Letters to the Editor
Fine print gives state salary wiggle room
If you look at the teachers' contract, there is some fine print worth looking at.
Though I don't have my contract in front of me now, there is a provision that says "raises subject to availability of funding." What does that mean? If the Legislature decides there are other, more pressing priorities, the teachers' raises won't be paid?
From the get-go, I wondered what kind of union representative would agree to such a contract, but maybe it's just a way for the governor's administration and the teachers' union representatives to save face: knowing that later on there would be a way out.
If I read the fine print correctly and the Legislature does pull some kind of "can't pay the raises because the money is needed elsewhere" job, will the teachers go out on strike again? Most likely, no. The strike was too damaging to all involved, and I can't imagine teachers would be willing to subject their students to more lost learning time.
But will the Legislature or another administration subject the teachers to the same old political gamesmanship? What do you think?
Carl Friedl
Banning distraction in cars is not the answer
Responding to Mary C. Hunter's June 17 letter, "Banning distractions in cars is essential." OK. Let's ban distractions.
Let's ban all distractions, Ms. Hunter. Listening to the radio, a CD, a book on tape, talking to passengers, listening to a passenger give directions, looking for a street address, smoking a cigarette, talking on a mobile phone, looking at the clock, looking at the speedometer, looking in your rear-view mirror.
Each of these actions diverts one's attention from the road; many of them are more distracting than using a cell phone.
To quote a recent study, "We view the cell phone as no more dangerous than any other distraction in an automobile ... "
In San Francisco, it appears more pedestrians are killed by people speeding to make a yellow light (obviously paying attention to what's in front of them) than by inattention.
Pedestrian safety laws work when people obey them. Without adding to the current civil code, if we merely did a better job of enforcing the existing laws, we should be fine.
Indeed, Hunter makes a good point about a driver needing to be responsible for safely operating a vehicle. That starts with reading and understanding the owner's manual and having good driver education.
Such a statement as "banning distractions ... is essential" is nothing more than poorly thought-out, knee-jerk legislation that is unenforceable. Constraining legislation is not the issue at all. The real issue is really understanding driver distractions and defining effective, enforceable legislation, if indeed that is the proper resolution. Bad legislation is founded in ignorance.
Von Kenric Kaneshiro
Losing football game can be good lesson
The saying "It matters not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" seems to best exemplify the essence of the problem facing the Damien High School football team.
It was surprising that The Advertiser was so quick in taking the position that Brother O'Donnell's decision to forfeit Damien games with St. Louis was correct. Safety is a concern every participant faces when he decides to engage in any contact sport. He has the option, however, to not get involved at all if he feels the risks are too great or the sport is too dangerous.
On the other hand, he should not be deprived of the opportunity to participate in a sport or play a game no matter who the opponent might be if he has the motivation, determination and willingness to play.
Sometimes one's strength and character surface or become stronger when his team is humbled by a vastly superior team. There is much to the saying that one learns as much or more by losing than by winning.
Teruo Hasegawa
Playing the game is what's most important
Excuse me, but whatever happened to "Never say die!" and "It ain't over 'til it's over!"? What about "Winners never quit and quitters never win"?
My high school football coach must be turning over in his grave right now knowing what's going on over at Damien High School.
Listen, kids who play football play for the love of the game. They love putting on those pads, the smell of the grass, the sound of the crowd and mostly they love the sting of the battle.
Winning is great but playing is what's most important. Teaching these kids to be quitters is inexcusable.
Mike Young
State Hospital escapes must be made public
I was surprised to hear of yet another Hawai'i State Hospital patient with a "history of violent offenses" who fled the hospital.
I have written several letters to your paper on this matter. Unfortunately, the suggestions in my letters have not had much of an impact.
Once again the community adjacent to the State Hospital was not informed by the hospital or the police of the escape. For some reason, nobody believes we are entitled to prompt notification.
Some people have tried to convince me that the patients are not dangerous. But I continue to believe that you do not incarcerate individuals who do not pose a threat.
I've come up with several suggestions in my letters to your paper. Here is my latest. It is simple and cheap. I'll donate the materials to the hospital. The director of the State Hospital should post a sign at the entrance to the Kane'ohe District Park with the following statistics:
HAWAI'I STATE HOSPITAL
- 2000 escapees: 16
- 2001 escapees (YTD): 10
- Escapes today: ?
- Escapees currently at-large: ?
- Number of current patients: ?
- Percent of patients with history of violent offenses: ? percent
The purpose of the sign would be to duly inform the residents of Castle Hills and other surrounding subdivisions, Windward Community College students and Kane'ohe District Park users of the probability of their running into an escaped patient and the likelihood of that patient being dangerous. The motivation to reduce the number of escapees (or falsify the data) would dramatically increase.
I trust that somebody like Marion Higa would periodically audit the data.
Curtis Harada
Kane'ohe
Liberty House name well known to visitors
I'm writing to you from Japan. I am a frequent visitor to Honolulu. I love Liberty House and I visit the store every time I come to Hawai'i.
It is regrettable if the name Liberty House disappears. Your editorial is the last I read about the possible name change, so I do not know if the name will remain.
I think one of the best ways is to use "Liberty House by Macy's." Liberty House is a unique name and is a symbol to express "Hawai'i" to visitors from all over the world.
K. Tsubo
Osaka, Japan
Build medical school somewhere inland
Is it just me or does anyone else think the idea of building the UH Medical School in Kaka'ako is a poor choice of use for this prime oceanfront property? Is it important to have ocean views while daydreaming in class?
The medical school should be built somewhere inland and the Kaka'ako area should be used for a purpose that serves more of the local people, not just medical students.
I'm sure the state can come up with a better use of this waterfront property.
Barbara Nakamura
Kane'ohe
Mainland will enjoy UH on Friday nights
As a transplanted UH-Manoa alumnus living in "Big 10" college football country, I'm more than thrilled to be able to watch UH play nationally on a Friday night at 10 p.m.
This starting time change is a good move for the university and its improving football program. I'm speaking as one from the minority, but last year it was tough to watch a game start at midnight and stay up to 4 a.m. to see the end on Fox SportsNet.
Has the UH athletics department thought of moving the Saturday kickoffs to 3 or 4 p.m. HST? Most major college conference football games are over by 9 p.m. EST, so having a UH game start at that time would definitely increase exposure (think recruiting) for the school and its football program here in the Midwest and East Coast.
If the flea market is the main reason for the 6:05 p.m. start time, then perhaps UH and Aloha Stadium should work out an agreement during the football season to accommodate the earlier start times. After all, the games aren't held every Saturday, right?
Eric Ushiroda
Bloomington, Ind.
Age-of-consent bill veto wasn't surprising
Surprised? Why, the age-of-consent bill veto was a done deal months ago. Our governor realized the elected Democratic representatives and senators were in trouble by not wanting to hear the bill in the beginning.
I would be willing to wager that Ben made a deal with the majority party: "Pass this bill and I will veto it. You (Democrats) look good to the public and I don't care what they think about me."
Our famed governor did as he normally does: ignored the people who put him where he is.
Don McGee
Shedding needed light
Jerry Burris in his June 17 commentary, "Identifying a vision for Hawai'i," was like a candle in the window on a stormy night. You mean there are people out there who really care about changing this stuck-in-the-mud government? The piece should have been front page right side, "Hope is on the way."
Laura Beck
Facts get in the way of citizenship claims
In his June 21 letter, Paul De Silva says that because Hawai'i's citizens were multiracial prior to the overthrow of the monarchy, any claims for Hawaiian sovereignty today cannot be limited to ethnic Hawaiians.
Citizenship in the Hawaiian Kingdom meant that those born outside Hawai'i took an oath of Hawaiian citizenship, relinquishing their former citizenship.
Regarding haoles from America: The appointment of some as members of the Cabinet is often cited as proof of their Hawaiian citizenship. However, some ugly facts must be exposed.
• The 100-man all-haole Honolulu Rifles forced Kalakaua to sign a Constitution that limited the vote to only haoles. Called the infamous Bayonet Constitution, it required $3,000 in wealth and earnings of $600 per year in order to have the right to vote, which is the cornerstone of citizenship. This restrictive criteria was intended to and successfully eliminated virtually all ethnic Hawaiians and Asian plantation workers from the polls.
• The McKinley Tariff Act of 1891 placed Hawaiian Sugar at a disadvantage. The haoles, in their effort to eliminate the tariff, inquired as to the possibility of an overthrow and to place Hawai'i under the United States. When these haoles approached the U.S. secretary of the Navy as to possible assistance in annexing Hawai'i, they were told " ... you will find an exceedingly sympathetic administration here."
• Accordingly, at the overthrow, U.S. Minister Stevens in Hawai'i justified the presence of U.S. sailors in the streets of Honolulu and the USS Boston in the harbor by stating that they were needed to protect the lives and property of "American citizens."
• Later, these same haoles, whom Minister Stevens in Hawai'i deemed American citizens, took action under the McKinley administration that gave annexation to Hawai'i, with no popular vote taken by the people whatsoever.
These haoles, while claiming to be Hawaiian citizens, interacted with U.S. politicians as fellow Americans. They were received by and were negotiated with as Americans; the sailors and the USS Boston's presence were there to protect them as American citizens.
Damon Senaha
San Diego
