Teachers should come first in school funding

In the debate over Governor Lingle's funding for education, Rep. Roy Takumi (D, Pearl City-Pacific Palisades) criticizes a proposed budget increase that would cover "negotiated pay increases and increased pension costs." He avers, "There are less resources going into the classrooms under the governor's budget" ("Lingle shows education budget increasing," Star-Bulletin, March 15).

The paramount "resource" in any classroom is the teacher. No amount of computers or laser pointers can compensate for the absence of a highly qualified, well-trained teacher guiding a student through a course. How much did students learn during the recent educators' strike, despite the other "resources" then in place?

Once more, Governor Lingle is on the mark: Basic needs get first priority. Unless we attract and retain a quality teaching cadre, all other education expenditures are sand down the proverbial rat hole. In our state, that hole seems very large -- and well-populated.

Howard Driver

Lingle can't be blamed for education neglect

Gov. Linda Lingle is being accused of shortchanging students, according to House Democrats. According to these same House Democrats the money is going to negotiated pay raises and increased pension costs. Who negotiated and authorized these pay raises? Democrats. Who voted for increased pension benefits? Democrats. Who has shortchanged the public school children of Hawaii for the last 40 years? Democrats.

Trying to blame the first Republican governor in 40 years for four decades of Democratic neglect, graft and ineptitude rings very hollow.

John Wert
Mililani

Dems orchestrate 'Stop Lingle III' drive

You could call it "Stop Lingle III," the bill by House Democrats to put a stop to successful Republican "get out the vote" efforts by using volunteer poll watchers at polling places. As they did in 1998, the Democrats analyze the results of the previous election and then pass legislation to insure that they have an unfair advantage in future elections.

If you remember in 1998 they passed bills dubbed "stop Lingle" that reduced the amount a party could contribute to a gubernatorial candidate because the Democratic Party was having problems raising funds. That didn't work.

But after looking at the 2002 campaigns, the Democrats want to beat Republicans in 2004 by taking away their most basic right of democracy -- to watch at the polls to insure there is no illegal activity going on and to observe who has voted. For 40 years, the polls were controlled by whatever party the governor belonged to (Democrat, duh!). But now with Republicans watching poll activity and calling potential voters, the Democrats feel they are being beaten at their own game and it must be stopped.

Remember Democrats, now the attorney general works for a Republican governor, and you won't get away with violating the Constitution anymore without a challenge.

Garry P. Smith
Ewa Beach

State's stand on rabies is inexplicable

In the current "mysterious pneumonia" crisis, state officials take the advice of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control without question.

Yet when Hawaii officials are presented with overwhelming evidence and advice on the quarantine issue from those very same organizations, they reject it.

Why? What makes the difference? Are these health organizations credible in all areas except rabies prevention, control and eradication? On what well-advised, scientific, medical and veterinary grounds do Hawaii officials make that assertion? These questions deserve honest answers.

Catherine Robinson
Waipahu

Higher fees may hurt spay-neuter program

The city administration's budget submitted to the City Council would increase the fee for spay and neuter surgeries under the Neuter Now program -- a program that has successfully encouraged 151,852 sterilizations since 1986. While we understand the city's need to increase revenues and reduce expenditures, making people pay more for pet sterilizations would likely decrease usage of the program and therefore increase pet overpopulation. All the city's excellent efforts with this preventative program would be offset by having to find additional resources for animal control to cope with more unplanned litters of kittens and puppies.

There is another important point that should be considered. Neuter Now fees are different from other user fees. When people pay a user fee for Hanauma Bay, the money collected is used to maintain the park and the beneficiary is the park user. When pet owners use Neuter Now, all taxpayers benefit through a decrease in pet overpopulation and lower or stable animal-control costs.

Let's invest in our community to prevent future cost.

Pamela Burns
President and CEO
Hawaiian Humane Society

Honolulu criminals get more than 3 strikes

The murder of a Honolulu police officer by a man with 14 previous felony convictions and a previous report of a 30-year-old felon with 35 previous felony convictions has triggered calls for a "three strikes and you're out" law of the type recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hawaii is so far behind that as a practical matter, we would have to play catch-up by starting with a "15 strikes and you're out" law.

Frank D. Slocum Waianae

Event drew attention to Alzheimer's victims

Words cannot express how grateful we are to the Aloha Chapter of The Alzheimer's Association for the tribute to our mother, Jean Ikeda, at "Moonlight and Magic," earlier this month at The Hawaiian Village.

Chairman Paul Brown, co-chairpersons Jean Ariyoshi, Tom Moffat and Jesse Colin Young are to be congratulated for producing a magical evening for our family and the 400 guests in attendance.

We also wish to recognize the presence of Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and his wife Vivian, former Gov. and Mrs. Ariyoshi and former first lady Vicky Cayetano and her mother. Additionally, actor Michelle Phillips, journalists Pamela Young, Gary Sprinkle and Ben Wood were also in attendance. To them and all the guests we wish to say "Mahalo nui loa." We are also grateful to Gov. Linda Lingle who issued a proclamation naming March 8 as Jean Ikeda Day.

We send our heartfelt thanks to the event organizers Janet Bender and Cissy Shaner and all of the staff and volunteers who helped behind the scenes.

Mom and Dad were touched at seeing so many of their dear friends in attendance. So many people have been affected by Alzheimer's, it is gratifying to know so many of you cared enough to work towards funding research and providing caregiver support to the families of Hawaii. Mahalo from the entire Ikeda Family.

Lucy Ikeda Molloy

Nurses need to write about joys of their jobs

We have not recently heard from the nurses who were on strike at Queen's, Kaukini and St. Francis hospitals in December and January. During that strike the public continuously heard about poor working conditions and the unfairness of management. The letters to the editor from nurses only presented the nurses' frustrations.

I would like to read about the pleasure of hearing a newborn baby's first cry, the delight in helping a cancer patient control his pain, the pleasure of helping a psychiatric patient return to her family and job and the gratification of helping a surgical patient recover.

Feature stories and letters about and by nurses who find joy and satisfaction in their work would complete the picture of a nurse's job, and perhaps encourage men and women to enter the profession.

Jean T. Grippin
Retired nurse

Bad decisions caused 5 deaths

I feel compelled to write and complain about the front-page article (March 19) regarding the tragic car accident in Haleiwa. The article said, "She watched throngs of young women crying as they stood around the memorial made of the tree that killed them (the five young men)."

The tree did not kill the group. Alcohol abuse, high-speed, reckless driving and highly irresponsible behavior combined to take the lives of these unfortunate people. The tree was merely an innocent bystander. In fact, the tree may have saved the lives of other people on the road that fateful early morning.

The pictures of mourners drinking and of the beer bottles left at the scene are chilling and in poor taste.

Susan Simon

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