Letters to the Editor
POSTED: Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Best rail option is already in play
I attended all three city workshops for the three Kapolei transit stops and learned more about the plans for rail. The designs for the transit stations look good, and the designers took our suggestions. But more important, rail will serve our community well.
The project's planners explained the reasons for an elevated system rather than one running at street level. The most important aspects are speed, efficiency and reliability, and the train needs to move lots of people and do it quickly to be effective. You do not get that with street-level rail.
I challenge opponents to the elevated system to go to where the stations will be and let business owners know they will either need to relocate or lose their business. That instead of having a lot of new foot traffic in front of their business because of their opposition.
We residents of the west side have had to endure hours of traffic delays, and it affects our families and our quality of life. But soon this will change and we will all have better transportation choices.
Mahalo to the city for coming out to our community to share information and for giving us a chance to express our ideas. Rail is finally real and it's coming.
Michael J. Golojuch Jr.
Kapolei
Education test scores rising
Former Board of Education member Paul Vierling's claims about the Board of Education and Department of Education are inaccurate and misleading (”;Find solutions, not excuses,”; Star-Bulletin, Aug. 9).
The BOE did not reduce the Adequate Yearly Progress goals set under No Child Left Behind a few years ago as he claims. Hawaii's AYP proficiency goals are compliant with NCLB and culminate with 100 percent of students testing proficient in math and reading in 2014.
Furthermore, he says the DOE needs “;to improve test scores and achieve real results.”; The Hawaii State Assessment is administered to students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10. The proficiency scores for test takers in reading since 2003 rose from 41 to 65 percent and, in math, from 20 to 44 percent.
Lastly, he emphasizes that the DOE “;shouldn't discount national tests or statistics.”; NCLB requires all states to measure academic progress using tests aligned to their standards. There is no national state assessment test for NCLB.
Sandra Goya
Communications director,
state Education Department
GOP opposition positions backed
Letter writer Mark Litchman says extremists are ruining the Republican Party (”;Extremists ruining Republican party,”; Star-Bulletin, Aug. 10).
Republicans oppose President Barack Obama because they disagree with his politics, and voted against Sonia Sotomayor because she contradicted herself numerous times during the hearings and nobody could figure out what she really believes. Yes, many Republicans oppose abortion because they hold that life begins at conception. And they don't oppose health care for everyone; but they do oppose what's being promoted because they don't believe government is capable of doing it well.
Bob Lamborn
Honolulu
Cleanup needed in Chinatown
I don't know why our Chinatown community is forced to take the burden for sheltering the homeless, and for providing services for the mentally ill and drug abusers.
It also makes absolutely no sense to talk about “;revitalizing Chinatown,”; and then consciously creating a skid-row on River Street. River Street has the potential to be one of the jewels of Chinatown. It's in a historic district — a perfect location for market-priced housing, shops and cafes. That would fit well with future plans of locating a transit station a few blocks away.
Lynne Matusow
Honolulu
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