They want to tax us, and then give it back?

Believe it or not, the Senate Democrats at the Legislature want to pay for a tax decrease by raising taxes (Star-Bulletin, April 28). We could throw darts at names in the phone book and get people with more common sense than that.

Unions use fear to control politicians

There is no mystery why public sector employee pay raises became a top priority this year. Next year their handlers will remind them to cast their ballots against those who opposed their pay raises. They will ask the private sector employees to understand their urgent need and forget, when the money runs out a little sooner each month, we are paying the price for their good fortune.

Subs work hard, but teacher do more

I apparently have missed something in the substitute teacher pay issue. While I agree that they should receive the level of pay promised them, I do not understand the logic of the substitute-regular teacher work parity, as claimed by the substitutes.

How many substitute teachers write curriculum, lesson plans, grade papers, complete and submit student performance data? How many of them take schoolwork home with them to work on outside the normal school day(s) that they are employed as substitutes? How many of them attend training/professional development sessions on their own time?

As it stands now, I don't see the claimed work parity. Perhaps someone could explain.

Teachers should be paid for performance

Everyone deserves a pay raise. But do the teachers deserve a raise of 10 percent while the headlines read that Hawaii has one of the lowest ratings for student performance? A smaller pay raise according to performance is in order.

No reason for such long lines at stadium

On April 16, there were thousands of fans at the University of Hawaii vs. Rice baseball game at Les Murakami Stadium. At the concession stand there were two cash registers and two people taking orders for food and drinks. There was plenty of room for at least two if not four more registers. Because there were only two registers, two long lines formed. It took me about 20 minutes to get to the front of line to order and receive my food and drinks.

Had there been more registers, the concession workers, who were clearly doing their best, would have been able to serve more fans. The concession workers undoubtedly would have raised more money for their organization. Instead, they turned away many fans who were frustrated with the inexplicably long lines.

Could the stadium have someone selling drinks or food in the stands like in the good old days? Could the stadium please install more registers so the fans don't have to wait 20 minutes in line just to buy a hot dog and drinks?

The stadium authority should have known many fans would be in attendance. It was a Saturday night game against a ranked opponent. Clearly, there must be a better way to manage the concession stand. If nothing is done to rectify the situation, the stadium and/or fund-raisers will lose out on a lot of future sales. Not to mention, fans might not want to attend the games for fear of missing an inning or two simply for buying a hot dog and drink.

Texas visitors have aloha to share

Aloha and mahalo to the Texas Roadhouse conference attendees! They exemplified the true aloha spirit (Star-Bulletin, April 27). They not only contributed millions of dollars to Hawaii's economy, but gave to our charitable causes with unsolicited money and labor in Waianae and other parts of Hawaii. More than 1,000 conference attendees volunteered to help.

They even welcomed everyone in the Ko Olina area and the surrounding neighborhood to their privately sponsored shows. The shows included stars such as Willie Nelson, the Doobie Brothers and Earth, Wind and Fire. And to top it all, they did it graciously. They even provided bleacher seats for the public.

And yet, they don't even have a restaurant in Hawaii. The Texas Roadhouse group truly exemplified the aloha spirit!

UH should heed Eisenhower's warning

Amid continuing militarization of Hawaii as a strategic base of the war-fighting United States, the sit-in protesters at Bachman Hall who seek University of Hawaii independence from secret Navy research deserve recognition and support as freedom-fighting defenders of civilian autonomy.

In addition to their own consciences and beliefs they can draw patriotic inspiration from President Eisenhower's 1961 farewell warning for Americans "to guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex." Expressing respect for "the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery," he warned, "the prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present -- and is gravely to be regarded."

UH needs to clarify and implement in its own strategic plan the vision of becoming an independent servant of peace, not of war, for the people of Hawaii, the United States, Asia-Pacific and the world.

Food pyramids send scary message

Wat to eat? Mo' betta we no eat nuthin' and starve to death. Den no need worry about wat to eat and wat not to eat, no?

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