Invest in education, not new prisons

Thank you for your thoughtful editorial, "It’s not day care, it’s an education" (Star-Advertiser, Our View, Dec. 3). In addition to the good reasons you cite for affordable preschools in Hawaii, research shows that they are the best way to prevent crime and poverty.

Unfortunately, there is a movement to build a new prison and increase prison beds in Hawaii, which will probably cost $1 billion. If we want a safe community, those funds instead should be spent on preschools.

Even if the prison is built by a private company, as some suggest, it will be a tremendous burden on the budget of our small state. If we want a safe community, we should put our funding into preschools.

Education, not the criminal justice system, is a better way to deal with the social problems that bring many people into prison.

The average school grade level of the people incarcerated in Hawaii prisons is the 6th grade. This alone should be sufficient evidence for taxpayers to demand a change in our current "prison before education" policies.

Lorenn Walker
Waialua

Public schools here are making gains

We would like to congratulate the students and teachers of Hawaii who achieved national recognition through their performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress ("Hawaii public school test scores above average," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 7).

Those who truly deserve credit for this accomplishment are the teachers and students who worked hard to improve the practice of teaching and student learning.

Standardized tests like the NAEP provide a snapshot and can indicate a trend over time. We hope Hawaii continues this trend and remains one of the leading states in producing significant gains.

In the spirit of the holidays, let’s celebrate teachers who have led Hawaii’s keiki to become more proficient in reading, writing and math.

To continue progress, it is important that we provide teachers and students with the necessary tools and resources to be successful, and continuing to invest supporting public education and our teachers by providing professional salaries to attract the best and the brightest into our classrooms.

Wil Okabe
President, Hawaii State Teachers Association

Business having trouble connecting

As an owner of a small business in Hawaii, I have been working since early October to get my employees insured through the Hawaii Health Connector.

To date, not one employee has been successful in applying for the insurance we are offering.

Calls to the Hawaii Health Connector are almost always answered in a courteous manner; however, solutions to problems have rarely occurred.

The employer website lacks features to allow corrections and has useless "help" pages.Emails to "support" are rarely answered anymore.

I can hear in the voices of those working at the Connector the tremendous workload they are trying to handle. Nevertheless, after two months of almost daily phone calls or emails, we have been unsuccessful.

Small businesses can receive the up-to-50 percent tax credit only if they enroll via the exchange.So we keep trying, hoping that it will all come together before the deadline.

Barry Abrahams
Tucson, Ariz.

Settle zone dispute through diplomacy

China’s provocative air defense identification zone (ADIZ) looks nothing like America’s because our policy doesn’t include declaring ADIZs over other countries’ administered territory, which is exactly what China did when it declared an ADIZ over the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands.

Yes, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands are disputed by China and Japan, which is exactly why China’s unilateral declaration of the ADIZ was and remains so very provocative.China’s bluster has been repeatedly rebuked by Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States, and rightfully so, by flying directly in and out of the pseudo-ADIZ with their military and civil aircraft, and by not abiding with China’s absurd instructions.

Diplomacy should settle these kinds of disputes, not provocative, unilateral declarations or challenges.

Craig Gallagher
Moanalua Gardens

Oahu ‘country’ could disappear

Previous generations established zoned building height limits and agricultural lands so we could enjoy the benefits.

But we are now choosing to change all of that by increasing height limits in Kakaako and Aiea, and building on agricultural lands toward the North Shore. If we are not careful, tourists will find our island less appealing due to high-density buildings, increased traffic and less country scenery. They might then travel elsewhere for relaxation. The phrase "keep the country, country" will become a distant memory.

In future decades, will the only "country" left on our island be the northern tip of Kaena Point where the protected albatross and shearwater birds live?

What we do right or wrong now will affect how good or bad our economy and quality of life become. Let’s keep our present height limits and protect our agricultural lands.

John Burns
Aiea

What is nostalgic about plantations?

What is it that makes people nostalgic about the terrible working and living conditions of the plantations?

"Historic" is such a kind and noble word. Maybe Ernest Martin thinks that Kahuku Village could become a tourist attraction ("Kahuku Village worth saving," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 8).

He makes the point that it’s OK for the taxpayers to pony up money for property that will likely be swept away well before 2040. What an investment!

Besides, the developer offered Kahuku Village residents the option to buy. What would make them change their minds and rush to buy under Martin’s plan?

Paul Tyksinski
Kailua