Movie about chain gang
exaggerated the dark side

For Pete's sake, does Diane Chang think that the work gangs being used in some states are modeled on a 1932 movie (March 3, "Sweating over the idea of a chain gang")?

Why doesn't she visit some of the states that actually use criminal work crews for cleaning up communities and see the conditions. I guarantee that they are not regularly beaten, subject to unending physical labor, have squalid living conditions, etc.

Most prisons and jails today are decent, orderly places where the prisoners are better fed than they are when on the streets doing drugs.

Mary Paulson

Professor goes overboard
with 'Most Wanted' letter

Morris Saldov opines in his March 1 letter that the "10 Most Wanted" poster should not be shown on TheBus since four of the 10 are Hawaiians or part-Hawaiians. It might be OK to show them on a web site or in the newspaper, but their appearance on TheBus is a "visual assault" and a personal indignity since his mission at the university is to educate students that Hawaiians are not a "bunch of criminals."

This is all too rich. And to think we pay this guy's salary out of general funds.

So these posters on city buses do not portray a positive image of Hawaiians and work against the educational mission of the writer? Excuse me?

The purpose of these posters is to identify Honolulu's more wayward miscreants and enable the general public to help police catch the low-lifes.

If there were no pictures of the felons who happened to be Hawaiian, it wouldn't work. And wouldn't it be misleading and strange not to include any Hawaiians in Honolulu's "10 Most Wanted" list?

Perhaps TheBus should submit all printed materials to Professor Saldov for prior approval before publication. This step would preserve self-esteem and ensure high standards of political correctness throughout the land.

David Sohmer

Software development
is a natural for Hawaii

I have just learned from my state representative that House Finance Chairman Calvin Say refused to even hear the bill to give a tax break to computer software development companies, legislation which the Business Development Committee approved.

I am sick of a few prima donna committee chairmen running the people's branch of government like a dictatorship. No possible good is served by killing this bill.

There are only a handful of software companies in Hawaii now, so the state would not lose much current tax revenue. It would cost the taxpayers less money than those outrageous "sweetheart" pensions that Rep. Say has consistently voted for himself.

Software development is the perfect kind of business for Hawaii. It is ultra-low impact, high-revenue manufacturing in an industry of the future.

We ought to be falling all over ourselves trying to encourage software companies to move here if we don't want to be forever dependent on tourism and the military.

Lunsford Dole Phillips

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Teacher contract

New teachers' contract
is a real loser for everyone

During the recent teachers' contract negotiations, there was an extraordinary amount of "smoke and mirrors," and much misunderstanding still exists. Now that a "tentative" settlement has been reached, everyone can clearly see the results.

Public teachers' salaries, for many years, have simply not kept up with inflation and the rising cost of living. This has resulted in the lowest teaching salaries in the nation, the lowest starting salary for any profession in Hawaii, and a huge turnover of teachers in our schools.

This "tentative" settlement simply maintains the teachers' present place. There is no raise here. This is an insult.

Governor Cayetano then proceeded to demand that seven days be added to the work year without adequate dialogue with teachers. Another insult.

Cayetano has not been listening, and evidently our HSTA negotiators did not listen either. The question is, who is still losing?

David T. Fullaway
Makawao, Maui

Cayetano should get an 'A'
for new teachers' contract

I am writing to express my support for Governor Cayetano's reasoned and reasonable contract settlement with Hawaii's public school teachers.

The teachers received a long-awaited and deserved pay hike, which will raise the average teacher's salary from roughly $35,800 to $41,400. A seven-day increase in the school year comes along with the raise.

Adding more days to the school year was a great idea on the governor's part. His contract solution shows his commitment to both teachers and students.

Kevin J. Flannelly

Non-teachers have nerve
criticizing instructors

To all the Mark M.S. Youngs and Ron Boyers of Hawaii (Letters, Feb. 22), who think that teachers are already "well-paid" and don't deserve a raise: If you really believe that teachers' salaries and hours are that great, come on over and join us as "pampered professionals."

If you think you'll just work seven months, better check our schedules first. If you think our day ends at 2 p.m., check again. Do visit many of us at 4 p.m. in our classrooms or later in our homes to help us correct papers and plan lessons.

If you think I'm going to take being called "incompetent" and bear the entire blame for public school test scores (which are not the lowest in the nation, so why perpetuate that myth), how dare you! Check the facts. Better yet, come teach with me to be sure that our students are not "mal-educated."

Kamaile Shultz
Social Studies Teacher
Mililani High School

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Same-sex archive