Letters to the Editor

Hannemann should focus on city's needs

Mayoral candidate Mufi Hannemann has begun running newspaper ads outlining his campaign platform. He talks about concentrating on basic city services, yet his platform would have the city doing economic development (an NFL preseason game), creating a ferry system between Leeward O'ahu and downtown, improving education, and landscaping the University of Hawai'i area.

Last time I checked, these were all state functions. Seems as if Mufi might want to rethink his priorities and focus on the basic city services really needed now.

School vouchers would generate accountability

Can we go wrong when a parent's choice for their child's educational direction is placed in their hands and not in those of the career politician or bureaucrat? Educational credit vouchers, as an added option, would not only put the control in the parents' hands but also generate performance accountability through competition.

The voucher is determined by a percentage of the "weighted school spending formula" and the parents' income levels. In the short term, the private-school system would generate abnormal profits from higher demand for service; however, those profits would be short-lived, as profits would draw competition. Profits would stay within nonprofit organizations as they invest in both capacity and competitive advantages.

The benefit for the small private school would be a larger customer base to compete for, and public schools would have an urgency to perform to maintain their base.

It's not to say that private schools are better than public schools, but rather private schools manage their resources more effectively. Working for Patricia Hamamoto for four years at McKinley High School as her account clerk inspired me to write my graduate thesis on the DOE's ineffective financial management system.

School board vote will be repaid in November

The April 1 headline "School board bill unlikely to survive" should catch everyone's attention. For myself and other education-minded voters, if this proposal is not on November's ballot for the voters to decide, I will vote against those in the "establishment" who did not vocally or otherwise support this simple ballot amendment.

It is a no-brainer. If you continue to do things the same way, you will always get the same results. To have our children scoring near the bottom of education achievement for decades is a simple, correctable travesty.

I would vote for putting 90 percent of education money directly in the hands of school principals — not in the hands of off-island administration. This makes sense — more cents to the students and not the residual political patronage.

This school knows education importance

Education has always been an important topic with parents and educators. It is unfortunate that only now it has gotten the attention of our lawmakers.

I thought your readers might be interested in what concerned students, parents, teachers and administrators are doing to provide for their school.

The Moanalua Elementary School PTA has taken on the mammoth task of raising $45,000 to replace the 10-year-old math textbooks that are inadequate in addressing the requirements of the state's "Adequate Yearly Progress" and the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Funding for this program should be provided by the state, but the sad truth is that it is not. The students need adequate textbooks now, rather than after the legislative dust has settled. Thus, in the spirit of pragmatism and putting the progress of our students first, the PTA has initiated this fund-raiser to meet this need.

Students, parents and teachers are sign-waving in front of the school to remind and encourage the community to donate money.

The highlight of the fund-raiser is the students' participation in the "Strides Out of Pride" fun run on May 14, during which they can raise more money from sponsors.

With education reform in the spotlight, our effort to provide basic supplies for our students is an example of how desperate our current situation is.

Moanalua Elementary School is fortunate to have the support of excellent educators, passionate parents and a dedicated community. I am proud and fortunate that my child is attending such a wonderful school.

The United States is on a downward moral slope

I'm no political history buff, but it seems amazing how much the character of our country has changed since its birth until now.

In times past, when confronted with great challenges, our country's heart once was to "persevere and overcome in the face of suffering." Today it has become standard thinking of, "Let's do it until it becomes politically incorrect (in spite of the ethical/moral implications or what the majority of our country says)."

And what is the "it" I'm referring to? What are some of the challenges our country faces today that we don't have the moral backbone to deal with? The war on terrorism, the pledge of our country, gay marriage, discrimination against religious ideals/values or criminals having more rights than their victims.

Why is it that in the past the world looked to the United States for help? Because of the kind of character we once stood for. I know our country has made its mistakes in the past and present, but in my opinion it seems apparent that we are on a moral decline that will one day destroy our democracy if we as individuals don't take a stand for what is right.

Blame overdevelopment on historic immigration

Regarding Terri Longwell's April 6 letter: As a fellow resident of Hawai'i Kai, I agree with everything said regarding overdevelopment.

In answer to the question "why development?" I call to everyone's attention that legal immigration is at 200-year historic highs. Today's immigration rates are the highest ever — over four times the average historic level for the first 200 years of our country's history. Without taking any admission vote, the United States government is adding to our country each year one new state with a population exceeding Hawai'i's total population.

We all need to get used to converting our farmlands, valleys and hillsides into landfill dumps, wastewater treatment plants, industrial zones, highways, power plants, shopping centers, homes, schools, etc., etc., etc., for the infrastructure developments to support that added population.

Unless we reduce the floodgates of legal immigration back to historically manageable levels, we all have put out the welcome doormats to developments that say, "I've got mine, but welcome to my neighborhood."

'Ahihi-Kina'u needs to be closed to all

How can the deputy director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Dan Davidson, state, "We still think that the limited commercial kayak idea was a good one" after the Natural Area Reserves System Commission that he is a member of voted to not approve a request for commercialization in a Natural Area Reserve?

I, as a member of the voting public, want to know who is directing Davidson to act this way? With every breath in my body, I will be sure to campaign against these elected officials who think it is in the best interest of the people to allow others to profit from an area exclusively. An area on Maui's south coast that is protected by the state as a Natural Area Reserve.

For every kayak operator who has conducted business in 'Ahihi- Kina'u, you have been violating the rules and regulations from the beginning. No one is to enter into the reserve, let alone to enter and profit from it. That shows a blatant lack of respect for the rules and regulations and for the land that you reap the profits from.

'Ahihi-Kina'u needs to be closed to all and allowed to heal; the state needs to implement pono for 'Ahihi-Kina'u. The damage to this area is immense. It will be many decades before the 'aina will be healed from the effects of encroachment by people who have no respect for the land and for the rules and regulations that are already in place to protect these lands.

Petty partisan behavior eroding public's trust

Might it be possible for our lawmakers to get beyond petty partisan behavior?

Time and time again, the bickering gets in the way of getting the job done. Too often, the political intrigues, the paybacks, the hidden agendas and the posturing and positioning have created distrust and disillusionment among those of us who watch our public servants act like combatants embroiled in the battles that ultimately negate their integrity.

No wonder more and more people participate less and less in the governmental process.

How sad it is. Are we doomed to a system that invites us to replace a bunch of crooks with another? How dismal. Does anyone have a solution? Enlighten us!

The public must unite

Isn't it a shame that the public can raise a big stink and do away with the van cam yet cannot band together to get the governor's proposal for education put on the ballot? We, the people, should be able to make up our own minds as to an issue as important as education and not leave it to legislators who are only concerned with their political well-being.

Kahuku Hospital: the right decision

Recently I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Instead of being paralyzed with fear, I went into overdrive to learn how to best manage my illness. Knowledge is power, and so I researched online, in books, listened to tapes, spoke to cancer survivors and met with three oncologists.

I lifted everything up in prayer before making my treatment decisions and decided a mastectomy was the better option than radiation for my condition. I live on the North Shore, and when I had to choose my surgeon and hospital facility, to the shock of many friends, I chose Kahuku Hospital. I was surprised and dismayed by all the negative reactions I got.

Look — I'm a college-educated professional woman facing a life-threatening disease. Why would I choose anything but the best? Choosing a "big city" hospital was not an option for me. However, the care and caliber of treatment I received at Kahuku Hospital were equal to or exceeded whatever you, the reader, consider the best hospital on the island.

My surgeon, Dr. James Fleming, is incredible. He's done three surgeries on me in two months, and my recovery is going better than expected. My anesthesiologist, Dr. Mark Robinson, was so calming and compassionate that I had no fears of anything going wrong during the surgeries. The hospital is small — 25 beds — so the nursing staff was extremely attentive. Every room is private (mine had an ocean view), meals were delicious (really!), rooms and corridors were kept immaculate and there was plenty of free parking and no traffic hassles.

I just want to thank everyone associated with Kahuku Hospital for their dedication and expert care. When you are fighting for your life, it is so comforting to know you've made the right decision.

I urge anyone in the North Shore community to use Kahuku Hospital if it offers the services you need. The doctors aren't country bumpkins playing solitaire waiting for patients; they are qualified professionals who have privileges at the "big city" hospitals, too, and choose to practice and treat us in our convenient country hospital. We choose to live in the country for the best quality of life that it offers.

The best-kept secret is now out: No need to go to the city, we got the best already — Kahuku Hospital!