WESTERN MINDSET

STATEWIDE CURRICULUM FOR SCHOOLS IS WRONG

I strongly oppose Senate Bill 3059, which would mandate a statewide curriculum for the public schools of Hawai'i.

The supporters of this bill seem unable to understand that the imposition of a Western-only mindset on the multiethnic population of Hawai'i's public schools is a virulent form of colonization that has not worked in the past and will not work now.

The complexity of supporting democracy in a classroom of students from a startling variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds is an art that must balance respect for each individual's cultural heritage with teaching the skills necessary to function in the modern world community.

This cannot be accomplished through such a rigid European-centered curriculum as that proposed by the sponsors of this bill.

ENERGY

CONSERVATION HELPED BY HIGHER OIL PRICES

Your editorial on Hawai'i's energy future seems to display a split personality when it discusses incentives and disincentives for people to do the right thing.

For example, you urge strong incentives for consumers to adopt energy conservation practices. But then you also propose that the price of electricity be kept down by shifting oil price increases from consumers to HECO shareholders by eliminating the fuel adjustment clause in electric bills. Reducing the price of a commodity, of course, is not the way to promote its conservation.

Again, you want to promote the use of alternate sources of energy, but at the same time state that the utilities should pay less to such producers that avoided (oil) costs for alternative sources of energy as the law now requires. Paying less for alternate energy will discourage, not encourage, more production.

Energy policy is like ecology where everything is connected to everything else. It is too complicated to yield to such shallow thinking. I suggest you go back to the drawing board and try again.

HOMELESS

WHAT ABOUT OUTRAGE OVER PARK CLOSURE?

In the April 20 article "Ala Moana park closure extended," city Parks Director Lester Chang said, "We've had a lot of positive feedback about the nightly closures."

What about the outrage that others have expressed about how the families were routed from the park in pouring rain with no plans to put them up elsewhere? People from all over the island gathered food and supplies to keep these families from crisis as the mayor and the city tried to look the other way.

What about negative feedback from social service agencies and advocates who pointed out that all of them have been separated from the social services that might have helped them regain permanent shelter?

What we expect from the city is a practical plan to end homelessness one day. While we wait, something must be done other than chase people from location to location.

Don't the mayor and the city feel any shame for what they are doing to these families, which include many children?

RAPID TRANSIT

WE NEED MORE THAN AN ELEVATED ROADWAY

I enjoyed the article on an elevated roadway in your April 18 issue, but am led to believe that it would only be used during rush hours — which won't help much when we are sitting in traffic jams almost every time we leave home, regardless of the time of day or night, like the one I sat in trying to get back to 'Aiea/Pearl City last Saturday afternoon.

A 20-minute drive to Kapiolani Hospital was followed by a 60-minute-plus drive home an hour later. How about making the new roadway a little wider and putting the first phase of a rapid transit system on it, much like Los Angeles did a few years ago?

People without cars, people going places where there is no parking available, or people who just don't want to fight the traffic mess need an alternative means to get places.

Why do we have to go to Third World countries to enjoy fantastic rapid transit systems, not to mention the ones in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston, etc?

'IOLANI PALACE

STOP FIGHTING AND FIX WHAT NEEDS FIXING

When I opened the April 19 paper and saw the article regarding no funding for 'Iolani Palace preservation, I was so angry I couldn't send a message. I was sure you wouldn't print the language.

This is the final insult. It is appalling. We pay taxes on every level possible, and what do we get back for it? $500,000 a year? Where else could it be better spent?

Thank you, Cayetano administration, for cutting palace funding. What were you thinking? We are told we can't afford decent schools and books for our keiki, can't afford repairing an infrastructure that should have been done 25 years ago, can't solve the homeless problem. Make things look pretty on the surface, and line whose pockets?

If we fixed the important things — the most blatant ones right now are sewers and streets — we wouldn't have to worry about poisoned beaches and broken reservoirs (how many more are really in danger?).

We pay and pay and pay, and what is our government doing with all the money we pay it every day of our lives? Well, I'm mad, and I'm not taking it anymore! People, open your windows (e-mail, telephone) and tell the people who are responsible for spending our money to stop fighting among themselves and fix what needs fixing.

If you asked 15,000 average citizens on the street, just normal hard-working people, I'd bet you'd get 15,000 answers to reinstate the funding. Let's spend our money on what is really important — all of the above.

STUDY ISSUES

VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT A BETTER WAY

Vote absentee by mail this year. The convenience and the early chances to study the candidates and issues and then vote can't be beat.

Some of us make decisions right at the polling booths, so the above method gives us time to concentrate on state Constitution and City Charter amendment proposals, for instance.

The races that will be of special interest are the governor's, the U.S. Senate and the 2nd Congressional District ones.

Ask for your absentee ballot application forms from the city clerk's office, satellite city halls, post offices, public libraries and all state agencies. The filled-out forms will be accepted beginning July 25 at the city clerk's office for the primary election.

Remember, Saturday, Sept. 23, is Primary Election Day, and Tuesday, Nov. 7, is General Election Day.

Let's all work toward that elusive goal of 100 percent participation of registered voters.