Forget commandments; post Boy Scout values

With the intense controversy surrounding the idea of posting the Ten Commandments in our schools, why not post the Boy Scout principles instead?

The Scout Law: "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent."

The Scout Oath: "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the scout law. To keep myself physically fit, mentally awake and morally straight."

The Scout Motto: "Be prepared."

Now these are some real values for our kids.

Ray Graham

What does it take to get taxes reduced?

Local government's spin on the raising of property taxes is very amusing. Tax percentages were increased, again, to cover the shortfall of our current economic downturn. Yet instead of finding ways to minimize the cost and size of government, the burden is again shifted to the taxpayer.

Our government officials were voted in to lead no matter what the economic situation. Instead of telling us that real property taxes are not increasing, why don't they promise us that taxes will decrease when property assessments go up again?

Does anybody believe that will happen? Getting a tax reduction is more difficult than pulling teeth.

Jason Chin
Kamuela, Hawaii
Via the Internet

Wrong information is confusing homeowners

There's still a lot of confusion among property owners regarding the City Council's decision on property tax rates. The rates were adjusted to bring in the same level of revenues next year as the city received this year.

The vast majority of property owners calling our Real Property Assessment Office were pleasantly surprised when we calculated their taxes. In reality, 54 percent of property owners will pay less and 4 percent will pay the same as last year.

They had been led to believe they were going to pay a great deal more when that just wasn't true.

Chris Diebling
Deputy Director
City Department of Budget
and Fiscal Services

Swimming pool would be folly for park

I spend a couple of hours a day, seven days a week, volunteering at Makiki Park. I pick up rubbish and rake leaves. I even turned a dump into a pretty good flower garden.

Three years ago, there were a half dozen workers in Makiki Park and nearby Cartwright Field. Now there are only two men to take care of four two-story buildings, the playing fields and four public restrooms. The restroom fixtures are often blocked for months and leak all of the time.

Now the city is putting a swimming pool in the middle of this park. If the city can't afford to maintain four public restrooms, how will it staff and maintain a swimming pool?

If there must be a pool, it should not be in the middle of a playing field. Build it in the Keeaumoku Street lower parking lot, which is where hoodlums gather at night to drink, take drugs, have sex and vandalize city/county and private vehicles. The evidence is there every morning.

Darold D. Braida

Quotables "Innuendoes about backroom deals are absurd. Someone's imagination is running wild." Ben Lee CITY MANAGING DIRECTOR In response to the accusation by some City Council members that Mayor Harris tried to sneak through a permit for a Fourth of July carnival at Ala Moana Beach Park "The first guy wrote me (saying) that I was exploiting 'Baywatch.' I was going to write back, 'Baywatch' is exploiting Hawaii." Larry Rutkowski PEARL CITY BUSINESSMAN After being sued by producers of the "Baywatch" TV show for registering the name Baywatch Hawaii the day after Governor Cayetano announced the series would start filming in the islands

Union helps students become drug-free

This past school year, Tory Winward and Allan Los Banos Jr. from the AFL-CIO Plasterers and Cement Masons union, Local 630, formed a partnership with Waipahu High School. They spoke to students about being drug free, committed them to signing contracts, and distributed T-shirts with a drug-free message.

Throughout the school year, the students wore the shirts as a reminder to themselves and others to be drug free; 75 percent or 1,616 students chose to participate in this program.

For those who are not drug free, the T-shirts were a visible message that they have a choice in their young lives.

I'd like to publicly commend Tory, Allan and the Masons for their initiative and commitment in making Waipahu High School a drug-free campus. With such strong partnerships, we are making a difference!

Fay Toyama
Vice Principal
Waipahu High School

Hokama was excellent DOE administrator

I was astonished to learn that Aileen Hokama would not be reappointed as the Department of Education's Central District superintendent.

Astonishment turned to disbelief when I read Paul LeMahieu's reason: He wanted to bring in someone to establish a long-term positive relationship with the community. The implication was that Hokama had not done this.

For the past four years, Hokama has cultivated a very positive relationship with the military community, whose students comprise more than one-third of the student body of Central District schools. In fact, Hokama was awarded a special citation from a former commanding general.

I suspect the real reason LeMahieu withdrew Hokama's nomination was the age-old story of "kowtowing" to some special-interest group that opposed her. Sadly, Central District is the loser.

Chrissy A. Morris
Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa

What's so Hawaiian about topless revue?

I would like to paraphrase a passage from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran: He who wears his "Hawaiian sense of place" but as his best garment were better naked. The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.

An assistant manager of a major hotel chain makes inquiries about receiving a liquor license for a topless entertainment show. And then he assures us the show will have a Hawaiian sense of place.

Too often political and business leaders use that phrase to cover up their own personal agendas.

Carlino Giampolo
Via the Internet

Voters are to blame for complacent politicos

The Star-Bulletin should do all of us a favor by e-mailing last Saturday's "Expatriates' Corner" column by Tom Kappock to all of our elected officials, from the governor on down. It is clear from their do-nothing attitudes that they just don't get it.

Of course, why should they? The voters keep returning them to office.

Hmmm, perhaps it is not their fault after all.

James Ko

Via the Internet

Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes

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