Delaying kindergarten serves educators, not kids
The state finds it difficult to educate our children. The solution? Keep them out of school!Two bills have been proposed that would raise the age children must be before they may enter kindergarten. Advocates are DOE administrators and BOE members who are more concerned with statistics than education, and preschool and daycare lobbyists, who would welcome a law virtually forcing thousands of children to remain in these expensive, private programs for an extra year.
Supporters of the bills conveniently overlook studies that prove children benefit enormously from early education programs; the younger the child the more marked and long-lasting the benefits. If a few children are struggling in kindergarten, let's not kick them and all younger children out.
Modify the instructional program.
Saul Steier
Cynthia Ward
(Via the Internet)
Bright children need to start school by age 5
House Bill 3483 proposes to change the age requirement for entry into DOE kindergartens. If enacted, it will delay entry into kindergarten by one year for all children born between July and December.I am opposed to this bill because it discriminates against children who are developmentally ready to start kindergarten at age 4 years, 9 months to 5 years, 3 months.
The bill states that children who are not ready for kindergarten have low self-esteem because they cannot keep up with their peers in class. The flip side to this argument must also be considered. A number of cases have indicated that extremely bright, well-adjusted children who are held back in pre-school have behavioral problems due to boredom.
The entry age should not be changed. The people who know the child best (primary care-givers, pre-school teachers, kindergarten teachers and parents) should make the decision as to whether a child is ready for kindergarten.
Shiyana Thenabadu
(Via the Internet)
Sid Fernandez didn't deserve to be grilled
Isn't it a shame that Councilman Mufi Hannemann has sought to redirect public scrutiny from his controversial Home Depot decision and play petty politics against Mayor Harris by attacking one of Hawaii's most beloved sports figures, Sid Fernandez?During Hannemann's inquisition, he questioned Sid's role as an executive assistant to the city sports industry development program and wondered if Fernandez was delivering enough "bang" for the dollar.
I fully agree with Mayor Harris' assessment of Mufi's cowardice in the face of some small-business opposition to Home Depot in Pearl City.
Randy Dela Cruz
Aiea
Kau people get no respect from folks in Honolulu
It's the good ol' plantation days again, foisted upon the rural poor by the good ol' boys. Rural Kau is fighting to protect its community integrity and lifestyle from the "benefits" of a prison most don't want.At the same time, they and rural North Kohala are fighting to preserve their health care, which is threatened by the lack of funding from the Legislature. Rural health care doesn't pay for itself. Apparently, our leaders are willing to sacrifice lives for dollars.
Legislators have become the lunas for the governor (the plantation manager) and his gang of cronies -- the public workers unions, the banks and other big businesses.
Sadly, the governor and many legislators seem to have forgotten their roots or at least their parents' roots. Cries of racism would be heard if the governor and legislators were mostly Caucasians, rather than the other way around.
Richard Boyd
Hawi, North Kohala, Hawaii
Mayor's indecisive streak is beginning to irritate
I supported Mayor Harris in his last two elections. Lately, though, his indecisiveness on everything from running for governor and now his failure to staunchly defend Home Depot is really irritating me.Where were his concerns for taxpayers or his defense on the charges of the city's special treatment of Home Depot before the vote on Feb. 18? The last time I saw him supporting Home Depot strongly was at a press conference (naturally) in early '97 to brag about its interest in Hawaii.
Yet when the allegations got hot and heavy against Home Depot, Harris sat in his office hiding, obviously afraid to take a stand. And now he wants to blame the City Council?
His penchant for indecision must change if he wants to be governor!
S.M. Lum
Mililani
Society is hypocrital about users of drugs
Regarding the International Olympic Committee's reinstatement of snowboarder Ross Rebagliatti's gold medal: Denying the achievements of drug users to send the right message to our children is foolish, unless we do it in a consistent manner.Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Eugene Delacroix all smoked hashish, so we really should deny the greatness of works like "Les Miserables," "Hunchback of Notre Dame," "The Three Musketeers" and "Count of Monte Cristo."
The Delacroix painting of Liberty leading the people: Ban it from our children's textbooks! Get rid of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women," too, and the works of Yeats and Wilde. These writers smoked hashish, and we should not confuse our children by honoring them.
We should also ban those jazz musician postage stamps that our government recently issued, since many of those musicians smoked pot or used heroin. And please stop listening to the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.
We must do these things. Only then can we protect our children from that dangerous thing called truth.
John McClain
(Via the Internet)
Legalized gambling ought to be a low priority
Our legislators seem to be short on ideas to improve the economy. May I suggest that they make a priority list?At the top should be proposals that will save money down the road. Examples are education, prenatal and newborn care, and youth programs to prevent crime.
At the bottom should be programs that are bound to bring higher social costs. It will not help to exploit people who can't figure the odds against solving their problems by gambling.
Maurine King
Cayetano should be commended for listening
While I have been very critical of the Economic Revitalization Task Force's tax proposals, it is important to note that the governor has obviously been listening to the community's reactions. This was shown in his recent proposed changes to the plan. Hopefully, he will continue to listen.While I still don't agreement with the tax proposals -- in particular the proposed rise in the general excise tax and failure to propose higher income tax brackets for very high-income residents -- I admire Cayetano's honesty, courage and willingness to backtrack after hearing the community out.
Now it is up to the Legislature and the rest of us.
Ruth Ellen Lindenberg
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