SENATE RACE

NEW VOTER IMPRESSED WITH CASE 'TALK STORY'

As a freshly minted Hawai'i voter, I came away impressed by Rep. Ed Case's presentation at the recent McKinley High School "talk story" session.

The time for leadership transition has arrived.

Our archipelago homeland requires intellectually energetic representation in the U.S. Senate.

I look forward to collaborating with U.S. Sen. Ed Case.

CASE WRONG TO SUPPORT U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ

I don't see why anyone would vote for Ed Case.

He supports the invasion of Iraq, a country that did not threaten us. He supports invading a country that had no nuclear weapons, no chemical weapons or biological weapons.

When the inspectors found no WMDs, the United States should have made an orderly withdrawal.

Because of the president's idiotic decision to invade Iraq, 2,600 Americans are dead, 20,000 wounded, and there are 50,000 Iraqi casualties.

We should use all our resources to get Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida.

CURRENT POWER TEAM BRINGS VALUE TO HAWAI'I

David Shapiro and an Island Voices column have expressed concern about "transition" caused by having two senators who could depart office around the same time. The implied message is that a new senator may be needed now to ensure against the impact of this eventuality.

This is a "red herring" that has the sound of wisdom at first blush. Who would deny that both of our powerful senators departing around the same time could be costly to Hawai'i? But, the premium paid for insurance should be reasonable in relation to the risk.

Power, like the time value of money, is never more valuable than now. Hawai'i has a powerful Senate delegation. Sen. Inouye is the co-chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Sen. Akaka is ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and ranking member of three other subcommittees, including the important Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

One consequence of such power is measured by the federal spending channeled to Hawai'i's economy.

To break up a team that isn't "broken" to avoid the possibility of losing two senators someday, is a very high price to pay for "textbook" transition.

Any power accumulated by a new senator-elect would not be particularly significant when the senior senator does finally leave, unless the senior senator stays in office for a very long time.

If we are to break up our powerful Senate delegation, let it be with appreciation for the full cost of doing so and with conviction that the alternative warrants the significant premium paid.

COMMERCE

FRUIT FROM ASIA WILL HURT HAWAI'I FARMERS

The possibility of the U.S. Department of Agriculture approving the importation of exotic fruits from Asia is bad for Hawai'i farmers.

Again, short-term gain trumps common sense. Lyle Wong, administrator for the state Department of Agriculture's plant industry division, says "it's going to happen." Mr. Wong, ask yourself, how would you feel if 50 people wanted your job at one-tenth the salary you are getting? Plus they would work longer hours with no medical coverage, labor or environmental laws. Do you believe free trade is fair trade? Will our country become a nation of middlemen tapping the keyboard in search of the cheapest labor?

Free trade, to be fair, has to have one thing no one wants to talk about in the retail industry — a worldwide minimum wage. Level the playing field.

Commerce without morality will be our downfall.

QUARTER SERIES

KING KAMEHAMEHA FITTING FOR HAWAI'I COIN

I agree with your editorial, "King Kamehameha belongs on our coin" (Aug. 29). As the 50th State, ours is the final coin in the 50-State Commemorative Quarters set. What better way to commemorate the founding of the Hawaiian nation than to honor its unifier and first monarch, King Kamehameha?

George Washington, who was a leader in uniting the 13 separate colonies into our united republic and who was the first president of our country, is shown on the obverse face of the commemorative quarter.

It is, therefore, fitting that the man who similarly consolidated the separate islands of Hawai'i into a single nation under central rule and became its first monarch be honored on the reverse face of the coin. Two unifiers and great leaders with parallel backgrounds honored on the closing coin in the series.

And to top it off, the reverse of the quarter, where King Kamehameha's image would be placed, always contains the phrase, "E Pluribus Unum," or one out of many, a theme of unity which applies equally to the history of Hawai'i as to the U.S.A.

I believe that King Kamehameha himself might have heartily agreed with that phrase.

EDUCATION

MALE TEACHERS PROVIDE NURTURING ROLE MODELS

The article on the effect of teachers' gender on learning (Aug. 28) highlights gender gaps that emerge in the 8th grade. Yet, gender role expectations form well before even the earliest years of public education.

National statistics show a scant nine percent of elementary school teachers are male, with two percent between kindergarten and 3rd grade, under four percent in the critical preschool years, and declining at all levels since the mid-1970s. That girls and boys experience early caregiving and education as principally female obligations has been defined by the U.N. Division for the Advancement of Women (2004) as a "key aspect of gender inequalities," because it reinforces stereotypic assumptions about gender roles and attributes.

With more women in the workforce, families need help to prepare children, particularly the boys, for future child care-giving roles that society expects both parents will be able to fulfill.

Few young children experience a male teacher, and with so many children needing nurturing male role models, that is a loss to us all.

TV NEWS

WHO WOULD HAVE 'THUNK' IT COULD BE SO?

I agree with Joel Kennedy (Letters, Aug. 29) that the TV news and sports media use the wrong words at times. For example, the word "thunk." I have heard this word used numerous times with national sports commentators, local sportscasters and even in the movies.

The present tense (infinitive) to think is "think." The past tense is thought. The past participle is "thought," not "thunk." Is it think, thank, thunk? I am not an English major, nor is my grammar perfect, but it sure sounds funny when you hear "who would have thunk so and so would have won the game..." I could see words like "lie" and "lay," "rise" and "raise," "sit" and "set" used incorrectly, but "thunk?" I think not.

CENTURY SCHOLARS

PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL ENRICH HAWAI'I SCHOOLS

The Century Scholars program suggested by student regent Michael Dahilig and proposed by University of Hawai'i President David McClain is a great idea.

Giving partial UH system scholarships to the top 10 percent of public school graduates will not only recruit top graduates to the UH colleges, but perhaps will entice many prospective private school students to enroll or remain in the public school system.

Since the proposed program will enrich the student bodies in both public schools and public colleges, the state Legislature should broaden and fund the program. There is no question that public education in Hawai'i will be enhanced.

OCEAN ENVIRONMENT

NOAA HASN'T WAVERED IN NET RECYCLE PROGRAM

In your editorial, "Net collection, reuse program is impressive" (Aug. 24), you implied that the federal government has waned in its support of this effort in Hawai'i and left local partners to "pick up some of the slack." This statement is not an exact reflection of the continued public-private partnerships that are involved in the program.

The program that this editorial describes is the result of an initial study funded in 2005 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to survey Hawai'i's longliners to gain information on the feasibility of a port reception program at Honolulu Harbor. The results of this study clearly demonstrated the need and usefulness of a port receptacle and recycling program for derelict fishing nets. Recognizing that the program would only be successful with the continued involvement of the local partners, an 11-member private-public partnership was formed. NOAA is one of those 11 partners. With remaining federal funds from the feasibility study, a receptacle bin was purchased to establish the Honolulu seaport reception facility program. The implementation of this program is a success because of the strong support and commitment of the local partners, who continue to maintain the program beyond the initial project. Today, thanks to the efforts of federal, state and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, industry and academia partners, marine debris is removed and recycled to create electricity.

For many years, NOAA has worked as a steadfast partner with Hawai'i's multi-agency marine debris group bringing to the table projects, research, staff and funding. In the past two years, NOAA has contributed more than $2 million and coordinated large-scale marine debris efforts statewide. NOAA remains committed to addressing this issue and based on the availability of funds, hopes to continue to support projects such as the port reception program to mitigate the problem of marine debris.