GET increase will impact residents

Well, the council passed the General Excise Tax increase of .5 percent. Does that mean it goes up to .4667? It is now .04167. The council also expected to get $80 million from the GET, with 30 percent coming from visitors.

So, the rest must be coming from residents. That means $56 million coming from the people living on Maui. That is that much money they have to spend locally.

A lot of people live paycheck to paycheck, so they pay that highest percentage of their income on GET. Seems to me we can find a better place to get money for housing.

STEVE ASHFIELD, Lahaina

County has jurisdiction over the old train tracks

It appears one of your letter writers who wrote unflattering comments about House Rep. Elle Cochran and State Senator Angus McKelvey needs to do their homework before complaining. Anyone who understands government should be aware that it is the county Public Works director who handles county roads and not the state.

The train tracks do not cross over the highway, and therefore, it is not the state that has control. He should have called Councilmember Tamara Paltin’s office if he had questions.

It is a shame when people write letters that accuse public servants of not doing their jobs when they themselves don’t even take the time to do basic research about how things work here in the county and in the state.

Next time, before lashing out, make a call or go online to find out the proper party who should be contacted if you have questions or complaints.

EVELYN GOO, Kula

Evil industries support human trafficking

The “Sound of Freedom” movie, even if sensationalized, is a wake-up call. When drug smuggling and human trafficking makes headlines, we blame the evil cartels. However, the United States’ demand for drugs and the sex trade is the problem. Supply and demand, fundamental economic principles, are why human trafficking continues. Plain and simple, we are major consumers of evil.

Corrupt morals and apathy are affecting thousands of lives. The movie industry capitalizes on depravity with explicit sexual content, and immorality is celebrated. Social media and government agendas facilitate deviant behavior under the pretext of freedom and tolerance. The consequences are dire.

Pornography in the mainstream media whets an appetite for sexual stimulation. It can lead to increasingly more deviant perverse material. This results in the porn industry booming at the expense of extreme human suffering.

Pornographic material contributes to unspeakable human abuse. Easily accessible, it ruins individuals and families, and it’s a major reason for slavery. Sexually assaulted, young children are victims of this evil industry, too.

To end slavery, the United States fought the Civil War, and England appealed to Parliament and public sentiment. Today, it will take the same determination and perseverance to stop human trafficking.

Reach out to lawmakers to be a voice for those who are enslaved. Stop watching pornography! Stop viewing films with sexual content. Be aware of those “grooming children” with things like drag queen entertainment at libraries and schools. Stop explicit age-inappropriate sex education. Be informed. Defend the powerless. Most importantly — pray!

MICHELE LINCOLN, Lahaina

Thanks for delivering papers

The West Maui Adult Day Care Center is located at Hale Mahaolu Eono Senior Housing up Lahainaluna Road.

It is open Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 in the morning to 6 p.m.

Daily, there are about 15 elders at the center, receiving safe and loving care.

Na Kupuna O Maui recognizes Mark Vieth, the editor of our local community paper, for the delivery of the weekly edition of the Lahaina News to us.

It means so much.

PATRICIA NISHIYAMA, Na Kupuna O Maui

Looks can be deceiving

There are plenty of outwardly admirable people in this world who are not anything like what they seem to be.

Many business people give the impression of being hardworking, honest and consumer oriented. Truth is, the larger the corporation, the less hardworking, honest and public spirited the business person. These folks are deeply into unearned income, lying in advertising and building a moat around their castles so no one will ever get to their ill-gotten riches.

Book publishers, newspapers, TV and online news agencies appear to be champions of First Amendment freedoms. In fact, many are active censors forcing the printed and spoken word into single-minded pathways.

Celebrities appear to be intelligent and wonderful human beings. Remember, most are good actors. They talk about themselves endlessly and promote other celebrities’ interests and abilities, often disingenuously.

Politicians need little explanation. They avoid answers to questions and promise the moon, knowing full well they are not capable of getting anyone even an inch off the ground.

Few religious leaders believe the medieval theologies they preach but promote them for profit anyway. Many use religious garb to mask horrible secrets, like pornography addiction and pedophilia.

KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY, Woods Cross, Utah