Comments for The Kona Blog

Comment on The Legislature Should Not Strip The Counties Of Their Share Of The Transient Accommodations Tax by Doug

Doug — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:51:34 +0000

There is an important difference between a decline in revenues and “haven’t brought in any new tax revenue.” i.e. Without the tax increase the decline in revenue would have been even more.

Sure, at some theoretical point taxes can be raised to the level that economic activity declines and revenues plummet, but that is not the situation at hand after the most recent tax increase. Revenues would have been down without that tax increase—and down more than they are after the tax increase.

Comment on The Republicans Rather Attack The Democrats Health Care Over Haul Than Present Their Solution To This Crisis by Brad Wilcox

Brad Wilcox — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:59:49 +0000

Sorry about your girlfriend, but Obamacare doesn’t have dental insurance so it won’t help. The specifics of the house bill are disgusting.

Comment on The Republicans Rather Attack The Democrats Health Care Over Haul Than Present Their Solution To This Crisis by Manawai

Manawai — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:19:25 +0000

Reps & Healthcare – But Aaron, would your girlfriend have gotten a dental plan if it cost say 25% less than HDS (or other)? I’d guess not since that’s a small cost difference to keep one’s teeth intact. So, I take it that either she qualified for welfare dentistry or she finally scraped up the money to get her “four teeth filled”. But just think about all the money she saved over the years while not paying dental insurance premiums and that’s without figuring in the time value of money. Plus, even with dental insurance, one has to pay for treatments not fully covered by insurance. So maybe there was ultimately no savings at all. Plus, we have no idea how well she was taking care of her teeth. Home care is the main way to keep one’s teeth healthy; like brushing after every meal, flossing once a day, using Stim-U-Dents, and not eating sweets. But then I don’t know your girlfriend and there are a lot of details you omitted preventing practical analysis. I’m sorry she had to go through all that, Aaron. I’m wondering though, if she’d chosen to live in say Montana, could she have afforded to pay for her dental insurance then? I have a hard time with people complaining that they have a hard time surviving economically here but still choose to live here. Why should I be forced to subsidize their choice to live in paradise?

Aaron-Her previous employer did not offer dental benefits. Her current employer does offer dental benefits. Hence why she has coverage now.

Comment on The Republicans Rather Attack The Democrats Health Care Over Haul Than Present Their Solution To This Crisis by Susan McGeachy

Susan McGeachy — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:07:46 +0000

Let’s remember back some 60 years ago when the Democrates put the bill forward to create Social Secuirty and Medicare. The Republicans fought it. They sang the same song. To expensive and the government can’t run it. Today we rely on these two for our future.
Now 60 years later we are at the same cross roads on our Health Care and the Republicans are dragging their feet. Sadly the Republicans can not plan for the future.

Comment on The Republicans Rather Attack The Democrats Health Care Over Haul Than Present Their Solution To This Crisis by Mike Middlesworth

Mike Middlesworth — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:13:43 +0000

Many of us do not have dental coverage in our insurance plans. Medicare doesn’t cover routine dental work, nor does it cover routine vision exams and glasses.

And none of of the federal proposals would change that.

Comment on West Hawaii Needs More And Better Parks by Colin Gould

Colin Gould — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:45:56 +0000

I have a list of parks from about 5 years ago. At that time there were 854 acres of park on the Hilo side. The Kona side had 150 acres of which the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery was the biggest park with 61 acres!! Personally I would not take my kids to play in a cemetery. It looks like we are going to get a few more acres on the Kona side with the development of the Old airport, but we still have a long way to go to catch up with the Hilo side.