Reader comments

To add your comments, click on the "Your comment" link at the end of each subject category. Please include your name. We will post representative comments here and occasionally publish highlights in the Star-Bulletin.

Education

How about real decentralization?

1. A 30 % reduction in staff does not necessarily equal decentralized decision making! It could mean slower decision making, if the rules/decision paths remain unchanged and only the staff is reduced.

2. Place the decision making at the local level (i.e. County). This would be real "decentralization."

Steve Pfister
Kahului, Maui
8/28/96

A four-year college for Maui

With the ongoing interest by the state government in developing the recently acquired Kapolei property for another UH campus the state could at least help the largest neighbor island population-wise (Maui) by making available at very little or no cost, a piece of property on Maui that would be suitable for a private four-year College campus.

This would, I am sure, attract the interest of many mainland universities, and could well start the ball rolling on a fast-track basis for Maui's very much-needed four- year private university.

Don (Swanie) Swanson
8/21/96

Promises vs. performance

During his campaign visits to UH, Governor Cayetano promised repeatedly that he would never cut the UH system budget, and that it was his first priority to make certain that no funds were to be cut from the UH system. This can be documented from Ka Leo O' Hawaii records at least.

We all know what his actual performance has been.

Jeffrey C. Ady
7/22/96

Let's get more specific

I like the idea of making this kind of information available online. It's exactly what you need to do to transcend the bounds of traditional newspaper journalism to become something much greater.

However, I have problems with what I see here. Namely, it's not specific enough. You list campaign statements, metrics by which those statements are to measured, and Cayetano's responses. However, the metrics are rarely addressed in his responses. A metric by metric answer would be far more informative.

For instance, consider this:

ISSUE: New School Facilities

Campaign statement/promise

"I pledge I will build schools on time as needed, that schools and school facilities will be given the highest priority."

Indicators of whether promise kept

Number of new schools built.
Number of new schools proposed.
Percentage decrease in classroom shortage.
Number of classrooms built.

Governor's statement on results/action taken

Authorized changes to land acquisition plans for Hookena School, in an effort to preserve ranch operations and an ancient Hawaiian burial site next to the South Kona campus.
Announced on 09/22/95 that his administration has cleared a bureaucratic logjam that will pump at least $400 million worth of new construction into Hawaii's economy.
Released $91 million in construction funds for Hawaii's public schools and libraries statewide.

All very nice. But it doesn't answer the questions raised by the metrics:

How many new schools have been built?
How many are proposed?
What is the percentage in decrease in classroom shortage?
How many classrooms have been built?

The answers to these questions are important. The diversionary answers in the Governor's statement, while mostly positive, do not address the metrics at all. It's classic political posturing.

The bottom line: I like your idea. It's great. But it is only really useful when real numbers or answers are put next to the metrics you've supplied.

I suspect your newspaper is only publishing results gathered by the POP group. I'd encourage you to get the real answers, independently of the candidates, and publish those as well.

Kevin T.C. Jim
Institute for Astronomy
7/22/96

Economy

Barges should reduce rates

1. To encourage small business economic development, especially on the Neighbor Islands, may I suggest the State and County governments encourage Hawaiian Tug and Barge/Young Brothers to offer reduced tariff rates for Made-in-Hawaii products going to Oahu from the neighbor islands.

2. Properly structured, this could be a "win-win" situation since the volume of cargo returning on barges to Honolulu is but a fraction of the amount of cargo going to the neighbor islands. Most barges return empty, or nearly so. Young Brother's would be able to increase their gross revenues by filling empty space with revenue producing cargo and small businesses would benefit with reduced tariffs and an expanded market for their products. Airlines reduce fares to fill empty seats all the time. Perhaps the time has come for Young Brothers to try the same approach?

Steve Pfister
Kahului, Maui
8/26/96

Where are the results?

I have watched with growing dismay the difficulty of Maui's citizens to afford basic living costs without working two or three jobs. The cost of living is increasing on Maui but salaries and good paying jobs are not.

I have also watched our Govenor travel throughout the Pacific Rim, to the Western States and to the Olympics. His office lists MANY MEETINGS he has had with various business and international leaders to "make connections." WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF ALL THIS TRAVEL??? Has the Mayo Clinic moved to Hawaii? Has South Korea increased investments or business here? Has the Phillipines bought Hawaii products as a result of the Govenor's jaunts there? These are the answers I want to see from the Govenor's office.

And one more comment on the Govenor's role in Hawaii's economy....how does he expect state workers to pay their bills and maintain their economic well-being by witholding two weeks of salary in 1997 and not giving raises for the third straight year?

Noreen Erony
Pukalani, HI
8/17/96

Government

Better measurement of state/county planning

A further indicator would be the public response to this entity, the Executive Council and its actions. How is the Governor notifying the public of the meetings of this group, its current agenda, and minutes of those meetings? This type of notice would allow citzens to decide for themselves the effectiveness of this organization.

The formation alone of this type of organization is not sufficient to show an improvement in state-county planning efforts, as is alluded to by the Governor. Room for public input into the process is also needed.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Maile Bay
8/10/96

Environment

Likes governor's commitment
I am pleased with the Governor's commitment to the environment and particularly interested in his idea of fees to achieve desired goals.
In his State of the State address, the Governor talked about his "string of pearls" of State parks across the State. The only area he mentioned that is not yet in the public domain is the Ka Iwi shorline in East Honolulu.
I like the idea of user fees to help purchase scenic areas to keep them in open space. While this is not addressed specifically by the POP folks, I hope it might be considered by the Governor and those working to preserve the Ka Iwi shoreline from the proposal before the City Council.
That proposal, if adopted as drafted will allow development which will spoil this last open space on the eastern end of the island.
Anna Hoover
8/29/96

Who is the environmental intervenor?
The Governor's appointment of Mike Wilson as he head of DLNR, the major state agency overseeing natural resource is commendable based on Mr. Wilson's past, pro-environmental positions.
However, the appointment of an intervenor is a start to address environmental issues. However, we need more informtion about who this person is, why she or he was selected, and what she or he has done since being appointed in Februray.
The public needs more feedback regarding the mission and actions of this individual and how this will abate environmental concerns.
Maile Bay
8/10/96

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