Editorials
Tuesday, September 29, 1998

Germany’s elections end
Helmut Kohl era

HELMUT Kohl is stepping down as chancellor of Germany after 16 momentous years. Few leaders have left such a deep imprint on the shape of post-World War II Western Europe. Kohl began his chancellorship back in the Cold War era, when Germany was still divided into East and West. He was a contemporary of Ronald Reagan in the United States, Margaret Thatcher in Britain and Francois Mitterrand in France.

Kohl outlasted all of them, governing a reunited Germany through much of the 1990s and the challenges in the wake of the collapse of Soviet communism. His Christian Democratic Party's defeat in Sunday's elections turns the reins of government over to Social Democrat Gerhard Schroeder, a former Marxist student leader who abandoned his youthful faith in socialism and campaigned as an economic centrist.

Kohl's historic achievement was the reunification of Germany, a bold decision that became something of a political and economic headache. Germany's 10 percent unemployment rate is in part due to the continuing challenge of modernizing the former Communist zone. But Kohl was undoubtedly correct in moving swiftly to incorporate the former Soviet satellite into democratic Germany, despite the problems that came with it.

The new governing party is seeking a coalition with the Greens but may turn to Kohl's Christian Democrats if negotiations with the environmental party fail. In any case, no dramatic changes in Germany's foreign policy are expected.

The major issue in the election campaign was the economy and how to revive it. Even in that area, no radical changes are likely -- certainly no turn toward socialism. Similarly, the Labor government in Britain led by Tony Blair is committed to free-market principles.

Kohl had a great run that surprised many who took him too lightly. He leaves with the European Union about to introduce a common currency. This is another significant step toward integrating Germany with its neighbors and former enemies, an effort in which Kohl has been a leader. His departure from the chancellorship closes a chapter in the history of Western Europe as the turn of the century approaches.

Special education

HAWAII'S Department of Education has received low marks again in its effort to comply with a federal court order that it improve educational and mental-health services for children with special needs or disabilities.

A new report by a court-appointed monitor should be fair warning that the state must invigorate the program or face tougher controls.

Court oversight was prompted by a 1993 class-action lawsuit on behalf of Jennifer Felix and other children against the state alleging that it had failed to provide adequate services for children with special needs. Judge David Ezra ruled the state was in violation of federal laws providing for mental health, education and other services for disabled children. Under a 1994 consent decree, the state agreed to comply.

Five years later, according to court-appointed monitor Ivor D. Groves, the state has made some progress but is woefully behind in a timetable aimed at bringing it into compliance by June 30, 2000. Groves concluded in a 46-page report that "urgent changes" are needed to bring required quality and consistency to the program.

While the Department of Education's intentions may be good, Groves said, its understanding of what is required has left it lacking in enough qualified personnel. He cited the rejection of an application from a certified teacher in Texas with 10 years' experience in special education as an example of the DOE's lack of diligence in improving the program.

Lee Grossman, parent of an autistic child in Hawaii's public school and vice president of the Autism Society of America, contends that very little of the tens of millions of dollars allocated every year for special education "is getting to the actual children in terms of services that they need." If that is an accurate assessment, the problem is not one of financial resources but of efficiency.

Groves says a positive step may have been the hiring of Paul LeMahieu as state schools superintendent. LeMahieu expressed disappointment in the state's record in trying to meet the Felix decree's deadline for compliance. The threat of being cited for contempt should provide incentive to improve the program.

Airline strike costs

IT could have been worse. State officials figure that the 15-day strike by Northwest Airlines pilots cost the Hawaii economy $10.7 million and the state lost $1.3 million in taxes. Those numbers would have been larger if many Northwest passengers hadn't found seats on other airlines, notes the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. As it was, DBEDT analysts estimate that the strike cost Hawaii 8,400 passengers who would otherwise have come to the islands.

The strike kept 397 Hawaii-based pilots out of work and on the picket line. In addition, the airline laid off 478 Hawaii-based flight attendants and about 300 other Hawaii employees when the strike was a week old. The strike ended when the union ratified a new contract on Sept. 12.

With tourism numbers shrinking anyway, the strike was another burden for the industry. It served as a reminder of Ha-waii's vulnerability to the vagaries of airline industry disputes.

Fortunately, airline deregulation has brought more flexibility to the market and reduced Hawaii's reliance on the dominant carriers. But when negotiations break down and airline employees go on strike, there is little to be done at the state level except urge the parties to come to an agreement quickly.

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Rupert E. Phillips, CEO

John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher

David Shapiro, Managing Editor

Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor

Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors

A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor