Math required for many jobs

Recent letters advocating less emphasis on math would have been funny if they were not so sad.

Hawaii’s worst problems stem from entrenched poverty and drug and alcohol abuse that is generational and typical of the poorly educated.

Yes, Hawaii is unique, but the world is changing rapidly, and education that prepares people for the most secure, lucrative and competitive jobs is paramount here.

Algebra and geometry are not just required for college entrance, but mandatory for careers in computer science, engineering, medicine, architecture and many other fields.

Mark Davis
Honolulu

Turn off lights along highways

Regarding the Abercrombie administration’s desire to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace the copper wiring along portions of the H-1, it should save its money.

In fact, like southern California, the state should turn off the lights on our interstate system. On the neighbor islands, many of the major highways between towns have no lights.

Without the lights, drivers are forced to drive safer, and it gives the police an advantage for speed enforcement.

It would also save the state thousands in electricity and maintenance costs.

Ivan Nishimura
Waipahu

Where Hirono lives no big deal

I recently read that U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono would not move into the district she represents.

I don’t understand why residing a few miles outside her district is causing such unnecessary commotion. There are so many more important issues to focus on.

Hirono said that she was concerned about moving her elderly mother to unfamiliar surroundings.

Recently, I had to move my elderly parents only two blocks away. After nine months, they have still not returned to their normal selves and I don’t know if they ever will.

People who have not lived with an elder can’t begin to imagine how traumatizing it can be for elder persons to be out of their element and how much added stress it is for the caregiver and the rest of the household.

Gail Fujimoto
Kahului

Don’t count nonresidents

The argument that non-resident military people in Hawaii are affected by our road, sewer, local tax and parks issues sounds good on the surface, but here are the core matters:

» They do not vote here so franchising them for population purposes is senseless.

» They are free to write or phone district representatives and appear at community meetings and make their needs known.

» They do not pay property taxes unless they own the home they live in or rent it to others. No excise tax on the same basis.

» They do not have a stake in long-term issues here.

Including them in our reapportionment is a shady attempt to increase the Oahu population to allow this island higher representation.

Bob Jones
Honolulu

Abuse of elders has many forms

As a volunteer for SMP Hawaii (Senior Medicare Patrol) and also a volunteer with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, I would like to compliment your paper for publishing the recent articles on elder abuse.

As your articles pointed out, we have to be aware for ourselves and our kupuna. I hope the articles made the community much more aware of the extent of this problem.

Abuse comes in different forms. One is not worse than any other. They are all bad and must be stopped any way they can.

Eudie Schick
Moiliili

Math helps you think logically

It is true that much that is learned is not used in everyday life ("Math knowledge highly overrated," Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 25).

The process of learning math and the sciences stimulates logical and unemotional thinking which is essential to handling both personal and business decisions.

Unfortunately, in spite of the oft-repeated caution, "learn from history," in fact very little is learned that guides our behavior. The same mistakes are repeated over and over again.

Besides which, history is written by the winners and often there are at least two sides to the story.

Give me good, clear and unemotional thinking any day. Society will be the much better for it.

Paul Tyksinski
Kailua