No fee hike, please
No fee hike, please
Gov. David Ige’s plan to raise vehicle registration fees yet again in a relatively short time span is regrettable.
State and county rate increases since 2011 have resulted in an 82 percent rise in my truck fees, and a similar change for my car. With the new increases, my fees will exceed 100 percent in just four years.
This must be the largest single fee change ever!
I urge the governor (and the county, just in case it starts thinking about another hike on top of the state’s) to re-examine this plan and look harder at using the millions in federal funds apparently available before burdening us with more taxes.
Neal Herbert
Hilo
Vote with your brains
If Ronald Reagan were alive today, who do you think he would support for president?
Reagan famously said he would back the most conservative candidate who could win.
Donald Trump currently leads the pack among Republicans. But he is not a true conservative, since he favors socialized medicine, which would cost $28 trillion to fund. Even if we confiscate the entire wealth of the hated 1 percent, it will not be enough. There will be an astronomical tax increase for the 52 percent of the population who constitute the taxpaying middle class, since 47 percent pay little or no taxes.
Trump successfully tapped into the unbridled anger of voters frustrated by the failed policies of President Obama. But is he electable?
The recent Gallup poll in January showed Trump has an unfavorable rating with 60 percent of Americans. This is not surprising, considering Trump insulted his rivals, prisoners of war, unattractive women, Muslims and Mexicans, followed by insults to the Pope and former President George W. Bush.
If Trump wins the Republican nomination, Democrats will dance with glee as they look forward to a 60 percent landslide.
In that same Gallup poll, Hillary Clinton has an unfavorable rating of 52 percent, Ted Cruz 37 percent and Marco Rubio 33 percent.
Rubio attracts conservatives, Hispanics, young people, minorities and independents.
In contrast, Cruz is too extreme for independent voters. With the charisma of John Kennedy and the eloquence of Ronald Reagan, Marco Rubio is easily the most electable candidate.
Hopefully, Hawaii Republicans will vote with their brains rather than their emotions when they caucus March 8.
Ben K. Azman
Lahaina, Maui