Your Views for June 24

Failed leadership

Thanks to Mr. Warren’s letter of June 21, I read the New York Times article covering our county’s GMO legislative timeline … .

The bill was passed, and Mayor Billy Kenoi signed it into law. Kenoi is a lawyer himself and surely saw that this issue was emotional and not rational. He, like the council, caved under pressure from the non-scientific voices.

So now, we taxpayers must foot the bill to defend this likely defenseless law from two plaintiffs. How long will that take with our lengthy appeal process?

Shame on you, Mayor Kenoi, for not showing some leadership and a temperate voice to protect how our taxes are spent on ill-conceived legislation.

Elaine Munro

Hilo

Clarification

A few days ago, your paper ran an article about the placement of orchids around town. One location was mistakenly referred to as the Korean War Memorial.

In fact, the memorial was dedicated Oct. 31, 1948, to honor the dead from World War II whose names are chiseled in the marble on top of the memorial.

Yes, it honors the fallen from the Korean War, as well as the Vietnam War, by the plaques which were added to the sides of the memorial.

Bob Peck

Pahoa

Stealth tax hike

Let’s say you have a home here on the island that was valued by a licensed appraiser in 2013 for $250,000. According to real estate agency reports, the average home sale was 5.8 percent less than in 2012, and in 2013 it would have sold for $235,500.

Now, along comes the county Tax Man, and he says your home is actually worth $264,000, and he raises your taxes accordingly based apparently on what he thinks it is worth, without ever having seen the property, but solely upon what he says a willing buyer will pay a willing seller.

But according to what I’ve read lately, there has been “no increase” in property taxes. I guess it all depends on the definition of the word “increase.” Pretty clever way of taxes, I would say!

Ron Baptista

Mountain View