Some picketers bring shame to profession
Please, let's not bring shame to our profession by behavior that is moronic and unbecoming to registered nurses. Carrying signs that say, "We Care About Patients" is idiotic if you yell, "Go home! Go home!" to the RNs who are taking care of patients while you strike. Some striking nurses have thrown items at the vans transporting these replacement RNs. Without these nurses, some patients could die and some would have nobody capable of caring for them.Think about what families, visitors and out-patients see and feel. Think about how you may be affecting out-patient chemotherapy patients and their families when you yell, "I hope you die of lung cancer!" Cheering when you hear there is a code 500 inside the hospital is terribly inappropriate. And why do you encourage cars to honk in the hospital's "Quiet Zone?"
Do you really care about patients? We believe that you do. Show it in your behavior. We have worked hard to create an image of professionalism. Let's maintain some dignity and maturity. This is not a communist country. Freedom of choice and voice without threat is everyone's right. Let's keep mutual respect and honor in our profession.
Lovey Nabalta, RN Marilyn Kaneko, RN
'Paid time off' plan offers good benefits
I was surprised by LucyAnn Taniguchi's letter to the editor (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 10).As a registered nurse from The Queen's Medical Center, I worked for many years under the "paid time off" system and was delighted with the benefits I received under this plan.
Queen's provided 10 extra days per year to their management personnel. Five of those days were deposited into an extended sick leave (ESL) account. This provided security and full salary for the time that I might need to be off work with an extended illness.
The remaining five days were added to my vacation time. If I did not get sick I had five extra days for vacation. The "paid time off" plan translates to an additional week off with full pay.
If I did get sick, I would still receive full pay but the sick time would be charged against the extra five days that Queen's provided. If I was sick for longer than three days, my full pay would continue and it would be charged to my ESL account.
How can a registered nurse lose with this plan? I wish the striking nurses could see the benefit of moving to a "paid time off" plan.
Jean T. Grippin, RN
(Retired)
New attitude needed to boost tourism
As a former resident and current investor in Hawaii real estate, I am frustrated at the current local political lack of will and innovation to deal with Hawaii's decline in popularity.When I lived in Hawaii, Waikiki was a vibrant, multicultural hub, a stepping-stone for dreams and somewhat exotic. Now Waikiki seems like one large strip mall, with most of the goods either cheap knick-knacks and T-shirts or high-end, $20,000 watches.
Globalization applies to tourism, too. Hawaii's competition includes Sydney, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Mexico, Bahamas and Jamaica.
It is extremely sad for me to say that these places offer much more in entertainment, excitement, value and novelty than Hawaii. If Hawaii is to take back its rightful place as a premium destination, we need to think outside the box.
Decriminalization of marijuana and legalization of gambling (casinos), as well as permanent visas for retiring Asians, would be a good start for breathing life back into what I'm sorry to say is a stale venue.
Stefan LaBrack
Tokyo, Japan
Voters will pay for GOP extravagance
Linda Lingle's "sore winner" comments about Democrats at her inauguration, her 19-gun salute to herself and the biggest sit-down dinner in the history of the Royal Hawaiian are testimony that the Republicans are back in charge and the danger of not voting. Wake up and pay attention, Hawaii, we are being had.Nancy Bey Little
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