City officials forget meaning of 'service'
Something is not right when the mayor and managing director make more money than the governor (
Star-Bulletin, May 5). They only oversee the City & County of Honolulu, while the governor oversees the state of Hawaii. In fact, with the pay raises that are planned, the Royal Hawaiian Band director would make almost as much as the governor.
This is just not right! Public service is just that -- public service. Pay raises shouldn't be handed to an individual just because they hold office and the salary commission or City Council thinks they should get a raise. They say it is to keep up with the private sector. Elected officials run for public service to serve the people, but it looks like it's all about the pay. Salaries should be capped for all positions; that way, there is no need for salary commissions or extra duties for the City Council to worry about. People running for office would know what the pay is and could decide whether to run or stay in the private sector.
Conflict of interest also comes into play when the Council decides if the mayor should get a pay raise, because sometimes a Council member runs for mayor.
James Rodrigues
Ewa Beach
Critics are tossing cheap shots at Colt
That was a cheap shot from Star-Bulletin sportswriter Kalani Simpson to University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan regarding Brennan's parking comments (
"Sidelines," May 8). Brennan is standing up and asking for simple things. We don't all expect UH facilities to be like a PAC-10 school, but come on, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out something is wrong if basic needs cannot be met.
Up until now, I have always been supportive of the Star-Bulletin, but if the company is going to turn into something like "The View," I will no longer support or advertise, and will cancel my subscription.
Al Kam
Honolulu
Schools should be warned about fumes
A long time ago, before World War II that is, the local radio stations, all two of them, KGU and KGMB, would interrupt their programs to carry alerts that there was going to be practice firing of the cannons at Fort Armstrong that day. Then, later in the day, their loud booms would be heard as they were fired out to sea.
Also, they carried alerts to sugar and pineapple field workers when the weather was bad that there wasn't going to be any work that day.
Now it's time for the many radio and TV stations to carry alerts for school children and teachers not to go to school that day because there is going to be insecticide spraying or other noxious discharges in their neighborhood.
Ted Chernin
Punahou
Gambling money should stay in Hawaii
Ten years ago you published my letter suggesting we create offshore gambling. Now Hawaii tourism officials claim the state will lose $220 million from the pullout next February of the Pride of Hawaii cruise ship (
Star-Bulletin, April 17).
How much longer is Washington going to let us suck up federal money because we don't know how to be self-sufficient? The more money they give us, the more who become homeless here.
Hawaii residents spend more than $100 million in Las Vegas yearly. Why are we the only resort in the world with no offshore gambling? Why is everything profitable in Hawaii illegal, causing more crime problems?
As others have suggested, perhaps we should have law enforcement and politicians come over here and run the islands. We're not doing a very good job.
Monica Lewis
Honolulu
Standardized tests lower self-esteem
As a teacher in the Department of Education, I have been both a witness and a victim to the pressure placed upon teachers to ensure that all students pass the high-stakes tests being administered to measure their achievement. The message this sends to children is that their unique abilities are deemed valuable only when evaluated by a paper and pencil test as meeting or exceeding a set of pre-determined standards. As a result, their feeling of self-worth diminishes and a disinterest in learning emerges.
We are no longer living in the Industrial Age that prepared children to work in factories where they would be required to memorize and repeat information. Our current society possesses a strong need for critical thinking skills that will prepare its members to produce innovative results. When we force children to memorize and recite information, we are merely placing the plant in the pot and watching it as we know it should grow. However, when we allow children to engage in meaningful activities that are relevant to their lives, we are planting the seed and waiting to see what could flourish as a result of our contribution to the development of their learning.
Traci Takehara
First-grade teacher
Salt Lake Elementary
Freedom of speech includes the airwaves
Regarding the tiff between the Senate and the KSSK radio jocks (
Star-Bulletin, May 8): If members of the general public do not like what they hear, they will vote with the channel setting on theirs radios. This little dial is the life force of commercial radio. Free speech includes misguided thought; senators should have thick enough skin to deal with the public.
Both sides should be able to handle this situation as pau, move on and let the public decide who they get their information from.
Tom Cook
Honolulu
What was the motive behind his questions?
I'm surprised by
Larry Price's racist comments. He already knew the color of Sen. Gary Hooser's eyes and where he was born, yet he wanted to make it known to the listeners that he was making a point of this blue-eyed "haole" who has lived in Hawaii for 37 years. But Price's point doesn't make sense.
The blue-eyed senator is in the legislative minority, culturally. If Price, as reported, was trying to make a point that our legislators did a lousy job this year, perhaps he should have addressed this issue with a senator who is culturally in the majority.
To apologize to "anyone offended" is a cop-out and not an apology at all.
Let's stop making "us vs. them" out of issues and work together constructively for the best Hawaii we can be.
Mary Anderson
Kaneohe
Remarks being blown out of proportion
I had the pleasure of doing the stock market reports for KSSK for more than five years and had numerous opportunities to speak with
Larry Price. As a blond-haired, blue-eyed transplant from the mainland (19 years now), I never once had the impression that Price had any racist thoughts ever. He is someone you could talk to and get very insightful views from.
I think this issue has been blown way out of proportion and agree with Mike Perry's view that the apology was unnecessary when looking at the context of the entire interview.
Jim Rogers
Honolulu
A person is much more than his skin covering
It is clear that
Larry Price is unaware of the meaning of "aloha." The word "aloha" means "I see the spirit within you." What this means is that a person is seen for who he/she really is, which is the spark of God, the spirit soul. Seeing a person thusly means you transcend the covering and relate directly to the essence of the person. In other words, the body is merely a covering over the person residing in the body. The body can be Caucasian or Hawaiian or Oriental or male or female or white, black or brown, but this is not who that person is. Only someone who has embraced the true meaning of "aloha" can understand this.
It is sad that a person who was born and raised here can be so bigoted, and even sadder that a "haole" like me can see this more clearly than a native son.
Hesh Goldstein
"Health Talk" moderator
K-108 Radio
Honolulu
It's just business as usual on talk radio
Gerald Sato of the University of Hawaii says that "remarks similar to Price's do not belong on public airwaves because they stop productive dialogue"
Star-Bulletin, May 8). This is an idealistic sentiment certainly not supported by the facts.
The most highly rated talk radio broadcasters spew a cancer of intolerance on a daily if not hourly basis. Rush Limbaugh mocks Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as "the magic negro," Sean Hannity attacks all liberals and says Hillary Clinton is evil, Michael Savage denigrates all gays and most immigrants, and Glenn Beck insults everyone who disagrees with him.
This KSSK incident is not racist, it is not hypocrisy and it is certainly not the most serious attack on a politician. While I would never suggest Perry & Larry even approach the intolerance of these syndicated talk shows, I do believe their show has become far more aggressive and opinionated in recent years. What used to be funny, entertaining and a community service with "the posse" has become a forum for "we right, you wrong."
Civil discussions are becoming rarer and rarer. Or maybe they are simply not that entertaining. It takes time and effort to read both sides of an issue and even more skill to be able to listen to an opposing view. Talk radio promotes intolerance.
Jim Wolfe
Nuuanu
Put the 'Katoosh' on radio bigotry
We see in the
recent commentary by Larry "Katoosh" Price yet another example of the institutionalized racism that is systemic in Hawaii.
In addition to Price's ignorant assertion that whites cannot be local, he infers that a white not born in Hawaii cannot be trusted to represent the people -- even though those same people in Kauai and Niihau chose Sen. Gary Hooser by voting for him. I wish Price were only speaking for himself, but alas I'm afraid he is not. KSSK ought to put the "Katoosh" to Larry lest they appear to have him speak for them.
Wayne Kilthau
Formerly of Honolulu
San Jose, Calif.