Sit-in should have targeted union

Those blindfolded furlough fighters are barking up the wrong tree; sit-ins should have taken place at the teachers union headquarters!

Why bark at the governor who tried to balance a severely leaking ship? (Please note: I am no fan of Gov. Linda Lingle.)

Those selfish, obstructive union bosses, who only care to protect their turf, not only deserve to be barked at, they should actually be bitten.

Governor needs a new attitude

I believe Gov. Linda Lingle needs to change her outlook toward the citizens of Save Our Schools. These people are not “;enemies of the state”; but rather friends of education and should be treated as such.

A second positive change for the governor would be to remember the sign that Harry Truman had on his desk throughout his presidency: “;The buck stops here.”;

Lingle handled protest correctly

The small group of adults camped out in the governor's lobby were far from “;gentle folks,”; both in their demeanor and language (Richard Borreca's “;On Politics”; column, April 14). And any suggestion that an explanation of the facts would change their minds or their attitude is naive. Those who camped out in the governor's lobby evidenced tone-deafness after hearing a detailed, publicly broadcast explanation by Gov. Linda Lingle on what she has done and continues to do to return children to the classroom.

To imply that low-key approaches work best with local audiences fails to recognize the popularity and effectiveness of leaders like Frank Fasi, who was anything but low-key. And it fails to recognize that in today's amplified environment, it is important to speak with a clear, strong voice.

The public rightly expects elected officials to perform in an exemplary manner—and that is what Gov. Lingle has done. She has vowed to put the fiscal well-being of the state above her own political popularity—a rare and admirable statement.

Public transit aids consumers

If anyone still doubts the wisdom of investing in Honolulu's public transit system with more buses and a new rail line, look at the rising price of gas. Car drivers are paying $1 a gallon more for gas than a year ago, according to news articles.

This is the last thing commuters need. We are still struggling to make ends meet with smaller paychecks caused by the recession but now pay more to drive our cars. If we improve our public transit system, we can stretch our bank accounts farther without paying a fortune for gas.

Akaka Bill will spur lawsuits

Gov. Linda Lingle objected to the Akaka Bill, saying the 2010 version “;deems the native Hawaiian governing entity sovereign from Hawaii state.”;

If this passes Congress, there will be endless lawsuits against the state of Hawaii—unnecessary spending for the state of Hawaii.