Go ahead and tell China we're real sorry

Dear Editor,

This is the letter that I, and I am sure many others, would like to see the United States send to China.

"Dear China,

"We're sorry that you don't train your fighter pilots better. As a token of our apology, here's a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000.

"We're sorry that your front-line fighter planes can't outmaneuver a 35-year-old, prop-driven airliner. Perhaps you'd like to consider purchasing some surplus 1950s-era Lockheed Starfighters from Taiwan who just replaced all theirs with shiny new F-16s.

"We're sorry that you believe your territorial waters extend all the way to Australia. For future reference, here's an American sixth-grade geography textbook. (Please take note of the copyright information printed inside the cover.)

"We're sorry that you can't seem to see your part in this incident. We know that it may seem easier to blame others than to take responsibility. Consider this while we build several new Aegis destroyers for our friends in the Republic of China (Taiwan).

"We're especially sorry for treating you with such respect for the last 20 years. We'll definitely rethink this policy, and will probably go back to treating you like a common untrustworthy street gang very soon.

"We're very sorry for ever granting you most-favored-nation trading status. This will be rectified at the soonest possible opportunity.

"Sincerely,

"United States of America"

Susanne Dykeman
Aiea

Gambling won't solve our problems

Here we go, again, looking for the easy way out. Let's bring gambling to Hawaii to pay all our bills! Who cares what it does to our state and people?

I lived and worked in Las Vegas in the mid-'60s, before I moved to Hawaii. There is a great difference between visiting a gambling resort and living in one. It's a magnet for people who believe that gambling will solve all their problems, too. It doesn't solve problems for individuals, and it won't solve problems for government in Hawaii.

Governor Cayetano says if we have gambling it should be restricted to the Kona area. I'm still trying to figure out the twisted logic that came up with that idea.

What do we know about professional gambling, for sure? If the house didn't ALWAYS win, it wouldn't exist.

Why don't we just try to run our government honestly? I think the biggest gamble we take, right now, is when we elect someone to office.

Robert G. Devine
Ocean View, Hawaii

[QUOTABLES] "I think most of us are shocked we're actually standing out here. All of our education and training, and it's come to this...walking a picket line." Randy Larsen, University of Hawaii chemistry professor, describing the demeanor of UH picketers as the faculty strike entered its sixth day. Larsen said his colleagues seem convinced that striking is the only way to raise public awareness of the faculty's low wages and other grievances. "Our youngest child is 60." Michael McCarten, State administrator of Kalaupapa, the settlement for Hansen's disease patients on Molokai, reacting to 2000 census numbers that listed Kalaupapa as having the lowest population percentage of children in the United States, at 2.04 percent.

Teachers may lose sympathy of public

I strongly support fair pay raises for teachers, but I am concerned that their negotiators are coming across as greedy and unresponsive. I'm a former insurance underwriter, and have completed contract negotiations with thousands of small businesses.

It was obvious that the 11 percent pay raise proposed by the governor and the 22 percent pay raise proposed by the teachers were opening offers, and that both sides would eventually settle for less.

But when the governor made a good faith gesture and upped his offer to 14 percent with some adjustments to improve efficiency, the teachers should have reciprocated by coming down from 22 percent, agreeing to at least token changes to improve efficiency, and possibly even delaying the strike.

Instead they turned the governor down cold. This was a serious public relations blunder, and may turn the tide of public sentiment toward the governor. I hope the teachers' representatives will get back to the table soon with a counteroffer.

Jim Henshaw
Kailua

Governor 'fiddles' while education burns

Newscasts covering the governor's activities on the first day of the strike said it all. While thousands of teachers and professors were picketing to draw attention to the state's crisis in education, the governor was being interviewed during a break from entertaining himself at the local car show.

Seeing his image on television and observing his seemingly cavalier "let them strike a few days" attitude reminded me of a certain Roman leader who fiddled while his city burned.

Let's hope that the despot analogy ends there and that, somehow, much needed wisdom and righteousness surface through the strike ashes and lead to a long overdue renaissance in education priorities.

Manny Cabral
Professor of mathematics
Leeward Community College

UH strike threatens $1 billion industry

Aloha and mahalo to Star-Bulletin columnist Rob Perez. He appears to understand the value of the University of Hawaii to the state of Hawaii. His column, "UH in danger of being lost in the fray" (Star-Bulletin, April 6), demonstrates that fact. The major issue is the fact that a $1 billion per year part of our economy is shut down due to this strike.

Another real issue is the question of maintaining the quality of the university. Are our children going to be able to attend a university, or just another high school that we call a university?

Quality education costs, but that cost is recouped many times over by any state that supports higher education. Currently Hawaii is dead last out of 50 states in the support of higher education.

Our "leaders" seem unable to understand the difference between a college degree and a high school education, the difference in income, pleasure gained in life and, yes, higher taxes paid by the college graduate! Perez is so correct, "The university is the soul of the community."

Roland Clements
Professor
Kapiolani Community College

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>> HSTA Web site
>> UHPA Web site
>> State Web site
>> Governor's strike Web site
>> DOE Web site

Ban fishing for awhile to let them replenish

I am 9 years old and I like to fish. I used to catch lots of fish in Lanikai. I never catch fish in Lanikai any more.

I think the Hawaii Marine Fisheries should shut down some fishing spots for while to let the fish come back.

If it does that in Lanikai that would be great. Then other fishermen and I could catch fish again. Please help the fish and me.

Nick Foti
Kaneohe

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