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POSTED: Saturday, May 01, 2010

Hope Haneda goes to Hawaiian

If Hawaiian Airlines is awarded the route to Haneda, it will have to hire more pilots, flight attendants and extra employees behind the counter and on the ramp—all very good-paying jobs for people here in Hawaii. Perhaps as many as 50 new jobs would be created locally.

If Delta is awarded the route, it will just mean it will schedule an extra flight through Honolulu, and at most a handful of local jobs may be created.

What in the world is the governor thinking by not fully supporting Hawaiian's application for the Haneda route and all the jobs it would create here in Hawaii?

Hawaiian does an outstanding job of representing our state everywhere it flies; for Delta we are just another destination. Auwe!

 

               

     

 

 

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DOE boss should not be in Cabinet

The “;Island Commentary”; by attorney and business consultant Alan Oshima was thoughtful and enlightening (”;Our public schools are ready for change,”; Star-Bulletin, April 26).

I am also a product of Hawaii's public schools, and I agree with most of what he states, including about the roles of teachers, principals, parents and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

I strongly disagree, however, with his proposal on accountability.

In my humble judgment, a politically appointed superintendent would more than likely be influenced by the ups-and-downs or the ebb-and-flow of gubernatorial politics, on the same level as the 13 other Cabinet members of the governor.

Presently, the state Department of Education and the University of Hawaii are the two main state educational agencies that are not part of the governor's Cabinet.

In order to attain a first-class public education system, the DOE must be treated separately and apart from the governor's Cabinet. The UH Board of Regents is appointed by the governor, and in turn, the board appoints the university president. What's good for our university is surely good for our DOE.

Finally, let's not fool ourselves. It takes money, lots of money, to help develop a first-class educational system. Though I am now retired, I'd be willing to pay more taxes if it goes to improve our public schools.

 

HB 444 support was good to see

I was pleased to see religious leaders speaking out in support of House Bill 444 on civil unions.

When my neighbors Lisa and Clarissa decided to get married, they asked me if Sofia, my daughter, would be the flower girl at their wedding. I told them that they should ask her. They did, and of course she said yes.

Both my kids had invited themselves into Lisa and Clarissa's home from the time they moved into the house down the hill from us. They played with their dog and their cat, had meals and spent time in their living room. Lisa and Clarissa were very happy to have kids running around.

We had a great time at the wedding. No questions were asked about the fact that two women were getting married. For them it was just two people getting married because they wanted to publicly share their happiness with the people they love.

 

HB 444 passage was a disgrace

The conniving passage of House Bill 444 makes me so angry.

These people are supposed to be our representatives, expressing our will in their legislation!

How does impulsively bringing this bill from what seemed to be a postponement grave and passing it on the last day of the legislative session with no warning or fair predisclosure represent a people who have time and again expressed opposition to this kind of legislation?

It is a disgrace.

We are not a kingdom or a “;progressive”; dictatorship, no matter how much these little tyrants want us to be one.

Let's all take names and vote these we-know-what's-best-for-you-and-you'll-thank-us-later types out.

And please petition Gov. Linda Lingle to veto this bill, which is a blatant misrepresentation of the people of Hawaii.

 

Odd coincidence in news items

Did no one else notice on April 27 the sinister connection between your report on Page 10 that Penny Palfrey's historic Kauai swim unfortunately was prevented by “;multiple lacerations from hordes of Portuguese men-of-war”;—and the fact reported on Page 2 that “;on this day in history”; in 1521 the famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives in the Philippines?

Magellan's ship? A Portuguese man-of-war.

Coincidence?

I think not.