Families are failing students, too

I want to thank Thomas Graham Gans for his commentary on the federal No Child Left Behind Act in the Oct. 5 Insight section, "Federal education test is designed to fail schools."

I am a teacher and I am disgusted with NCLB. Gans hit the nail on the head. It was so good to know someone could articulate how so many educators feel about this issue. When a child fails it is the schools and the teachers who get graded as failures, despite the child's dysfunctional home where substance abuse, neglect and emotional damage has occurred. Perhaps this helps to explain why there are few people who want to be teachers these days.

Communities need to examine their schools, not someone behind a desk 3,000 miles away who holds a federal check like a carrot in front of our noses.

Lindakay Wicks
Hana, Maui

Flabby residents need better food choices

This is not a gripe; it's a impassioned request for action. Why doesn't Hawaii, one of the world's largest producers of pineapples, have a grocer or supermarket that carries a variety of frozen pineapple?

On the mainland, at places like Trader Joe's, a great variety of high-quality frozen fruits and vegetables are available at very good prices. In Hawaii, the most fattening foods are predominantly brought in.

We also have not one fresh salad bar restaurant on the entire island. Fresh Choice and restaurants like it are doing great business on the mainland. But Hawaii is addicted to greasy, only slightly nutritious food in gluttonous portions.

If you wonder why Hawaii has the fattest kids and doesn't count its fat adults, think about this.

Phillip St. James
Honolulu

Let people enjoy unique Haiku Stairs

Because I was stationed at Haiku Naval Radio Station in 1946 and 1947, I have been following the Haiku Stairs discussion with considerable interest. One of my responsibilities was to service the equipment in the Communications Control Link Station at the top of the stairs. I am currently a member of Friends of Haiku Stairs.

City Council members' bungling, including failing to prohibit access to the site until it can be opened, has caused hardship for many of their constituents. Some citizens are understandably turning against the prospect of using the stairs as a tourist attraction. If the Council members can't get their act together, perhaps it is time for a more competent branch of government to intercede.

Residents deserve immediate relief from "rogue climbers." They also deserve to be shown a workable plan for operating the facility that does not invade their privacy. Most of all, they need to know that the political entity presenting the plan has the knowledge, the experience and the intestinal fortitude to expeditiously implement the plan.

During my stay at Haiku I climbed from the upper hoist house to the CCL house at the top of the ladder many times. Due to local topography plus extreme and sudden changes in weather, each walk was a fascinating experience. It would be a shame to cheat Hawaii residents and their tourist guests out of this unique experience by removing the stairs.

David W. Jessup
Seattle, Wash.

UH-West professors enrich students' lives

I am a senior at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu. I have been a distance learning student on Maui since June 2002 and will graduate with a bachelor's degree in general business next June. I am extremely proud that I have been able to earn a higher education while living on an island, and I do not believe that my quality of life here on Maui would be tolerable without this program.

I have experienced wonderful classes taught by exceptional professors, and my guidance counselors are tops, as well.

I have enriched my life with information and am happy that my career prospects also will be higher. I believe that this holds true for all of my classmates. How would they fulfill their educational goals without this program?

Obviously, I am opposed to the shutdown of UH-West Oahu. It serves an important function for students who need distance learning and who are otherwise unable to attend any other school. UH-West Oahu is staffed by fantastic people who are working hard to fulfill the mission of extending higher education to those who need it most. Funding must continue for this wonderful school. Termination of the entire program would be irresponsible.

UH-West Oahu is making a difference in the educational community of Hawaii and many, many students depend on it. This program is not about money as much as it is about people.

Ghada "Mariam" Linn Early
Kihei, Maui

Why must seniors bear burden of bus costs?

The invalidation of senior citizens' bus passes purchased before the new fee schedule is an egregious act by the City Council. The new fee for senior passes is a 240 percent increase over the previous fee. No other category of passes was raised by such an exorbitant percentage. The fee for tourist passes was not raised at all! The inability of the city to operate the bus system in an efficient and effective manner should not be paid for out of the pockets of senior citizens. The previous passes should be permitted until the expiration date.

While I believe most seniors are willing to pay a fair fee for a bus pass, the current fee discriminates against seniors and places an undue burden for the support of the city bus system on a class that needs bus transportation most but does not use it the most. Seniors should implore their Council members to reconsider the rash decision to impose the current fee for senior bus passes as well as the invalidation of previously issued passes.

If the current fiasco is intended to discourage bus use among senior citizens, it certainly is accomplishing that purpose!

Charles M. Ferrell
Honolulu

Hawaii doesn't count in primary race

There was a point made in the Star-Bulletin story "Bush's Hawaii trip to follow visit by Democrat challenger" (Oct. 19) that needs clarification. The story said, "With only four electoral votes, Hawaii usually gets little attention by presidential candidates." Hawaii gets little attention because we are irrelevant to the nominating process.

Under the current process, the nominee will be chosen long before the Hawaii delegates get to vote in their national convention. The nominee usually is determined by the two big "Super Tuesday" primaries held in early March. One-third of all the states, including California, New York, Texas and Florida, participate in those primaries.

In fact, 42 states hold presidential primaries. Hawaii is one of only eight that don't, although a presidential primary is authorized by the Hawaii Constitution (Article ii, Section 9). We may have only four electoral votes, but so does New Hampshire -- and every potential candidate already has been there because it holds the first presidential primary in the nation.

Iowa holds its caucus even before the New Hampshire primary. As of this date, not counting Sen. Joe Lieberman and retired Gen. Wesley Clark, the other Democratic candidates have spent 182 days in Iowa campaigning for those seven electoral votes.

As long as Hawaii doesn't have a presidential primary or a binding caucus, presidential candidates will continue to give our state little attention.

James V. Hall
Member, Legislature Elections Review Task Force-2002

Kanazawa shared his real estate knowledge

After more than 35 years, many of life's challenges and experiences have faded from mind. The Oct. 16 obituary of Kinji Kanazawa, an isle attorney and Realtor, brought instant recall to 1965 and the certificate hanging on my wall from Kinji Kanazawa Real Estate School, for completing the course on Fundamental Principles and Practices in Real Estate. The certificate is signed by Kanazawa, the school's director.

Kanazawa's school was popular with those preparing to take the state exams for real estate licenses, which some 700 of us did. The teachings from Kanazawa stayed with me my entire formal work years, then into early retirement at age 50 as I also become successful with accumulated personal real estate investment and management.

Kanazawa gave many of us a great foundation for real estate -- an appreciative benefactor!

Birch Akina
Aiea

Bush family's friends profiting from war

Thanks for the brief stop-over, President Bush. I hope you enjoyed your stay.

I read that while you were here you added to your campaign war chest.

Personally, I believe you will have to spend record amounts to get another term in office, because merit and your track record will not be enough to overcome your lack of foresight and Bush family insiders taking our country for a ride.

After studying the tax cuts, the fight against terror and your two wars, I came up with the following:

>> The war on terror has produced a new infrastructure that is able to misappropriate funds under the guise of homeland security. The number of your friends (and your father's friends) and supporters who are benefiting from that one alone has got to be substantial.

>> Same goes for the businesses created for the rebuilding of Iran and Afghanistan. My research shows that inside information and our tax dollars will make many of your supporters rich, and make a huge impact in the bottom lines of most old defense contractors and the slew of new defense subcontractors that have sprung up during your administration, so many of which are tied to your father or to you by campaign contributions.

My circle of friends is amazed at the direction this administration has taken our country.

Glad you are having a great time, Mr. Bush. I hope it does not last another four years, for our sake.

Douglas Schott
Waianae

Presidential coverage showed fairness

Thank you for your Oct. 24 article "President bypasses protesters." After reading your competition's biased and limited coverage of the protest against President Bush that took place during his visit to Honolulu, it was refreshing to read an article in the Star-Bulletin that informed readers about the events just as they happened. The story used quotes that represented the majority of the opinions expressed at the protest, not what the reporter's personal opinion dictated. This article persuaded me to switch from the Advertiser to the Star-Bulletin.

Eri Okada-Berkeley
Honolulu

Anti-Bush rhetoric is over the top

I was impressed with your coverage of President Bush's visit to our islands. I was fascinated by the contrast between stories in Friday's paper where, featured on one side of the page, President Bush and first lady Laura Bush read to students, visited with residents and stood before the memorials of our soldiers lost while defending the country.

On the other fold, protesters held signs spelling out "Bush" with swastikas insinuating that our president is Hitleresque.

While I love free speech and believe political parties can work together to serve people, the kind of rhetoric coming from the Democratic Party borders on insanity. It hurts many and helps no one.

Bush is not Hitler and to say so is crazy. Sane people do not live on the hate emulated by those radicals, but if Democrats allow such vitriol to be the hallmark of their party who will feel welcomed? If the president of the United States gets no aloha then nobody can ... unless you're one of the nuts on the corner.

Rep. Bud Stonebraker
R, Kalama Valley-Hawaii Kai

Traffic in Manoa endangers keiki

I am an eighth-grader at Iolani School. As a project for class, we were required to find a bad traffic area near our homes. We believe that there is a problem with traffic in Manoa. One of my classmates found that the intersection of Manoa Road, Oahu Avenue and Lowrey Avenue is a problem area.

Many accidents have occurred there because Oahu and Manoa are very busy streets. To have both of them intersecting with Lowrey at the same time is rather hazardous. This intersection is right next to Manoa Elementary and rather close to Noelani Elementary. To ensure the safety of both drivers and pedestrians, we believe that something must be done about this intersection. We have called the appropriate government offices about the problem, and they said something about not being able to do anything about the intersection for two years, which is rather ridiculous. We called back to see what can be done after the two years are up, but the person we contacted was unsure.

Saving lives and preventing accidents should not have to wait two years.

Mari Heslinga
Honolulu

Mahathir perpetuates anti-Jew violence

Thank you for publishing the report on Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's tirade against the Jews ("Malaysian leader rips Jews at summit," Oct. 16).

The dispatch illustrates the dismaying state of public opinion and education regarding Jews in even so-called moderate Muslim countries. Mahathir's fantastic claims are the modern descendants of the appalling stereotypes that produced centuries of persecution in Europe, culminating in Nazi Germany's Holocaust.

Indeed, Mahathir refers to Hitler's slaughter of six million Jews as if to suggest that more of the same is required to rid the world of what he claims is Jewish domination. While professing nonviolence, he speaks ominously of a "final victory" over world Jewry reminiscent of Hitler's infamous "final solution."

According to this supposedly well-educated leader of a major country, the Jews "invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy" to escape persecution.

That's not all. In 1997, Mahathir blamed Jewish financiers for the Asian financial crisis. Whatever the problem, the Jews are still a handy scapegoat, with unlimited power to do evil.

When such fantasies are uttered by a respected figure, it should be no surprise that the minds of millions of Muslims have been poisoned against the Jews. Fed a diet of vicious lies, it is no wonder that young Muslims become suicide bombers dedicated to killing as many Jews -- and their non-Jewish allies -- as possible.

Confronted with such preposterous statements, it is tempting to despair of efforts to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. One does not negotiate with people one has been taught to hate. One exterminates them.

Carl H. Zimmerman
Honolulu

Jailing ice addicts solves nothing

Sentencing recovering ice addicts to prison is not the best approach to this problem. First, ice addicts who are coping -- by enrolling in a drug program or getting a job -- are on the road to recovery. Throwing them in prison will only hinder their progress.

Second, by getting a job and working, the ice addict is contributing to society and paying taxes. Putting them jail costs the taxpayers even more.

Ice addicts who are in the process of recuperating and exhibiting signs of progress should not be regarded as a threat to society.

Elia Tanga
Kaneohe