CURRICULUM

SCHOOLS CAN SURVIVE ONLY IF THEY HAVE PLAN

I must respond to the April 23 letter from Mary Jane Fox. A curriculum is a plan.

Plans have been used by every culture on Earth. Cave dwellers had plans. The Polynesians had a plan when they went forth to discover new islands. They used the stars and they gave their knowledge to subsequent generations. That is exactly what early Western mariners did. To set forth on the wine-dark sea without a plan is foolish indeed.

To claim that you have a school system when you lack any curriculum is a shame and a disgrace in the North, South, East and West. We use plans to build our homes, our bikes, our cars — but not the minds of our children.

Even God has a plan, but our schools do not. What a colossal joke on our kids and ourselves. Our children will pay for our unimaginable folly.

INTEGRATION

NATIONAL GUARD BILL WOULD BE BAD POLICY

Having served in the military, I am deeply concerned by the Legislature's move to segregate the National Guard from the rest of the U.S. armed forces.

Today, the U.S. military is striving to further integration not only between the reserves and National Guard forces, but also between the various service branches.

For example, it is now not unusual to see a Navy officer take command of ground operations in Bosnia or a Army officer guide air operations in Iraq.

The Legislature's desire to run against the modern trend of military integration by demanding the state adjutant general only come from the National Guard is simply bad policy.

What further troubles me is that the Legislature never had a problem when Gov. Burns or Gov. Waihee, who were Democrats, selected a state adjutant general from outside the National Guard, but when Gov. Lingle, a Republican, did so, there suddenly is a problem.

I had the pleasure of serving under the command of Maj. Gen. Bob Lee when he commanded the Army Reserve in Hawai'i. I can find no example the Legislature can directly point to that shows why Gen. Lee's command of the National Guard in Hawai'i has been anything less than exemplary.

With this measure, the Legislature would be forcing a silly policy that runs counter to national trends to fix a non-existent problem for purely political reasons. This is what happens when politicians play games with our military.

ACCOUNTABILITY

FRIENDS OF 'IOLANI PALACE MUST BE OPEN

I found Mr. Gordon Pang's report " 'Iolani Palace in financial straits" most informative. Prompted by its content, I went online, but could not find a Web site for Friends of 'Iolani Palace.

I found that odd for an organization soliciting donations, but a further search using 'Iolani Palace yielded a very professional and informative site with a link to Friends. The Friends' charter is to preserve the palace and by extension the unique cultural heritage of the Hawaiian people they represent. Incumbent with their responsibility is accountability.

It is disturbing that the Friends cannot find the time to explain their deficit. Without that information, how can a business plan be designed that contributors, including the state, would be willing to commit to?

The past decision of the state to withdraw financial support reflects poorly on its commitment to Native Hawaiians. Sadly, another barrier facing the Friends alluded to by Mr. Pang is the seeming propensity of such organizations to commit fratricide. It appears the members' aloha and kuleana may have been overcome by personal agendas.

Notwithstanding these observations, I will be sending a donation. May it be used wisely, "i ho'oponopono."

CENTENNIAL

MAGIC ISLAND FESTIVAL SHOULD BE REPEATED

I took my family to the Honolulu Centennial Family Festival on Magic Island on April 7 and was surprised by the uncrowded nature of the event.

The food was onolicious. We enjoyed having our dinner picnic-style on the grass while listening to the free entertainment.

I'd like to see this festival happen again at Magic Island. I hope we won't have to wait another 100 years for it. Let's make this an annual affair.

HELD IN COMMITTEE

PHYSICIAN TORT REFORM BILL IS BADLY NEEDED

I'm writing about Senate Bill 3279 that Rep. Sylvia Luke is holding in her Judiciary Committee. The bill would provide tort reform for trauma care and OB/GYN physicians. This bill is critical due to the physician shortage in Hawai'i.

The bill cuts the lawyer reimbursement of settlements by half in large awards; this increases the amount the patient receives. How can trial lawyers be allowed to control bills that are in conflict of interest concerning tort reform?

As a mother with two high-risk pregnancies, one of which ended up in my child suffering an intrauterine stroke and living with cerebral palsy these last 19 years, I'm glad that I can have honest conversations with my physician to figure out problems and needs, and then quickly move on with the process of supporting my handicapped daughter. Money can never make a certain set of events in time disappear.

We would be wise to put in place tort reforms that will attract and keep physicians in high-risk, high-demand specialties and take the time to make relationships with our providers. We can try to work together for the best health of the patient, and not for the wallet of an interested party.

STYLE OF DOING BUSINESS HAS WORKED WELL IN THE SENATE

Mahalo to Dave Shapiro for his column yesterday. While I do appreciate the acknowledgement, I heartily disagree with his opinion that my style of doing business is not the right way to get things done in Washington, D.C.

For three decades, I have carried myself in a way that I believe is in keeping with the people I'm proud to represent. The values of aloha, humility, kokua and respect are fundamental to our ability to live well, together, as island people.

Should I sacrifice principle for political expediency? I think not, and I believe that my record is testament to the fact that a person can and should live his values each and every day, even — especially — in Washington.

I've worked to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid for seniors, children and lower-income families and individuals. I've fought against billions of dollars of Republican cuts to healthcare, social services, law enforcement, environmental and educational programs that serve countless Americans, including many in Hawai'i.

I've fought to ensure that people have the tools they need to make sound, everyday decisions like budgeting, saving and investing, grounded in basic economic principles.

I've passed legislation that guarantees our troops full funding for VA healthcare, and I am working to pass measures that provide veterans, including those who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, hospice and long-term-care services.

Just yesterday, the Senate passed my amendment to a supplemental appropriations bill to add $430 million in funding for direct healthcare, mental healthcare and prosthetic services for veterans. The overwhelming 84-to-13 vote is just one example of my ability to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

I opposed the Iraq war from the start, at a time when that stance went against popular opinion. I believed then, as I do now, that without a strategy to maintain peace, there can be no real way to win any war.

With my seniority, I have helped bring home millions of federal dollars every year for programs and projects in every corner of our Islands.

As for my work for passage of the Native Hawaiian recognition (Akaka) bill, I believe we must give Native Hawaiians parity with other indigenous people across our nation. To expect that legislation of such monumental consequence would move quickly is naive, particularly given the current administration.

It also took many years to pass reparations for Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, but eventually we prevailed. I know, because I fought for that measure, too. The Akaka bill is moving, and I anticipate a Senate vote soon.

National magazines and local columnists notwithstanding, I can only be the person I am — someone who has had the privilege to be born in these Islands and who carries the responsibility to reflect the nature and values of the people I am elected to represent.

NO MORE 'POSITIVE ENROLLMENT'

QUEST LEGISLATION MUST BE OK'D

We serve the state's most vulnerable citizens — low-income families, single parents, those with little or no ability to speak, read or write English, the homeless — and we are united in our support for House Bill 2043 SD3, which would mandate an end to the misguided "positive enrollment" policy of the state Department of Human Services.

With "positive enrollment," all 165,000 Quest members in the state would have to re-enroll with a plan and with a provider by mail. Those who fail to do so would be automatically assigned to another healthcare plan.

DHS Director Lillian Koller states this policy is what marketing experts say is good for Quest members. But these experts forget to include the most essential component of quality healthcare — a trusting doctor-patient relationship, which is a bond developed and nurtured over time.

We work with this population on a daily basis and know that this relationship can make the difference between a pregnant teen who seeks prenatal care and one who is too scared to visit a doctor.

Relationships such as these would be disrupted on a statewide scale as Quest members are reassigned, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. DHS claims that 5 percent of Quest members will fail to choose and then be assigned to another healthcare provider. Using DHS' own data, we project that this number will exceed

40 percent, as it did in 2002 when the last re-enrollment period took place.

Strangely, no one who works with the Quest population on a daily basis has been consulted to provide his expertise on this universe of members. Not the providers, not the patient advocates, not DHS eligibility workers. The director did not even consult with her own advisory committee, which has voiced its concern about "positive enrollment's" negative impact and about being excluded from this discussion.

DHS is attempting to make this decision, which will affect more than 10 percent of the state's citizens, in the dark.

In fact, in public testimony at the Legislature, numerous advocates, physicians and health centers providing services for over a third of this population were unanimous that this move to "positive enrollment" would be a disaster, break up longstanding physician/patient relationships and produce chaos for this population and the providers who give their all to care for them. The only entity testifying in favor of positive enrollment was DHS.

Given these facts, why proceed with this plan? Quest beneficiaries have already chosen their plan and their providers. Respect that choice. Each year Quest beneficiaries can choose to move to another plan, if they think it is better for them.

Continue to give them that choice. It's the same choice as anyone in Hawai'i with healthcare coverage.