Letters to the Editor
Patrol not corralled by budget cuts
This letter is in response to your Aug. 4 article on the Honolulu Police Department's mounted unit. The article incorrectly indicated that budget cuts have reduced the unit's staffing and operations.
The Honolulu Police mounted unit was conceived as a part-time, event-specific detail made up of officers who own their own horses. In addition to their regular work assignments, these officers would train together for several days each month for the mounted unit and be called out as needed.
This past January, the mounted unit was activated full time to train for the Asian Development Bank Conference. Due to the requirement of full-time training, stabling and additional feed were provided for the horses at the police department's expense. Several mounted unit officers were unable to commit to the training schedule and chose to leave the unit. At the conclusion of the conference, the pilot unit was permitted to remain on a full-time status until July 24, to evaluate its effectiveness in field patrol and crime suppression.
The mounted unit pilot program has been extended for another year, during which time we are seeking to increase the unit's membership and study the viability of establishing a permanent full-time unit.
It is true that many Mainland mounted units are funded by donations and tax-exempt entities. Currently, the Honolulu Police Department has no such support.
Anyone desiring more information on the Honolulu Police mounted unit may contact Sgt. Deborah Wilson or myself at 842-7737.
Stephen Kornegay
Major, HPD District 5
Promises doing little to alleviate situation
The traffic along Fort Weaver Road in 'Ewa Beach has reached a crisis situation. Every day, motorists spend at least 30 to 45 minutes to get on to the H-1 Freeway, and it's getting only worse.
What was a long-promised widening of Fort Weaver Road from four lanes to six has turned out to be a widening but only 1,000 feet before and 1,000 feet after each intersection, creating hazardous situations where speeders get into the third lane and then challenge the motorists in the second lane to merge within 1,000 feet of the four intersections to be widened.
A commuter ferry, another promised solution to our traffic woes, in reality would embark from Barbers Point, 10 miles away from 'Ewa Beach and, therefore, would not take any vehicles off Fort Weaver Road. Meanwhile, the design work for a bypass road to the H-1, promised for more than 25 years, won't be completed until 2004.
More than 20,000 people have moved into the 'Ewa plain in the past seven years. The people in 'Ewa Beach are being held hostage by poor planning and indifferent politicians who waited until traffic became unbearable before thinking about appropriating money for Band-Aid solutions.
The people of 'Ewa Beach have been patient long enough. There is a grassroots groundswell calling for a moratorium on all building along Fort Weaver until the infrastructure catches up to the area's runaway buildup. It is a step that may be necessary to restore some order to the traffic on Fort Weaver Road.
Pam Lee Smith
'Ewa Beach
Doing right thing at end a philosophy?
Quoting John Henry Felix in the Aug. 17 Advertiser: "I think it's time as I near the end of my term to do the right thing."
Is this the philosophy of our City Council?
Louise Goodspeed
Akaka Bill more about U.S. control over Hawai'i
Retired Judge Paul de Silva's Aug. 10 Island Voices commentary opens an important door to unifying all Hawaiian nationalists under one banner.
Unfortunately, I fear the facts disclosed by de Silva may be so hard for many to accept that they may fall on deaf ears. But he is right. To fail to acknowledge equal rights to all descendants of Hawaiian kingdom subjects is contrary to our laws and beliefs and should be considered un-Hawaiian.
But many will fail to comprehend the importance of this reality owing to the mind-control of the islands' foreign occupiers. Hawai'i truly is unique in the public's inability to distinguish between the meanings of "nationality" and "ethnicity." Ask a random sample of people what their nationality is, and you hear a disparity of answers — Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Spanish, etc., along with Hawaiian and American. Of course most are responding to another question: What is your ethnicity?
The confusion, clearly, is the result of a hundred-year campaign to convince the public that "Hawaiian" is a measure of blood-type, rather than patriotism — as was the case under our queen's rule.
De Silva does make the mistake of conferring Hawaiian subject rights on all inhabitants of Hawai'i, including resident aliens. However, the door has been opened to re-establishing Hawaiian rights for the descendants of the 15 percent of the 1,983 citizenry who had full civil rights, despite being non-native.
I encourage de Silva and other members of the legal class of non-native Hawaiian descendants to adjudicate their rights by filing a class-action lawsuit after the Akaka Bill is shoved through Congress.
Ultimately, however, de Silva and all Hawaiian patriots should see that the bill is not about sovereignty, but rather about maintaining U.S. control over Hawai'i. Forget about U.S. "recognition" and join the growing multi-ethnic Hawaiian nationalist or independence movement.
Keola Kamaunu
Racially based initiative ignores kingdom's legacy
Paul de Silva's Aug. 10 article inadvertently touches on a key point:Sovereignty for Hawaiians is based on the unextinguished legal statusof the Hawaiian kingdomprotected by internationallaw.
For natives to insist on a racially based sovereignty is to negate the legacy left by their ancestors who established the kingdom in perpetuity — on a legal foundation. The Akaka Bill, in its obvious scheme to maintain the much-diminished state of kanaka maoli affairs, in perpetuity, is also racial and also reflectsavoidance of what is legally due the Hawaiian people.
The constitutional monarchy included other races, and representative governance while essentially preserving the integrity of the kanaka maoli; it was progressive. All subjects of the kingdom, and thus their descendants, were wronged and have a legal basis for restitution/restoration, native or not.
De Silva, makes this legal point on the premise that U.S. culpability is debatable. Wrong. The historical facts recently uncovered, beyond a doubt, as evidenced by the Akaka Bill, the Apology Bill (mere justification), are undebatable.
Michael Locey
Anahola
Consultant friends, not children, benefitting
The Felix court monitor's statement, "I think if they pull out all stops and get out of the box and do what needs to be done that there is a possibility that they can do it" in the Aug. 17 edition, followed by the caveat that it likely will mean increasing manpower, some of which may have to come from the Mainland, sums up the modus operandi of Felix court officials.
Based on the service-testing schedule, compliance cannot be met by Nov. 1. Ivor Groves is the only one who can confirm "compliance" with superficial programs using his private company's testing instrument, a non-scientific customer service satisfaction gauge.
What compliance with the Felix Consent Decree really boils down to is how many consultant friends will benefit financially while children continue to get nothing. Judge David Ezra has given time for this extra "milking" before the grand slam demand for dollars in lieu of receivership during the legislative session.
This is a court without discovery, depositions or subpoenas. Ezra yesterday discounted any disgruntled parents the Legislature may find to testify. It seems he prefers the silent scream of children waiting for help.
Laura Brown
Mililani
15 people unnecessary to evaluate system
There have been some lame reasons used to rationalize government employee's trips, excursions and vacations, but sending 15 people to Europe at our expense (and the money is still the people's even if federal monies are paying for part of the trip) is a bit absurd and on the fringe of abusive.
It does not take that many officials to evaluate or assess transportation systems. Why not send two or three individuals adept at video taping and bring back the information on tape? Of course, that would be too efficient and deprive our over-worked officials of a much-needed break.
Tom Baca
Mililani
Good Samaritan turned in credit card
Mahalo to the good Samaritan who found and turned in my credit card to the Times Supermarket at Kahala Mall. The clerk said you did not leave your name. So I am taking this means to thank you with all my heart.
May you, too, be blessed with similar acts of kindness.
Nobuko Oki
State needs to attract enthusiasm, as well
The best defense against inferior teaching and teachers is an adequate supply of candidates who are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and temperamentally suited to the profession. Temperament is a matter of personal inclination. Knowledge is a result of personal exploration.
Of the three, only enthusiasm can be affected by the circumstances of employment. There are many superior teachers who have risen above the conditions of circumstance. They shine brightly and light fires in many dark corners. However, we cannot all be "supermen" (apologies for the sexism).
Yet, there is also satisfaction in being a part of a successful process; a cog in the machinery, if you would allow the analogy. There are many more individuals who do their job as artisans.
Thoughtfully. Carefully. Selflessly. Good, solid work that lays the foundation for a knowledgeable citizenry.
There is no shame in being part of a well-run machine.
There is great disappointment in feeling that you are viewed as "disposable".
After almost twenty years of teaching, and discussions with numerous students contemplating the field of education, the ratification of this last contract was a tremendous milestone of hope. Finally, I thought, I would be able to recommend the profession to young adults without feeling the twinge of guilt that, financially, they might be able to do better for their future families. What a tremendous start toward attracting and keeping talented individuals who also desired a comfortable standard of living. Then it fell apart. This latest episode of stonewalling jeopardizes our future. Doesn't "someone" understand that the failure to recognize and reward self-improvement will encourage the hiring of individuals who take the job because it's "the best they can do," as opposed to finding, recruiting and keeping people who are doing their best.
I want my children to be taught by individuals with a passion for knowledge and compassion for others. All teachers want colleagues who do their best to illuminate and inspire. There are many individuals — creative, intelligent, talented and compassionate — stifling in cubicles, trapped in cycles of repetition, lost to fulfillment, because teaching did not offer enough of an incentive to accept the challenge. Let's do all that we can to get these people in the classroom.
Kent Sato
Use interest on money not being paid out
One source of revenue for Gov. Ben Cayetano to use to fund the teachers' contract might be the interest earned on the money not paid to the teachers so far.
I'm sure the interest rate the state gets is much higher than that offered to teachers, if they had the money to save, by our local financial institutions. Many of us teachers, however, are paying interest instead of earning interest on the loans or credit cards we had to use to live on during the strike.
Oh, by the way, I'm one of those teachers Ben probably didn't count on qualifying for the bonus (not really a bonus, but an attempt to make up for no contract or salary increase for two years.) I arrive at school at 6:30 a.m. and am here for at least an hour overtime every day. I teach over the Christmas vacation and also teach summer school. I have a master's degree in special education. I actually have 103 credits beyond my bachelor's, which is many more credits than the bonus requires.
There are many other teachers out there like me. We continue to take courses to keep current in our field and be better educators. Naturally, all courses are paid by ourselves and taken during time not considered working hours.
Teresa Mary Tugadi
Kailua
Is governor still unsure about cost of bonus?
Lynda Arakawa's Aug. 16 article, "The legality of HSTA disputed" regarding Gov. Ben Cayetano's position that the HSTA contract must be signed before it is binding, concerns me as a private citizen who will pay for it eventually.
In her article she states that Cayetano said, "People need to understand that no money is appropriated for bonuses for two years. 'That $10 million or $14 million has to come out of somewhere,' he said."
My concern is the governor is still not sure of the cost of the bonus. Initially he said it would cost taxpayers $20 million.Now he says it is $10 million to $14 million.Apparently the governor did not know the cost during negotiations and now, realizing how much it may cost, is looking for a way out.
I'm sure if he knows it would cost $10 million, he would settle the dispute since he already offered the HSTA $9.6 million. What is another $400,000?
Norman Aramaki
