As education leadership asks for blanket pay raises across the board (“Proposed DOE raises need detailed review,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Aug. 18), let’s remember that students are rewarded individually based on their work.

Students who perform well earn high grades. So why is the superintendent asking for automatic pay raises for leadership?

Educators could learn a valuable lesson from their students, who are rewarded individually based on their work, instead of the amount of time they’ve been in school.

Joe Kent

Makiki

Caldwell’s bank job clearly is a conflict

A big mahalo to David Shapiro for his revealing article regarding our mayor’s six-figure bank job (“Caldwell’s 6-figure bank job should raise more alarms,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 21).

This is absolutely a conflict of interest, and I am shocked and dismayed that our mayor has not at least taken a leave of absence from the bank during his elected full-time city job.

It raises eyebrows regarding how many other conflicts of interest exist that are unknown, and creates an uneasy feeling about the ethics of our elected public officials.

I humbly ask all our elected officials that they please respect their constituents.

Joyce Cassen

Kalama Valley

Asking for voter ID is illegal in Hawaii

Cal Thomas’ column on the merits of picture ID cards in connection with official elections was of particular interest to me in view of my recent participation in the Hawaii state primary election (“Unless bias can be proved, voter ID laws should stand,” Star- Advertiser, Aug. 23).

On that Saturday morning, I was just about to ask the precinct worker requesting my Hawaii driver’s license whether she knew her question was an act of voter suppression under recent federal court rulings, when my wife tugged on my arm with a look of disgust.

I couldn’t resist.

“You know you can’t force me to show a picture ID,” I said. “You are suppressing the vote of Japanese- haole voters, you know?”

She looked at me with an innocent but befuddled stare, after which I just showed her my City and County golf picture ID, took my ballot and cast my vote.

Common sense sometimes prevails, even in Hawaii.

Jonathan Durrett

Ewa

Social Security increase doesn’t amount to much

I read an article recently that said we Social Security recipients will receive about a $2.50 increase a month in 2017.

Wow: $2.50.

Thanks to the feds, I’ll be able to buy a medium coffee with that once a month. Oh, wait, Starbucks just increased its prices again, so let’s make that a small coffee.

Hold on, something’s wrong: The city increased my property tax $782 in 2016 (I live in a moderate two-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot home, built in 1966), my medical co-pay went up and electricity is up again, too.

Don’t mention gas prices; I don’t drive.

On second thought, maybe I cannot afford that small coffee once a month after all. Oh, well. I have my health and happiness, and that’s a lot more important than money.

Toby Allen

Hawaii Kai