SUPPORTIVE PARENT VOLUNTEER TO BE MISSED

Regarding the tragic incident at Ewa Town Center: The initial reports stated that Mrs. Yamashita took the day off to get a hair cut and buy things for Girls' Day. That morning, Mrs. Yamashita was also a parent volunteer at our Technology Fun Run supporting her daughter. She was with us from approximately 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

She was always there whenever we asked for help both for the school and the classroom. She was a supportive parent who was always involved in her child's education. We will certainly miss her.

MALPRACTICE AWARDS

CAPS DO NOTHING TO IMPROVE PATIENT SAFETY

Once again some state lawmakers are moving to strip patients of basic legal rights and subject all taxpayers to paying for a doctor's mistake.

Those who call themselves "tort reformers" claim doctors are fleeing the Islands, ignoring the nearly 30 percent jump in the number of physicians in Hawai'i in the past eight years.

Still, the "reformers" continue their push to place caps on medical malpractice awards. They claim it will stop a blizzard of lawsuits filed by patients and their attorneys.

That ignores data which finds the number of lawsuits filed in Hawai'i has dramatically dropped. That's due to a panel in which a doctor judges another doctor before the case can even be filed in court. And the panel finds hardly any of the claims it hears are frivolous.

Critics of the current system point to the occasional large award, but gloss over the fact that caps will force some families to go on Medicaid to pay for expensive care caused by a doctor's mistakes.

Patients are safest when we have a strong civil justice system that deters negligent conduct and holds wrongdoers accountable. While instituting caps on awards may be a great idea to protect the profits of insurance companies and their CEOs, it does nothing to keep good doctors in Hawai'i or to improve patient safety.

CIVIL UNIONS

VIEWS NOT EMPLOYER'S; AIM IS CIVIL RESOLUTIONS

Thanks to Richard Icenogle (Letters, March 3) for noting that my signature on a letter opposing HB 444 should have been in my individual capacity and that it should not have claimed to reflect my employer's position. In addition to apologies already made, I apologize to tenants, employees, customers, friends and Mr. Icenogle for my lack of diligence in ensuring that my name was presented as I thought I had signed, in my individual capacity. My employer has no position on these issues.

I am troubled by the absence of love in the conversation about HB 444. I try to serve a God who teaches love and forgiveness of neighbors, enemies and those with whom I disagree and who softens hearts toward the poor and disadvantaged. I struggle to express my views about the institution of marriage in that light.

My principal concern is religious freedom, which was the subject of a Hawai'i constitutional amendment. I had believed, perhaps incorrectly, that the reciprocal beneficiaries law had resolved civil rights issues. If not, that law should be amended. Perhaps there are other resolutions. If people of good will could have a civil dialogue about solutions rather than act through legislators caught in the middle, I am confident that resolutions could be found.

EDUCATION

STATES TEST DIFFERENTLY, AND OTHER GAUGES EXIST

In a letter to the editor (March 3), John Kawamoto claims that failure has become the norm and the DOE isn't even bothered by the situation.

Putting aside any issues that I, as a teacher, might have with the DOE, I must defend them on this point.

What Mr. Kawamoto and countless others don't realize is that each state creates and administers its own standardized test.

Each state test is different and Hawai'i has long been acknowledged to have one of the more difficult tests. Obviously you can't compare states in a meaningful ranking if they aren't being judged by the same criteria.

The other part of the problem is the implication that standardized testing should be the ultimate gauge of success. Standardized tests were never meant to fulfill that role and were only meant to be one tool in the assessment kit.

Lastly, let me add that there is a small but vocal group that wants to dismantle the public school system. The educational system needs to change along with the needs of students and should never fail to progress, but Americans should never forget that a free, equal, public education is part of what makes this country great.

ECONOMIC CHANGES

POSTAL SERVICE IS PREPARING FOR FUTURE

In reaction to the worldwide economic downturn, the U.S. Postal Service is taking tough but necessary steps to better manage our costs, increase efficiency, and optimize our workforce.

The economic crisis has had an unprecedented impact on the volume of mail, which fell nationally by 9.5 billion pieces — or 4.5 percent — last fiscal year, and resulted in a net operating loss of $2.8 billion. The downward mail volume trend was certainly very evident to us here in Hawai'i.

Among the steps we have taken: offering eligible employees early retirement; consolidating mail processing operations; reorganizing delivery routes; reducing overtime; and adjusting operating hours at processing facilities and post offices to match mail flow and customer use.

These steps may require some short-term adjustment by employees and customers, but in the long run they will also allow us to weather this economic storm and position ourselves to better serve customers when the economy rebounds.

We've been an integral part of the history of our country for more than two centuries.

We are making every effort to ensure our long-term viability so that we can continue to deliver for our customers across America.