Teachers have run out of faith in bargaining

As a Hawaii State Teachers Association member at one of Hawaii's few charter schools, I am concerned about the lack of integrity and good faith that Hawaii's teachers once again are being asked to accept.

Last April, teachers at Hawaii's charter schools were prohibited from joining their colleagues in a legal statewide strike. That was somewhat logical as we do have separate governing boards. However, to publicly show our collegial solidarity and our support of the issues at impasse, we walked the picket lines daily before and after classes at neighboring schools.

Now that the agreed-upon dates for receipt of back-pay -- back to 1999 -- have come and gone, teachers statewide are protesting the state's failure to honor its end of the agreement. To make matters worse, the local media are being used in a divide-and-conquer approach to rile the public against any consolidated teacher response that could jeopardize school openings this fall.

As the counselor at what may very soon become Hawaii's first "forgiveness school," I am personally challenged to accept this blatant show of bad faith by the powers that be. If the state's counselors -- who are trained to hear and accept both sides of most any issue -- aren't in accord with you, maybe it's time that somebody take a good hard look in the mirror. I may learn to forgive, but don't plan to forget.

Linda Heavilin
counselor
Lanikai Elementary School

State workers' survey was unfair comparison

The story about Hawaii having the highest percentage of state workers in the United States ("Isles have most state workers," Star-Bulletin, July 26) presents an unclear picture of the facts.

Whereas on the mainland more functions are performed by local governments, in Hawaii, state employees run everything from the public school system to airports, harbors, correctional facilities, libraries and public hospitals. More than 41,000 state workers here do work performed by county employees in other states.

A more valid comparison would have been made using Census Bureau figures for full-time equivalent workers (combined state and local governments) per 10,000 workers. Hawaii ranked just slightly higher than the overall U.S. rate of 534.78 in 2000. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia ranked higher than Hawaii in this regard.

Bruce Bottorf
Policy analyst
State of Hawaii

Blood donors are Earth-bound angels

To blood donors everywhere, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Since last October I have received 88 units of blood from you including a record of 53 units during one of the five surgeries I have had.

Without you I would be on "the other side," so while I am still on "this side," I want to express my deepest, most sincere gratitude. You are the angels of my life.

Barbara B. Sloggett

[QUOTABLES] "I think all of us have a cynical side, and we have to keep that in abeyance for now." Jim Dator, Vice chairman, University of Hawaii-Manoa Faculty Senate Executive Committee, saying the ambitious plans of UH President Evan Dobelle can inspire the faculty. "The peak of the roof was removed. It is actually pretty ugly...People can blame the neighbors who filed the lawsuit." Roger Moseley, Attorney for the Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple of Hawaii in Palolo Valley, on lowering the temple roof after a 13-year legal fight with neighborhood homeowners. An attorney for the neighbors said the roof still doesn't comply with height limits and the court fight will continue.

Keiki hula brings hope for the future

Just when you think you cannot bear to read another story about corrupt politicians, lost young women and yet another bank robbery, hope is restored by a few hundred young children sharing their culture, their music, their dance and their beautiful assurance that there will indeed be a future.

Mahalo to the Queen Liliu'okalani Keiki Hula Competition, the grand kumu hulas, their support groups and the talented youngsters who yearly perform this miracle, this celebration of faith and love.

You are indeed the future I want to be part of. May your kupe'e (bracelet or anklet) never fall off.

Arnold Van Fossen

State, citizens must battle invasive species

I was horrified when I picked up my July 1 Sunday Star-Bulletin to see the front-page article by Rod Thompson describing the feeding of feral pigs in Kaloko Mauka.

Those pigs are not the cute, squeaky-clean "Babe" who became a movie star. Feral ungulates are one of the biggest threats to native Hawaiian forests, and the piglets will grow to be huge feral sows and boars. They are highly destructive to yards, parks and forests.

Members of the Big Island Pig Hunters Association should have been contacted to rid the neighborhood of the feral pigs when it first became evident that the drought was affecting them. Lack of water was probably why they moved into the subdivision.

I also appreciated your feature in the July 8 Sunday edition on the coqui or shrieking frog. This frog is another menace to sanity of the community, as well as to the health of the forest. It has the potential to wreak havoc with the visitor industry. Already, visitors at hotels in Kapalua are complaining because the noise from the tiny frogs is so unbearable.

In order for the state to win the battle of invasive species, the cost would be $52 million per year. However, the cost of not doing anything is in the hundreds of millions a year.

The totally inadequate yearly funding for invasive species statewide is $7 million. Financially we are losing the fight. Citizen volunteers are going to have to join the battle, as the state will not be able to hold back the invasive species threat due to the cost.

The public needs to be aware of what this means for the future. More front-page articles dealing with invasive species are needed. Good job!

Annette Kaohelaulii
Kaneohe

Suisan auction was worth preserving

Besides being a successful commercial operation that served Big Island fishermen for almost a century, the Suisan fish auction company was also a top tourist attraction in Hilo. Located along the waterfront at the mouth of the Wailoa River, it was in easy walking distance from the hotels along Banyan Drive.

Whether Suisan's demise last month was a result of over-regulation by the federal government or the company's unwillingness to change is unclear. What is clear is that Suisan closed rather than comply with what its officials believed were onerous FDA reporting requirements.

Suisan was a cultural and historical icon worth preserving. Isn't it ironic that such a historical institution can be put out of business at least in part by federal regulations while state and federal historic preservation regulations seem powerless to prevent it? Could it be that federal historic preservation rules protect only things, not people or institutions?

Dave Kern

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