Legislative session fails to impress Hawai'i voters

By Gordon Y.K. Pang and Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

With the 60-day legislative session coming to a close today, Cathy Kalehuawehe has mixed feelings about how lawmakers dealt with education reform this year.

Cathy Kalehuawehe, a Maui elementary schoolteacher, said she was pleased that the Legislature moved to establish a pre-kindergarten program for children. However, she felt lawmakers' overall promises on education reform fell short. Christie Wilson • The Honolulu Advertiser

On the other hand, "I would've liked to have seen a lot more school reform," said Kalehuawehe, whose husband, son and daughter are also public school teachers.

That lukewarm opinion of what the Legislature accomplished on education reform summed up the views of many of the people The Advertiser spoke to in the last few days: In a session that began with grand promises about what would be done to improve education, combat Hawai'i's ice epidemic and reduce reckless driving, lawmakers could have done more.

Kalehuawehe, 55, knew enough about the education measures to say she supports giving principals more authority, one of the cornerstones of the education reform bill, Senate Bill 3238. "That's a change I welcome," she said. "Principals should have the final say, otherwise, why do you need him?"

In summing up the education reform package, Kalehuawehe said, "It's OK."

"But it's kind of like the status quo."

Views on 'ice' offenders

"Mandatory incarceration and treatment. That's the only way they're going to get rid of it." — Peter Ahuna, 'Ahuimanu resident

"He's gotta go to jail ... From the user to the seller to the maker — the whole program." — Mario Palabrica, Salt Lake resident Photos by Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Although much of this year's session was spent in debate over education reform, crafting legislation to deal with the state's crystal methamphetamine epidemic was also the focus of attention.

Like the education reform bill, the "ice bill" (House Bill 2003) was vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle only to be overridden by legislators who stood by their versions of both measures.

While a good part of the bill deals with treatment and prevention, many said they don't believe it provides law enforcement enough tools to take those guilty of drug crimes off the street.

Peter Ahuna, 60, of 'Ahuimanu, shares that view. "Mandatory incarceration and treatment," he said. "That's the only way they're going to get rid of it."

Ahuna said he wants mandatory incarceration even for first-time drug offenders. "Right now, it's kind of like a revolving door. They send them to prison, and there's no good facilities for rehab so the guys get very little treatment and they end up back in the same thing," he said.

Mario Palabrica, 68, who recently had his car broken into in the parking lot of his Salt Lake condominium, the third time he's been victimized, believes he was likely the victim of someone on ice.

Users need rehabilitation, he said, but only behind bars. "He's gotta go to jail too, he gotta be confined," Palabrica said. "From the user to the seller to the maker — the whole program."

Jason Cabello, 32, has been trying to fight an ice-related issue in his Wahiawa neighborhood, and said he is happy the issue received so much attention this year, although he wishes it would have happened sooner.

Cabello said he likes what he knows of the ice-fighting package. "Those guys who use those things, they need help, and everybody's going to make a mistake," he said. "And those who are hard-core and violent, they need to be locked up."

He also supports more money for educating youth on the dangers of crystal meth. "You gotta learn the thing is addictive and that it's hard to turn back from."

Stella Wong, a 53-year-old 'Alewa Heights nonprofit executive, said she likes the fact that the Legislature passed a bill providing $14.7 million for prevention, treatment and other programs.

"I know they have to prosecute and incarcerate those who have been in trouble," said Wong, who works for Catholic Charities. "But it doesn't necessarily help if you don't have the prevention side."

Some believe the Legislature did not go far enough in dealing with speeding and traffic concerns.

Palabrica said he was puzzled why legislation for heftier fines for speeders did not pass.

He said he also supports the confiscation of cars belonging to those convicted of excessive speeding, and even jail time for them. He even endorses the return of traffic cameras, something that was shot down by lawmakers in the waning days. "That would've slowed them down," he said.

Cabello said he wanted to see passage of the bill establishing a highway patrol strictly for the state's main arteries. If jurisdiction is an issue, he said, he also supports giving more money to HPD so they can put more officers in speed-control enforcement.

Lawmakers will come together this morning for a final session, the bulk of their work behind them.

Some people believe there was a lot of politics as usual this session where little was accomplished.

"I just think there's a major power struggle in the Legislature," said Lil Frias, a 49-year-old state investigator from Honolulu. "I don't see the people of Hawai'i benefiting from the power struggle. They're too concerned about that instead of how they're going to help the people of Hawai'i."

Steve Tearney, a 62-year-old Bishop Museum employee from Makiki, was generally lukewarm about the Legislature.

"I guess I'll just have to say OK, rather than no good or excellent," he said. "Right around the boredom area. Not really angry at them, not really excited about all the good things they did."

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com and Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or reach either at 525-8070.