In other words, good teachers are working hard, but their efforts are not paying off.

Is that mysterious? Not in the least. A monumental management problem is plaguing Hawai'i's public school system. Why is nothing is being done to solve it?

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

DELAY IN SIGNAL CHANGE WILL NOT SOLVE PROBLEM

Mr. James Petersen's suggestion in his March 7 letter about the timing of traffic signals sounds reasonable. But in the late 1960s or early '70s, the light sequences were changed to allow a few seconds delay in the timing for just this reason. Prior to that, the lights would change simultaneously.

Many people, to this day, do not realize this lag was implemented, but there are also many who do realize this and knowingly run red lights.

I have seen people run the red light in so many places at so many locations, it's unbelievable. Putting another 10-second delay in the light change will not work with people who do it anyway. In fact, it would probably cause more red-light running.

We either need stronger enforcement of the laws (but the police cannot be everywhere), or the state and city need to seriously consider implementing the red-light cameras (not the roving speed-cameras, please!) as a better mechanism for controlling red-light running.

INOUYE

PORK-BARREL PROJECTS HELP HAWAI'I'S NEEDY

As a Hawai'i resident who benefits from so-called "pork," I am most grateful for Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's finesse with the federal budget.

These congressional earmarks do untold good in our communities by filling gaps where federal grants should be available, but aren't.

Here is a sampling of the projects supported by Sen. Inouye's interventions:

These projects aren't aimed at special interests and fat cats — the funds went to help organizations that help the poor, residents of rural areas, Native Hawaiians, the homeless, the uninsured and all of us who struggle to make Hawai'i a better place to call home.

GOOD MANAGEMENT

SEWER WORK, RECYCLING ON TRACK AT CITY HALL

Carrol Cox's environmental state of mind is thoroughly confused at best (Letters, March 4).

As a self-proclaimed watchdog, he, perhaps more than most, should know that the city's sewers have suffered decades of neglect, and that for at least 10 years, there were no sewer-fee increases.

Last year's rupture of a line under Waikiki shows it's too late to put the work off any longer, and the Hannemann administration is up to the task, taking on more projects in 25 months than the previous administration did in 10 years. That's good management.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann worked out issues with the union regarding recycling shortly after taking office. That's why we now have automated recycling of green waste in blue bins that were sitting idle in people's garages, as well as islandwide bulky-item pickup. That's good management.

The mayor announced that he plans to take the case for curbside recycling of mixed recyclables to the people beginning next month. His plan is to have community meetings to enable the public to offer its input and opinion on the mayor's proposal. That's good management.

The bottom line is, Mr. Cox needs to get off his high horse. A good start would be for him to report the facts honestly. That would be a welcome change for those of us who are familiar with his attitude and behavior.

SAFETY CONCERN

WAIKIKI BUSES HAVE BECOME TOO CROWDED

TheBus' service was a wonderful blessing when Mufi Hannemann became mayor, but now one can't even get on a bus in Waikiki because they are overloaded.

Every one has people standing up to five deep in front of the restrictive yellow line inside the driver's area of vision. That is against bus safety rules.

TheBus has become an accident waiting to happen and a disgrace. Why is that?

HEALTH

LET'S BAN GMOS FROM NATION'S FOOD SUPPLY

If health officials and politicians were really serious about our nation's health, along with trans fats, they would ban all genetically modified organisms from our foods.

EDUCATION

DON'T WASTE RESOURCES ON TEACHER DRUG TESTS

The Drug Policy Forum of Hawai'i applauds the Voices of Educators coalition for its rational and responsible stand on drug testing of teachers ("Drug test would fail to solve problems," March 4).

Time and again, research has proven that poorly implemented drug testing is expensive, counterproductive and produces unintended consequences that damage careers and lives.

We're pleased the coalition recognizes the potential threats from false positive results, unreliability and the invasion of privacy that can occur from drug testing.

Let's not waste scarce resources, invade personal privacy, or destroy lives; a comprehensive, science-based approach is the only way to curb drug abuse among teachers — or students, or any segment of our community.

DRUG TESTING

TEACHERS, LEGISLATORS SHOULD BE ROLE MODELS

In a letter on March 5, Jeff Naumann states, "As with their refusal to drug-test teachers, the union is strongly against any attempt to hold their members accountable for anything."

The Hawai'i State Teachers Association will support drug testing as long as it is not directed at just teachers.

What about our lawmakers? What about other state employees? Let our teachers and lawmakers stand side by side and take drug tests to provide positive role models for our students.

To provide a safe environment for student learning, shouldn't we test more than just teachers, or would this violate someone's rights?

SLAVE OWNERS

OBAMA SHOULDN'T BE JUDGED ON HIS ANCESTRY

It puzzles me that Baltimore Sun journalists David Nitkin and Harry Merritt found it timely to report in a story published in The Advertiser on March 2 that Sen. Barack Obama's great-great- great-great-grandfather and great-great-great-great-great grandmother on his mother's side owned slaves.

Publication of the article is especially remarkable since the person who allegedly researched this trivia claimed to have done it as a "hobby" and declined to be interviewed. The genealogist who examined the study would not vouch for the findings.

Who could possibly need this irrelevant snippet? Why the rush to print? Could there be those who think this adds or detracts from Sen. Obama's qualifications to be president?

Why can't we judge candidates on their own merit without regard to race, religion, national origin, etc.?

I do not give a rip if my ancestors were serfs, robbers, pirates or kings. I expect to be judged by who I am, not who they were. I wish that presidential candidates could have the same expectation.

IRAQ WAR

SOMEONE MUST SAY IT: TROOPS DYING IN VAIN

The war is wrong. If we want the war in Iraq to end, then someone has to speak the truth.

Sen. Barack Obama almost said it — and his supporters ran for cover. Sen. Hillary Clinton would never say it. John Edwards talked around it.

Saying it out loud is awful and terrible — but here it is: Our young heroes over there are not making America safer or spreading democracy or fighting terrorism. They are being sacrificed and dying in vain to support the egos of old men afraid to admit their mistake.

The tens of thousands of wounded and crippled are for nothing — the hundreds of thousands of civilian refugees are for nothing.

Afghanistan needs more troops to kill or lock up our enemies, but one more death in Iraq is too much — and for nothing. Someone has to say it.

OVERSTAYING

WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR PRISON MISTAKES?

It has happened again: State officials made mistakes and we, the taxpayers, must pay. Why?

Prisoners stay longer that they ought to, and we pay. Not once, not twice, but several times.

Isn't it time for whomever is accountable to be fired? Or dock their pay.

If the taxpayers keep paying for their mistakes, it will never end — mistakes will occur over and over. Someone should be accountable for this blunder.