Schools should be on one schedule

What a brilliant idea to put all of our public schools on a single school year calendar ("School calendar going to a vote," Nov. 17). It is amazing how families with children at various education levels (elementary, middle, high school) have managed juggling varying school year schedules and family life for so long. To all the wonderful leaders, specialists and resource people of our public education system, "It's about time!"

Airline never needed loan guarantee

Mayor-elect Mufi Hannemann's campaign advertised one of his accomplishments to include saving the jobs of more that 3,500 Hawaiian Airlines employees through a state loan guarantee. As a member of a Hawaiian Airlines employee group that spearheaded the program, I feel it necessary to set the record straight.

In 1993, a group of Hawaiian employees lobbied the Legislature to approve a bill that provided a loan guarantee to both Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines. The bill was intended to help assure either carrier's survival in a crisis by naming the state as a co-signer on any loan the airlines might have obtained from a commercial lender. Although HB 173 passed with the help and support of the entire 1993 Legislature, it was never utilized and there was no bailout. Today the Airline Stabilization Board does the same thing on the federal level.

The employees of Hawaiian Airlines will always be grateful for the work that many legislators put into crafting HB 173. We also thank then-Rep. Duke Bainum, who voted in favor of, and Hannemann, then the head of the Department of Business and Economic Development, who helped promote the bill, for their support.

Israel survives on U.S. taxpayers

On Sunday, Nov. 7, I read the Gathering Place column about Israel, written by Orion Kopelman, and I was outraged by the misinformation written therein. Anyone can make a desert bloom if enough money is poured into the country. With the United States (the American taxpayer) subsidizing Israel to the tune of $15 million per day (over the years a total of more than $100 billion), I would not call the "little Island" self-sufficient. This is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard.

As for the Palestinians having a better standard of living, the Palestinians have NO standard of living, no freedom and hardly have any normal life at all under Israeli military occupation.

I cannot understand how a people who suffered under the Holocaust can turn around and do the same to another people.

Drug dogs help uphold 'zero tolerance'

Regarding your Nov. 16 editorial opinion, "Using drug dogs in schools demands careful thought": How the problem is dealt with when contraband or drugs are found is simple, it's written in every public school handbook: "zero tolerance." As far as how to deal with the problem of the student abusing drugs, that's where the Department of Health needs to co-exist with the Department of Education. Our community and the livelihood of the people are so dependent on public service that they forget that it's a privilege that we have access to schools, clinics and all other services.

We have to take a stand in the community and say "this is not acceptable." So with the drug dogs in schools, it sends a message to the community that this school is drug free. No one wants to commit or go through the whole ordeal of setting up such a task, let alone have to deal with the issues that will come up, but for the Board of Education to comment with such strong opposition, now that's unacceptable.

Maybe one day, when a high official whose kid happens to go to public school ends up abusing drugs, this will become more of an eye-opener, but for now it's all talk.

Let students have their say on searches

The issue of using drug-sniffing dogs in public schools has become a hot topic. I suggest that we allow students to be a part of this decision as it directly affects them. Let them decide, or at least be a part of the decision, on what should be done to curb drug use and sales on their campuses. In fact, students should be a part of all decisions made as any decision made by the Board of Education inevitably affects them. Give the student member of the state Board of Education voting rights.