Make do with what government has
Make do with what government has
When will it be enough?
When will we have enough luxury condos, hotels, shopping centers, tourists, and tax increases? Enough bought-out government employees contracts, lawsuits settled at our expense, money for the rail, money for parking meters? When will the government raise our taxes and cost of living enough to fix the roads, sewers, stadiums, parks and everything else that they have promised for God only knows how many years?
Now there is more talk of more taxes on vehicle weight and gasoline (“Mayor plans tax, parking hikes to add to rail funds,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 24).
What have they done with the money we’ve given them? Wasted, misspent, reallocated, diverted to phony cost-of-living increases, more people hired to do less — this is all we seem to get for our hard-earned money.
Enough already. Do what the rest of us have to do: Do more with less and shut up about it.
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John Waring
Kailua
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Trump shouldn’t censor agencies
President Donald Trump has issued a gag order for the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Parks Service, as well as other departments. He seems to be emulating his idol, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump should be reminded that he was elected to govern, not to rule.
Howard Char
Kaneohe
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U.S. should make peace with world
In stark contrast with the bipartisan call for a peaceful transition for the incoming Trump administration, there is an eerie silence from both Democrats and Republicans regarding a similar need for U.S. foreign policy change in 2017 and beyond.
It is an indisputable historical fact that the U.S. had been the main instigator of global hostilities since World War II — by any measure of bombings, invasions, overseas military bases or war budgets. Thus, isn’t it incumbent on the new administration to make a concerted peaceful transition to deal with the 21st-century reality of a multipolar world?
Sadly, President Donald Trump’s “America First” inaugural speech sent an ominous signal to the world that increasing tensions and confrontations will be the hallmarks of Washington’s reigning regime.
Danny H.C. Li
Keaau, Hawaii island
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Amendment would create slush fund
I’m visiting from Michigan but let me warn against a constitutional amendment to create a dedicated property tax surcharge (“Teachers pitch a tax for funding,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26). Such special funding set-asides are never good ideas: bad in principle and bad in practice.
First, it would sidestep permanently the responsibilities of the Legislature and the will of the electorate in the future — exactly what the Hawaii State Teachers Association intends. Legislators might not want to be responsible for necessary tax increases, but cowardice is no excuse for bad policy. As you paraphrase state Rep. Roy Takumi, it is “allowing one public worker union to have a special pot of funds.”
Second, what will Hawaii’s funding needs be in 2025 or 2035? A constitutional amendment is fixed and inflexible. Guess what special interest will fight tooth and nail against even necessary change.
Bottom line: The proposal is a slush fund for union bosses.
Roger Leemis
Adjunct professor of law
Southfield, Mich.
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High time for DOE to change leadership
As a veteran Department of Education employee in the public schools, I won’t be shedding any tears for outgoing DOE Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. During her six-year tenure, how much progress has the public school system really experienced? Hawaii’s teachers remain at or near the bottom on virtually every national ranking, both in pay and in other areas. Consequently, the teacher turnover rate remains one of the highest in the country. Is this progress? Not in my textbook.
Matayoshi’s reign also has been characterized by an unprecedented number of top-down initiatives — everything from an incredibly burdensome teacher rating system, to “one size fits all” reading and math curricula, to high-stakes testing that effectively pressures teachers and principals to abandon innovation in favor of “teaching to the test.”
Combined with the embarrassingly low pay, it all adds up to all-time-low morale among the frontline teachers.
It’s time for a change indeed.
Matt Nakamura
Hawaii Kai
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Legalize recreational marijuana this year
The 2017 Legislature should finally legalize recreational marijuana. When they do, police resources can be focused on the scary crystal-meth problem, whereby “ice” users get violent and commit nefarious acts they would not commit while sober.
Absent intoxicated driving, I see no such problem with getting stoned on pot. When stoned, pot users get silly, sleepy and hungry. Legalization of recreational marijuana would result in a successful redeployment of our state government’s very finite resources.
Stuart N. Taba
Manoa
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Name airport after Daniel Inouye
I propose that we name Honolulu International Airport after the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, a great American who served valiantly in World War II and was a Medal of Honor recipient.
He served for decades as our senator and was responsible for millions of dollars that provided federal funding for our state. He well deserves our airport to be named after him — not President Barack Obama, who was born here but left Hawaii after he graduated from high school.
Lt. Col. Ken Zitz, USMC (Ret)
Waialua
44 responses to “Make do with what government has”
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Name the airport after a president, not a senator.
Name the airport after Kamehameha
The current name is fine, leave it be!
Naming anything after any politician is disgusting to me.
A M E N !!!!
How about just keeping it HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT???? Why is that so distasteful for a handful of people?????
Not just any politician, the President of the United States. I think that takes it to another category.
No, its fine just the way it is!
Inouye already has stuff named after him. Obama maybe. Or maybe the Queen. Or just name the rail after him.
I think everybody forgets that the airport already has been named ” John Rodgers Airport” in 1925. Over the years the terminology has changed but hot the name. It has a name of a legitimate hero and pioneer, putting a politicians name on it is a slap at real people. Barbers Point (Kalaeloa) NAS was named by the Navy in honor of John Rodgers (John Rodgers Field) and the state has kept the name.
IRT:Matt Nakamura: I Agree! Bad morale at district level also where CASs only think of themselves, and fellow administrators. They sell RT (12 month) positions to buy administrator positions and travel instead. Not giving teachers an opportunity to earn more money and asked to work during summer for measley stipend. RTs are then told to go out there and do administrator work. Principals and schools reply: “Have your administrator come and tell me that” or “Next time have your administrator call me”.
Bad morale and hostile environment is everywhere and oblivious to some CASs not all.
After 40 years in the DOE, I finally retired a couple of years ago, but each day of the 40 years was spent in the classroom. My colleagues and I used to joke about people in “upper administration” at district and state office. Either you’re actually a great administrator who really knows how to help students, or you were an awful classroom teacher who actually did not like working with kids one-on-one, so you found a way to still remain in the DOE, but not actually work with kids directly. When still working, I had numerous inquiries on why I wasn’t going into administration. One person from state office even said to me straight up that by going into administration, you only need to “suffer” for a few years, then apply to move to state office and get a “cush job.” I majored in education to work with students, not to have my own little cubicle with a secretary in front. For all those district and state administrators who say they ARE working for students, I’m pretty sure in their minds they are, but when was the last time they actually stood in front of students and taught actual lessons? Times have changed and problem is, for many, that the last time may have been 15-20 years ago.
Thank YOU for your commitment!
Agree! Exactly what a good friend – a retired teacher – says: “Administrators are out of touch with what’s happening in the classrooms – at the changes in the students.” His favorite phrase: “They have no idea!”
Plus ONE! Absolutely agree. Worked in DOE for almost two decades – just a low level clerk. Teachers told me: “Why don’t you become a teacher? You’ve got enough education.” Told them no way! Watching the BS they had to put up with, the non-support from the top and the ridiculous amount of paper work the DOE uses to validate their “latest and greatest” educational theories costing huge amounts of money – there was no way I would become a teacher. DOE is failing the children of Hawaii. They always point to outstanding students as proof of success. A retired teacher told me: “Those kids would have succeeded despite the DOE. It’s the kids who need help to be make it who are being shortchanged.” YMMV
Hey Leewardboy, just a side note to you. You were not “just a low level clerk.” When I was still teaching, you “low level clerks” were MY heroes! You are the ones who face disgruntled parents or students on the front line. You are the ones who made sure the actual workings of the school got done, even things you wouldn’t think are important like the bells ringing at the proper time when the system breaks. And you are the ones who coordinated everything happening on campus like repair work, grass cutting, and deliveries. One day I happened to be at the mailboxes inserting flyers and in that short 10 minute time, I saw parents complaining, a student crying, a repairman yelling that the ____-ing building is locked! For us teachers, we never hear of these things or at the very least, if it’s parent concerns, we get the watered down version after you calmed them down. I used to always treat our office staff to small gifts at every occasion: back-to-school, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc. YOU guys are the unseen heroes!
Hawaii Kai contributor Matt Nakamura asserts Hawaii’s teachers remain at or near the bottom on virtually every national ranking, both in pay and in other areas. Consequently, the teacher turnover rate remains one of the highest in the country. and refers to their embarrassingly low pay
For those tempted to hurl more money at DOE in the hope of elevating teacher pay, forget it. Any additional money dumped down the fiscal black hole known as DOE will be squandered hiring more bureaucrats and rewarding the politically faithful with sweetheart, no bid, sole source contracts. Very little of the billions squandered on DOE ever trickles down to the classroom.
I think his point was not to throw more money, but to shuffle it around to the right places. You could use that thought for the legislature as well.
IRT Roger Leemis: Thank you, Professor. Money is fungible and once it goes into the general fund who knows where it will actually be spent. Dedicated allocated sources of revenue are anything but that.
Someone needs to ask he mayor for a comprehensive rail plan. After making the GET permanent, jacking up gas taxes, car registrations fees two years in a row, and hiking parking fees, what is plan to ensure that this is enough and that he wont be back at the trough again in a few months saying “oops”, the rail needs to money.
The rail is out of control to the point where stopping the entire project needs to be considered, until a real plan with realistic outcomes can be realized. HART and the mayor keeps giving us best case scenarios which never come true.
I agree with you, but I must add he does have a plan. That is, build rail at any price with any amount of taxes added forever(as the maintenance will be 100sMillions/year due to steel rail and cars that are backed by a corrupt company(Ansaldo=prosecuted and kicked out of Europe).
Rail Fail is now a VANITY project for the disgusting, shameless Krookwell. He’ll try to RAMROD it through by ANY means necessary, even if it just carries TEN riders a day for years…he needs his LEGACY
He’s aiming for higher Hawaii office now and We The People CANNOT EVER let that happen!!!!! Do not have SHORT memories, people!!!!!!
Krookwell…part time mayor, part time banker
Ooooo. You went there. The Ansaldo reputation from Europe. Shady dealings with our local officials in offshore accounts you think? Hmmmm. Sadly, bet that never gets legs with prosecutors.
IRT John Waring: We put the wrong people in office this past election. Actually, the unions put the wrong people in office.
Agreed. The wrong people such as the mayor and most of the state legislature.
As if the People here had truly viable alternatives…
You people have put the wrong people in office for the last decade and more. Give me a break the voters keep electing the same people and wonder why NOTHING changes. Good luck !
Mr. Taba when the idea of recreational pakalolo came up in washington state there were all kinds of wild rumors non of them have come to fruition the State is making a killing on taxes and DUI’s have not skyrocketed. With all the idiot flat tires holding elected offices it’s a wonder anything is accomplished at home.
Our Airport is a disgrace and seems like you walked into the 1970’s. OLD and OUTDATED. That is NO honor for Mr. Inouye.
Agree! I would not want my name attached to Honolulu Airport. I’ve been to many international airports on the mainland and Asia and have yet to find one worse than ours. In fact, the smallest of the airports I’ve been to on the mainland is Eugene, Oregon. It’s not really an “international” airport and has only two gates: A and B. BUT…it is clean, organized, has a good sized gift shop, a couple of eateries (without over blown prices). It has an ample waiting area, quick and easy shuttle service, easy to order rent-a-car facilities and lot’s of parking. The curbside drop-off is also very convenient.
Or, we could just name it “Da Airport.”
IRT John Waring, unfortunately enough is never enough for government. For politicians, they think they are the center of the universe and they build an empire around themselves as a monument to themselves. For the public employees, there’s never enough of them because it takes 3-4 of them to do the work of one.
Declare a moratorium on naming everything Inouye. We have to start naming things for the Obamas. NOT.
Don’t rename it at all. You just cause all the signs, brochures, forms, computer systems, etc. to be changed. This is expensive and requires more staff. Is this what you renaming advocates want? THINK!!!
How about we rename the airport to HAWAII (HNL) INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT?
This way we can do away with the HTA, save a lot of money (which will quickly be wasted and misspent) AND have an immediately recognizable airport name??
It would be nice if getting stoned merely meant an indvidual gets “silly, sleepy, and hungry.” I had many friends who started smoking pot in high school and became addicted to it for years. In turn, they poured money and wasted potential into a substance which began to control their thoughts and habits. In some cases, the addiction destroyed relationships. Seems harmless, but it’s not, really.
Hey Taba, ask people in law enforcement and they will tell you, where you find meth, coke and other dangerous drugs you will find marijuana and the reverse is also true.
Not to mention skyrocketing homeless and petty crimes
So I guess everyone who smokes pot is a loser ? Wake UP. I have many friends who are very smart and successful and enjoy a puff once in awhile.
Stop trying to control everyone’s life. Alcohol is 100 times WORSE and its legal. !
Free preschool for needy kids.
Where is your plan to pay for this?
Legalized gambling!
Legalized gambling to pay for preschool!
Deportation to Syria for weewili’s “needy” kids…
Rail should be named after Inouye. That was the last and worst deed he ever did.