as is currently structured is bullet proof in keeping new ideas and improvements from happening here on Kaua‘i.
It is sad that the people won’t have the democratic right to at least vote on a manager type of government but must accept the fact that the “power” can do whatever they want.
Sure, Judge, as you said in your July 3 letter to the Forum, the people have the right to vote whoever they want to be their representative. But many of these elected ones are basically put there by their popularity and their capabilities of raising enough money to run a successful campaign.
We have given you and the CRC numerous examples of problems that exist today and have existed for years but they have been ignored.
Regardless of whose fault these problems are, the Council, the Mayor or the system itself, the problems are there and need fixing. Many municipalities across the U.S. found that a manager type government improves the system and there is no reason to believe that Kaua‘i’s government wouldn’t do the same.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
Skewed look
Regarding Monday’s article “GMO event draws weekend crowds”… Just another example of a small group of hippies trying to shut down what they don’t like or agree with.
Superferry, high school football games, seed corn grown on Kaua‘i, it will be endless especially with our newspaper featuring them on the front page of the paper.
Then they throw in JoAnn Yukimura to falsely add some credibility and what do you have, more propaganda for the hippies. A church opening their doors to this type of event is even more reprehensible.
When will children, not animals, take center stage? When will donations go to the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i instead of the Humane Society? When will people started feeding the needy instead of the feral cats?
Life on Kaua‘i has gotten so messed up because of the skewed look at what’s truly important.
Anne Brookstone, Kapa‘a
We need a Chess Club
It is great for the kids and adults. Great fun and good for the mind.
Let’s have some discussion and get something going. Milliani Chess Club on O‘ahu will help us get going. Any ideas?
Ed Hayes, Hanalei
