Letters to the Editor & Opinions
Letters to the Editor
Read Letter to the Editor here»
For Sunday, December 27, 2009
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 27, 2009
Lingle cares not for kids' welfare
"Well, it's about time the Department of Education and the unions got it. You need to leave our governor and her administration out of negotiations. She has not demonstrated that she is the least bit interested in the well-being of our children and has done nothing but delay a solution that would be in the best interest of our children and families.
This governor only cares about one thing: to make this mess look like everybody else is to blame so she can save her political future."
James Lutte
Waianae
Opinions
Posted Dec 26, 2009
Read Honolulu Advertiser Opinion here»
Lingle's actions don't put kids first
"Lingle claimed the teachers union stood in the way of restoring school days. Beginning with the stimulus signed into law in February, Lingle's decisions over the last 10 months make me think it is her that has not put the kids first.
Ninety million dollars from that stimulus was for the DOE in Hawaii. Lingle then cut $90 million from the DOE's budget. Then came furloughs. Wanting to balance the budget on state workers, Lingle ordered three furlough days a month. Teacher contracts were negotiated and Lingle applauded the deal. When furloughs came the public weighed in on how they felt, and Lingle claimed she never wanted furloughs in the first place!
Teachers are now willing to give up some of their non-instructional days to bridge the gap, but Lingle demands all of them. There's more, as if more is needed to be convinced of where education lies on Lingle's priority list. Special education teachers get federal money to help subsidize the needs of the classroom. The money finally arrived last week, but Lingle is holding 25 percent of it hostage.
What Lingle says to the media has been pure spin, hoping that the public will have short memories. Lingle, you are disingenuous."
Brian Flatt
Kaimuki
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