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Not all days of paid leave are taken

May I comment on your Feb. 10 editorial about public workers taking a total of 55 days of paid leave each year? I see it this way: A public worker is entitled to 21 days of paid vacation. That figure remains the same since before collective bargaining.

The public worker is entitled to 13 holidays annually. But these are holidays to which all employees are entitled, if their employers agree to permit them. Those 13 holidays are not designated for public employees only. And 11 of those 13 days have been in effect for decades. Only two of those 13 days were the result of union negotiations.

Finally, 21 of the 55 days in your total are authorized sick leave, which in part require a doctor's certificate. Surely you will admit that inclusion of these 21 days is stretching facts a bit!

It may be that some employees do need the full 21 available days, but any department head in public service will support my view that it is unfair to infer that all of their employees do.

Stephen T. Murin

State workers should be able to nap

Many have been too quick to judge Sen. Rod Tam's legislation to permit napping by state government employees. You'd think Tam was trying to give state employees a new break from their work at government expense.

SB 2511 would merely provide legal provision for naps by state workers during their two existing 10-minute coffee breaks. Since many state employees have to take their coffee breaks in their work production areas, they would be given permission to nap by Tam's legislation.

So what if government workers sleep during their coffee breaks?

Mike G.H. Chun
Seattle, Wash.
(former Hawaii resident)

'Millionaire Mind' was rich learning experience

I absolutely loved the front-page excerpts from Thomas J. Stanley's book, "The Millionaire Mind" (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 7, 8 and 9).

The bottom line of Stanley's research -- into those who've both accumulated and maintained wealth -- is that financial wealth (and thus independence) equals income minus outgo. Therefore, a large income is not necessary for wealth, so long as one's income exceeds one's expenses.

I salute the Star-Bulletin for promoting the most radical and subversive anti-capitalist strategy yet devised: self-discipline.

However, you may now wish to look into the situation in Japan. It seems to have been following this strategy quite well, as indicated by the plethora of articles decrying Japanese consumers' failure to "revive" their economy.

For that matter, you might also look at the state of Hawaii, where sustainability might have a chance, if we could only control the politicians' push for less discipline and more growth.

R. Weigel
Aiea

Quotables "To the best of my knowledge, I've done nothing illegal or improper and my obligation is to continue working in the public's interest." Andy Mirikitani HONOLULU CITY COUNCILMAN Who denied any wrongdoing after FBI searches of his house, office and van in connection with allegations about kickbacks connected to employee bonuses "The kids on this program are not sexual predators." Doug Miller ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION OF THE HAWAII HEALTH DEPARTMENT Defending the state's decision to pursue the building of a 10-bed juvenile sex offender treatment facility at Waimano Training School and Hospital, despite its close proximity to Pearl City High School and Momilani Elementary, and strong community opposition to the idea

Fluoridation would mean control

The role of a legislator is not to control our personal lives. The preposterous notion of fluoridating our excellent water is a case in point.

If the governor feels the need to swallow fluoride daily, he is free to do so via supplements. To mandate that we all have to guzzle fluoridated water for the remainder of our lives -- regardless of allergies, unknown long-term side effects plus the sound of money going down the drain -- is scary.

Incidentally, couldn't the $12.5 million be utilized instead to upgrade our schools?

Kenny Lee

Kids don't drink water in the first place

As a child, when I was thirsty and would ask my parents for a soda, they would tell me to drink water. I also remember being required to brush my teeth after meals.

I didn't enjoy drinking water and brushing my teeth, but I thank my parents for this because my brothers and I have beautiful teeth, despite being born and raised in Hawaii. Meanwhile, all my soda-slurping contemporaries have some of the worst teeth imaginable.

This illustrates why I believe this latest attempt to fluoridate Hawaii's water is a ridiculous waste of time and effort. Has anyone stopped to ask whether today's kids even drink water in a quantity sufficient enough to where fluoride would be beneficial? I see island children sucking down soft drinks like they're going out of style; I don't see many drinking water.

Our municipal water supply is one of the best in the country. That is due, in part, to the fact that there are no added chemicals in the water. Let's keep it that way by dropping this issue of fluoridation, once and for all.

Alika Thompson

Rep. Chang is wrong about gambling

I want to be counted as one who opposes any kind of gambling, including shipboard gambling, in this state. There may be people at home "cheering it on from the sidelines," as Rep. Jerry Chang believes, but I am not one of them.

Those who oppose gambling do so for many reasons. Many of us understand and have experienced the disasters that any form of gambling brings to the family, community and state. Even an eight-year trial period is not advisable. Gambling simply does not belong in paradise.

Marjorie Ann Erway
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Good schools won't keep young people here

The Keaau community has done a great job of adding schools to the area to enhance the educational needs of its youth (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 10). However, government and community leaders agree that more needs to be done to help kids after they graduate.

Although the community should be proud of its accomplishments, it should continue to strive for better job choices. With a high unemployment rate, along with a high cost of living, Keaau's next generation might be looking at better opportunities on the mainland.

Ryan Tin Loy

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