Letters for April 13, 2016

Letters for April 13, 2016

Why support Trump’s rhetoric?

Regarding open-minded people expressing hate: I am appalled that you are supporting Trump. I held you in high regard so it is inconsistent with his hate rhetoric and misogyny.

And now he wants women punished for having an abortion!

Maybe he will have an addendum requiring punishment for absentee fathers who are non-contributors to welfare of these unwanted children?

Ruthann Jones

Soquel, California

Who is watching the kids?

According to The Garden Island article “KPD looking to restructure,” published on April 10, the Kauai Police Department plans to reorganizing its bureau by converting nine of its 15 budgeted school crossing guard positions. According to the article, KPD currently employs only three of the allotted 15 school crossing guards. Two are employed at Wilcox Elementary School and one is employed at Kapaa Elementary School.

Are there really only crossing guards at two of the nine elementary schools on Kauai? Are the crossings so safe at the other seven schools that no crossing guards are necessary?

The article further states that the KPD would like to use the funds that are allocated for nine of the twelve unfilled crossing guard positions, along with other additional funds, to hire four recent high school graduates to serve as “roving traffic safety monitors”. These monitors “would rotate around the nine elementary schools on Kauai to monitor areas around the school, collect traffic data, and report to the traffic safety division.” “Traffic monitors won’t necessarily stand at the crosswalks — as school crossing guards do.” Their primary assignment would not be to act as crossing guards.

The proposed starting pay for these positions is $55,980 per year each. How can we justify paying 18 to 19 year old recent high school graduates $55,980 per year ($26.91/hr)? That is more than twice as much per hour as we pay the existing crossing guards and almost $18,000 a year more than we pay first-year teachers, who only make $37,000 a year? How do you think the crossing guards and teachers will feel if a recently graduated high school student is paid more than they are?

Go to Kapaa Elementary School. Go to Wilcox Elementary School. See what the crossing guards do there. They safely escort the children and teachers through the crossing. They have one job, and they do it very well. These three crossing guards are the positions that KPD proposes to “evaluate for further reorganization.”

A “roving traffic safety monitor” will have their attention spread between numerous tasks. They may not even be stationed at the crossing. How does that protect our children?

Do involve the high school graduates in traffic safety. Do prepare them to be future officers. But, crossing guards need to be crossing guards. The children and the teachers count on them. They are an essential part of the school community.

Sea Peterson

Kapaa