Letters to the Editor

Teamsters, companies should step up efforts

As the concrete strike continues, so do the unemployment checks. Each day that goes by, more people are getting laid off from their jobs. I, for one, am affected, being that my husband just got laid off.

Although it does not pose "an imminent threat to the health and safety of the community," as quoted by Gov. Lingle, it will definitely affect all of the state of Hawai'i. If the effect hasn't started yet, it will very soon. Drive-throughs of fast-food restaurants, restaurants themselves, department stores — all will see a drop in consumer business.

The maximum, I believe, for unemployment is $417 a week. Considering how high rentals are here, that is not enough to even buy groceries for a home of two adults and two children or even two adults and a newborn, not to mention COBRA insurance costs That means more people without insurance.

I just hope the strike can end as soon as possible. I hope both companies and the Teamsters union can meet more often to talk and negotiate. Better sooner than later. I wish everyone who will soon be affected luck, more so the ones on the picket lines.

Environment also plays sexual orientation role

Upon what scientific study do you base your assertion that " ... sexual orientation that is no more voluntary than the color of their skin"?

I recommend that you, and everyone, read, or at least be familiar with, the book "Are We Hardwired? The Role of Genes in Human Behavior," by William R. Clark and Michael Grunstein (Oxford University Press, 2000). Clark is professor emeritus of immunology in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA, and Grunstein is professor of biological chemistry at the UCLA School of Medicine and Molecular Biology Institute.

The book is about the biological basis of human behavior. Human sexual preference is one of the five behavioral traits covered in separate chapters in the book. Their overall conclusion is that behavioral traits are equally influenced by genetics and the environment.

Everyone involved in the raising of children — parents, family members and all youth-centered organizations — decide for themselves which behavioral traits are desirable and which are undesirable. If conscientious, they then make every effort to provide the appropriate environment for the children in their care.

Many, many people have decided on the basis of many, many reasons that homosexuality is an undesirable behavioral trait, and thus they're trying their best to not raise their children in the current environment, which not only condones homosexuality, but even celebrates and encourages such behavior.

Same-sex marriage, civil unions same thing

A government that ceases to be of the people, by the people and for the people has evolved into a judicial tyranny. Legislators who insist on instilling their own agenda apart from the people's will should be removed immediately.

Civil union and same-sex marriage are conjoined twins. It is reprehensible for certain representatives to attempt to manipulate the people of Hawai'i by foisting HB 1024 on them — a bill that essentially places homosexual unions on a par with heterosexual marriage.

Seventy percent of Hawai'i voted against this idea in 1998, but homosexual activists and willful legislators will not be satisfied until they subvert the people's will for their own.

I hope we in Hawai'i are not so duped as to let them do this.

Schools should crack down on class cutters

I wanted to discuss an ongoing problem about our youths' attendance in public schools.

I have noticed that there were those high school students who stayed in class and those who didn't. Those who "ditched" their classes never got punished. Now tell me this: Why do the schools allow class cutters to graduate with the students who do attend class? Something must be done to address this problem.

In order to prevent students from leaving class and "cruising" their way through school, I suggest that security and faculty should be more aware of the places that students sneak off to when they ditch class. If they communicated with students and find out the facts, they could reduce the number of students who ditch class.

Also, there should be stiffer punishments for those who ditch classes such as afterschool punishment, suspension or other discipline to discourage cutting out.

I hope you join me in taking a stand on a problem that has always been there but has never been brought to the public's eye.

Start with students' willingness to learn

When students these days show disinterest in obtaining an education, people are quick to point the finger. Faculty, administrators, parents, society — all have been martyrs for today's decline in educated students. Few are willing to put the blame where it matters most: the student.

From kindergarten till the end of high school, students are required by law to attend school. By the time those students reach college, the majority realize they don't have to go to class every day, so they tend to not take it seriously. Apparently, more students are not realizing that their education comes first, and so statistics show unfavorable results. They are lacking willingness to learn.

Sadly, there is no clear-cut solution to this problem. Most teachers are trying their best to teach, funding isn't as adequate as schools want it to be, and teaching isn't exactly the highest-paying job in the world. Aside from all the extrinsic problems, it is ultimately up to the students to make the most of what is available.

Which will get you further in life: social mingling or a solid education?

Lingle should visit our education troops

In your Feb. 12 issue, The Honolulu Advertiser printed a story on Gov. Linda Lingle's visit to Iraq and another story on the difficulties facing public-school principals. It struck me that Gov. Lingle has no idea what it's like to be a principal.

Judging by her simplistic solution of "seven local school boards," she does not know what the real problems are at the school level.

If she has the time and courage to visit our troops in a war zone, she should also have the time and courage to spend a day at a public school in each school district. She would learn more about "educational reform" in a school than from her fifth-floor office.

Pedestrians can only do so much for safety

As a pedestrian, I can tell you that it is dangerous business. Using crosswalks and establishing eye contact are certainly important, but "to carefully ascertain the speed of approaching cars," as Rodney Haraga, state director of transportation, advised, is often difficult to do, however advisable it may be.

My own pet peeve is that the law states that drivers must come to a stop before making a right-hand turn at a red light. The majority of drivers do not and simply whiz around the corners. I have been nearly clipped many times. The law is there, but it is not enforced. Why?

HGEA arbitration bill was rightly shot down

According to Cornell University's Legal Information Institute, "The goal of labor laws is to equalize the bargaining power between employers and employees."

Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal to limit HGEA arbitration awards to 1.5 percent would have tilted this power to the employers. It was a bad law and was rightfully deferred by the House Labor Committee.

State's blunders cost millions, go forgotten

A softball stadium where you can't see the infield. A $4 million building at Honolulu Harbor saturated with methane gas. A pothole repairer that can't fix potholes. And, now, a $260,000 rescue boat that can't leave the dock, not to mention the lunacy of the $1.3 million boathouse built to house this floating sinkhole for our tax dollars.

It's all beyond stupidity, but the sad part is that no one in state government ever seems to be held accountable for bad decisions and the monumental waste of taxpayers' monies. Were these foul-ups to occur in the private sector, you can be certain that someone would have to fess up for the waste of corporate assets, but in our monolithic bureaucracy, it's just business as usual (according to an "unidentified state official").

Thank goodness Gov. Lingle seems intent on changing the non-accountable mentality that has existed for far too many years in Hawai'i.

HPD opposes highway patrol

Since 1932, the Honolulu Police Department has provided efficient and effective police services to the people of Honolulu. We have a great Police Department with great officers and live in one of the safest major cities in the country.

Lee D. Donohue

• While it appears that the Senate Bill 2037, proposing to create a state transportation police to enforce traffic laws on highways and around harbors and airports, will not pass this year, we would be opposed to any measure that would extend the state role into areas of law enforcement already performed by the counties. The cost for the state to duplicate the counties' responsibilities would be exorbitant.

Over the years, the counties have developed the infrastructure needed to support enforcement efforts. If additional enforcement is needed, the counties already have the experience and means to do it.

• The HPD also opposes Senate Bill 2628, House Bill 2042 and Senate Bill 2136, as amended in Senate Draft 1, which would create a state and county public safety training academy. The bills identify the site of the HPD training academy as the site for the proposed state and county public safety academy. Our academy facilities are barely sufficient to handle our HPD training needs, let alone the training of law enforcement officers statewide.

• The department is also opposed to Senate Bill 570 and House Bill 2309, which would require the county police chiefs to issue licenses to carry concealed weapons (CCW). Honolulu has one the lowest violent-crime rates in the nation, in part due to our long-standing strict gun laws. It is not necessary for private citizens to carry guns, except in instances where there is urgent reason for a person to fear severe injury. The potential danger and harm associated with widespread CCW licenses would far outweigh any benefits.

To the supporters of these bills who cite protection of their homes and businesses from dangerous intruders as reasons to carry firearms, we would reply that the police chiefs do not deny permits to acquire firearms to any citizen who is not disqualified from possessing firearms. As such, most citizens are permitted to keep firearms safely in their homes or businesses in accordance with current law and procedures.

• Two other bills, Senate Bill 3017 and Senate Bill 2775, which would establish a law-enforcement officers' "bill of rights," are also opposed by the HPD. These bills would create statutory protections for police officers during administrative and criminal investigations of misconduct. We believe that fair and adequate protections for police officers are already provided for in the collective-bargaining agreement and that the union contract is the proper place to establish officers' protections from improper investigation procedures.

The law-enforcement officers' bill of rights as proposed would make police officers less accountable for their actions due to restrictions on the information they would be required to provide the investigators. This would not be in the public's interest or serve to enhance the public's confidence in their Police Department.