• Teachers not scapegoats to society’s problems
• Adults need supervision on Facebook •
We must take responsibility • Stop animal
neglect • In my backyard
Teachers not scapegoats to society’s problems
I was one of “those” teachers Jill Tokuda was referring to who wrote to her regarding teachers working extra days for no additional pay.
I would like to explain to Ms. Tokuda that it is the civic duty of citizens to contact their legislators if the democratic system is to work. Maybe the truth is, she doesn’t want to hear from people who do not agree with her.
That being said, let’s look at why I composed the letter. Last school year I took a 7 percent pay cut in the form of furloughs. This year we still had six furloughs, so add another 1 percent.
I was forced to change my health plan which resulted in a 5 percent increase for me. Let’s do the math, now I’m at a 13 percent pay cut. We are now in bargaining where rumor has it we are being asked to take an additional 5 percent cut.
That’s 18 percent.
Now, Ms. Tokuda wants me to work additional days for free? Is she willing to take a 20 percent pay cut? Is she willing to work for free?
Am I just a babysitter or am I a professional trying to do an impossible job with little or no respect?
I want what’s best for my students and additional teaching days is not what I’m upset about.
As a teacher, I’m tired of being the scapegoat for all of societies problems.
Budgets need to be cut, but how deep do we go in education until it no longer works?
Teri Freitag, ‘Ele‘ele
Adults need supervision on Facebook
The other night on the news, Facebook launched a website on how to watch your children on who they communicate with and tips to keep them (the children) safe.
Children invite people they don’t know to their face book. They print every little detail from what they ate to where they are going to what they did, etc.
This is only my opinion, “this is not normal.”
Because unless they are famous people, who cares?
Now we come to the real reason why I’m writing, “who watches the adults on Facebook?” There are a lot of the adults out there who invite children to their Facebook.
Seems like adults need supervision too or just need to grow up.
I don’t use Facebook or any thing like it. It won’t make anyone popular or famous.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
We must take responsibility
Don’t blame the landowners. Don’t blame the guidebooks. Don’t blame the county or the state. Blame the people who initiate the action that leads to peril.
We must all take responsibility for our own actions. If I stub my toe, its not because someone put a rock in my path. It is because I wasn’t watching where I was going. How is that someone else’s fault? There are no guarantees in life.
Why must it be that whenever someone has a problem they look around to see who they can blame it on? Because Uncle Sam has set the standard, that’s why.
Stan Winston, Lihu‘e
Stop animal neglect
Thank you Ms. Griffin for an excellent letter about animal neglect. Other things I’ve witnessed are having your dog in a cage and never having any contact with it.
Keeping your dog in a cage that it can barely turn around in and standing in it’s feces every day. Not feeding your dog more than three times a week and thinking it will hunt better because of it. Gee, last time I didn’t eat for an extended period of time, I sure didn’t feel stronger and more energetic or like running ten miles.
Not to mention when the dogs get lost they may be out for days with no food.
I’m sure the humane society could add more to the abuse list.
I have a suggestion for all the compassionate dog owners out there. Get you digital camera and take pictures of your neighbors abused dogs. Then post it online with the dog and the owners name. Or get creative about where you post it.
Maybe shame is the only way to get people to wake up.
Delpha Menor, Kapa‘a
In my backyard
I think its time to stop dreaming, its not going to happen in any one’s backyard, that is the reality, it isn’t fair to make shame on those who don’t want it.
Someone’s perception be it right or wrong is still their perception and if it hasn’t been changed by now it won’t.
We all know it is a political hot potato and no government official is going to say “too bad but this is where it is going,” That would be political suicide.
But the county does own land that is in no one’s backyard. I remember hearing we recently acquired a large parcel of land along the East Coast near Lihu‘e that is hugely valuable and would not be in anyone’s back yard, it would be a great location for the entire island and would do the trick.
It will cost us but sense everyone says they support having a center to treat our youth lets put our money where our mouth is and just do it.
We know our mayor wants to do this for our children so let’s get him to lead us in this direction. What do say, mayor?
Thomas McCall, Anahola
