TEACHERS

STATE MONEY SHOULDN'T GO TO DRUG TESTING

As an employee of the Department of Education and as a resident of the Wai'anae Coast, I can see the merit in drug testing for DOE employees.

And I can understand Darlene Tajiri's point (Letters, Oct. 8) regarding the safety and welfare of our keiki and her rights.

But there is a big difference between driving a bus and steering a child. Simply put, one is transportation and one is education.

How can it be justified to spend money the state doesn't have on drug testing when the children in the schools don't even have enough books and materials, much less adequate staffing?

The state is having a hard enough time trying to teach the kids how to read and write, and yet there are designs to take more money out of an already anemic education budget.

Wouldn't it be nice if the education funding went to schools instead of laboratories? Oh well, maybe they're right. We don't need to worry about education if all we require of our keiki is to learn how to pour cement so they can build more parking lots. Lucky we live Hawai'i!

SUPERFERRY

TOUGH-LOVE DISCIPLINE NEEDED FOR OFFICIALS

I must comment on Bryan Wittekind's Oct. 6 letter ("Tough-love discipline needed in ferry fracas"). I have only put the slipper on the other foot.

When officials and corporations act with selfish, disrespectful manners and disregard for their own good, the island's benefit, and the community's interest, what are residents to do? Apply some old-fashion discipline for an immediate, positive result for the sake of all involved. Go to court.

Will officials warmly receive discipline? No.

Will courts and residents enjoy executing discipline? No.

Perhaps this illustration falls short, but it reminds me of what's occurring and should happen with respect to some officials and the Superferry.

The officials are members of our 'ohana who have demonstrated a propensity for lawlessness, headstrong irrationality, and a complete lack of aloha, which has resulted in bringing shame on themselves, and all of Hawai'i.

Clearly, our residents need to carry through with some tough-love decisions to rein in and discipline the egotistical attitudes and uncivilized behavior of some spoiled, fractious officials and corporations.

They may not like it, but it will be for their own future well-being and will bring much-needed healing and aloha to those unnecessarily caught in this very important issue of protecting the environment.

BEACH ACCESS

BOTH SIDES SHOULD COME TO WHAT IS PONO

Developers and hotels have been diminishing shoreline access on the outer islands since the 1980s. Now private homeowners are doing the same in Kailua.

Walking to Kailua Beach is a tradition and way of life for many. We will not take the loss of beach access lightly. Once one private access is closed, others will follow.

Kailua used to be (and I believe still is) a very different place from Malibu and Laguna Beach — beach communities with gates, walls and access for only the elite few. We have come from the Hawaiian tradition of open beaches, access for all, and, yes, our aloha spirit.

This is a time when we are being encouraged to "go green," drive less and walk more. Taking away a beach access goes against environmental awareness, and goes against the very root of Kailua.

I propose that we work as a community at a grass roots level on this vital issue. Let's sit down with our neighbors on L'Orange, talk it out and come to what is right, or pono for both sides.

WAIKIKI

BEACH WALK CHANGES GLITZY BUT WELCOMING

We've just gotten back from our 10th trip to the Islands. Since first coming in 1996, we have loved Hawai'i, from the bustle of Waikiki to the Big Island's majesty.

This paper termed Lewers Street before the recent redevelopment "an armpit of Waikiki" (April 5).

Far from that, it offered all the people access to the Hawaiian experience. We heard about the Beach Walk development, and wondered whether Hawai'i there would be replaced by what California calls "upscale" — which tells the advantaged that consumption differentiates them, when it only employs them as tools, moving wealth upward to the wealthy.

Well, it seems like things will be OK. The net effect is Waikiki Beach Walk fits. A little glitzy, but gently and somehow modestly — "the colors match."

We felt welcome. Coming from a part of New York where idle investors are pricing locals out of the area, we know that's not a viable model anywhere. It's early to tell, but it seems like the new Lewers/Beach Walk may be a sign that the public interest will prevail in Hawai'i.

Mahalo and aloha!

FOOTBALL

NO OTHER TEAMS MUST TRAVEL AS MUCH AS UH

For all those naysayers who continue to bash the University of Hawai'i football team's "weak" schedule, I challenge them to come up with any team that travels more miles to play a game than UH.

No so-called top-ranked team wants to travel to Hawai'i because it is too hard for them to acclimate and then play a football game.

UH, on the other hand, travels thousands of miles every year. How many miles has LSU traveled this season so far?

UH has to travel to Florida next year. Michigan bailed out this year at the last minute, and got spanked by UH's replacement.

Occasionally a team will travel to Hawai'i, but not recently (except USC) since the June Jones era because they are afraid of the high-powered offense that is uniquely UH (and now Portland State).