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State is unfair to local special-ed teachers

At a recent staff meeting, Maui High teachers were shown a video, "The Law of the Harvest." The message was simple: You can't grow good potatoes without properly preparing the soil. Unfortunately, it appears that the state Department of Education fails to understand the proverb, "As you sow, so shall you reap."

Our state has suddenly found itself under a court order to hire 300 additional qualified special education teachers. To do this, it has turned to a mainland "headhunter" called the Columbus Group.

Every taxpayer should be outraged at the $39-million price tag. Every teacher in the state should be equally outraged at being placed in the awkward position of working side by side with newcomers who will be making twice as much in wages and benefits -- a reported $100,000 per teacher. This is intolerable.

For decades, the state has ignored the pleas of the Hawaii State Teachers Association to "fertilize the soil." Our teachers are among the worst paid in the nation, a condition that forces many of Hawaii's brightest to leave simply because they cannot afford to live here. Pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Governors come and go, always pretending to be a friend of education to get elected. Their promises have been empty. Today, our educational fields are in shambles, Governor Caye-tano. You aren't surprised, are you? It is, after all, the "law of the harvest."

Dale Crabtree
Special Education Teacher
Kihei, Maui

Harassment of gays must be addressed

It is imperative that the state Board of Education adopt the proposed changes to the Chapter 19 anti-harassment policy, including the language specifying "sexual orientation." There is no more "at-risk" group in our schools than gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youths. They are at risk of rejection and violence from their parents, peers, teachers and even themselves.

An explicit condemnation of harassment of youths by the BOE and Department of Education is essential, as anti-gay bigotry still remains socially acceptable in contrast to the other categories in the anti-harassment policy, such as ethnicity, religion and disability.

I have visited close to 100 schools in the past eight years in my work as a University of Hawaii-Manoa professor of education. I have frequently heard the words "fag" and "gay" used by students at all levels; rarely are these slurs challenged by students or adults.

If there is any doubt about the necessity for sexual orientation to be explicitly included in the anti-harassment policy, the experiences one Hawaii high school student should be the clincher. She admitted her homosexuality in speaking in favor of the anti-harassment policy. She has been tormented by her peers ever since.

Paul D. Deering

New power line will improve reliability

In her Oct. 17 letter, Corinne Ching asks what businesses and residents should expect from the electric company. The answer seems fairly obvious: reliable power at reasonable prices.

That's what the electric company is trying to do with this new power line. The new line would be underground in the city and overhead in the mountains. I live in McCully, a densely populated area, and I can live with this.

Deep down, no one really wants to have new power lines installed. But heaven help us if there is a major blackout. That would drastically affect all of us.

Chizuko Nagano

Quotables "For them to embrace my work in interpreting a story so precious to them is more than I could have asked for." Linda Ching HAWAII PHOTOGRAPHER Honored that she was invited to China for an exhibit of her photographs, including those featured in her 1997 book, "Story of the Stone" "Well, I've been in business 50 years, so it takes 50 years to get going." Charles S. Ota MAUI BUSINESSMAN AND FIRST NON-HAWAIIAN TRUSTEE ON THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS INTERIM BOARD The wealthiest OHA trustee, with assets valued at more than $9.5 million, according to financial disclosure statements

Bone to pick over shortage of dog parks

I've been to the McInerny Bark Park and Diamond Head Bark Park with my dog, and she had a lot of fun. She got to run free and socialize with the other dogs. At McInerny, there's even a pond that the dogs can swim in.

Why are there only two dog parks on Oahu? The parks in my neighborhood don't allow animals at all, which means I have to walk my dog on the sidewalk. She cannot run free to get the exercise she needs.

There are some parks that are barely used, so maybe a section of them could be turned into bark parks. It would make the dogs around the area happier and make better use of the parks.

Christopher Montpas
Mililani

Arafat didn't order rioting

Your Oct. 7 editorial's categorical assertion that "Yasser Arafat called protesters into action to apply pressure on Israel to make concessions in negotiations" sounded as if you actually witnessed the event.

Fortunately, you toned down your rhetoric a bit on Oct. 19 by stating that "Arafat apparently called the Palestinians into the streets in a show of force."

It is not befitting for any paper professing objectivity to make such wild claims, no matter how closely you may be tied to an issue. Judging from the spontaneity with which rioting erupted after Sharon's unannounced visit, the only person who could have instigated the rioting would be Sharon himself. Let's pray for sanity, peace and objective reporting.

Saleem Ahmed

AJAs should vote in OHA election

The Japanese-American Citizens League (JACL), which is allowed under the U.S. Constitution to organize and promote its particular culture and political beliefs, recommends that its members not vote in the election of Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees.

In America, citizens don't have to join a club so it can guide and make individual decisions for them. It is foolish for people to relinquish their basic individual rights under the Constitution to leaders of any organization.

JACL's position is detrimental to the harmony among people of the Aloha State. Those of Japanese ancestry, or any ancestry, should not let their emotions bypass their inherent right to vote.

Earl Arakaki
Ewa Beach

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