EDITORIAL
And disappointments ...
| • | Good, bad, ugly in Legislature's last days |
That said, we're compelled to mourn the apparent death of several needed bills, including ones intended to bring about school, election and road safety reforms and to alleviate end-of-life suffering.
It has consistently been our contention that public schools could improve dramatically under the leadership of more autonomous and dynamic principals. This could be achieved by taking principals out of the union, paying them executive salaries and placing them on performance contracts. Alas, lawmakers killed a bill to abolish the principals' union so we won't have the opportunity to test that theory.
Also dead is a bill to give the student Board of Education member a vote, except on issues related to fiscal and personnel matters. Frankly, we fail to see the threat.
On the issue of campaign reform, we're sorry that the Legislature isn't ready to give publicly financed elections a shot. Gone is a proposal that would have provided alternative funding for candidates running for legislative seats who voluntarily stick to financial limits. The system would help remove the public perception that politicians are disproportionately influenced by special interests. Too bad it didn't fly.
As for road safety, it's a pity that red-light runners won't be monitored via traffic cameras, because they pose a huge threat. A Senate bill would have authorized the Department of Transportation to contract with a private vendor to set up such a photo enforcement system. Unfortunately, it looks as though the DOT's earlier failed traffic camera program to nab speeders poisoned the water for any future campaigns.
And last but not least, we lament the repeated rejection of physician-assisted suicide in Hawai'i. A Senate bill would have allowed a terminally ill, competent adult to obtain a lethal dose of medication to end his or her life. This is a matter of choice and compassion, and we will continue to rally in support of it.
