Simple fall can become disaster

Thank you for reporting on kupuna falls as a major social issue facing Hawaii (“More kupuna dying of falls,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 16).

Falls are a leading cause of hospitalizations, emergency room use and, most important, fatal injuries for the elderly.

With the growth of the older adult population in the years ahead, this trend will likely continue.

To prevent falls, a number of suggestions were made in the article. However, even if all of the things on the state’s fall preventive “to do” list were followed, older adults can expect to reduce falls by only 30 percent. Falls will still occur. More attention needs to be placed on the proper method of getting up after the fall, how to fall and how to get immediate help after the fall. For the latter, medical alert technologies have become very reliable, relatively inexpensive and worth considering to prevent a simple fall from becoming a medical disaster.

Cullen Hayashida
Moanalua Gardens

Memorial film dishonors vets

I am deeply concerned about the movie that is shown just minutes prior to the boat ride to the USS Arizona Memorial site.

I believe this movie must be changed. I was shocked to see that several defense companies sponsored it. The idea that the emotions of Americans watching this video are being associated with companies responsible for making tools of death is appalling.

These companies are entitled to pay their respects to the fallen, but to attach their names to this movie is more than allowing them to pay respect. It smacks of commercialism and corporate propaganda, and does not belong so close to such a tragic site. The men still entombed in the Arizona demand more dignity and honor than to be even loosely associated with any defense corporations.

Dack Flagel
Minneapolis, Minn.

Consider these rules for schools

I’d like to offer the state Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association a couple of suggestions to improve student success in learning and teacher success in the classroom.

>> Require all schools with a teacher vacancy to qualify a probationary teacher for tenure first before opening the position to a tenured teacher. The resulting benefits to both teachers and students would be many, one being it would end the concentration of inexperienced teachers in disadvantaged areas.

>> Provide parents with a list of skills a child should have when entering kindergarten or first grade, such as behavior rules and consequences, vocabulary words, using numbers, etc. It would be of tremendous help to parents and especially to teachers in disadvantaged areas.

Bill Punini Prescott
Nanakuli

Cayetano seems confused on rail

The majority of us on Oahu voted for rail transit. It is green and a much-needed infrastructure investment.

Does former Gov. Ben Cayetano turn on the TV at 6:20 a.m. and watch the traffic reports and see how traffic has exceeded the capacity of the roads at peak hours? What did he do when he was in office to alleviate or bring ideas regarding traffic? Not a state concern! First he claims he is only not in favor of this form of rail, then he joins the Gang of Four who are opposed to any rail system.

Build it Ewa side first, then extend it to the rest of Oahu, just like any modern city facing the same issues as us.

Bernie Chu
Honolulu

Rail may well bankrupt city

I’ve been asking around about how people feel about rail. Most generally think it is a good idea.

When I ask them how are we going to pay for it, no one has come up with a plausible answer. Raise the general excise tax to 8 percent? Double our property taxes? The city has to pay for it, and must find ways to increase revenue. There is no way around it.

The city already has to pay to upgrade our sewer system; our water/sewer fees have programmed increases to defray those costs. Our bus system is already operating in the red, and now here comes rail.

Any ideas? Please pass these on to our mayor. I’m sure he doesn’t want the stigma of being the mayor who bankrupted the city.

Bob Silva
Aiea

HART officials pick; we pay

“City rail plan on track, financially sound” proclaims the headline of the article authored by the members of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Jan. 15). They make the case for the enormous project and its viability. What they fail to mention is that if the project fails, they have no skin in the game. In other words, if the endeavor fails, they, the “responsible,” will not be held accountable. That is to say, they will not pay the costs of failure.

Who would pay? Look in the mirror. We the taxpayers will be the victims. And when we try to blame someone, the lines of responsibility are so cleverly clouded that HART can point to the City Council, the mayor and perhaps others and blame them.

In summary, they pick; you and I pay.

Richard O. Rowland
Founder and president, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

It was nice to see teachers praised

Mahalo to Hingson Chun for his praise of the teachers he had while attending our local public schools and university (“All teachers deserve praise,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 13).

It is notable that he recognized them individually. How pleased they must be to know that one of their students remembered them after all this time.

As a classroom teacher, I want to thank him for making the effort to honor all teachers through this remembrance and for the support, respect and appreciation he requests of our community.

Jonathan Gillentine
Kaneohe

HSTA members deserve better

I urge my fellow undervalued teacher colleagues to vote against ratifying the proposed new contract between the state and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Nothing is a raise unless everything that was taken away (5 percent pay, benefits, planning time) is returned first. A lot can happen in two to six years.

Will all of the people involved be around to follow through? Will there be enough funding? Have the Race to the Top funds been allocated and used effectively? Will teachers be evaluated fairly? Will teachers be given the time and resources to effectively meet the demands of this grant?

Make sure you understand the contract and that the information is clear. The verbiage is often vague and manipulating with loopholes, so unless you completely understand what you’re getting into, vote “no.”

As teachers, we work hard to meet the demands of our job as professionals. We deserve more. We deserve respect. Vote “no.”

Monica Yasuda
Waipahu