IN THE EAR OF THE BEHOLDER

Alien frogs sound like wild beasts

Some folks may think the frog invasion in Hawaii to be silly. It is not. Just up the road from our property in Kurtistown on the Big Island you will encounter the epicenter of coqui frog country and it is scary.

Anyone who doesn't believe it need only drive to where Huina and North Ala roads intersect any evening for a listen. It will simply amaze you. It is like no wild beast you have ever heard on the islands and it is coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

To the Puerto Ricans, with no offense, we say keep your frogs to yourself. To the Food and Drug Administration, we implore you to allow us to try the caffeine mixture that will help us to eradicate them.

Terry Harvey
Kurtistown, Hawaii

Frog's music takes time to appreciate

I am disturbed by the bad press the coqui frog has been getting. If the coqui is so beloved in Puerto Rico, why can't Hawaii residents also learn to appreciate this little frog?

In the Caribbean, the coqui's whistling call is just part of the nocturnal tropical soundscape and people unaccustomed to it soon learn to get used to it. Usually they start to like it, as I did when I lived there.

It seems to me just a matter of attitude. Learn to accept the coqui, because any attempts to control it may end up being costly and difficult and could possibly have a negative effect on other local frogs and reptiles that are beneficial to us.

Eric Rosenfeld

Puerto Ricans can have their frogs back

With regards to the Puerto Rican coqui frogs and the Aug. 23 article, "Shrill frogs expand territory on Oahu," detailing the people of Puerto Rico's objections to our attempts to eradicate the frogs, may I point out a few things?

>>The frogs are not native to Hawaii. They threaten Hawaii's native environment. Puerto Ricans do not have Hawaii's unique environment.

>> We'll acknowledge the cultural objections of Puerto Ricans. How about them acknowledging our cultural objections -- that objection being that frogs screeching like "10,000 fingernails on a blackboard" is most not "a melodic blessing"?

>> Most of the residents of Puerto Rico do not live in Hawaii, and are familiar with and dislike others interfering with their territory (Does Vieques ring a bell?)

>> It's not that there is a lack of concern for their cultural objections. In fact, the Puerto Ricans are welcomed to "bring it (the frogs) back to our (Puerto Rico's) native soil." We'll just expect payment for trapping, shipping, and handling. Just show us the money, and we might put to work a few hundred unemployed laborers while improving our economy. Catching an exploding frog population, unfortunately, is quite expensive.

Sechyi Laiu
Waipahu

Andy Anderson fits in with Democrats

It is interesting, puzzling, and disappointing to me that in your Sept. 1 article about D.G. "Andy" Anderson's eviction of at least 160 tenants on the North Shore to redevelop his property into a "controversial gated community," you made absolutely no mention that Anderson is running for governor, which was reported in the Star-Bulletin two days earlier.

Did the Star-Bulletin have a lapse of memory? Or perhaps Anderson was hoping that the public would not realize that "Developer D.G. Anderson" was not the same person as "restaurateur and developer Andy Anderson, former Republican party leader and standard bearer (who) says he wants to run for governor as a Democrat" (Star-Bulletin, Aug. 29).

Anderson claims "not to be (my) father's Democrat," and he's absolutely right. He fits right in with too many of today's Democrats, who are mostly out-for-themselves instead of for their constituents, and who should be removed from-- not put into -- power.

Mona Valdez

Previous owner evicted the tenants

Your story on Sept. 1 on Velzeyland was inaccurate. All the facts are legally documented and have been reported in public hearings.

I did not evict tenants from their homes. The Japanese company that put this property on the market offered it "free and clear" of all liens and other encumbrances. Their attorney notified all of these people to vacate the property. Not me.

I do not own this land. It is owned by an insurance company in Spokane, Washington. I am a retained consultant.

As to a statement that "people are sleeping on the beach." I have to ask: Are these "people" Velzeyland families that were evicted or was this a general statement about the problem that Honolulu has?

The article used the description "gated community" in a negative sense, deliberately exploiting the rich-against-the-poor-scenario. You exploit a tragic situation and only make it more difficult for all parties. It is being proposed as a gated community since future lot buyers would own this road and would face severe liabilities should someone drive in and injure someone on the road.

When ever anybody gets evicted for any reason, it is hard for all. Many of these same people have asked and lobbied for a City park for this property. If successful, eviction of these families would be necessary but for a different purpose.

D.G. "Andy" Anderson

[Quotables] "We can no longer continue to compensate for inadequate facilities and administrative delays." Greg Kahlstorf Pacific Wings president, on the dropping of some flights due to costs incurred because of the state's failure to approve upgraded facilities for the Maui-based commuter airline at Kahului airport. "...it would be an invasion of state's rights. Hawaii is a sovereign American state; we're not a subsidiary of the federal government." Gov. Ben Cayetano In reaction to Schools Superintendent Paul LeMahieu's suggestion that a federal judge be called in to resolve the dispute between the state and the Hawaii State Teachers Association about the teachers' contract.

Macy's shouldn't erase name of Liberty House

For more than two decades I was associated with Amfac Inc., first as an image counselor to financial audiences and for a corporate advertising program, then as a member of its board of directors. This experience bred within me a deep aloha for the islands.

Even more, a lifetime study of economic history leaves me bewildered and very dismayed at Macy's plan to expunge the Liberty House name when the sale is completed.

Liberty House has been a highly-respected name in Hawaii since World War I. With great patriotism Ehler's was replaced not only with an American name, but one connoting many positives.

The name change from Liberty House to Macy's confounds me even more since I live in Bloomingdale country, where Macy's retained the once proud "Bloomingdale's." Why the inconsistency?

The late Amfac CEO Henry A. Walker, senior director Kenneth F. Brown and every Amfac employee convinced this New Yorker the aloha spirit is the crux of Hawaii and the way people conduct business.

I see aloha as profitable financially, and catnip to tourists' dreams.Tourists can shop at Macy's at home. If Macy management will listen realistically and consider the high cost not only in changing signage, etc., but in distinctive good will and revered heritage, perhaps -- like other wise business strategists -- it will let Liberty House be Liberty House.

Marion K. Pinsdorf
Leonia, N.J.

Big donors' influence is voter disincentive

The editorial on Sunday was correct in noting that the poor voter turnout in Hawaii is appalling, if not surprising. Jean Aoki of the League of Women Voters of Hawaii points out that one big reason is the cynical view voters have of politicians. Even more persuasive is Professors Ellen Shearer and Jack Doppelt, who noted that citizens no longer feel that their votes count.

Let's not forget a big portion of both reasons is the increasing understanding by voters that big campaign contributors are the only ones lawmakers and candidates listen to. They so effectively push out the interests of the citizen voter who in turn doesn't bother to vote anymore.

Because campaigns cost more and more each year, candidates must appeal to big money, and having once taken that money, they feel obligated to listen to and give into those interests. The voter pays heavily for that, by paying more for goods and services to cover the costs of campaigns, or by the relaxing of regulations that protect the environment. And the big contributors give to all candidates -- not just one party or sympathetic candidate.

So Hawaii, be aware, the biggest spender of all: The mainland gambling conglomerates are in town and spreading their money liberally. It will be interesting to watch which candidates and lawmakers, who in the past claimed they would never vote for legalized gambling, change their minds in the next election.

Only when citizen money pays for campaigns will the citizens be heard by lawmakers. Those will be the only politicians citizens can trust to listen fairly to all issues and to vote in the public interest.

Grace Furukawa

SOLVING THE TEACHERS' SHORTAGE

'Policy' turns off needed teachers

I am a retired Ph.D. chemist with 30 years of college teaching experience. Recently I moved to Molokai. After hearing about the shortage of teachers in Hawaii and on Molokai, I wrote a letter to the principal of Molokai High and Intermediate School informing her of my background and experience and my availability for substitute teaching of high school science and mathematics.

I got a call from someone I took to be the school secretary who told me I'd have to take a course for substitute teachers first. I told her to just forget it. I don't need the money and I don't need the work. I was just trying to help out.

I'm not criticizing local school personnel or any individual. I suspect they're merely stating policy. With what I already knew about the protectionism of government bureaucracy in general and Hawaii state bureaucracy in particular I should have known better. I won't make the same mistake again.

Donald Dugre

Qualified teachers can't get consideration

I tried to apply for a music teacher position during my visit with family in Kailua last July. I called the Department of Education's main office and was passed on to three other levels of waiting and listening to recordings instructing me to punch the correct "key" to get to the staff person, who then had me call the Kaneohe office of the DOE.

I left a voice mail at Kaneohe because I was tired of waiting and I just wanted them to send me an application. During this 25-plus minutes I did not feel valued. It could have been my California pidgin accent, but I came away with the perception that a few people made me feel that they were doing me a favor and why was I bothering them.

Ten days later I received the wrong application in the mail for a position that was not related to my educational degree or interest -- a job for administrator of curriculum, blah, blah, blah. I was perplexed and could not understand this mix-up, and then I had a revelation.

I feel that the bureaucracy is just too big at the DOE. In my opinion, this just slows down the wheels of progress. Give the power to the community leaders and parents to govern their own educational system and destiny. A large system tends to produce too many "one size fits all" solutions to many of the complex problems in our society.

I stopped my job search because I knew that I could not be happy working through the layers of bureaucratic problems to get purchase orders, work orders, etc., or just get the correct information that I needed. The disagreement between the governor and the Hawaii State Teachers Association also played a part in my final decision.

When teachers have needs, they want a system that will facilitate and expedite their concerns and not be put on hold to wait and get the wrong information after going through layers of push-button info geeks. This experience helped me to decide to finish out my last five to seven years teaching in a small California school district and to return to Hawaii after I retire.

Chris Uchibori
Kailua High School '64
Red Bluff Union School District
Red Bluff, Calif.

Low morale doesn't help today's shortage

Does anyone out there really wonder why the state of Hawaii is 400 teachers short at the beginning of the school year? Let's see if we can help those who just can't figure out why this situation exists in paradise:

>> Have you heard of the Felix consent decree?

>> Have you heard that the teachers are working for the third straight year without a contract? Of course, they thought they had ratified one. When is a handshake not a handshake?

>> Have you heard of the standards implementation design? Many teachers are struggling to figure out how to teach a 10th (or 11th, or 12th) grade standard to a student who can only read at a fifth-grade level. When is a "standard" not a standard?

>> Have you noticed the significant increase in the numbers of home-schooled children and how well they are doing in nationwide contests, competitions and test scores?

>> Have you seen the results of the Hawaii reading and math tests?

Does anyone remember when teaching was considered to be a noble profession? What is it considered now? There are great teachers out there in the system. Who will be there in 10 or 20 years?

Unless someone sits up and takes notice of how frustrated and thoroughly "mandated" teachers are, we cannot hope to keep and, more importantly, attract many great, dedicated people.

Don't let the noble school teachers -- who still love their jobs, no matter what the state does to demoralize them -- fall to the wayside and become a relic that only a few will remember.

Barbara Fuller
DOE teacher

Governor should sign the contract

The Department of Education is experiencing resignations instead of new recruits. Why? Because Governor Cayetano continues to play word games with the contract agreed upon by ALL negotiators and ratified by the teachers in April.

I really don't know what the governor's problem is. I cannot believe it is the lack of money that he claims. With the lengthy delays in paying the teachers at the new contract rates, and the interest gained on those dollars, there should be enough money now for the disputed bonus without added allocations.

The $8.5 million left over from last year that the education department was instructed to put back into the general fund would have covered the added cost. That makes it double the needed amount.

Mr. Governor, it appears that, at worst, you and your negotiator, David Yogi, made a mistake. Own up to it and pay the piper.

Don't make the public school system, the teachers and the keiki pay by your refusal to sign the contract and start critically needed improvements in our education system.

Bernard Judson
Kapolei

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