Gov. David Ige must demonstrate leadership, integrity and fairness regarding the privatization of three state hospitals by Kaiser Permanente by vetoing Senate Bill 2077.
Privatization would save the state about $2.6 million each year and significantly upgrade the aging hospitals.
Kowtowing to the union, the Legislature crafted an election- year bonus to 1,400 workers retaining their hospital jobs, granting full severance benefits up to half of their annual salaries meant only for job loss.
This vote-buying strategy would cost about $40 million to taxpayers and will keep the Democratic Legislature intact.
Meanwhile, mayoral contender and City Council Chairman Ernie Martin recently requested $500,000 of city funds to help build a Korean cultural center, while Filipino, Japanese and Okinawan groups have all built beautiful cultural centers with generous community donations.
In more than 60 years of Democrat union partnership and rule, Hawaii leads the nation in cost of living, cost of housing, cost of energy, business unfriendliness and per capita homelessness.
John Nakao
Ala Moana
Offer rewards to aid in arrests of vandals
Restrooms trashed, schools damaged, tires slashed, memorials violated — the list goes on and on.
Some of the people involved are juveniles.
Formal prosecution is often not pursued and results may not be made public.
We need a separate office to handle reward requests made to the police and CrimeStoppers. Rewards need to be available to people who correctly identify offenders.
The petty thugs who trash our city are known to someone. The chance to pick up a few hundred dollars anonymously is a powerful incentive to be a good citizen.
Working out the details of where to get the money and how to administer it could be difficult and controversial, but it would work.
Jim Poorbaugh
Makiki
Horse racing in U.S. should be banned
I am sorry for the jockey who broke his collarbone, but after reading that two horses died after the Preakness Stakes, one perhaps of heart failure and the other being euthanized, I think it would be wise and certainly humane to ban horse racing in this country (“Exaggerator ends Nyquist’s triple crown bid,” Star-Advertiser, May 22).
Jean-Jacques Dicker
Hawaii Kai
Don’t let homeless take over our streets
Living on the streets should not be an option.
Streets and sidewalks are for all pedestrian traffic and should not be obstructed by encampments.
The homeless have shelters available but choose not to go into them — if they are able to choose at all.
The ground we live on is either private or public, with its own rules and regulations. If you can’t follow these rules, then your only choice will be made for you — to be placed in housing.
It’s not a very pretty picture, but we’re talking about making the streets and sidewalks safe for all citizens, with the homeless being in a minority. In this case, the majority should rule.
Gabrielle L. Makuakane
McCully
Hawaii GOP mirrors values of Democrats
Kevin Dayton’s article on the Republican Party of Hawaii’s impotence and insignificance was a waste of ink and space (“Trump adds to state GOP’s woes,” Star-Advertiser, May 22).
Until the values that define the Hawaii Republican Party are addressed — currently they nearly mirror those of the Democratic majority — we will never have a party providing opposition to nearly 60 years of policy that has herded us into an age of crippling debt and crumbling infrastructure.
Joan Rank
Waialua
Swiss offer example to Oahu rail builders
The Swiss can be proud.
On June 1, they will celebrate the inauguration of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest at 35 miles, on time and below budget.
Congratulations to them. I hope Honolulu’s railway builders and planners are taking pointers.
Ulrich K. Stams
Kahala
Math valuable but it’s not for everyone
Mathematical ability is not distributed uniformly among students (“Algebra actually has great practical value … no really,” Star-Advertiser, May 18).
Some have the requisite ability to understand math, but many do not.
A very long time ago, a young “A” student with tears in her eyes came to me for help with math, as she could not understand the numerical procedure for computing a square root.
I truly felt her pain while trying to explain this archaic and bizarre methodology.
After a lifetime of applying math in real-world applications, I suggest the math educational process to be divided into two basic approaches.
The primary approach would be a graphical presentation of various aspects of math and its applications.
The second approach would be for that minority who are gifted in math and wish to understand its foundations and applications.
Milton Allione
Kailua
