EDUCATION

STATE DOE MUST LEARN ACCOUNTABILITY LESSON

It's not just about UH athletic department accountability. How about Department of Education accountability, too?

I'd like to know where the money for all our state schools' upkeep has gone. I'd like to know where all the money for students' school supplies have gone. I'd like to know why our teachers' pay doesn't include cost of living and inflation increases like police, fire and all other essential workers.

They have our children — and the future of our state, country, and possibly the world— for more hours per day than many parents who must work two jobs just to make ends meet in our state. Let's not "dumb down" Hawai'i anymore. I don't think it can get any lower. Auwe!

MORE MEANINGFUL ASSESSMENTS NEEDED

Standards, assessment, data. These words are on every public school teacher's mind all the time. As a teacher in a DOE school, I can understand the importance of creating a challenging curriculum for students and then assessing them on what they have learned. But lately expectations have become overwhelming.

It has come to the point where kindergartners need to be able to orally recite the standards they are working on to visitors who enter their classroom. Although standards are important, memorizing standards as a young child is basically meaningless.

I strongly feel that there are more meaningful ways to assess our young children. Instead of being impressed that 5-year-olds can tell you the exact standard they are working on, why isn't it impressive to see them while they are learning social skills by successfully playing with their friends or while they are exploring and creating?

Parents, would you rather have your young child know exactly what standard he or she is working on, or do you want your child to enjoy the excitement of thinking that he or she is discovering new things all by himself or herself?

A teacher's first priority should be to help our children develop as productive individuals. Constant assessment, which causes stress for young children, is not good for our children or the future of our state.

FORGET ABOUT IT

A HEISMAN FOR COLT?

Playing this Mickey Mouse team from Colorado will enable Colt Brennan and the UH team to run up great statistics. This will also further ensure that Colt forgets any wild dreams of being considered for the Heisman.

AKAKA BILL

THE BILL'S BROAD SCOPE PRESENTS PROBLEMS

There is a curious provision in the Akaka bill that has not received much attention. It is that the bill is worldwide in scope. Anyone on Earth with a Hawaiian ancestor is a member of the new sovereign entity. About 40 percent of all persons with Hawaiian ethnicity live outside the state of Hawai'i, with some as citizens of foreign countries.

We must remember, the Akaka bill is all about granting privileges and resources. The United States and the state of Hawai'i owed nothing to a citizen of say, Bulgaria, Brazil or Pakistan, or a citizen of any foreign country who happens to have a Hawaiian ancestor.

Foreigners should have absolutely no claim on our resources, given no privileges and have no say in our affairs. Similarly, the state of Hawai'i owes nothing and need not answer to citizens of Illinois, Kentucky, California or any other state.

It's none of their business.

PROPERTY TAXES

TIME FOR REASONABLE RELIEF ON RISING TAXES

The property tax issue has been a hot topic for the last couple of years. The people have been pleading to their government for relief. Their pleas have fallen on ears, maybe not deaf ones, but certainly not very responsive ones. Government replies by saying, "The issue is complicated, expenses are up, and relief is in the plans for next year."

This is nonsense. Real relief has yet to be achieved. Our own family's home property assessments this year are up 10 percent, 25 percent, 31 percent, 51 percent, 56 percent, and 111 percent.

Enough is enough.

Immediate relief can be had very quickly. Instruct the director of finance to:

1) Roll back assessments to those of 2004 (just prior to the recent trend of excess).

2) Limit assessment increases to 2 percent, unless the property in question has been sold since 2004. In such cases, the sale price of the property represents a fair assessment to the new owner, as that is what was paid.

These actions will provide immediate relief. Property owners will no longer be subjected to an unjust and inequitable abuse. The county will no longer be burdened with the chore of deciding how to burn the people's excess money (OK, a little tongue-in-cheek" here). But in all seriousness, the county will not see a decrease with this, only a fair leveling of revenue.

For the long haul, the entire Real Property Tax Ordinance, Chapter 8, deserves a complete review by a committee of competent and capable citizens, with the assistance of government as needed. The property tax laws are a bit complex and it will take a great deal of effort and commitment to get this problem solved in a reasonable way.

WHITE ELEPHANT

RAIL PROJECT'S ALREADY A LOSING PROPOSITION

I agree with the view by the Department of Transportation director that rail is the elephant in the room. It's the big white elephant.

When, if ever, has any major project in this state come in on time and on budget?

We are told it will cost us $4 billion, but I assure you that it will end up costing us at least twice that. As for how long it will actually take to build this project is anybody's guess. Can you imagine the years of inconvenience this will cause?

The route selection dooms rail from the beginning: Not including 'Ewa, UH and the airport is extremely poor planning. Everyone knows that when UH is not in session, traffic is much better. How can this be overlooked?

Ridership is also a real question. The cost and lack of foresight is going to bankrupt the city. That is the only real guarantee.

COPPER BILL

DON'T WASTE TAX DOLLARS ON CASES WE CAN'T WIN

State Rep. Tommy Waters would have us believe that the copper theft bill doesn't contain a loophole because it "was introduced by the attorney general and endorsed by the Law Enforcement Coalition" (Letter, May 16).

Presumably, Rep. Waters feels that the initial endorsement is a blanket one that applies to all subsequent drafts of the bill, even if they have an "and" instead of an "or" that makes the law ineffective. It is curious that Rep. Waters offers this defense when just a few days ago he was quoted as saying that the law definitely wasn't broken and they will make sure to fix it next session.

I can abide a bit of incompetence in politicians — in fact, if they're big-government types like Rep. Waters, I regard the inability to pass one's agenda as a virtue. What I can't stomach is a politician lying to me.

Perhaps Rep. Waters will fool enough of the voters to get reelected, but he certainly won't fool the defense attorneys who would beat any attempt to prosecute this flawed copper theft bill.

I urge Gov. Linda Lingle to veto this bill, rather than waste our taxes trying to prosecute cases that are not winnable.

LEGISLATURE

STRATEGY FOR RE-ENTRY IS THE RIGHT COURSE

This year, lawmakers took an unprecedented step in passing SB 932 (The Community Safety Act), which effectively implements a comprehensive re-entry system in Hawai'i.

Weighing reintegration strategies against evidence-based research, legislators paved the way for a policy that has been proven across the board to decrease prisoner recidivism, increase public safety, and create opportunity for restorative restitution and community support. Ninety-five percent of incarcerated men and women eventually return to our communities.

It makes sense to invest in re-entry systems that promise to deter crime and rehabilitate citizens at a cost far below the average $40,000 per year to warehouse one person. SB 932 is the first step in the right direction.

WASTE TREATMENT

LET'S NOT ADD SEWAGE TO 'EWA POLLUTION WOES

Having been born and raised in 'Ewa Beach, I have seen all the different kinds of ocean inhabitants co-existing in a healthy environment. It was fun for all.

However, there was a menacing intruder called "pollution" waiting to invade these waters. And developers —with more housing, golf courses and runoff — would add a potent form of pollution that the defenseless ocean could not defeat.

So let's add the sewer discharge, and maybe that would insure that pollution is a permanent part of the ocean that we swim in. Well, I guess I could go the aquarium or library to experience a healthy ocean.

WILDFIRES

FIREFIGHTING METHODS SEEM A BIT OUTDATED

There must be a better way of fighting wildfires. Why are they still using water trucks, picks and shovels, and one or two helicopters?

You will always see one helicopter drop a bucket, then fly off for another one. This is a useless gesture because a fire will reignite after it leaves, and it affects only a small spot of the blaze, and by not being effective, the fire just increases in size.

The fire is eventually put out, burns itself out or rains put it out, leaving burnt forests and homes in its path.

What is needed is a squadron of helicopters with retardant and water buckets that will completely overwhelm the fire. One after another on and ahead of the fire in succession while the fire is in its infancy. It is essential to use many helicopters in a quick strike so as not to give it a chance to become uncontrollable. The helicopters can then go back to base and let the ground crew mop-up.

This could be a combination of military, government or a private unit. Study this and bite the bullet as needed. The present method sucks.

WAIKIKI NOISE

ANY ALTERNATIVES TO PIERCING SIRENS, PLEASE

In Mr. Cheplic's patronizing response to Dennis Fitzgerald concerning EMS vehicle sirens, he begs the question: What can be done about the piercing sirens which add to the stress levels of residents and visitors alike? I doubt that anyone questions the need for emergency vehicles or doubts the commitment to providing "the highest level of professional medical care."

But what about the thousands of people who are disturbed every time the 90-plus-decibel sirens pass by? What about the interruption of concentration, rest and the increase in stress levels which occur with each siren reminding us that life is fleeting, that Hawai'i seems to be a dangerous place to live and that there really is no "peace in paradise?"

I recognize that it is not PC to comment on such an essential service, but service to a single individual and how that service is delivered should be weighed against the impact on the surrounding community and the welfare of those thousands who are affected each time they hear a siren.

Surely other large cities have found ways to minimize the negative impacts of loud and piercing sirens from EMS ambulances as well as firetrucks. Perhaps those in charge could begin to consider the possibilities.