ROOSTERS

GAME BREEDERS SHOULD RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS

There have been several letters commenting on the Hawaiian Humane Society's lack of response to crowing and feral roosters in our residential neighborhoods.

While we are sympathetic to the issue, the City and County of Honolulu removed crowing roosters from our animal care and control contract in August 2002.

The City & County of Honolulu subsequently contracted with The Hawaii Game Breeders Association for $40,500 annually to respond to rooster complaints on O'ahu.

IRAQ

ELECTORATE MUST KNOW CONSEQUENCE OF FAILURE

The logic of the "withdraw from Iraq now" crowd ranges from somewhat reasonable to totally emotional.

However, none of the arguments for terminating the war short of success offers rational strategic alternatives to the administration's latest course of action.

Calls for phased redeployment, deployment to peripheral countries, redeployment on any kind of fixed time table not tied to objectives or reliance on diplomacy (talking to those who are determined to see us defeated) are simply prelude to failure disguised to sound like something else. And that is where the opposition ideas seem to stop.

My question for our congressional delegation and for proponents of withdrawal is this: If the administration led us into this war with a flawed strategy without due regard to the consequences, how is a withdrawal from Iraq without a coherent strategy or due regard for the consequences of that withdrawal any less foolish?

As a strategy, Rep. John P. Murtha's ideas didn't survive two questions on Meet the Press.

The electorate deserves a cold, clear-headed, apolitical assessment of Iraq and the consequences of failure there; consequences which, I believe, could be far worse than the current situation and set the stage for even more serious threats to our national interest.

SCHOOLS

STUDENTS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO DRUG TESTS

I do not have a problem with fair and nondiscriminatory random drug testing in schools, and I believe a majority of teachers would agree.

But it should not be limited to teachers. The public does not hear much about students' involvement in illegal activities because they are minors.

I applaud the few jurisdictions that have, or are about to begin, school drug searches using specially qualified canines.

Perhaps that should be implemented throughout the various school systems statewide.

We seem to "talk the talk," but now it is time to "walk the walk."

TRANSIT

THEBUS ONCE HAD GOOD SERVICE; BRING IT BACK

I agree with the woman who said it stinks that the city is eliminating bus stops.

Between 2000 and 2004, when the bus strike was settled, the cost of my bus pass went up 300 percent. Now I get less service for a much greater price.

Before spending billions on a rail system, the city should return the bus system to its former good service.

O'AHU'S PROPOSED RAIL IS A WHITE ELEPHANT

Except for Councilmembers Charles Djou and Barbara Marshall, this is going to be a big shock to the City Council: All Hawai'i residents do not live in Kapolei.

If this costly whim continues without a people's majority vote, millions of Hawai'i residents and billions of tourists will have to pay for, but never step foot on the Mayor's Rail Folly.

If the mayor and certain councilmembers can't fix a pothole, how can they build, maintain and repair an $8 billion rail system?

Many low-cost solutions versus a rail system are available.

Hawai'i doesn't need a white-elephant railroad.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

THANK 'EDUCATORS' FOR ISLE STUDENTS' DECLINE

I read the General Learner Outcomes for fourth-graders and couldn't fathom how any reasonable person could expect 10-year-olds to meet them.

Most adults couldn't match these "outcomes." The fundamental problem with "modern" education is its dishonesty. It has dishonest expectations and dishonest accomplishments.

Its obtuse language is designed to make the obvious obscure and to hide its trumpeting failure.

If students were really achieving what educators tell us, we could give them Ph.D.s when they graduate from middle school.

I have taught at the university level on O'ahu for 15 years, and have witnessed a shocking decline in student achievement and self-confidence.

This will only change when we all speak clear, straight, direct English that honestly speaks to children, parents and teachers. "Educators" have snatched failure from the jaws of success.

Where can we find that "Learning Outcome?" Everywhere people use language like rubric and exemplar.

I strongly suggest that educators look up the meaning of "standard," and then dispense with their improper and confounding use of it.

STATE GOVERNMENT

DEMS RESPONSIBLE FOR OPPRESSIVE TAX RATE

In an interesting article by Curtis Lum in the Feb. 15 Advertiser, it was reported that Hawai'i "ranks No. 1 in income taxes on families of three with incomes between the poverty line and 125 percent of the poverty line."

That made me wonder how we got to this point. Haven't the Democrats been in control of the tax-setting body of our state government essentially since statehood?

Isn't it the Democrats who set these oppressive tax rates on the working people of Hawai'i?

Think about that the next time a Democrat tells you he is for the working people of Hawai'i.

THIEVERY

RECYCLERS CANNOT TELL IF COPPER HAS BEEN STOLEN

Speaking as someone who recycles copper, I can say with certainty that recyclers cannot tell if copper has been stolen or not.

Recyclables come from hundreds of different locations and sources. Twenty-year-old wire that is stripped out of its casing looks new.

It would be just as easy for aluminum can redemption sites to tell if the cans you brought in were stolen or not.

It is up to all of us to keep our eyes and ears open, and for the police to arrest those who steal.

CURRENCY

A NEW DOLLAR COIN? WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL

Wow! Great news, we have a new dollar coin. Big deal.

I haven't even seen our last "new" Sacagawea dollar coin introduced in 1999 in any of our stores here in Hawai'i, or for that matter even in Las Vegas.

The U.S. Mint has never minted enough of these coins for public use.

They produce these coins as their cash cow. Coin collectors gobble up these coins right off the press. So don't expect to see the latest dollar coins in our stores anytime soon.

With that said, I still prefer the dollar bill.

ARROGANCE

PASS THE ASPIRIN, WE HAVE POLITICAL OVERLOAD

Rail was supposed to be a way of improving our quality of life — less time in traffic, more time with our families.

Now it's needed, not because it will reduce traffic, but because it will spur economic development. That's right. More construction and more buildings. Yes, siree, we need more of those.

And we can't pick a route that will work for the majority or we won't get federal funding, so just build something so the feds can cough up some cash out of their pockets. But wait, isn't that cash in their pockets cash that came out of ours? Ooh, my head hurts.

Our politicians can't fix our bus system or potholes, nor can they synchronize traffic signals.

They can't commit to moving their offices to Kapolei or consider staggered work hours, all of which could significantly improve traffic.

But, by gosh, they will build that rail come hell or high water.

How arrogant to think that they can proceed with rail when they can't even tackle smaller projects, which could be more effective and less costly.

And you know what? It's our fault because we put them there to make these decisions.

Please pass the aspirin.