Furlough Fridays spark optimism

Public school education hit rock bottom when classroom doors were closed for more than three weeks this school year. But despite an inability, nay, unwillingness, on all sides to find a solution to Furlough Fridays, we approach this 17th furlough day with optimism and hope for the future.

We've learned a great deal since the first Furlough Friday last October, when our group met first with Gov. Linda Lingle to discuss solutions. And while many days have been frustrating, keeping the plight of public school children and their future has remained a top priority for many in our community.

Through the efforts of grass-roots organizations, attention from national media, the fortunate timing of an imminent election and the enthusiasm of newly formed nonprofits dedicated to the cause, public school education has some new and mighty champions.

If we can harness this energy to fix a historically dysfunctional education system, then Furlough Fridays will not have been in vain.

Union members need to sacrifice

So it is more than 90 days and the furlough problem has not been solved.

Do union employees know that we are in a worldwide recession? Union employees are the highest paid in the islands. Their wages are now just above the inflation level. A cut in wages of 3 percent to 5 percent is the best solution to lower the budget deficit. Supermarkets that are run by unions would be able to lower their grocery prices. There would be no need to raise taxes or dip into the hurricane fund. Lower wages would help to solve the problem of keeping the children in school. Lower wages would mean more money would be derived by the state.

The people elected Linda Lingle to be our governor. It is time for the unions to set aside their by-laws and abide by the decisions of the governor. The majority rules and not the unions. A cut in wages is the key to overcoming the recession and sending the children back to school. The unions must make the sacrifice.

Akaka Bill is like a blank check

Proponents of the proposed Akaka Bill (the Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act) are asking lawmakers to sign into law a bill whose provisions will be negotiated by others at a future time.

These proponents say, in effect: “;Have no fear, these negotiations will be just and reasonable.”;

I wonder if these proponents would be willing to give me their signed personal blank checks if I assure them that what I fill in on the checks will be “;just and reasonable”;?

There must be a better way to address these issues that affect ownership of 40 percent of the land in Hawaii and 100 percent of its population.

Home seller's ire is misdirected

Regarding the letter “; “;Uncle Sam turns market into mess”; (Star-Bulletin, May 5), the writer feels that Fannie Mae and the Federal Housing Administration are keeping him from selling his house by appraising it too low.

Actually, it is the borrower's bank that had his house appraised to determine how much it would lend a buyer to buy that house. The government agency interested in the appraisal is the Honolulu Property Tax Office.

Now that the writer has indicated he thinks his appraisal is too low, he could call the tax assessors — but then even they would compare his house to those in the neighborhood and probably find no basis for raising the appraisal. However, maybe the situation has changed and new data will allow his tax basis to be raised to what he thinks it should be.

Legislators not cowards after all

What a wonderful surprise it was to have the House of Representatives approve the civil unions bill. I take back calling them all cowards earlier this year, after the anonymous vote. It may not be as detrimental to their political futures as some are predicting. I believe there is a large number of silent voters who think this action was the right thing to do.

If Gov. Linda Lingle cannot bring herself to sign House Bill 444, I hope she will let it become law without her signature, as Gov. John Burns did with the abortion law so many years ago.

Civil unions vote was sneak attack

Legislators gathered together the last hour of the legislative session to pass House Bill 444 by a vote of 31-20. It was a sneaky way to shove it to the people and voters of Hawaii. It shocked many voters in the state. It was like the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

The reason the Senate passed HB 444 is that it felt driven to send it back to the House for a final vote. But the House did it the wrong way. It showed hypocrisy by bringing HB 444 on the House floor at the waning moments of the legislative session.

This is why civil unions should be disallowed.