TAX RELIEF

MONEY SHOULD GO TOWARD KEY PROBLEMS

I'd like to thank Governor Lingle for the suggestion of giving me a $100 tax break.

While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm wondering if she would be willing to keep my $100 and spend it on things like fixing the public schools, funding programs to address homelessness, repairing public housing units, or even providing needy children with health insurance.

If she gives it back to me, I'll probably blow it on plate lunches and going to the movies.

SCHOOL FUNDING

PUT NEEDS OF SCHOOLS ABOVE ADMINISTRATION

Carolyn Golojuch's Jan. 13 letter critical of proponents of cutting the Department of Education's budget misses a point, perhaps because no one has wanted to be blunt about it. The problem is, too much money going into the DOE budget goes into administration, not enough to classrooms, schools and teachers.

The DOE has become more concerned with maintaining its structure rather than focusing all available resources on the classrooms. Administration gets the first dollars; the leftovers go to the schools.

No business is run that way. Operations are always first. It would take courage to reorganize the DOE into an efficient body supporting the schools.

Such actions result in transfers and layoffs of personnel that are very painful and very unpopular.

When the economy slows, businesses cut back on administrative staff first, before basic operations. The DOE saves money by not repairing schools or buying supplies. Positions within the DOE bureaucracy are sacred. As Ms. Golojuch puts it, "It's one for the books."

'MAUI FEVER'

NEW REALITY SHOW NOT REFLECTIVE OF HAWAI'I

What's the big deal about the new MTV series "Maui Fever"? A lot, actually. If you don't already know, "Maui Fever" is a reality show filmed on the island of Maui that is supposed to depict what "island life" is really like for young "locals."

Well, I watched the first episode and to say the least, I'm incredibly disappointed.

We are a place that embodies the aloha spirit, a "mixed salad" of different cultures and ethnic groups. From the cast to the poorly written script, this show does not accurately portray life of the majority of local people. What it really does is give a false picture to the world of island life.

While it's true that we depend on tourist dollars to keep our economy growing, we certainly do not need a negative image of life in Hawai'i or the bad publicity this series promotes.

As a local girl, I feel that what MTV is doing with this show is incredibly disrespectful. It should do its homework the next time it considers using Hawai'i as a filming location for another reality series. It's not "just a show" in a tropical setting. It's a real embarrassment.

GAS CAP

LAW LEAVES TOO MUCH ROOM FOR GOUGING

Just about any article on Sen. Ron Menor's so-called gas cap law just drives me up a wall. In my opinion, the law did nothing but give the dealers or stations the possibility to either delay or initiate price changes each week at their discretion.

To explain, if they had a tank full of cheap gas and next week's prices were going up, then they could immediately raise the price on the cheap stuff. Or, if they had a tank of expensive gas when next week's price was going down, then they could hold off as long as time would allow before decreasing the price. The gas cap law in action.

I agree we may need Menor's new "excessive profit" legislation, or Rep. Hermina Morita's "gouging" bill. Once we define "excessive profit" and "gouging," we could apply it to the state recycling program for aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

FUEL ALTERNATIVES

INSTITUTE IS THE RIGHT VEHICLE TO MOVE AHEAD

The editorial in the Jan. 21 edition titled "House Democrats' plan needs work indeed" expressed concern about the possible plan proposing to "establish a Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawai'i to sharpen the state's focus on developing biofuels and other alternatives."

In fact, the Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute was created in a report by the Hawai'i Legislature in 1974 and has been extremely active in various fields of energy research. Today, HNEI brings in more than $5 million annually from federal funding agencies and industrial partnerships in support of energy research and efforts to accelerate deployment of renewable technologies to benefit state citizens.

The establishment of HNEI in statute is intended to further streamline its operation, allowing it to interact more closely with existing state agencies and to more directly assist these agencies to accelerate the development and acceptance of both renewable energy and end-use energy-efficient technologies.

With a proven track record of accomplishment and the independence afforded by being part of the university, HNEI is the appropriate vehicle to help accelerate the state's use of these alternative technologies and to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

DRIVERS, PEDESTRIANS SHARE RESPONSIBILITY

We are all responsible for traffic safety. It is a conscious and continuous effort by everyone to maintain the level of awareness that will protect people on our roadways. It does not matter if you are driving, walking, riding a bicycle or moped, or just standing on the sidewalk. Each person has his or her own responsibility to keep safe.

No technology is going to be able to substitute for the human mind. Our mind can adjust quickly to changing events and environments. A new traffic light or separate traffic lane dedicated to whatever cannot adjust to an unfolding of a variety of events.

We get into trouble when we make decisions based on convenience and/or emotions: running a red light because you don't want to miss something at home or a social event; or speeding because your girlfriend made you mad. Is there really something we can conjure up to supercede the priority of traffic safety?

Violating a traffic law intentionally or unintentionally is not an appropriate response. It does not justify the violation. Is an accident really an accident? Or is it an event that suffered from the inattention of a distracted driver or a miscalculating pedestrian?

Your safety is a reciprocal and dynamic of continuous interaction between drivers and pedestrians. Be responsible and look at how you do things on the roadway.

PRISON SYSTEM FLAWS

HELP THOSE WHO WANT IT; LOCK UP THE REST

Regarding the recent Sunday article in The Advertiser about the mentally ill not being cared for properly in the prisons. News flash: No one is.

I am sure many in our prisons have mental-health issues. I have heard firsthand they are overcrowded and inhumane. At great cost, we ship prisoners off to Mainland prisons.

Another question is, how do the huge amounts of drugs get into the system? This is a broken system and needs to be fixed.

I have a simple idea: Violent criminals go to high security facilities and work long, hard days doing things that support the facility they live in.

The drug offenders and mentally ill would be in a more clinical facility. They, too, would work hard hours to support the system they landed in, but would have rehabilitation options to try to improve their lives.

Any violence would result in going in with the violent offenders. What kind of a society provides a place prisoners want to go back to? Help the ones who want it, and lock down the rest.

PRESIDENT BUSH

ADMINISTRATION RIPE FOR CRITICISM, OUTRAGE

Gordon Oswald's defense of President Bush (Letters, Jan. 22) falls limp once you look deeper into Bush's presidency: