Letters to the Editor

Anxiety over teacher strike isn’t necessary

Gov. Cayetano, wake up. Unless you’re in Kubler-Ross’ stage of denial, thousands of educators will be walking off their jobs in a few weeks. Can we please get beyond the anger stage and move on to the acceptance resolution?

The very real threat of a strike will have adverse affects on the entire community. The anxiety felt by educators, parents and students is totally unnecessary. Educators "go beyond the call of duty," grading papers in the late-night hours, coaching teams, working weekends and evenings, and counseling students from troubled families. Despite this, their income has never been commensurate with their training, years of education and professional experience.

You’re an educated man, trained in mediation, litigation and arbitration. Help us achieve a win-win situation, now, before future careers are hampered.

Robert Bachini
Kailua

Dog owners blatantly disregard beach rules

I am a mother of two young children, and the closest beach to where we live is Hunakai Beach in Kahala. At one of the entrances to the beach is a sign, obscured by trees, that states: "No dogs on beach."

Yet owners of dogs blatantly disregard this rule and even let their dogs run free and unleashed, not caring whether their dogs are a nuisance to others.

Once when we were there, one young man and his girlfriend let loose his dog, which was very frisky and was running around smashing sandcastles built by the children. My children are not used to big dogs and were terrified.

I had to repeatedly ask him to control his dog, but he refused, muttering something like, "This is a public beach." His dog then urinated in the sand right next to where my children were playing.

Finally we left, disgusted by the whole experience. This is not the first time this has happened.

Liza Banta

Condo, apartment owners to get equity

For almost 10 years, condominium and apartment owners have paid relatively more taxes than owners of single-family homes. This has been an injustice since we do not get free garbage pick-up from the city, as do owners of houses, and also must pay maintenance fees for other services on top of our property tax bill.

So I was very pleased to hear Mayor Harris propose eliminating this "condo penalty" from our property tax system. Over the next three years, with the approval of the City Council, apartment and condo owners will pay a smaller and smaller rate. By 2005, our rate will be exactly the same as that for owners of single-family houses.

Three cheers for Harris and Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura for bravely seeking to correct this inequity and make Honolulu’s property taxes fair once again. My faith in the ability of politicians and the government to get help for the average guy is restored.

Evie Hee

Hassle over highway projects can be eased

There are two proven ways to shorten the time of, and inconvenience generated by, road projects, and they probably will result in large financial savings, as well:

Competitively award the job to private enterprise (not government or quasi-government) and post enticing bonuses for early and satisfactory completion. Keep the competition open, nationwide.

Make sure there are no legal obstacles to working seven days a week and 24 hours a day.

These measures have proven highly effective with two major projects in the Seattle area in recent years. Both large-scale projects were completed a year or more ahead of projection. Much good will was generated and much money saved.

Peter Kamber
Hawi, Big Island

Rep. Hamakawa should study ethics results

House Judiciary Chairman Eric Hamakawa’s dismissed the question about why he does not plan to hear the bill that would empower the state Ethics Commission to set its executive director’s salary. The response typifies legislators’ on-going machinations to emasculate the sole government agency charged with overseeing the conduct of legislators and other state employees.

Hamakawa’s supercilious comments — "I don’t think it’s high priority to hear the bill, first of all" and "Has there been a large community outcry for that?" — conveniently ignored past Ethics Commission’s laudatory accomplishments, which include uncovered violations and unethical conduct by legislators.

Noteworthy enforcement actions by the commission involve mandatory financial disclosure; accepting gifts; lobbying; statute conflict of interest, etc. Hamakawa would do well to read Honolulu Advertiser reports, interviews and editorials every year since 1992 relative to these commission achievements.

John K. Kingsley
Wahiawa

Yonamine violated public’s trust in him

I agree with columnist Lee Cataluna that Rep. Nobu Yonamine should step down from public office.

As Cataluna suggests, his "weaving" that led to his DUI violation and his "weaving" from resigning to staying, his "weaving" from guilty to not guilty then back to guilty again, should show he has no remorse for his actions, only regret for being caught driving drunk.

Elected officials hold the public’s trust to always do the right thing. Violations of that trust should be just cause for their stepping down.

Sharon Pomroy
Anahola, Kaua‘i

Today’s abortion law doesn’t make sense

In Hawai‘i, my 14-year-old daughter needs my permission to: join AYSO (soccer), go on a school field trip, stay home from school, join a fitness club, have her teeth cleaned, pierce her ears, get a tattoo, seek medical treatment.

But she doesn’t need my permission to get a surgical procedure called "abortion."

I’m glad this makes sense to some of our elected officials.

Amy Sato

Raise minimum wage to match bus fare hike

Is fare fair?

If the city raises bus fares 50 percent, the state needs to raise the minimum wage. It’s only fair. A high percentage of the bus riders are minimum-wage earners.

Woody Carlton
Kane‘ohe

Leave Hurricane Relief Fund alone

After Hurricanes ‘Iniki and Andrew, the only affordable insurance protection against wind-related risks in Hawai‘i was from the Hurricane Relief Fund, which was established by the Legislature in answer to the outcries of Hawai‘i property owners and their lenders.

Now that wind protection in the standard insurance marketplace is largely available again, everyone from the governor to my next-door neighbor wants to spend the money the fund has amassed over the years.

Like any insurance policy, you paid for a promise that if you needed it, the fund would help you rebuild your life after a disaster. If you are still confused, ask the people in Hilo whether the National Flood Insurance Program should refund all of its assets to the taxpayers. Now ask yourself, what if there is another terrible hurricane season and what if insurers once again refuse to insure wind-related risks?

Well, if we don’t spend the present Hurricane Relief Fund on everything from school playground equipment to my neighbor’s new bedroom addition, we will have the advantage of the immediate protection available through the existing Hurricane Relief Fund. There is an associated level of comfort for outside investors and homeowners alike just knowing that there will always be adequate protection readily available.

Arthur Lessing

Multi-track schools save millions

The March 1 letter "School construction is being mismanaged" includes statements that compel a response.

First, writer Laura Brown asks, "Why are we building multi-track schools that cost the same to build as an adequate school, but up to double per student to operate?"

In response, we build new schools for year-round multi-track scheduling to make the most efficient use of a very limited construction budget. The relevant comparison here is not one multi-track school to one traditional, but rather to the one and one-third it can replace. For example, instead of four traditional schools, we can build three multi-track schools to serve the same number of students — with a substantial cost savings of approximately $35.5 million over a 20-year period (factoring in both construction and operational costs).

Multi-track schools also minimize the problem of costly overbuilding. As a community ages and generates fewer students, multi-track schools may revert to traditional schedules, thus assuring efficient utilization of our schools over time.

Overbuilding, as has occurred in East Honolulu, should be avoided. Of course, the economies that necessitate multi-track schools can be avoided with greater investment in facilities, but that is addressed through means very different from what Brown suggests.

Second, Brown stated that the Department of Education is "ignoring statewide land-use zoning laws for adequate educational facilities ... " and that "the provision of adequate facilities must be based on current laws ... "

In response, no law is being ignored — as there currently are no land-use zoning laws relating to adequate educational facilities.

What we do have are conditions imposed on residential developments by the state Land Use Commission or the respective county. These conditions require developers to agree to the DOE’s fair-share requirements prior to receiving land-use approvals. Through this process, the state receives land or cash to mitigate the education impact of proposed developments.

While some housing projects generating students today received their land-use approvals prior to the current fair-share requirements, the fair-share process should help us provide appropriate numbers of schools for growing communities in the future.

Paul G. LeMahieu
Superintendent of Education

Secrecy by Regents essential to search

When the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents began its search for a successor to President Ken Mortimer, our goal was clear: We were to identify the best candidate, someone with a demonstrated record of educational leadership, an exemplary record of successful accomplishment and a person who will take the university into the future — a future that will touch the lives of every family in our Island community.

Our professional job search consultants advised us that candidates be treated in a confidential manner. Many of the candidates we interviewed requested their names be kept confidential. As we narrowed the field of candidates, finalists asked that their names not be made public, and we honored those requests.

The Board of Regents has always wrestled with the need to respect the wishes of applicants to maintain confidentiality and the wishes of others to be fully informed about the process. Unfortunately, the demands of securing the best candidate sometimes conflict with the desire for a more public process.

If any statements from our office led people to believe we would disclose information contrary to the advice of the professionals and the requests of so many of those under consideration for the position, it it regretted, and we ask your understanding in this matter.

We entered into this search with confidence and with the full knowledge of our goals, intent on securing a proven visionary who possessed outstanding educational leadership ability and exceptional skills to work with people. I am convinced that, in their review of the candidates, the faculty, student and community members of the board’s advisory committee faithfully and fully acted in the best interest of those they were chosen to represent.

The new president is a remarkable person. I hope your readers will now join us in welcoming him and his family to Hawai‘i and that we can continue to move forward in a positive fashion.

Lily K. Yao
Chairwoman, UH Board of Regents

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