DOE pays lawyers, then teachers, then lawyers

The 12-year saga of the state shorting substitute teachers’ pay is a microcosmic look at the unfortunate ways that government mishandling can spiral a situation, and finances, out of control.

In a nutshell: A 2002 lawsuit against the state Department of Education claimed that substitute teachers’ wages and pay raises were illegally lowballed for years; a series of court rulings largely agreed. Last November, a $14 million back-pay settlement for some 10,000 subs finally was approved. But months later, the DOE still hadn’t tackled the paperwork, so has agreed to pay $200,000 for an independent payroll service so checks can start going out next month.

Further, all that doesn’t even take into account litigation costs, nor still-pending claims involving interest payments and such, estimated by some in the "tens of millions of dollars." Oh, the state is appealing those claims. Will this never end?

Sparklers were fun, but fresh air is better

We miss sparklers as much as anybody, but there’s no going back. The City Council Public Safety Committee should reject a bill that would revive the legal sale of sparklers and other novelty fireworks on Oahu when Bill 5 comes before the panel next month.

Fireworks-related calls to the Honolulu Fire Department have plummeted since the current law banning everything but firecrackers took effect in 2012.

Most neighborhood New Year’s Eve celebrations aren’t as pyrotechnic as they used to be. But remember that some of the changes are positive: fewer injuries, fewer fires and cleaner air.