Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Letters
to the Editor

Write a Letter to the Editor

Saturday, February 10, 2001

Teachers must scrape by on salaries

I am a veteran elementary teacher who was born and educated in Hawaii. Collectively, teachers are extremely frustrated that we must again write letters to the governor and the newspapers to solicit support for public school teachers.

Our "education governor" needs to understand that good teachers are the "wind beneath the wings" of students. We empower their spirits and challenge their minds. A sailboat without the wind tosses about without direction or purpose.

Computers will sit gathering dust without skillful teachers. Two highly paid computer programmers told me recently that learning to use a computer is the easy part. The more difficult challenge is for students to learn to think critically and to problem-solve collaboratively with others.

Over 50 percent of our public school teachers earned master's degrees in their field. What other professions pay as low as the state Department of Education?

It is now very difficult for most teachers to make a modest living. Too many of my colleagues are working two jobs to make ends meet. A Kihei School teacher, a single mom with three children, works three jobs!

I know some who cannot afford to pay more than $600 in rent. Some qualify for free school lunches. Governor Cayetano, have a heart.

Susan M. Lussier

Quotables "We are producing graduates who are learning in conditions no students should ever learn in and no teacher should ever have to teach in." Joan Husted EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF NEGOTIATOR FOR THE HAWAII STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Adamant that public school teachers must get a 22 percent pay raise over four years "We're not going down without any kicking and screaming because we're good at that." Colette Machado OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TRUSTEE Emotional about predictions that the upcoming Patrick Barrett vs. State of Hawaii federal court case may threaten the existence of government programs for Hawaiians

Use local actors for local commercials

For the majority who don't know, and some who don't even care to watch TV commercials, we have hundreds of loyal, well-versed and experienced actors and aspiring acting extras like myself.

We reside here and sit by the phone, waiting for that inspiring call from various agents around town. We seek the glorious chance to get paid and appear in a local TV ad, or in an upcoming, economy-boosting movie.

But jobs are few and far between as it is, with people leaving town for greener pastures. So when a fine institution like Bank of Hawaii, with keen interests at home, introduces acting extras from the mainland to perform in its TV ads, one has to wonder where its loyalties lie.

I was particularly miffed on viewing this, and so are a number of others of influence in the industry, who are intimately aware of unfamiliar individuals appearing on the screen. Now I make my deposits at American Savings, which seems to have a more devoted interest, and has developed a Web site for local entrepreneurs.

John L. Werrill

Greenspan merits an MVP award

Who is the Most Valuable Player in the world today? Is it a leader of one of the major nations, or the scientist unravelling DNA, or the golfer earning the most money, or a software giant?

I nominate the chairman of the federal reserve, Alan Greenspan. He is not just a symbol of American economic preeminence but has reached in some way into every home in our country. When the economy in other nations has faltered, the American boom has helped them recover.

E. Alvey Wright
Kailua

Governor damages university

Cayetano has insulted department heads

In your Feb. 2 issue, Governor Cayetano made a disturbing comment about the University of Hawaii. He said there is "shoddy management" at UH "at the department-chair level."

I take strong exception to this blanket indictment of myself and my fellow faculty members who are chairmen. Among the large number I work with, I know of little "shoddy management." What is the basis for his statement?

On a number of occasions, the governor has questioned the efficiency of university administration. He may have forgotten that chairmen are not part of the administration.

They are faculty members recommended by their faculty colleagues and appointed by their deans. The deans represent the first level of management.

In my program, I am trying to foster an environment that is supportive, collegial and intellectually rigorous for students as well as faculty. To do this at a time of drastically reduced resources is difficult enough.

But to be singled out as responsible for management problems within UH is unfair, adding insult to injury.

As an individual educated at this university and committed to its vision, I find the governor's comments to be unfortunate and personally hurtful.

Ricardo D. Trimillos
Chairman, Asian Studies Program
University of Hawaii at Manoa

Criticism of UH was unwarranted

Although the threat of a strike on the part of the UH faculty is disturbing, I am more deeply troubled by Governor Cayetano's criticism of the faculty at Manoa.

The graduate faculty of the School of Social Work has shrunk to 11 members -- one of whom is also the acting dean -- due to funding cutbacks and faculty members being lured to more lucrative teaching positions on the mainland.

Last semester many graduate classes had well over 20 students in them. It was discouraging to finally arrive at a higher and more expensive level of education to find class sizes so large.

Yet the faculty, although small in number, did a good job of providing us with the education we will need to serve the growing demand and need for social services. They do this while simultaneously providing the people of Hawaii their own services in the form of research and community work.

I am a student relying on financial aid for the cost of my education and living expenses. Should a strike occur and I lose my credits for this semester, my graduation will likely be pushed back another year. Thus I will lose the time and money spent on this semester of my education as well as incur more expenses to make up for what will have been lost.

It seems unbelievable that the state has been unable to negotiate a contract that is acceptable to the UH faculty. This has gone on for too long and is an embarrassment. A strike is totally unacceptable, and I will consider Cayetano personally responsible if there is one.

Tracie N. Kam
Graduate Student, School of Social Work
University of Hawaii at Manoa

What exactly did Bainum learn during trip to Brazil?

Thanks for reporting, in your Jan. 24 issue the unanimous decision of the Ala Moana/Kakaako Neighborhood Board to support Resolution 00-280. It calls for temporarily coning off the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes that will be eliminated from Kapiolani and Ala Moana boulevards to make room for this glorified streetcar.

This coning off of lanes will allow measurement of the actual impact of proposed changes to existing traffic-flow patterns.

Even though most major U.S. cities have eliminated their existing streetcars to make more room for private vehicles, Councilman Duke Bainum has refused to even schedule a hearing for this important resolution. It would save hundreds of millions of dollars and years of wasted time.

Bainum seems to be afraid to look at the significant problems of the bottlenecks and gridlock that will accompany the loss of two lanes on Kapiolani and two more on Ala Moana. These were discussed in my Dec. 6 letter, and in the Dec. 27 letter by Conrad Okuma, "Answers still needed about bus rapid transit."

In Bainum's Dec. 25 letter, he claims to have had an "invaluable experience" going all the way to Curitiba, Brazil, to see its version of the BRT. I saw one picture of it by using the link in your Dec. 5 online article at starbulletin.com.

It shows a picture of some red buses there -- with very few private vehicles in the outside lanes. This merely proves that this system will work in a place where there is only a small fraction of the number of private vehicles we have today in Honolulu.

What invaluable lesson did Bainum learn from his South American journey?

Wally Bachman

Autograph hounds covet athletes' signatures

This is in response to the story and photograph in your Feb. 2 issue about adults exploiting children in order to obtain autographs from professional football stars.

My son and I were pictured on the front page of the paper, trying to get an autograph. But I am not one of those aforementioned exploiters of children. I was offended by the picture, as I found it to be a defamation of character.

My son and I are true football fans who actually try to get these autographs for sentimental reasons. We put these autographs on a shelf in our house. Just to see my son's face brighten as he obtains an autograph is worth the three-and-a-half-hour wait. My house is full of these items and I would love to show them to any of these overpaid superstars.

Although I do not sell these items on the Internet, what is the difference between some average fan selling an autograph for a buck and an overpaid, pro athlete selling his services for $50 at a card and memorabilia show?

Finally, I would like to thank Kurt Warner, Dante Culpepper, Torry Holt, Peyton Manning, Rich Gannon, Elvis Grbac and others for taking the time to sign our stuff and to show that, yes, there are some truly classy people left in professional sports.

James Duclos

Gambling's ill effects are exaggerated

What Hawaii's economy needs is the adrenaline shot that gambling revenues would provide. Could legalized gambling really be so bad?

After all, the 48 states that permit this activity don't seem to be plagued by the rampant lawlessness so direly predicted by its opponents.

Despite their shrill warnings about gambling's evil effects, uncounted numbers of Hawaii parents have relocated to Las Vegas and are choosing to raise their children there. Can they all be wrong?

Governor Cayetano and House Speaker Say have rightly brought up the subject of legalizing gambling at this time. Their proposals to utilize income from this source for educational needs and medical assistance for our elderly deserve serious consideration.

Someone said, "It's not a question of whether gambling will be permitted in Hawaii, but when." For the sake of our young people and rapidly growing senior population, make it sooner than later.

J. Lam

Don't inflict casino on the Big Island

We are very concerned by Governor Cayetano's softening stance regarding casinos in Hawaii. We are even more concerned by his comment about possibly having the first one on the Big Island.

If he thinks gambling will be good for Hawaii, then he should put the casino on Oahu. In fact, put it in Waikiki.

What is his thinking here? First, he wants to put a prison on the Big Island, and now gambling. Well, at least they go well together!

The governor wants the $35 million promised by the casino developer, and Hawaii County residents get the fallout from the casino. Sweet deal.

But we will get the trash that's attracted by the casino -- the destitute, desperate, compulsive gamblers; the inevitable attendant crime; disrupted families; and domestic violence and abuse.

Worst of all, we get a complete change of values and ambiance on our beloved island. No longer will we get the many tourists who are just now discovering the wealth of beauty and natural resources of this place.

They'll stay away in droves once the casino is in full swing because they'll want nothing to do with the kind of energy that's attracted to casinos.

Just as the economy of the Big Island is beginning to recover and we're becoming recognized as a worldwide tourist destination, it will all change just to satisfy the governor's insatiable and unconscionable greed.

Skip and Camille Thomsen
Kapoho, Hawaii

Clinton apologists can call it a day

In his Feb. 2 letter, Keith Haugen characterizes the $200,000 damage to White House offices and equipment by departing Clinton staffers as minor and President George W. Bush as milking the situation.

Really? Some people are incapable of viewing Clinton and his cohorts through anything but rose-colored glasses.

Hopefully, the era of Clinton apologists and spinmeisters is over. Adults are finally back in charge at the White House.

Janice Pechauer

---

Write a
Letter to the Editor

Want to write a letter to the editor? Let all Star-Bulletin readers know what you think. Please keep your letter to about 200 words. You can send it by e-mail to letters@starbulletin.com or you can fill in the online form for a faster response. Or print it and mail it to: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or fax it to: 523-8509. Always be sure to include your daytime phone number.