Most people want the ‘center’
I wonder why Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and others are framed as “far left,” “fringe,” “radical,” or “socialist” in talking points and by those who don’t agree with their proposals. Even Fox News polls confirm trends that Robert Reich documents in his article about what the majority of Americans want:
1. 70% of Americans are in favor of Medicare For All, including 60% of Republicans
2. 76% of Americans support higher taxes on the super-rich, including over half of Republicans
3. 92% are in favor of lower drug prices, over 78% think we should be able to buy drugs from Canada
4. More than 80% of Americans want paid maternity leave.
5. 79% of voters want more affordable child care. And that includes 80% of Republicans.
6. 60 % of Americans support free college tuition for those who meet income requirements.
7. 62% think climate change is man-made and needs addressing.
8. 84% think money has too much influence in politics. 77% support limits on campaign spending. And that includes 71% of Republicans.
The “center” is not halfway between what most Americans want and what big corporations, Wall Street, and the super-wealthy want. The “center” is what the vast majority of Americans want.
Susan Oakley, Kapaa
We all need to care for Earth
We are in the process of world wide mass biological extinction. We are the center of that extinction here in Hawaii.
According to Google search, more than 90% of the plants and animals inhabiting Hawaii are endemic to the state and a greater variety of fish exist in Hawaiian waters than anywhere else.
Hawaii, known as the endangered species capital of the world, is home to at least one-third of all the endangered species of the United States. Hawaii comprises only .02% of the total land mass of the United States. The amount of C02 we humans are omitting to the atmosphere by displacing natural habitat for wild species of plants and animals and creating this gas CO2 as exhaust has upset the amount the climate can tolerate without disruption.
So it isn’t surprising we are experiencing radical increases in species loss. Changes in climate world over have made some places uninhabitable by humans as well as wild life. In the last few months we have seen three big old trees come down along the main highway through Hanapepe.
Two of those trees were cut down on the Hongwanji property bordering the public library. The principals involved at the Buddhist Temple went to the county to ask permission due to part of the trees were on county property bordering the street. I saw a crew of men out there taking those trees down.
They looked like ants climbing around, the trunks were so large. Leaving big old trees in place is important. Not only do they absorb CO2 helping to keep our atmosphere in balance. They are home to diverse insects, birds, lizards toads and microscopic organisms all of which feed the soil that plants derive nutrients from and we then get second hand from eating them.
Trees provide shade from an otherwise unforgiving sun. I know of a residence that took down a big old Monkeypod tree. He has had to since build a porch onto his house to protect it from the sun and rain as well as a tent to protect his car from the weather.
Do your part by decreasing your omissions of CO2 and encourage tree retention and growth.
Linda Harmon, Hanapepe
