Editorials
Tuesday, June 4, 1996
Report on Hawaii's children encouraging
HAWAII'S children score relatively high marks when their social and economic conditions are compared with those of their peers in other states. However, the seventh annual Kids Count Data Book prepared by the Annie E. Casey Foundation also indicates juvenile crime and teen-age births are on the rise in Hawaii and nationally.
The study's findings in Hawaii are generally encouraging, ranking the state 11th best overall in the nation in the well-being of its children and teen-agers, up from 17th last year. Hawaii has the lowest violent death rate among teen-agers and the second lowest rate of teen-aged high school dropouts.
Only 5 percent of Hawaii's 16-19-year-olds who have not graduated from high school are not presently in school; the national average is 9 percent. Hawaii ranks third lowest in deaths of children and 11th in infant mortality.
These numbers should reassure those people who are alarmed by the occasional violent youth crime that makes the headlines. Bert Matsuoka, director of the state Office of Youth Services, comments: "I think the numbers are actually refreshing and I hope the public can see that Hawaii is still a pretty good place. " Indeed it is, although as Matsuoka notes there is much still to be done.
The worst news in the study is that births to girls aged 15-17 in Hawaii rose by 30 percent from 1985 to 1993, while the national rate climbed by only 23 percent.
Arrests of Hawaii juveniles on charges of homicide, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault rose during the same period by 35 percent, a discouraging number. But the national increase was even worse - 66 percent.
With juvenile crime and teen-age births on the rise, every effort should be made to avoid reducing funds for social services dealing with those problems. What should be avoided are major expenditures on high-security facilities for violent juveniles, for which the statistics show there is little need.
Other editorials in brief:
Palama Settlement
ONE of Hawaii's finest social service institutions, Palama Settlement, has kicked off a year-long observance of its 100th birthday. It is drawing extraordinary attention because it is an extraordinary place.
Going into its second century, the settlement is looking for more private donations to meet its $1.3 million annual budget.Kalihi-Palama needs it as much as ever.
Republican convention
HAWAII Republicans have wisely positioned themselves on the opposite side of the tax issue from the Democrats. When the ruling party held its state convention, the Democrats passed a resolution calling for higher taxes.
The Republicans avoided fallout from a divisive issue by rejecting an anti-abortion plank but got entangled in another by supporting a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. They are in our judgment on the wrong side of the same-sex issue, but at least they made clear their disagreement with the Democrats, who voted to leave the issue to the courts. The GOP thereby gave the electorate a choice - "not an echo" - and choices are much needed in this largely one-party state.
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Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor