PLASTIC-BAG BAN

IF LEGISLATORS CARE, THEY MUST ACT WITH COURAGE

In response to Peter Boylan's article, "Plastic bag ban bill opposed," (Feb. 6), I'm writing to encourage consumers to remember that we live, work and play on a precious group of islands.

So I read with growing frustration statements from the Retail Merchants of Hawai'i and Hawai'i Food Industry Association about how concerned they say they are with protecting Hawai'i's environment, and offering alarmist scenarios in the face of a proposed ban on plastic shopping bags.

Shame on them. Is recycling one option? Absolutely. Tie a knot? Not a real or long-term solution.

Those who profess concern for Hawai'i's families and natural resources should step up with courage, acknowledge that the plastic-bag era is pau, demonstrate some marketing creativity (i.e., cloth bags with logos, etc.) and stop insulting consumers who are smart enough to figure out alternatives, just as they have in Mainland cities and entire European countries.

Our elected officials must effectively deal with this issue now. Defer action and you defer the health of Hawai'i's environment.

TRASH

ALL OF US MUST ATTACK O'AHU'S LITTER BLIGHT

The Jan. 27 Advertiser reported that Americans have been curbing their littering habits in recent decades.

It's a disgrace that O'ahuans are clearly bucking this national trend. Trash (both intentional and accidental) along our highways and streets is becoming an eyesore.

Litter, when combined with potholes, defaced road signs, and tall invasive grasses lining our highways, makes driving an unpleasant experience in many parts of our island.

Our litter blight must be attacked jointly by government, organizations and individuals. What happened to the old "Don't Be a Litterbug" campaign?

OVERDEVELOPMENT

IMMIGRATION MUST BE LIMITED TO STOP GROWTH

Ka Iwi vacation cabins in Hawai'i Kai, skyline condos at Punchbowl, Turtle Bay development on the North Shore - developers are in everyone's backyard and everyone is screaming "sustainability."

We only have two options. Ask Gov. Linda Lingle to buy everyone's backyard or tell Congress to limit legal immigration to reasonable levels.

Legal immigration is at record levels and is the only thing driving our nation's unprecedented population growth. At current legal immigration rates, we fill a city the size of Los Angles, 4 million people, every three years, something it took L.A. 100 years to do.

Developers are only messengers telling us that overdevelopment is knocking at all our doors. In the '90s, we all paid the price and saved Sandy Beach. There is no way can we afford to save all of Hawai'i's Sandy Beaches.

What should we do? Continue to shoot blanks at all the overdevelopment messengers at our neighborhood board meetings or meaningfully direct our aim (vote) at the ones who should have done something about this but haven't, our congressional representatives!

Stop overdevelopment. Congress, limit legal immigration. It really is that simple.

READING PROBLEM

POOR CHILDREN IN U.S. LACK ACCESS TO BOOKS

Garrison Keillor ("Whispering to the angels: Help Johnny read," Feb. 3) thinks we have a reading problem and phonics is the answer.

The only reading problem we have is the problem every country has: Children from low-income families have less access to books at home, in school and in their neighborhoods. They therefore read less, and as a result of reading less they read more poorly.

The problem is not a failure to teach phonics. Contrary to Mr. Keillor's statements, every child in the U.S. is taught basic phonics. The furor is whether they should be taught "intensive systematic phonics," an extremist approach that insists that all major rules of phonics be taught in a strict order to all children, including many rules that are extremely complex and have many exceptions.

The Reading First program that Mr. Keillor is enthusiastic about has not produced any meaningful improvement on national tests, despite billions of dollars and hours of extra instruction.

Our priority should be to help poor children get more access to reading material. An obvious first step: Strengthen public and school libraries in high-poverty areas.

POLITICS

BUMPER STICKER AN EXAMPLE OF MISOGYNY

Recently I spotted a bumper sticker that must be commented on. This sticker read: "I wish Hillary had married OJ."

Basically, this bumper sticker is advocating the murder of women. O.J. Simpson's wife was brutally murdered, and a U.S. civil court found Simpson liable for her murder. This sentiment shows no sympathy for Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, and is saying it's all right to murder a woman when you don't like her (in the case of Hillary Clinton).

The recent murder of Janel Tupuola shocked many in the state, and brought the conversation of stopping violence against women to the forefront. Statements like the one on this bumper sticker only serve to show us how far we have to go in the struggle to keep women safe.

It is not acceptable to promote violence against women. Political statements are one thing, but promoting murdering a female candidate because you don't agree with her views is unacceptable.

This bumper sticker is not an example of political humor. It is an example of misogyny, and while the bumper sticker won't hurt anyone, the flippant attitude toward violence against women will.

ROAD RAGE

VIOLENCE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT IN ISLES

I'm a 23-year-old female. Recently, I experienced one of the most terrifying things in my entire life.

I was driving home from Pearlridge when a driver stopped short in front of me to wave to someone at the bus stop - almost causing me to run into his bumper. This alone scared me and I honked at him.

He then got out of his car and approached my vehicle. I rolled up my window because I knew he was going to do something. He then bashed my driver's side window, trying to break it, screaming at me.

Then, before he walked away, he punched my driver's side mirror, which shattered and broke off.

He sped off and I called 911. I wasn't able to get the license plate number, and now I am stuck paying for the damage.

This is the second time I have witnessed violence in the last six months, and the first time I have personally experienced it.

I believe this is becoming a more frequent problem, and I believe the violence is escalating.

Hawai'i is no longer the paradise I once knew.

GOVERNMENT

NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE NEGLECTED FOR TOO LONG

It's time that our lawmakers and government officials become reacquainted with the Constitution of the United States, which under Article VI they are sworn to uphold.

To understand the Constitution is to know that the purpose of government is to serve the people. Anyone who is not committed to this should step down, because the needs of the people have been neglected long enough.

Government's priority is to take care of the needs of its people, and funding should also follow this path. All nonessential programs should be discontinued or not be pursued unless priorities are first met.

Why should our parks, roads, schools, teachers and other needs be neglected? Why is our cost of living so high, yet our community so run-down?

If government doesn't have enough money to meet the needs of its people, then it should cut spending on unnecessary programs and projects.

Government has an obligation to take care of its people, and if it is not going to do it, government officials should be fired so someone more willing and able can take their positions.

MONEY AND PRESTIGE

EDUCATORS BRING IN MANY TANGIBLE RETURNS

Bryan Yamashiro said in his Feb. 4 letter that no one is outraged when educators leave the state because they don't bring in money and prestige. June Jones brought in "oodles," educators don't "bring as much tangible returns."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Educators are hired to educate. Professors aren't judged by how much they bring in, but by whether their students go forth to live productive, ethical lives in a changing world. Researchers are judged by how their work advances understanding of our world.

But let's talk tangibles. A U.S. Department of Commerce study shows that a college graduate brings in $900,000 more than a high school graduate over a lifetime.

Those with master's degrees earn $1.3 million more. The University of Hawai'i-Manoa graduated 2,836 undergraduates and 1,094 masters in 2006-07, generating an increase of approximately $3.97 billion in future income in just one year.

UH research brought in more than $210 million in 2007. With an economic- impact multiplier of 3.5, that's $735 million of "tangibles," much of it spent locally on salary, services and supplies.

As to prestige, prestige is having your students come back and tell you that you made a difference. To most researchers, it is having your work form the basis for future advances.

We don't need fancy cars or paparazzi. At UH, many of us would settle for a roof that doesn't leak and having our windows cleaned so we can tell when the sun is shining.