Kids deserve better

After a frustrating 10 months, the Palolo Pool finally opened. On Sept. 6, Labor Day, the life- guard counted 82 children. Using that as a statistic, it's no wonder why the long opening delay was of great concern. Hopefully the next mayor will re-assess his priorities and put Palolo at the top of the list rather than the bottom where we will no longer be the "Ugly stepchild."

Media in the thrall of biotech industry

The Honolulu Advertiser really should research both sides of the genetically modified foods issue before printing editorials proving the paper is under the influence of Hawai'i's powerful and increasingly controversial agricultural biotechnology industry.

Upon learning the facts people object to genetically modified "foods." Three quarters of these crops have been genetically engineered to resist herbicides, pouring enormous amounts of herbicide into our environment and enriching the biotech industry, which manufactures the herbicides as well.

There is no consensus in the scientific community supporting ag biotech. However, the biotech industry has poured millions of dollars into public universities such as UH.

This makes academic dissent unpopular. Our state needs to stop supporting this industry through the high technology tax credit. We need to shift support to truly sustainable non-toxic forms of agriculture.

Commercial 'sellout' is the last straw

OK, that's it. I have had it. The commercialization or the big "sellout" by UH has gone too far.

I am a 26-year season ticket holder, an alumna of UH and a loyal fan. But the incessant advertisements are the last straw.

I come to the games to watch and enjoy. Not to be bombarded with commercials. I feel harassed and disappointed that the UH has lowered itself to this level of commercialism.

I can handle the signs on the field. That was hard enough to accept, but I did. I know it brings in revenue for the school. But I am ready to consider watching the games at home.

Is that any way to treat loyal fans? I think not.

Physicians, hospitals must report instances

Mr. (Mike) Gordon, please continue to pursue this story. As the former assistant trauma coordinator at The Queen's Medical Center and a past president of the Emergency Nurses Association-Hawai'i, I can tell you it is common medical practice that the majority of trauma patients are routinely tested upon admission to the hospital for substance abuse. It is extremely common to have those tests come back positive.

The "ice" problem has long been a hidden disease in Hawai'i and most emergency nurses are very aware and have repeatedly attempted to have physicians and hospitals come to terms with this.

Dr. Kanthi De Alwis, the chief medical examiner, is absolutely correct in her estimation of how many unreported deaths are related to ice use.

Physicians would have no difficulty in reporting smallpox, typhoid fever or any other public health issue to patients, their families and the community. But until the physicians educate themselves that the ice problem in Hawai'i is a major public health issue and that they must take a proactive stance, their patients, families and the community will continue to suffer in silence.

Mahalo for bringing this to the front page.

HPD should economize with cheaper grade

I am appalled at hearing that the Honolulu Police will not use the cheaper grade of gasoline in their Ford police cruisers.

The notion that the higher octane gas gives better performance which is needed to chase the bad guys doesn't hold water. We live on an island, so if the police can't catch the bad guys before they run out of road and crash into the ocean, so what?

The responsible government agency should issue an edict for all taxpayer-funded operations to use the cheaper gas.

There's no shortage of irritating signage

Several years ago, the Outdoor Circle wanted a large illuminated sign at the Ward Entertainment Center's restaurant, Dave and Buster's, removed due to its visibility. It was replaced.

For an irritating sign, just pass by the Blaisdell Center.

The electronic outdoor sign uses hundreds of watts of energy to display the center's schedule.

The city should tone this sign down.

Democrats defeated needed policing tools

Rep. Scott Saiki's letter (Adv. 9/7) on ice amazed us with its two incredibly divergent views. All agree on prevention, treatment and incarceration — a comprehensive solution that treats drug abuse as a disease and as a crime. We entered the 2004 session confident we would put aside partisan politics to address the ice issue.

The administration and the Legislature both funded treatment and prevention programs, with the administration receiving federal money to help out. But incarceration divides the two sides. Saiki and other Democrats have forgotten what they heard from the community — include incarceration along with treatment.

Turning back the ice epidemic means doing more than passing legislation law enforcement officials say make convictions harder to obtain. And where are the tools law enforcement needs to convict drug dealers, tools like "walk and talk," an updated wiretap law, a law that stops open selling of drug paraphernalia, and laws that mandate prison time for those possessing more ice than a single person can possibly use?

When it comes to sending or not sending ice dealers to prison, Rep. Saiki and his Democrat colleagues still don't get it.

Status of women panel needs the right leader

The Hawaii Commission on the Status of Women has a new chance to flourish. With the resignation of Executive Director Allicyn Tasaka, perhaps the board will focus on setting priorities and goals for the commission and end its cycle as a do-nothing organization.

The allegation that the governor pulled funding because Tasaka supported Hirono in the last election is absurd. I'm sure the governor neither knew nor cared who Tasaka supported in the last election. When the Office of Budget and Finance and the governor decide to cut funding, there is usually cost to benefit ratio employed.

When looking at the Lingle administration's reasons for cutting funding for this organization, one should consider the fact that under the executive direction of Tasaka the commission has stagnated.

The commission's Board of Directors should seriously consider the credentials of applicants to replace Tasaka.

The next person who takes this position should be capable of producing a viable and coherent budget for the Department of Budget and Finance to review. She should be responsible and responsive to the commission's Board of Directors.

The new executive director should strive to meet the requirements of the commission's mission statement. The position should go to a person who is willing to write grants and raise funds to help pay for the organization, if that is what it takes to keep it going.

This person needs to have a passion for helping women.

Try asking the right questions

In a special Sept. 9 voters' guide, The Honolulu Advertiser asked Board of Education candidates the usual question, "Why are you running?"

Responses ranged from just wanting to contribute to society, to specific goals, such as expansion of early childhood education or to help advocate for Gov. Linda Lingle's Citizens Achieving Reform in Education (CARE) initiatives.

What was unusual about the remaining questions was that candidates were asked what the Department of Education (DOE), not the Board of Education (BOE), should do to improve education.

These candidates are not running for superintendent; they are running for the board that makes education policy and is supposed to hold DOE employees and the superintendent of schools accountable for carrying out those policies.

Many candidates cited smaller class sizes, safe environments, more books and computers as the way the DOE could improve education.

The logical question might have been, "Despite a DOE budget increase of over $1.6 million over the last 30 years to service the same number of students with the same number of teachers, student performance has continued to drop or remain stagnant. Would you propose spending even more taxpayer dollars to continue to prop up Hawai'i's current public education system even though it is failing to provide even rudimentary education to the majority of its students or would you propose restructuring?"

The candidates who answered "continue to increase expenditures on a failed system," would then reveal the same mindset as past and current board members who have constantly asked for more line-item funding, but who have never implemented policies to ensure expenditures correlate with better student outcomes and improved system performance.

The next question asked if the DOE, not the BOE, should be split into local school boards. However, the DOE is already divided into "complex-areas," but governed by a statewide BOE.

Perhaps the question should have been, "Do you think that local communities are capable of making decisions on education expenditures and policies directly affecting their children or should those decisions by made by educators in Honolulu?"

The final question asks what number one policy candidates would work for.

Perhaps the question could have been, "What would you do to ensure that students receive a quality education today while the system works on reinventing itself?"

If the answer included giving students a way out, the public would have an easy time picking a winner.