Letters to the Editor

Lingle is right on education reform

In the editorial "Once again, Lingle puts DOE in a bind" (Nov. 24), you write: "We believe Superintendent of Schools Pat Hamamoto has argued convincingly that there's no great repository of 'fat' in the DOE. Indeed, centralization gives it substantial economies that it would lose if, as Lingle urges, it were broken up."

Gov. Lingle is right. The DOE administration and Honolulu Advertiser editorial board are wrong.

Readers with a spreadsheet program and Internet access may verify, from the National Center for Education Statistics Web site (nces.ed.gov), that states with numerous small school districts spend less per pupil than states with a few large districts. Also, states with numerous small districts achieve higher standardized test performance and have lower rates of juvenile crime.

"What works?" is an empirical question. Will some expenditure on staff training enhance student performance more than the same expenditure on textbooks or facilities? Unless one is divinely inspired, we learn by observation. Numerous small districts supply information and a basis for comparison. A statewide monopoly is like an experiment with one treatment and no control, a retarded experimental design.

Hawaiians' rights must be restored

Evelyn Cook's Nov. 24 Island Voices commentary and research into the validity of Native Hawaiian claims are flawed for at least two reasons:

• She claims that because the intentions of W.O. Smith were noble, the overthrow was legal and justified. According to accepted norms of moral behavior, actions speak louder than words. Intentions are nothing without right action.
• She claims that President Clinton's national apology was flawed. And she seems to have little knowledge of how healing actually occurs, since she dismisses this significant national act. She presented no convincing facts to support her "research." Denial of the liability our political system owes is her solution for past crimes.

It is simple, really, no matter what facts you choose. Native Hawaiians once had a governing system and a beloved queen of their choosing, a vast majority of kanaka maoli at the time voted against the annexation, and their 'aina was taken forcibly by the landowners and agriculturalists of the time (some who shamelessly call upon the state to do something yet still do nothing themselves). Now most Hawaiians reside in poverty, bereft of land.

Even if all of the programs supporting kanaka, under attack from a small, rich minority, were preserved, we would still not be able to pay back what our political system owes. What they deserve is 'aina, a nation and a choice in how they want to govern themselves.

Our political system and those who benefit the most from the deeds of our political ancestors want to be free from the liability. Denial is not an effective form of release from karma/consequences — only giving back what was stolen will set us free.

Commentary appreciated

I thoroughly enjoyed Evelyn Cook's submission to Island Voices in the Nov. 24 Advertiser.

It was refreshing to see a poignant, well-thought-out and factual commentary on Hawai'i's forgotten history. I eagerly await the publication of her book "100 Years of Healing — The Legacy of a Kaua'i Missionary Doctor," as it will become a part of my Hawaiian collection.

Whieldon shows what run-and-shoot is all about

Though June Jones doesn't think the critics know what they are talking about, seeing is believing.

Army game, QB Timmy Chang started with the first-string offensive line, and in 29 minutes of play time, he generated two touchdown passes and one field goal but he completed only 25 out of 43 passes, with three interceptions.

QB Jason Whieldon was given a chance at last to play, and in 16 minutes of play time, he completed 16 out of 17 passes with no interceptions and generated four touchdowns with a lesser offensive line.

QB Whieldon truly shows what the run-and-shoot is all about. He is crisp and accurate and makes the game exciting to watch.

Tourism's planners should push surfing

Will Hoover and Mike Markrich receive big points from me — for Will's article "North Shore's surf supremacy questioned" and Mike's commentary "Ride the trend." I believe that both of these right-on articles should be a must read for every hotel executive in Hawai'i.

At Waikiki Beach Activities, we hear daily just how important the lure of surfing is to our new visitors. Surfing is not just for the kids; it's become a family sport. For instance, at the end of this month, we will have a surf class for 67 Australians.

We are also amazed at the lack of interest shown by Hawai'i's mainstream tourism stakeholders in promoting Hawai'i's reputation as surfing's "roots."

I bet that few folks know that Duke Kahanamoku single-handedly took surfing to Australia in 1914. The great surf nation Australia had never seen surfing until then, and the Duke even showed them how to tandem. It is a compelling story. A simple Hawaiian boy who swam faster than fish, wore size 13 shoes, and taught a great nation how to surf.

I wonder how many people know that the beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, where WBA is located, is named Duke Kahanamoku Beach.

We know that Waikiki Beach is recognized by all as the birthplace for modern-day surfing, and most surfers know that Duke Kahanamoku is surfing's first great hero and waterman. Soon Eddie Aikau will gain the recognition he deserves.

It is time for tourism's strategic planners to advocate surfing as a means of building brand loyalty for Hawai'i's tourism. Hawai'i is the surf capital. Let's not let some other country take that away from us.

Mahalo for the fine journalism.

Existing 'carpooling' rules aren't working

The efforts to social-engineer a solution to our traffic problem have failed for decades. The dream was that people stuck in traffic would go gaga with envy as they watched their socially conscious neighbors whiz by in the carpool lane. Then they would trip over themselves as they rushed to hang up their keys and dive into the carpool.

Well guess what, it didn't happen, and we're a generation into waiting. Every year when that back-to-school jam hits, we're painfully reminded of the real benefactors of this wonderful dream: parents of private-school and day-care kids. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that 3-year-olds or sixth-graders be forced to drive. I'm just trying to figure out how denying the rest of us access to their lanes is solving the traffic crisis.

Perhaps at the next social engineers summit, a whole day of brainstorming could be spent comparing and contrasting the differences between "real carpooling" and "having a 3-year-old in your car." Maybe they could even ponder what would happen if they put that streetcar money into the public schools and eliminated that guilty feeling that drives so many parents into putting their kids into private schools.

Meantime, how about trying this: Turn the "zipper lane" into the "bullet lane." Raise the speed limit to 70 and open it to all passenger cars. With limited access, no lane changing possible and no commercial vehicles, an increase in the speed limit would meet safety concerns. Put the buses in the HOV lane and open it to all of us who pay for it.

I know it sounds crazy to solve our traffic problem by increasing the throughput of our freeways, but it just might work. Sorry to bore you with a practical solution, but it's the best I could come up with.

Make a Difference Day made a big difference

We want to extend our deepest appreciation to the men and women from Prudential Locations, Prudential Financial, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Hawaiian Building Maintenance and the soldiers from the HHC 65th Engineer Battalion at Schofield Barracks for making a difference at Palama Settlement on Oct. 25, Make a Difference Day.

The 90 volunteers from these various groups spent the day with us "making a difference" for the community. The Prudential and Wells Fargo crews hosted a mini Halloween carnival for the 400 youths in the neighborhood, providing games, races, inflatable jumpers, story times and many other exciting activities for the keiki.

While the children were having a great time, our volunteers from the military and Hawaiian Building Maintenance were busy giving Palama a good sprucing. They cleaned and waxed the floors at our Family Service Center at Mayor Wright Homes, removed old carpeting in our Learning Center, and gave our Blackfield Center game room a good scrub-down. The soldiers from the 65th Engineer Battalion were determined to spend this year's Make a Difference Day at Palama since they may not have another opportunity for some time as they prepare to leave for Iraq in the near future.

In this Thanksgiving season, we are reminded of the many blessings we enjoy living in this great nation and being part of such a caring community. We want to thank all our volunteers from these companies and especially the men from the 65th Engineer Battalion for their gifts of aloha and their contribution to the well-being of this neighborhood on Make a Difference Day.

Liberal media bias? Try conservative bias

Since (some) conservatives make such a constant effort to create the belief that the media have a liberal bias, it seems worthwhile to show how subtly the opposite bias gets sneaked in.

Friday morning's Advertiser printed a USA Today story headlined "Experts report al-Qaida getting more aggressive" that contains this passage: "Despite the toppling of regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, al-Qaida and its allies have been able to accelerate the pace and reach of their attacks."

Why say "despite the toppling of regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq" unless it is to sneak in support for the administration's claim that the invasion of Iraq as well as that of Afghanistan was an effective measure against al-Qaida and its allies? But that claim was phony from the beginning. Invading Iraq has rallied support and aided recruiting for al-Qaida throughout the Muslim world. And what harm could it have done them?

Liberal bias indeed.