[ TEACHER STRIKE ]

Cooperation is needed now that UH reopens

In the strike aftermath, let us work together with aloha and compassion to welcome our students back to the University of Hawaii. This has been a difficult and trying experience for them and the rush to complete the semester, during a limited time period, poses further difficulties.

We need our students' continued good offices to keep our university among the leading institutions of higher education. Our kokua to everyone during the healing process.

Paul W. Dixon
Professor of Psychology and Linguistics
University of Hawaii at Hilo

Students were big losers in the strike

I am a student at Washington Middle School. Like all the students of the public schools, we are the biggest losers in the strike. Why? Teachers will get a raise. The governor won't run for office again. But I want to say a few words to the teachers and the governor.

The teachers should be realistic. Most people in Hawaii are not well-paid compared to the people on the mainland. They are willing to stay because of the pleasant weather and the culture. Also, they care about the education in Hawaii. So they have to make some kind of sacrifice. Educators are candles. You burn yourselves, but enlighten all of us.

Many, if not most, politicians in Hawaii send their children to private schools. That is why they don't care so much about public schools.

It is a shame for the governor to let a strike occur during his tenure. Governor, I will remember you as a "great" governor because for a couple of weeks we all got to hang out at Ala Moana Shopping Center.

Sonia Yuan
Sixth -grader
Washington Middle School

Education flaws are clear to an outsider

I've taught special education for 21 years in my home state on the mainland, and this past school year I've been working as a school counselor in a public school here.

I am baffled about how one individual, the governor, can have so much power over the education system. What has happened to the checks and balances that balance power between representative and executive authority? The Board of Education seems powerless to run the schools.

Why isn't there a dedicated source of funding for education so schools don't have to compete with aquariums, golf courses and a host of other politically influenced projects?

I believe Hawaii's unique single-district school system and BOE are outdated in today's era of accountability. I don't foresee improvement in the educational picture here until control of policy and distribution of funding is brought closer to the local areas and their patrons.

Regarding special education, my home state is considered a leader in services and innovation. Yet I see the special education services here in Hawaii as more comprehensive and much better coordinated. What more does Judge Ezra think can be done?

I have enjoyed my experience here, and I am heartened by the current tremendous popular support for the teachers. But major changes are needed in the system before the children of Hawaii get the education they deserve.

In the meantime, more teachers will be forced to leave this beautiful state to go where they can earn the compensation they deserve.

Jocelyn K. Howard

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

[Quotables] "The dog bites but it doesn't hurt, so we'll just take our chances -- and that's what's happening." Stephen Hironaka, State's only tax investigator, on how some taxpayers are complacent about paying what they owe, thinking the state won't enforce the tax laws. "Oh no, I like having a vacation." Michelle Pearson, A fifth-grader at Aiea Elementary School, on hearing that the state and striking public school teachers had reached a settlement and classes will resume tomorrow.

Why bother to hold elections at all?

The Democrats want a few hand-picked members of the Legislature to decide what bills get voted on.

I've got a great idea. Since Speaker of the House Calvin Say and Senate President Bobby Bunda think the people they pick are best able to make decisions for us, let's not waste all of that money on elections in 2002. Just let Say and Bunda pick the people they think are best for the job. The way they stack the rules we'll get the same results.

Pam Lee Smith
Ewa Beach

Legislature returns to old secretive ways

It is remarkable how quickly things can go backward at the state Legislature.

Many years ago, committee meeting times and places were not announced. After public pressure, they started giving notice so that the public could observe and take part.

Ten years ago, chairmen were often the only legislators present at committee hearings and made decisions unilaterally. The first step away from that, led by Les Ihara and other reformers, was requiring that a quorum of committee members be present at decision-making and that their votes be recorded.

The remaining problem was conference committees. Often these hearings were recessed and reconvened at unknown times and places. Sometimes new bills and amendments were introduced and passed at the last minute. Often the committee chairmen made unilateral decisions.

Finally, last year, the leadership agreed under public and legal pressure to announce all conference committee meeting times and places, to only discuss bills and amendments that had already been heard in public, and to require a quorum and recorded votes at decision-making.

Some people predicted chaos, but in fact, things went more smoothly than usual.

Now, committee chairmen suddenly have veto power over their members' votes. Whoa! First, why should some legislators' votes count more than others?

Second, this seems to conflict with Senate Rule 22-3, which says that bills are passed with a majority vote. This rule hasn't changed, so how can chairmen overrule a majority?

Finally, this is big step backward toward a dictatorship of the chairmen. Why should committee members go to hearings and vote when the chairmen can do what they please?

In the past, committee members occasionally overruled their chairmen. Now the chairmen have absolute power. And as Lord Acton said, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Larry Meacham
Spokesperson
Common Cause Hawaii

Legislature Directory
Legislature Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes

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Dobelle's salary rivals UH football coach's

Concerning your April 23 editorial on new University of Hawaii president Evan Dobelle's salary ("Secrecy prevailed in Dobelle's selection"), I agree that $442,000 is a great deal of money to pay a university president, and to keep it a secret is indeed an outrage.

Keep in mind, however, that UH pays a football coach even more than that, I think; the figure has not been released to the taxpayers.

By the way, the U.S. president now receives an annual salary of $400,000, effective inauguration day 2001. Not that Dubya needs the dough...

Chad Blair
Professor
Hawaii Pacific University

City officials abrogate free speech for money

I'd like to remind Honolulu City Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura of his former position on First Amendment rights.

Five or six years ago I was preparing to register voters as they were watching the Liliha Christmas parade. A city official had told me that it was illegal to carry on any activity on the sidewalk in the path of a parade.

Yoshimura, an attorney, told me to phone him if I got arrested, and he would represent me for nothing because no one could prevent freedom of speech on a public sidewalk.

Well, that was then. From what I've been reading in the papers, Yoshimura, the City Council, the mayor and the governor are more interested in preventing the Asian Development Bank delegates from being aware that the activities of the bank are viewed with disfavor than they are in protecting First Amendment free speech.

It was terrifying to view the response of the Quebec City police department, with its new high-tech crowd-control machines, during the Summit of the Americas conference protest. I actually began trying to talk myself out of being a demonstrator during the ADB conference.

But I decided that as a citizen of Honolulu I have a right to occupy the public sidewalk in front of the convention center -- and to the sides and in back -- and I'm going to do it. I will wear a polite sign: something like, "Down with the Asian Development Bank."

If anyone tries to keep me from the sidewalk, they will have to, in the words of the FBI, wrestle me to the ground. That shouldn't be too hard. At 74 and with a bum knee, I'm not very spry.

I know that in the 20th century the police were notorious for supporting the plantation owners against the workers. In the 21st century they very well may support the new plantation owners -- the hotel owners.

Dorothy I. Cornell

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Navy's verdict

Waddle will suffer for rest of his life

It's a shame that the Ehime Maru-U.S.S. Greeneville accident cost lost nine lives. But it was an accident.

But what more can be done for the Japanese? We have heard numerous heartfelt apologies and Cmdr. Scott Waddle's resignation from the Navy. What else do they want? A hanging? Sheesh.

This was an unfortunate accident and the key word here is "accident." I'm just saddened for the Waddles. His punishment is not only to retire from a career that was his passion, but to live with this fatal incident for the rest of his life. That's more punishment than any human deserves. I do feel for the Japanese, but many people have suffered from costly mistakes and accidents. The only thing we can do is accept our mistakes and learn from them.

N.A. Fernandez

NCO would have been court-martialed

My thought on the disciplinary action taken against Cmdr. Scott Waddle, the captain of the submarine that sank Ehime Maru killing nine innocent Japanese civilians, is that this is an example of white-collar crime privilege.

Had this been a 20-year blue-collar Army noncommissioned officer from Schofield Barracks veering his Humvee into nine Japanese tourists or nine local college students, I think he or she would have been court- martialed. And somebody locally would have indicted him/her for negligent homicide.

I also believe he or she wouldn't have gotten an honorable discharge either, much less being allowed to retire, even on the piddling pension of an Army enlisted person.

I also got the feeling that there was some "old boy" male supremacy stuff going on among the admiral judges.

And that brings up my thoughts on the teacher's strike. Teachers were the last to get a settlement with the state because they are predominantly women. And Cayetano prefers to deal with old buddies behind closed doors.

If teachers were mostly men, a teacher's starting pay would be closer to $50,000 a year.

Jim Brewer

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