TEACHERS ALREADY SACRIFICE ENOUGH

I am incredulous that teachers are asked to take a pay cut. We took a pay cut the day we became teachers. I do not want to cause trouble with other unions, but we all know full well that many city and county employees get overtime. When have teachers ever earned overtime?

We went into this profession because we have a passion for teaching. We knew we would never get rich, but we knew we would always have a job. When the economy was booming, teachers did not benefit from it; we got a cost-of-living adjustment, at best.

During the last "recession" (1994-95), they used a payroll lag to make ends meet, with the promise that it would be reversed when times improved. We are still left with a payroll lag.

What about the stimulus money? What about the hideously overpriced rail system in these dire economic times? A pay cut for teachers? I think not, and I will vote no on any contract presented to me that asks the teachers, once again, to sacrifice. Lucky I have a job? No. It is called planning, education, sacrifice and commitment.

Jamie Stidger | Ka'a'awa

KAPI'OLANI PARK

WORKING ALONGSIDE MAYOR WAS THRILLING

Kudos to Mayor Mufi Hannemann and his city team for organizing the sprucing up of Kapi'olani Park Aug. 22. We, of the Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club, were thrilled to work along-side Mayor Hannemann and his team, picking up trash, shoveling dirt and filling in numerous holes on the fields.

Many of our club's teams and players use Kapi'olani Park daily for training and games, and we were happy to volunteer to help the city with the upkeep of this great park. Everyone in the community benefits from a good city park system.

Derick Kato | Director of operations, Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club

MEDIA BIAS

NEWS ON CLINTON, OBAMA WAS ASKEW

We recently had two examples of media bias in the national news, ranging from the invidious to the ridiculous.

The first example was the pundit coverage of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks in response to a Congolese student's question on what her husband thought of a Chinese trade deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her response that she was the secretary of state, not her husband, was appropriate and mild. This translation misunderstanding was rectified with a handshake later on. It did not warrant the level of coverage that it received in television news. The focus of her trip was the gender-based violence used as a tool of war that continues today in the Congo. Where was the coverage of the horrific plight of African women raped and tortured with impunity?

Then there was the ridiculous coverage of the first lady's shorts, which were neither short nor inappropriate for a summer vacation in the Grand Canyon.

This inane news item reduced this powerful and gracious woman to a fashion icon. Where was the coverage of the issues she supports — help for military families, helping women balance career and family and encouraging national service?

Ann S. Freed | Mililani

SEN. GABBARD

'PARTY OF INCLUSION' SHOWED ITS TRUE SELF

The recent upholding of the Democratic Party's reprimand of Sen. Mike Gabbard for taking a stand of conscience against civil unions, which was tantamount to condoning same-sex marriage, shows how far the party really operates from its slogan as the "party of inclusion."

Yeah, right, as long as you toe the party line and cave in to the "cause du jour" and their lobbyists.

Sen. Gabbard is to be commended for standing firm with his convictions, ideals he espoused before his entry into politics and has not changed. He stands for traditional family values and continues to represent the vast majority of his constituents' desires to see the nuclear family strengthened and encouraged, not further diluted and undermined, especially in these difficult days when so many families are facing the added stresses of job and benefits losses. Auwe!

These Democratic leaders want to be "politically correct" at the expense of Hawai'i's people who have already resoundingly voiced their opposition to same-sex marriage, and contradict their party's own founding principles by disciplining one of their members for standing by the convictions of his conscience and his constituents.

Kent Kitagawa | Pearl City

TOWN HALLS

HIRONO SHIRKS DUTY TO TALK TO VOTERS

It appears that Ms. Hirono has time to attend a well-staged meeting where she received all questions beforehand and spoke to a group that was selected by the host.

Her ridiculous claim that she did not want to have a town meeting because everyone would be shouting is very misplaced. She has a duty to talk to us as we elected her.

She is in hiding as she does not represent the vast majority of her constituents and treats us as if we had "stupid" stamped on our forehead.

I can't wait to work against her in the coming election and replace her with a good representative.

Rein Hollar | Kane'ohe

HEALTH CARE

KENNEDY WORKED UNTIL END FOR REFORM

The world lost a part of its heart on the day Sen. Ted Kennedy died.

Sen. Ted Kennedy did not go to Washington, D.C., to make a name for himself; his family already gave him that.

Sen. Ted Kennedy did not go to Washington, D.C., to make himself wealthy; his family already gave him that.

Sen. Kennedy went to Washington, D.C., to make sure others had an education, health care and the other benefits that give dignity and respect to all citizens of the United States of America.

It is fitting that single-payer health care reform is passed quickly and named after Sen. Ted Kennedy. He worked so hard for this, even to the day that he died. We have to put aside egos and any other thing that keeps our country from facing its responsibility for giving hope back to the people with health care for all.

For the rest of us, we have to work harder on ensuring that dignity, respect and equality continue to improve the lives of all Americans. Sen. Ted Kennedy lived to help our country and all of us.

Carolyn Martinez Golojuch | Makakilo