Letters to the Editor

House education plan better than Lingle's

I agree with your editorial that the House Democrats' proposal on improving the governance of the public schools is worth a try, especially since their plan seems more complete than Gov. Lingle's plan.

Her proposal merely expands the bureaucracy, is vague on what elected local boards would do and would take at least four years, if not longer, to start up.

The House's plan to create 15 community school councils gives power to the communities and recognizes that we need to have local control of our schools now.

The House also has the foresight to recognize these councils must be able to prioritize construction projects and repair and maintenance, not to mention being responsible for setting uniform schedules, managing block grants and purchasing supplies in bulk.

I'll take this "new beginning" over the governor's "delayed beginning" any day.

Kalani Arion

War protesters should support our military

I've just been through three weeks of personal terror waiting to see if my daughter would be deployed. Fortunately, she was dropped from the list, and only a direct attack on Hawai'i will cause her to see any military action.

As a mother who had so much invested in the upcoming war, I am begging all of you anti-war people to PLEASE put aside your right to dissent in favor of the right of those who serve in the armed services to be supported. Even if you totally oppose the war, which is part of the freedoms they are fighting for, can you please at the very least quit bashing America until this whole thing is over?

Most of my generation remembers the heartbreak of those who served in Vietnam, coming home from an experience that will forever haunt them, only to be called "baby killers." It has been reported that there are people who are harassing children whose parents have been activated and deployed overseas.

We pride ourselves on being a country that is not afraid of diversity and open ideas. Can we not also be a country of kindness and compassion toward our own?

Malia Nash
Wai'anae

Reform could prevent hike in property taxes

Before Mayor Harris and the City Council decide to raise property taxes to balance the city's budget, there are three things that I would like them to do first:

• Institute a moratorium so that no more properties go off the tax roles.
• Start charging taxes for all properties owned by nonprofits, churches included, since they use all of the city's services, like the Police Department, the Fire Department and trash pickup.
• Eliminate all duplication of services already provided by state agencies.

After doing these three simple things, there should be no need to raise property taxes — for those already paying taxes, that is.

Michael J. Golojuch Jr.
Makakilo

Property tax increase isn't justified now

There is absolutely no justification to increase property tax rates.

Even without increasing rates, there will be a whopping increase in revenue from property taxes coming from an increase in property valuation.

The city should cut the budget of new construction in the over $440 million construction outlay for next fiscal year to cover the shortfall from the budget for employee benefits.

For example, I don't see why Mayor Harris built 10 new tennis courts in an O'ahu central park if he knew he was going to have a shortfall in his budget.

The Advertiser is correct for the City Council to have a second look at Mayor Harris' budget. The council, for example, should examine closely all outlays for construction in the budget.

Ruben R. Reyes
Waipahu

Long-term-care plan augments insurance

I strongly support the long-term-care financing bill being considered by the Legislature because it is affordable.

My wife and I have long-term-care insurance, but the proposed legislation would supplement our own private insurance. Also, my siblings, who are all in their senior years, can't afford private insurance, and I believe this legislation will be welcomed by them.

Robert Y. Masuda

Library innovations have come with a cost

From recent comments, one would think that the library system's budget problem came about overnight. The current and former state librarians have been warning the politicians for over 12 years that the system could not continue on the existing funding policy.

The population continues to grow with the resulting increase in demand for service. The new media introduced into the libraries over the past few years are expensive, and the computer system upgrade needed to keep pace with the ever-increasing workload was not cheap.

In the past few years, the library system has added CDs, video cassettes, DVDs, the Internet and online reference service. It is also now possible to borrow and return materials by mail. All of these "new" things come at a cost.

At the same time, the staff of the library system has been reduced by more than 100 positions. And, it should be added, the Legislature also saw fit to build a library (Kapolei) without funding staff, materials or utilities.

The politicians and public continue to demand more from the library system, a system which for more than a dozen years has been "robbing Peter to pay Paul." It is time the people in Hawai'i realize that Peter is broke and Paul still demands more.

Don Chambers
Retired librarian

Legislature should OK a 'three strikes' law

The suspect who killed a police officer was wanted in an attempted-murder case and has a criminal history of 14 convictions, ranging from petty theft to felony burglary. This man would never have gotten out of prison in California, and the officer would still be alive. How many times does something like this have to happen before the Legislature passes a "three strikes" law?

Bill Millan

Coffee story wasn't a 'frivolous lawsuit'

Regarding April Ambard's March 6 letter: I just get so tired of the coffee story being brought up as an example of "frivolous lawsuits."

This case was made after there were 700-plus burn injuries from McDonald's coffee — of the level of seriousness where doctor's bills were incurred. All because Micky D didn't want to waste any drop of coffee that could be squeezed out of its grounds. This required a high temperature, and, of course, the cup didn't do well with that heat.

How to get a multinational to give up those extra drops of coffee profit? Reporting individual accidents didn't work — so the most egregious case of coffee burning was taken to court.

Then the multinational lowered the temperature, as part of the settlement. There was a dollar amount that went to the victim — it was slashed in appeals such that it barely covered the hospital costs (in this case the victim had third-degree burns in the groin area and had to have skin grafts).

Juliet Begley