Charter schools part of the mix, too

I was excited when I read the headline about families looking at public schools as a good educational alternative to private schools ("Going public," Star-Advertiser, Insight, May 4).

That is, I was excited until I found no mention of charter schools and their contributions to our educational system.

Like state Department of Education public schools, charter schools provide families with a tuition-free alternative. They offer hard-working, highly creative faculty and dedicated staff whose goal is to make the learning experience every bit as meaningful as both public and private schools. The Charter School Commission insures schools are held to strict standards of performance and accountability.

Next time, a nod to charter schools and their many contributions would be welcome and appreciated.

George Moyer
Voyager Charter School board member

Don’t blame union for hospital woes

While the Hawaii Government Employees Association is concerned about finding a sustainable solution to ensure our neighbor island communities have adequate health care, we are frustrated by the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. officials’ narrow-minded approach, which focus on targeting its own employees and threats of "cuts in services" ("Hospital group’s bid for aid is ‘decimated’," Star-Advertiser, April 30).

We have raised serious questions about HHSC’s management practices, including the millions of taxpayer dollars spent on lucrative contracts with mainland consultants. Many of these contracts, which include information systems and management training, are a wasteful duplication of programs or nonessential, and do not improve direct patient care.

These executives, whose exorbitant salaries amount to more than $3 million, are quick to blame HHSC’s budget woes on its employees, who earn modest salaries and are dedicated to providing the best patient care for their community.

HHSC executives should not only recognize the importance of making their employees feel valued, but they should also take a hard look at themselves and how they manage their operations.

Randy Perreira
Executive director, HGEA/AFSCME Local 152

Gabbard was wise to go on Asia trip

Regarding David Shapiro’s column on U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s trip to Asia: Gabbard had the rare opportunity to discuss important issues to Hawaii with the top leaders of the three most important countries in Asia: Japan, South Korea and China ("Gabbard looks the dupe as sole Dem on bipartisan trip," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, May 4).

She personally met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, President Park Geun-hye of South Korea and Premier Li Keqiang of China, along with other key leaders of each country.

She could have chosen not to meet with these powerful leaders because some rabid partisan types might think that she’s not a rabid enough partisan. After all, only a traitor in the Democratic party would even consider traveling with and (gasp!) eating dinner and making friends with a handful of powerful Republicans.

Thankfully, Gabbard cares more about our state, country and world than she does about her "political image" and what small-minded people like Shapiro think.

Kathy Martin
Kailua

All species in isles originally ‘invasive’

There has been a lot of talk concerning "invasive species" recently.

Surely we don’t want or need species such as fire ants and snakes, but if you step back and think logically, every life form in Hawaii is an "invasive species."

Many millions of years ago, the Hawaiian archipelago was a molten mass of magma. No life forms, not even a bacterium, virus or prion could have survived. But, of course, over time, life came here from bird droppings, fish, seals and other marine mammals and, yes, eventually humans arrived on our shores. They obviously all did not come at once but over many thousands of years, each new one an "invasive species."

Neither Kona coffee nor sugar cane is a native Hawaiian plant species, but I doubt there are many who object to these invasive species. It really comes down to what we like and what is generally accepted by the current population living here to be termed invasive versus native species.

Geoffrey V. Davis
Aiea

Towers restoration a waste of money

Appalling: spending $11.2 million for a World War II relic that was originally supposed to cost $5.6 million to restore ("Iconic towers embody history and resilience," Star-Advertiser, May 4).

The contractors loved it.

That money could have provided computers for every student in our public schools and air conditioners for classrooms or helped lower-income families, rather than be wasted on a tower that benefits no one except a few history and museum buffs.

Ken Zitz
Waialua

Pass for senator just business as usual

Regarding the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Malama Solomon, it looks like business as usual ("Senator’s family receives pass on land, critics say," Star-Advertiser, May 5).

It will be in the news for a while, then fade away, and nothing will be done. It’s really shameful, especially when there are so many Hawaiians still on the waiting list for homesteads.

It’s always the same old story: Hawaiian leaders take advantage of their position and shaft other Hawaiians.It’s not pono. But that’s how it’s done in Hawaii.

As a Native Hawaiian, it makes me sad.

Annette Mahikoa Spinaio
Kailua