Letters to the Editor
Lingle has reneged on promise to Hawaiians
Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has already broken her first promise to the people of Hawai'i — less than one month after taking office. She has done a classic flip-flop and has now decided she will not directly make a $10.3 million payment to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as promised during her campaign, but instead will ask the 2003 Legislature to approve a request for payment.
It's sad to see that Lingle was clearly willing to say anything to get elected. This is more than just a broken promise to Native Hawaiians; it represents a broken trust between Hawaiians and our state's highest leader.
Earlier this month, her spokesman, Lenny Klompus, again reaffirmed Lingle's position by saying, "She is going to live up to that agreement." However, during a recent meeting with state House Democrats, Lingle backed off her promise and acknowledged that she would have to submit a bill to the Legislature asking for funds.
Gov. Lingle must develop a better understanding of the laws she must administer as the state's top elected official before making promises she cannot keep. The issue of ceded land repayment is too important to Native Hawaiians for Gov. Lingle to so carelessly reverse her decision.
Ikaika Hussey
President, Democratic Party Native Hawaiian Caucus
GOP's 'racial sensitivity' needs a reality check
Regarding the GOP's self-perceived racial sensitivity: I heartily concur with Rep. Barbara Marumoto, in her Dec. 30 letter, "Bush tops record for appointing minorities," that "action speaks louder than words."
President Bush's first Cabinet appointment was Attorney General John Ashcroft, whose 1998 Southern Partisan interview praised that white supremacist publication for "defending Southern patriots" and scoffed at the notion that such Confederates were "subscribing ... to some perverted agenda." (Southern Partisan, 2nd Quarter, 1998, pp. 26-29.)
Further, Georgia GOP Gov.-elect Sonny Perdue, who pledged to restore the Confederate battle emblem to that state's flag, derisively mocked the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his Nov. 5 victory speech, much to the delight of supporters.
Finally, North Carolina GOP Congressman Cass Ballenger noted to reporters on Dec. 19 his "segregationist feelings" toward Georgia Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney, calling her a derisive name. The next day, as Ballenger sought to apologize, an aide hastened to the congressman's residence to paint white a black lawn jockey prominently posted in his yard.
Token displays of racial diversity, made without a sincere commitment to tolerance and equality, sidestep the underlying issue. When the avowed "Party of Lincoln" trolls for votes by pandering to neo-Confederate ideology, why do its members take umbrage when people question such hypocrisy?
Donald R. Koelper
Thanks to old, new friends for their help
For a seven-week campaign, we performed some marvelous feats. We begged, borrowed and raised almost $100,000 and ran a strong TV campaign. We gained a lot of name identification and respect in the process. We took a fun trip to Washington, D.C., and picked up a few dollars. We relied on several old friends and supporters.
Then we found some wonderful new friends who were willing to roll up their sleeves and help on this campaign. In the course of my travels, I met fantastic people across the state who agreed to vote for me. It was an exhilarating experience, and I enjoyed every aspect of it. Thank you to all my old and new friends for unselfishly giving their time and talents. You are the greatest.
When all is said and done, it was probably impossible in seven weeks to derail two candidates with statewide infrastructures who had been campaigning steadily for seven months. My congratulations to Ed Case on his win, but I still fervently believe that Hawai'i needs another Democrat in its congressional delegation like it needs a hole in the head. A Republican would have complemented the delegation and opened more doors.
Now we will be hearing a steady drumbeat of criticism against Bush administration policies and legislation for the next two years as Democrats gear up to (try to) recapture the presidency. President Bush could use a little more support.
Rep. Barbara Marumoto
19th House District
Prisoner should be on parole review board
Mike Coleman's Jan. 5 letter to Linda Lingle on Hawai'i's prison system is articulate, well-thought-out and logical. Assuming that what he says is mostly true, then something should be done to remedy this.
I don't think any of us believe there is an instant fix for the prison system. However, I believe it would be wise to have a group, focused on logic and common sense, that actively peruses the prisoners within the system looking for those who either don't really belong there or those who do but have worked to better themselves.
I like what Coleman wrote. I like what he said and why he said it. Given the authority, I would release him on probation, let him return to Like a Child, and then I would place him on the parole review board as a consultant. Based on his logic and thought process, I think he would add to the parole selection process.
Fritz Amtsberg
Governor must keep her promise to police
With the recent retirement of many police officers due to changes in the Employee Retirement System and higher-paying jobs at the airport, more quality candidates are needed to fill these vacancies.
Chief Lee Donohue is calling for pay raises comparable to the San Diego Police Department. The integrity of the HPD must be maintained and not compromised by lowering its qualifying standards.
It is time for Gov. Lingle, whom the State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers union endorsed, to "stand and deliver" on her promise to give police officers their much-needed pay raises statewide. The state (Lingle) has the four controlling votes in the contract negotiating process. This would definitely stop the attrition of our officers to higher-paying positions on the Mainland, especially the Pacific Northwest area.
SHOPO's endorsement had a very high profile in her campaign for governor, and it would be ill-advised for her to renege on this promise.
Steven T.K. Burke
Co-chairman, Hui Ana O Maka'i (Honolulu police retirees)
Replacement nurses open new ballgame
Darn. The dock workers have achieved a new contract without resorting to a strike.
I mean, gee, the hospital response to the ongoing nurses' strike has given us an interesting new approach we can now take when faced with an extended strike of a critical service. After all, dock workers are pretty critical to the health of the Islands, just like nurses. The hospitals have had an easy time maintaining staffing by bringing in a group of nurses who make a career out of strike staffing, by paying them three times the rate they pay the local nurses, housing and feeding them for free, and shipping in their families for a vacation, all the while lauding them in the press as angels of mercy. (That's mercy, not mercenary.)
Taking their lead on this, I figure it wouldn't have been too hard at all to have shipped in workers with the appropriate skills to staff our docks during a strike. Heck, at $80,000 a year as the normal salary, we probably wouldn't even have had to pay a premium.
Now that they've settled, I guess we'll have to wait until June to test the theory out when contracts come due on state workers. I wonder how hard it would be to find refuse workers who would come to Hawai'i cost-free to work at uku pau wages and hours?
Ron Kienitz
Kailua
Girl Scouts statewide made season happier
Child and Family Service would like to extend our thanks to Linda Fong, membership development director of the Girl Scout Council of Hawai'i, and to the 1,384 Girl Scouts statewide who donated food items and assembled more than 220 holiday baskets for our families and children.
As a private, nonprofit organization, Child and Family Service touches the lives of more 40,000 individuals and families statewide. Our families continue to struggle with the long-term economic impact of a slowly recovering economy. This contribution of food helped many families and their children have a more joyful and healthful holiday season.
The generous assistance of the marvelous staff of Worldwide Movers and their donation of a moving van allowed us to transport the beautiful baskets for distribution to disadvantaged families.
This is a tremendous example of the continuing generosity of our young people and our community during difficult economic times.
Geri Marullo
President and CEO, Child and Family Service
Close call with 747 must never reoccur
The gawd-awful roar of a jumbo 747 at 6:45 a.m. last Saturday was frightening, to say the least.
The jet passing Century Center's 21st floor, three blocks from our 20-story Makua Ali'i and between us and the 30-story One Kalakaua, just two blocks away, should never ever happen.
People in our building can verify it. It was definitely off the FAA's flight pattern of two miles offshore to land on the reef runway. Thank God the pilot was so skillful. It could easily have been a disaster Hawai'i has never had to deal with before.
The FAA must see that it never happens again, period.
Suzanne Teller
Enlistment in Army Reserves is voluntary
In response to Noli Hoye, whose friend David, according to her Dec. 29 letter, has been called to active duty: Please be aware that enlistment in the Army Reserves is voluntary. All applicants are apprised of their duties before signing.
Ask David why he joined. Perhaps he has more pride in our country than you. The tone of your letter indicates that you are quite young ... and have much to learn.
Joan Huber
We need new directions on improving schools
It's a brand-new year and I'm still a first-year teacher. However, there is a continuous issue from last year that the 2003 Legislature, the Lingle administration, the BOE, DOE, school districts, school administrators, teachers, educational assistants and parents must grapple with.
Jennifer Hiller points out in a Dec. 30 article, "High-poverty schools battle odds, history," the results of the Stanford Achievement Test and how it correlates with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. I'm still trying to understand how this federal education law impacts the methodology of my teaching and learning in the classroom. The DOE reports there are 102 schools that did not meet the academic and attendance goals. Only 14 schools passed. Why?
There is a great emphasis on test scores. Numbers will determine whether or not a school meets the federal law standards. I feel like I'm rolling the "high-stakes testing" dice in Las Vegas. Hopefully I will pass as a first-year teacher who abides by the rules of the game in order to make my students pass the SAT in the spring. However, I also feel like I'm making my students gamble with the "high-stakes testing" dice because there is an enormous amount of pressure to make sure no child is left behind.
Our state educational system is desperate to raise state test scores, but let's stop and think if this is what quality education is really all about. Numbers? I don't think so.
I think students who come from "poorer homes" should be treated equally as students who come from rich or middle-class homes. I don't quite agree with the remedial steps that will take place if a school doesn't hit the yearly progress standards. It seems that schools will be punished and everyone involved in the process will be punished as well.
For those schools that did pass, let's understand how they did it. How do you make students come to school every day to learn a meaningful lesson? How do you make students pass the SAT successfully? How do you make students feel good about themselves and their progress in school and not emphasize numbers solely? How do you make everyone understand in this process the true meaning of quality education?
Or does it dwindle down to just teaching to the test, the new methodology, and playing the Las Vegas high-stakes rolling game?
We need to focus on how to solve this problem instead of just stating the facts. Again, this is a brand-new year — let's make some brand-new changes.
Joyce Choy
