State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim’s ill-considered proposal to eliminate 220 faculty and staff positions at the University of Hawaii sacrifices the needs of the state and its students (“Proposed cuts could ‘devastate’ University of Hawaii, officials say,” Star-Advertiser, March 19). It suggests that while the economy is increasingly knowledge-based, legislative discussions are not.

It also points to a fundamental misunderstanding of the value the university provides, starting with the economic research and projections done by UHERO (University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization). Reducing its role and output would be akin to eliminating the navigation system on an airplane. Just as no engineer would consider this a valid solution, no legislator seeking to provide for Hawaii’s future should accept the cuts the senator has proposed.

Paul Migliorato

Makiki

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