Schools need to break the mold to excel

Kimberly Shigeoka's assessment of more courses versus adequate resources to make the difference in determining Hawaii's student "smarts," in last Thursday's "Student Union" column, should be a heads-up for all of us.

Are we so power-whipped by all the years of Board of Education and legislative struggles to keep control that we've lost our creative initiative? I recently read about a mainland school system's project to raise money by having buildings such as the library and gymnasium renamed for the person(s) who donated a certain amount of money. It's working!

Even Donald Trump would agree that such initiative and citizen involvement rates a "you're hired!" After all, look at all the sports arenas named for the corporations or the people who paid for their construction.

When will Hawaii's school administrators, teachers and parents break out of bondage and come up with an envelope-straining, big-idea project to support their kids' school needs? Craft fairs and Zippy's chili ain't gonna do it, folks.

As Kimberly wrote about Hawaii students' intelligence: "Give us the manual and maybe we'll launch to the moon." Shout it, girl! Maybe that will shake us into action.

Marjorie Scott
Kailua

Lingle wasn't honest in dealing with HGEA

I am a member of the contract negotiation committee representing state and county employees on the Big Island. I am also a member of the Hawaii Government Employees Association Board of Directors and the chairperson of the HGEA Political Action Committee.

In my opinion, Governor Lingle lied to government workers.

In her April 8 open letter to state employees, she said we rejected her 4 percent raise offer. We never rejected it, because she never offered it to us. We got 0-0 (raises for the first two years of the contract), month after month. Only when we entered arbitration did she up the ante to 0 the first year and 1 percent the second year, but with no step movements, no credit for the two years of work toward future step movements and no change to vacation and sick leave benefits for our newly hired members.

Why tell this lie? To make HGEA members doubt that their negotiation teams were working for them, to destroy their support for the arbitration process.

Richard H.K. Onishi
Hilo, Hawaii

Arrogance got us into Iraq quagmire

Quoting George W.: "The consequences of failure in Iraq would be unthinkable," adding, "Every enemy of America in the world would celebrate proclaiming our weakness and decadence and using that victory to recruit a new generation of killers." Agreed. Absolutely! So why are we even in the position we're in that would prompt such an ominous proclamation that would unleash a potential hell on Earth? Here's why.

We went into Iraq first as invaders, then victors, and finally as occupiers. And the terrorists' militancy needs to focus on the "big bad bully" of the world.

We are the "bully" because of who we are; so going into Iraq as part of a U.N. force would have dissipated the bully image whereby the militants' focus would be the whole new world.

They may be rabid nuts, but they're not stupid. Taking on the Americans is one thing, but taking on the whole world would be suicidal. Although life is not worth much to them, having the whole world -- United Nations force -- against them would defeat their purpose, which is to fight the American bully so long as his friends stay out of the conflict.

The arrogance of the Bush administration to go it alone was a major blunder and played right into the terrorists' hands. And by the way, contrary to Bush's edict that the war is over, it rages on and will end only when no more Americans have to give their lives in this foreign land in a war that should not have been.

Hank McKeague
Honolulu

A few 'Idol' thoughts about singing contest

Your article about "American Idol" contestant Camile Velasco was full of conspiracy theories but not too heavy on reality ("'Idol' fans blame pranks for Velasco's loss," Star-Bulletin, April 13). Verizon's records might show that Hawaii voted 1.43 million times, but you should not assume that all those votes were for Velasco, or even for fellow Hawaii contestant Jasmine Trias. This is not a regional beauty pageant or talent contest, it is a singing competition. Not everyone is voting for these girls just because they are from our islands.

Velasco is a beautiful and talented girl, but honestly, she does not have the vocal chops or performing ability of fellow contestants George Huff or La Toya London. Maybe some of us are voting based on talent and performance instead of home location.

As for the daylight savings time theory, we have always been behind California and have been allotted only one hour to vote after the show since the show began. So if you want to vote, you have to call during the show or try to get in during the hour following the broadcast.

Let's not beat a dead horse. Velasco was great, but not that great. If you have to vote for a Hawaiian girl, there's still Trias. If you want to vote for somebody else, other people out here are doing that, too.

Matt Kammerer
Laie

Many problems, no solutions, why bother?

The chances of any drastic action put in place in Hawaii with regard to epidemic proportions of crystal methamphetamine use, carnage on our highways, unkempt cruise ship terminals, vehicles running red lights, litter by the ton everywhere, inability of the Legislature to pass bills, out-of-control congestion of traffic, overflowing sewage, contaminated-ocean warnings, and on and on, stand about as much a chance as this letter getting published.

All one can expect is headlines in the newspaper or the lead story on TV, plus Chief of Police Lee Donahue informing us they cannot be everywhere.

I am inclined to wonder how people got around before the H-1, H-2 and H-3 Formula One speedways were built. Surely there were alternatives, or should be if another horrendous crash, or a visit from any president, can close them down.

圜œ Close the freeways from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.? Dumb. Drastic. Impossible. Who gives a hoot? Let them get their kicks at 150 mph. Like everything mentioned above, we'll just keep reading about it.

John L. Werrill
Honolulu