Letters to the Editor

Cayetano no liberal on public pay raises

I am concerned about Gov. Ben Cayetano’s latest threat of mass layoffs if the public employees get their well-deserved arbitrated or negotiated pay raises.

Cayetano must be vying to be the most reprehensible public figure of all time in the Islands. Small wonder the right-wing Cato Institute gave him such high marks for his stingy cutbacks of social programs and attempted freezes of public employee wages. After all, he’s gotten away with zero pay hikes for state employees for four of the last eight years.

It’s incredible that Cayetano could have gotten an endorsement from any public employee union in the last election. The governor is certainly antagonistic to working people. He goes against his own political party in resisting the pay hikes and in favoring tax cuts for the wealthy and the corporations. He is a Democrat in the Ronald Reagan mold.

Cayetano's only claim to "liberal" credentials is his supposed advocacy of benefits and programs for the poor — an advocate mantel he resurrects in order to oppose public employee pay hikes or other social, health or educational needs. This is purely a crass divide-and-conquer strategy.

It’s time the public and the Democrats reject these politics of reaction and betrayal. The pay hikes should be approved, and the governor's misleadership soundly rejected.

John Witeck

We need to reinstate the full Felix decree law

Regarding your Feb. 19 editorial on the state stalling on the Felix Consent Decree: The decree calls for the development of a seamless system of care in developing a service system and accompanying array of services into an implementation plan. We are dealing with anything but a clear maintenance of effort.

Instead, we are embarked on a process of paper compliance versus substantial compliance.

In his Feb. 18 letter, House Speaker Calvin Say is correct when he says, in the end, that children will suffer, especially if services and providers continue to change, or are dropped from programs and placements in which children have built track records of strengths and skills.

We need to reinstate the entire Felix class definition that was deleted without community input in 1998: ... but for whom programs, services and placements are either unavailable, inadequate or inappropriate because of a lack of a continuum of services, programs and placement."

If the state cannot be depended on to protect our children’s rights and the people who serve them, then we need the law back.

Naomi Uchibori-Grossman
Special-needs parent

West O‘ahu ignored in highway landscaping

Two and a half million dollars to beautify Kahekili Highway? Isn’t there a bit of inequity here in distribution of services?

Not one cent has ever been spent in any attempt to beautify H-1, west of Waipahu or the section of Farrington Highway that serves as an extension to that freeway. These highways have been in existence, not for four years, but for more than 24.

When I called the state Department of Transportation to complain about the eyesore stretching mile after mile, I was told in a bored tone of voice that there was no money available and no plans to do any work in that area.

Where have they found the money to spend a fortune to landscape Kahekili and to recently redo a completed landscaping project on Wai‘alae Avenue because residents didn’t like the original job?

Neglect begets neglect. If an area looks trashy, people are likely to trash it some more. If it’s lovely to look at, they are likely to appreciate and maintain it.

You can drive almost anywhere on this island and find the main roads attractively landscaped — except in West O‘ahu.

It’s about time the state stopped treating West O‘ahu like a stepchild and its residents as second-class citizens. We’ve had absolutely nothing spent on beautifying our highways for a quarter of a century. How much longer do we have to wait and what do we have to do to get the state to assign us even a minuscule portion of its landscaping budget?

Joan C. Weisskopf
Kapolei

Science symposium outstanding success

If you believe "it takes a whole village to raise a child," then hats off to all these "villagers" who made the 7th Annual Science Symposium for Girls at Sacred Hearts Academy an outstanding success on Feb. 10:

Over 30 professionals from the community for encouraging girls to pursue careers in math, science and technology.

Dr. Karen Meech from UH’s Institute of Astronomy for creating enthusiasm for planetary systems in her keynote address.

Emma Pavich, one of Hawai‘i’s premier adolescent counselors, for convincing over 300 parents that "Sometimes you have to switch gears from your brain and deal with your daughters from the heart."

Dedicated teachers and counselors from approximately 44 schools for convincing girls that science and math can be exciting.

Corporate "villagers" First Hawaiian Bank, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay Hawai‘i, UH’s Engineering Alumni Association and the Augustine Educational Foundation for providing financial resources.

Together, these villagers are to be commended for inspiring over 400 girls and 300 parents to be all they can be.

Betty White
Principal, Sacred Hearts Academy

A trip to Pahoa is wonderful experience

As a merchant in downtown Pahoa on the Big Island, I so enjoyed reading the Jan. 25 letter you published from Ernest Novey Jr.

I have a gallery featuring local art from Puna. To date, I have 77 very creative (and starving) artists contributing everything from handmade baskets to local honey.

In the 18 months I’ve been part of Pahoa, I’ve seen such wonderful and very positive changes. All we are lacking is respect and consideration from the tourist guides. Such a pity that they go out of their way to paint such a ghastly picture of a very historic and quaint sugar town that has become sweeter through the years. They must change this attitude and realize a trip to Pahoa is well worth the effort. Our restaurants are wonderful and the town folk very artistic and interesting.

My sincere thanks to you for helping your readers realize a visit to our town is a truly delightful experience.

Jain Thompson
Sistah's Artifactory, Pahoa, Hawaii

House GOP blundering in parliamentary tricks

The state House Republicans have missed a great opportunity. When they called two bills out of committee only to see them reassigned, they would have been smarter to go to the people through the media to explain how a committee chair could bottle up a bill so it couldn't be heard.

Especially an emotional bill such as the age-of-consent bill.

The Republicans could have asked many interesting questions about the reasons for not holding public hearings on this measure. They could have ridden this right through the next election.

Instead, they intimated they were going to shut down government until they got their way. That idiocy would only have resulted in a number of important bills not be ing heard or passed. Bills such as medical privacy extension, campaign finance reform, textbooks for the DOE, Felix funding, possibly the entire budget, and who knows what else?

If they hed pulled this off, they would have been killed in the next election, and their recent gains lost — and deservedly so.

George Fox

Political bickering hurts good legislation

As a hiker, I am glad to see that the Hawai‘i House is moving legislation to improve the conditions at our state parks, but I just heard that the Republicans are filibustering and legislative deadlines might not be met.

I don't care what the dispute is; that sounds like inside politics to me. It would be shameful to let a political power play by the minority party interfere with one of the first positive environmental actions I’ve seen in a while from the state.

Republicans, I was happy to see you have larger numbers, but I think you might be losing sight of what matters the most.

Yukiko Fujikami
Kailua

Rep. Yonamine must show us he’s serious

As I watched news coverage of Rep. Nobu Yonamine’s community meeting regarding his possible resignation from the Legislature, I was filled with regret that I didn’t attend. Although I don’t live within or near the 35th District and will not be affected should he resign, I am concerned citizen that he has been arrested twice for driving under the influence.

Had I been at the meeting, my question would have been, "Rep. Yonamine, what are you going to do to assure me that I, or my family and friends, won't be harmed by your obvious gross lapse in judgment?"

"Now, I've learned my lesson" (Advertiser, Feb. 9) isn’t enough for me to feel safe that Yonamine, or others like him, will know better the next time he’s had a few too many.

As a state representative, Yonamine is in a position to set an example and make changes. I hope (next time) he chooses to do the right thing.

JoAnn Kadooka

‘Fish!’ philosophy is fresh, exciting, fun

Regarding the Feb. 5 article "All work and a lot of play": It is exciting to know that Hawai‘i is part of a growing national business trend. But, did you know that the "Fish!" philosophy was being taught to employees of local businesses long before this article hit the papers?

Hawai‘i Family Dental Centers (HFDC) is just one local company that has incorporated the concepts of the "Fish!" training into its business. But, HFDC is not the only one. The "Fish!" philosophy is quickly spreading throughout the state.

I was first introduced to the "Fish!" philosophy by corporate trainer Sarah Kalicki Nakamura of SKN and Associates. At the time, HFDC was experiencing growing pains and needed something different, something that would awaken our employees to a fresh perspective on their job, customer relationships and their personal lives. After evaluating many training programs, the "Fish!" philosophy stood out above the rest.

I was attracted to this training because its role models, the fishmongers of Pike Place Fish Co., were easy to relate to. If the fishmongers could do it, so could we. The concepts were easy to learn, memorable, fun and easy to incorporate into both work and our personal lives. Along with simple concepts and a lot of energy, the training has created a new momentum throughout our 11 HFDC locations, and among our 150 employees.

So, if you are looking for something fresh, exciting, fun and valuable to both your employees and the company, take a look at the "Fish!" philosophy, and find a trainer who can effectively convey the message to your employees. The fishmongers showed us that with the right attitude, a lot of heart, and a sincere interest in others, a small company can become world famous.

Christine Kondo
Vice President, Hawai‘i Dental Group, Inc.

No need for study; rockslide peril is real

Regarding the Feb. 19 story on rockslides on the North Shore: Let me see if I understand this correctly. There will be a report out "next summer," and at some undefined time following that there will be public hearings. And we must wait to have an "expert" determine if there is danger from falling boulders and material from the cliffs.

Folks, several large boulders fell on the highway a few days ago, and only through luck did they not fall on any vehicles or people. The answer to that particular question about danger is self-evident.

The Honoapi‘ilani Highway on Maui uses heavy chain-link safety nets on cliffs that are nearly identical to the North Shore’s in terms of height, vertical angle of rise above the highway and condition of erosion and deterioration. As one will readily see, the large rocks and boulders that are trapped at the bottom of the Maui nets are compelling testament to the fact that they would otherwise have hit the highway or passing traffic.

Instead of burning up $1.3 million, we taxpayers can get this study for the cost of air fare and a rental car.

J. Ford Murray
Hawai‘i Kai

Tiny frog no danger to Hawai‘i’s forests

Regarding the Feb. 17 article "State hopes caffeine concentrate curbs frogs on Big Island": I was appalled to learn that the state has decided the so-called "Caribbean Frog" must be exterminated because it threatens Hawai‘i’s forests.

This animal has been Puerto Rico's symbol and long-time companion for centuries with his loud call of "coqui, coqui." That it is why we called this tiny frog "Coqui."

I respect the opinion of the person who called it a deafening and mind-boggling experience; however, for the people of Puerto Rico who have settled in Hawai‘i, it is music to our ears and another way to remember our island so far away.

That tiny frog has never created any nuisance or damage to Puerto Rico’s fragile ecosystem. So, before the state decides to eradicate a Puerto Rican native animal, I hope it realizes that it is in fact not a pest but a specimen very hard to find in other regions of the world.

Jose S. Bernier
Wahiawa

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