Letters for Monday, October 19, 2009

•Teachers should take pay cut and work

• Without life-giving breath

• Flunk furlough Fridays

• Install Jersey barrier

Teachers should take pay cut and work

I have read that the state will save $5 million for each of the 17 school furlough Fridays.

I’m guessing that the majority of this saving is from not paying the schools’ staff — teachers, administrators, custodians, etc. — salaries for these days off. In other words, 17 unpaid days off.

If the furloughed staff were to get another job on each of the 17 Fridays they might break even financially. However, I’m guessing that it is very unlikely that most of them will be able to get financially equivalent one day a week supplementary jobs, especially considering our current economy.

So, why don’t they just work at their normal school jobs on those 17 Fridays since it won’t make much difference to them financially? But it will make a big difference to the quality of education our keiki receive.

Am I missing something here? Are there other major costs to be saved besides salaries? Could this be another power struggle?

Peter Nilsen, Princeville

Without life-giving breath

There has been community concern building over the last couple of years with regard to an adult South Shore surfer, who when his way or the highway isn’t in his favor, he actively will try to confront or scare a youth by using brute force and/or the board cord to hold that youngster under water “to drowning” or call him out to brawl on the beach.

This adult also is actively able to dictate what will and what will not go down, when it comes to other event coordinators with all the proper permits in hand, pulling together pro-am competition, which definitely has promoted negative movement and the monumental efforts these folks take donating their time and money, trying to keep our opio in an active, healthy setting.

For example, the NSSA event this weekend was garnered with the same unpleasant drama. In this context, the haole (without life-giving breath that we are supposed to share) is trespassing in uncertain territory. While we respect the input of other “uncles” in the industry for site changes or adjustments, the concern that one person can continue these activities and potentially risk the lives of those who may not be able to fend for themselves is a prescription for disaster that we would like to avoid.

Debra Kepa Kekaualua, Kapa‘a

Flunk furlough Fridays

Special thanks to the many parents involved in organizing the “Furlough Friday” rally, particularly Nadine Nakamura, Tracy Murakami, Traci Sullivan and Katie Vercelli.

We also extend our appreciation to the various speakers at the event: Mother Puna, Kapa‘a High School parent; Larry Fernandes; state Rep. James Tokioka; Kapa‘a Middle School 8th grade student Mahina McGarry; ‘Ele‘ele Elementary School parent Sarah Styman; HSTA representative Tom Perry; Jimmy Trujillo on behalf of Kaua‘i High School parent; Mel Rapozo; Kapa‘a Elementary School 5th grade student Grace Yatsko; and state Sen. Gary Hooser. 

As Hooser spoke about at the rally, a special session of the state Legislature should be convened and funds allocated to avoid closing the state’s public schools on 34 days over the next two school years. Public pressure needs to be applied to Gov. Lingle to release such funds and a variety of viable options to find these funds should be explored.

Thank you to parents, teachers and community supporters who came out to the event.

If you would like to stay involved, here are some steps on the to-do list: Sign or obtain a petition that advocates restoring the lost instructional days. Sign online at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/hawaiieducationmatters. Over 100 people signed petitions at the rally and there are over 1,100 signatures on the Web site right now; Call/write the governor at 586-0034 and governor.lingle@hawaii.gov; Call/write your legislator; Write a letter to the editor.

To obtain further information on any of the above steps, please contact Katie Vercelli at vercellix2@aol.com or 634-5499.

This furlough plan doesn’t have to be a done deal and our teachers shouldn’t have to face losing their jobs as a consequence of undoing the furlough plan. Hawai‘i does not need to be last in the nation in providing instructional days for our students! Our keiki deserve better.

Let’s flunk furloughs and fund Fridays.

Jack Yatsko, Kapa‘a

Install Jersey barrier

The quote by DOT spokeswoman Tammy Mori, which appeared in The Garden Island’s Oct. 13 article entitled “Lowering the speed limit along Kuhio Highway will not prevent accidents,” didn’t sit well with me.

I  thought the reason was to prevent accidents along this stretch of highway and, if it’s the centerline crossovers which are the most severe, then DOT should consider installing a Jersey barrier throughout the middle of the road. 

We’ll then have a two-lane highway, one in each direction, with lanes sufficiently wide enough to also accommodate safe bicycle lanes. 

Speed limits could go back to a maximum of 50 mph but with a minimum of 45 mph.

William Null, Kapa‘a