CLOSING SCHOOLS

PARENTS MUST REALIZE CONSOLIDATION IS FAIR

I am a retired teacher and have felt for years that the Board of Education has not had the gumption to consolidate schools when under pressure from local communities protesting the closing of their schools.

I agree with The Advertiser that small schools need to be closed and that the process for doing so must be expedited in these difficult economic times. Funds used for staffing small schools are desperately needed in overcrowded schools in growing communities.

Parents and communities are being selfish when they protest the closing of their schools by not looking at the big picture, but only their personal interests. Why should students in small schools have the luxury of a small class size when other students elsewhere are suffering in large overcrowded classes? It is totally unfair!

Continuing with the status quo in not acceptable and by school consolidation, we can fairly and equitably distribute our limited resources for all students statewide.

STATE SPENDING

ABUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT

Hard-working Hawaiian citizens may be more than a little annoyed to find that a state employee traveled to L.A. for the Grammy Awards at a cost of nearly $3,000 last year, that $130,000 was shelled out for water-cooler decorations at the Convention Center, that $2,400,000 is allotted for substitute custodians in public schools, and that nearly $7 million was approved in a 2008 budget for an elephant facility at the zoo.

In spite of state budget director Georgina Kawamura's projected deficit of nearly $550 million in fiscal year 2010, government bureaucrats continue to mismanage taxpayer dollars on less-than-vital items. The Citizens Against Government Waste and Grassroot Institute's 2009 Hawai'i Pork Report is the first publication in the state to expose egregious abuse of public funds and provides a list of concrete examples of waste during this tough economic downturn. Before assenting to tax increases and curtailed essential services, the government should work harder to be cost-effective, transparent, and accountable to the citizens they claim to serve.

STATE BUDGET

SLOM SHOULD GIVE MORE THAN A LAME ANALYSIS

Sen. Sam Slom's analysis of the state's budget woes is the lamest so far. Who could have guessed it would be one-note Sam?

He is quoted as saying, "Our problem is not a shortage of money, it's a shortage of accountability." Why didn't we all see that state government has enough money and we simply need to spend it more wisely?

All right, Senator, stand up and be accountable. What specific proposals do you have for cutting $1.8 billion from state spending?

PIT BULLS

MEDIA TO BLAME FOR BIAS AGAINST BREED

I hate to see the term "pit-bull mix" used in the paper or on television whenever there's an attack on someone. If it's a mixed dog then it's a mixed dog; don't single out one part of its bloodline and leave the rest under the term "mixed." If you can't tell what the other bloodlines are then say what it really is, a mixed dog, and leave it at that.

The media is the reason why there's so much animosity toward a breed of dog that is no worse than other breeds if raised right. Dogs do not have a predisposition toward evil; unfortunately I can't say the same about those who wish to commit genocide on these animals.

NEW POLICIES

TEXTING, GAMING BAN EXAMPLE OF USELESS LAW

We are indeed fortunate to have politicians, courts and a police department to make sure our scofflaws are nurtured.

The state and local politicians make a concerted effort to make sure there are sufficient useless laws for the average citizen to find one to ignore.

The most recent, outlawing text-messaging and game-playing while driving, is a fine example. They continue to pass laws that the courts deal with in a slap-on-the-wrist fashion and that the police, individually and/or collectively, refuse to enforce. Some other examples are the boom box law; pedestrians in crosswalks; crossing solid lines on the road; and speed limits in residential areas.

I'm sure there are more; however, it is easy to see how passing laws just to keep one's name before the public does not serve the public well.

We should all be aware that the scofflaws we create now are the examples our children will follow.

GUANTANAMO

MORE GOOD MOVES LIKE PRISON CLOSURE NEEDED

Closing Gitmo Prison is a good move; leaving Guantanamo Bay and returning it to the Cubans is a bold move and the correct one. We need to stop occupying land that belongs to the people of Cuba.

Legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples is a good move; granting legal marriage status for same-sex couples is a bold move and the correct one. It's a civil rights issue, not a religious one. We need to start making bold moves, not partial baby steps.