Wedding fees would bring state big bucks

I am not a clever financial analyst, but it is obvious to me that Linda Lingle's "Agenda for a New Beginning" doesn't quite add up. We all know Governor Cayetano means well, but he clearly didn't get the remedial math assistance he needed to balance the budget.

It seems that there is a readily available, simple solution to finding the necessary monies to replenish our state coffers.

Every week hundreds of foreign weddings are performed on our state beaches, in state parks and even at a beautiful, exclusive Windward Wedding Chapel (at Sea Life Park), which is operating on state land. These weddings often range in price from $5,000 to $20,000.

If the state were to collect even a $500 fee per foreign wedding ceremony, that would total about $500,000 a month.

Karyn Herrmann

Non-English speakers need to be motivated

I would like to comment on an editorial about the need for bilingual teachers in public schools (" 'No child' policy includes non-English speakers," Star-Bulletin, Aug. 7).

I teach high school and our student body is about 70 percent Filipino, 20 percent Samoan/Tongan/Marshallese and 10 percent other. From a student's perspective there is little motivation to become English proficient because there are many other students with whom to converse in a native language. It is much easier to speak a primary, or native, language as opposed to a second language, such as English.

Students who do succeed in becoming English proficient are motivated to do so. They plan on going to college, there is no one else who speaks their language or they are under parental or peer pressure to become proficient.

Unless students are motivated to become proficient, bilingual teachers are not necessarily the answer. They may help the students to learn English, but students have to be motivated -- and that process starts off-campus.

John Wert
Mililani

Noisy tree trimmers destroy school day

It is a Friday, 9:20 a.m. The tree trimmers are outside feeding branches into an industrial chipper. The noise is deafening, as it was earlier this week when they came with chainsaws.

The state should be commended for providing this opportunity for my 8th-graders at Wahiawa Middle School to experience potential jobs up close. The kids seem amazed at how branches the size of your leg are reduced to mulch in seconds.

After a few minutes, their interest dries up. I have failed to come up with a lesson plan about the benefits of proper pruning techniques. Using wood chips to retain moisture, reduce erosion and prevent weeds without the use of toxic chemicals crosses my mind as I ponder the other benefits.

After about 20 minutes, some kids go back to see if any new chipping techniques are being demonstrated, to no avail. Maybe I should explain how the mowers and gas string-trimmers we hear on other days work to keep our campus so beautiful. Our honorable governor must be commended for adding these vocational education days to the school year.

Of my 100-plus 8th-graders, the seven or so parents (I can't remember the exact number, there were so many) who attended open house the other night will be happy to know about the creative things we're doing to get off the list of failing schools.

Private schools, take note. Don't miss out on this chance to enlighten your students about career opportunities.

Eric Matsumoto

Bottle bill won't cause burden to retailers

Carol Pregill's hyperbole about the bottle bill (Letters, July 25) needs a reality check.

Not all retailers will be required to take back bottles and cans, as Pregill alleges. If a redemption center is located within a radius of two miles from the retail store, the retailer won't have to do anything.

By this criterion, many stores are exempt, as existing and future redemption centers run by entrepreneurs will take care of paying people for their recyclables. Savvy store owners, however, would invite recyclers to set up reverse vending machines or other redemption options on their store properties. That way, recycling would attract customers to the stores.

In the 10 states with bottle bills, beverage containers cost no more, on average, than non-bottle bill states. Retailers may experience a burden by taking back cans and bottles, but what about the burdens on taxpayers from the products retailers sell -- litter, broken glass and landfills? Does Pregill believe it costs taxpayers nothing to dispose of 800 million beverage containers annually in Hawaii?

The bottle bill will benefit Hawaii's residents in many ways, from less waste to cleaner roadsides to safer beaches.

Randy Ching

Being nice is not enough to be a priest

It is never popular to remove a local priest from public ministry, but it's long overdue when it involves conduct that is against the teaching of the Catholic church. Pope Paul II laid down the law and if you're a Roman Catholic, you abide by the law or you are not considered part of the flock.

A priest may look good to other people, but if he abuses his position he should be removed.

My congratulations to Honolulu Bishop Francis DiLorenzo for responding courageously by canonically removing priests who have shamed the Catholic church with their behavior. If priests do not abide by church teachings, they should be ousted. Being nice is not good enough to be a priest. They have to be held in the highest esteem.

Cindy Oroyan Downs
Georgetown, Del.
Former Hawaii resident

Taxpayers may be next Blow Hole victim

My sympathy for the family of the boy who drowned at the Blow Hole turned to outrage when I heard that his family may be suing the state.

A person's poor judgment shouldn't be a reason to sue for foolish acts. Do we need to put warning signs on every rock so people don't stub their toes? Do we need to put signs on every tree so people won't climb one and fall?

People must be held accountable for their actions. There's a need to modify Hawaii's litigation laws to prevent such frivolous lawsuits. No one else contributed to the boy's careless act, so taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for it.

To the boy's family, please do not make the people of Hawaii the next victim of the Blow Hole drowning.

Gerald K. Nakata

Lingle is best equipped to handle state budget

Recent campaign-spending reports show that of the five major candidates for governor, Linda Lingle is the only one without a debt or deficit. Seems to me that's the person you would want running the state's finances.

Josh Marcus

Governor was just doing his job

There's nothing quite so appealing as a politician promising a tax cut. They never tell the whole truth, never drop the other shoe.

For example, aren't you ashamed that you cashed that $300 tax rebate check now that you know President Bush's tax cut has destroyed the national surplus and brought back huge deficits? I sure am.

Governor Cayetano has told us the truth about GOP candidate Linda Lingle's plan for Hawaii and her supporters are outraged. He says he had the right to do so. I say he had the responsibility to do so. If the governor doesn't protect us from this folly, who will? He was just doing his job.

Thanks, governor.

Rick Lloyd

Read between lines of gov's comments

Contributing editor John Flanagan quotes Ben Cayetano saying, "The future of this state will be very bright if we get the right people in place" (Talk Story, Aug. 6). What does the governor really mean? Is he saying that we have had the wrong people in place all these years? Or just under his leadership?

Or does he mean Hawaii's past has been dim instead of bright? Does he want to take all the blame?

Do the Democrats know what he means?

Would someone please parse Cayetano's statement for me? I'm confused.

Don Neill
Kailua

Felix demands were unreasonable

Your Aug. 7 article regarding the departure of Felix consent decree monitor Ivor Groves would have been more complete if it had included the perspective of people working in the schools.

For example, Groves cites stalled Department of Education compliance because consultants in autism from the mainland didn't feel welcome. Raising an autistic child and teaching one are very demanding tasks. Their needs do not fit into the traditional school calendar. The schools need to build capacity by recruiting and providing incentives for teachers and educational assistants who spend entire school days in this area.

A more practical solution is to contract them to work 12 months (called a rainbow position) to have a committed team providing direct services.

The story correctly points out that Groves' primary duty was setting benchmarks and testing the system for compliance. He came from Florida where his company, Human Systems and Outcomes Inc., created many benchmarks, including the "Felix Service Testing" tool, which the schools failed to pass for many years. Of course, the fact that 85 percent compliance was required with his benchmarks, while federal law requires only "progress," was never questioned. In a letter to the editor, even the plaintiff's attorneys, Shelby Floyd and Eric Seitz, stated that "benchmarks imposed on the state are not specifically addressed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act." Yet the Felix class-action lawsuit is based on this federal law!

And even Richard Gelles, lead consul to the legislative auditor's study, concluded about service testing: "As a measure it has no reported scientific validity -- at least none that has ever appeared in peer-reviewed journals.

"Perhaps the fact that a private company in which the court monitor is one of the two named principals developed service testing is the reason for its required use in Hawaii."

In my experience, 95 percent of special-needs parents work cooperatively with the schools, while 5 percent are litigious, seldom satisfied with services, and will go to hearings and file lawsuits spurred on by lawyers, advocates and media that showcase their complaints.

What we really need is a court monitor who doesn't own a company selling benchmarks, an objective monitor who knows federal law, specifically the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, and asks the question, "Are we in compliance with federal law?"

Jim Wolfe

Student services coordinator

Chen performs miracle with Taiwan military

I am writing to express my appreciation of Richard Halloran's "The Rising East" column published Aug. 4 about the 2002 Taiwanese Defense Report. His keen observations and fair and accurate information about Taiwanese military history and its recent transformation have again demonstrated his expertise and professionalism.

In the beginning of his column, he indicated that the 2002 Defense Report has not gained much attention, though he was able to detect subtle but revealing changes in the evolution of Taiwan's armed forces. Though the changes are subtle, the underlying meanings are enormous.

President Chen Shui-bian has made significant changes in the government toward genuine democracy and a free, pluralistic society. But the armed forces of Taiwan are one of the most difficult, if not impossible, organizations to crack, given that the old guard of the Nationalist Party is still in control.

The fact that Chen was able to push through this reform to nationalize the armed forces is a great achievement. These changes indeed reflect his thinking (and that of the majority of the Taiwanese people) on the role of the military forces in a democratic Taiwan.

Thank you, Star-Bulletin and Mr. Halloran.

Naoky Tsai

Kailua

Let intelligence services do their jobs

One need only look in the mirror to realize why our intelligence-gathering services could not prevent 9/11. When we make them account for each and every action taken and bring their agents into the light, how can they do their jobs effectively?

We want them to spy on the enemy, but tie their hands behind their backs? A lot of folks are pointing the finger of blame at the Bush administration. But look at what happened in the previous administration. It is being proven time and time again that the Clinton administration hatched the seeds that culminated in the first attack on American soil by a foreign enemy. It was the Clinton administration that eased immigration rules allowing these terrorists to be trained to kill Americans in America at American flight schools, with little fear of being surveilled.

We have observed the enemy, and the enemy is us. All we can do now is kill them where they live, and make it hard for them to ever do that again.

Gary Suzukawa

State seems bent on exploiting Ala Wai

The representative of a mainland corporation that for years has sought to take over and profit from the Ala Wai marina recently said it is eyeing the old heliport site as a venue for tourist luaus.

This revelation has both astonished and angered the local waterfront community of surfers, paddlers and boaters. The statement was made at a Land Board hearing on July 12. Then, just one week later, that space was repaved. This work was paid for by Ala Wai boaters, not taxpayers.

Will that improved area remain a much-needed parking lot for the many people who enjoy the Kaiser's and other popular surf spots?

Or will powerful corporate interests bring to the Ala Wai marina more tacky, phony, but apparently lucrative Hawaiiana?

It's clear that the Ala Wai marina is at serious risk of corporate exploitation in the form of privatized operations, despite overwhelming public and legislative opposition.

The governor and his Land Board consistently have refused to heed the voices and views of the numerous opponents of privatization who recognize it for the sell-out it is.

Les Parsons
Ala Wai Marina Board Member

Never mind brunches; fix my trash can

It's pretty hard for me to support the city's Brunch on the Beach or any other nice-to-have program when I can't get the city to repair or replace my trash can.

The wheels on my city-provided trash can have broken for the second time. When I called to report it, I was told, "It will be a while -- we don't have any wheels now."

The tone of this city worker's voice made it sound like the broken trash can was my fault. Brunch on the Beach is nice. Being able to get my trash down to the curb is a necessity.

Michael R. McCrary
Aiea

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