4-day work week unlikely to pan out

Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona’s plan for state employees to work four 10-hour days a week, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s partial endorsement of that plan, all for the sake of energy savings, is off the mark.

First of all, with no meaningful system in place to monitor worker productivity, how can the taxpayers be assured that work is being fairly accomplished during the extended hours? Second, if state offices are not open in lockstep to serve the public, what is the function of state government?

And last but not least, who’s to say we won’t be turning, for some, an already 32-hour, five-day workweek into a 32-hour, four-day workweek?

Once a four-day workweek is negotiated and is then found to be counterproductive, good luck in trying to get it reversed. Instead, follow what many of those in the private sector do: Work 10 hours a day, five or six days a week.

Ban won’t stop use of illegal fireworks

Anyone with any common sense and just a little street smarts realizes that the City Council’s new ban on consumer fireworks is unenforceable for the most part, and will fuel big business on the black market.

The City Council shows good intentions, perhaps, but also shows a woeful lack of understanding of how reality works. The use of illegal fireworks will continue and the responsible use of legal fireworks by the majority of the law-abiding population will be curtailed. The fire and police departments will find that their activities on New Year’s and Independence Day will not diminish and the black market will thrive.

Apportion state BOE by geographic district

The people of Hawaii should reject the idea of an appointed state Board of Education.

While I can understand the frustration people have with education, saying an elected Board of Education is to blame is not fair. Nor will an appointed Board of Education solve the problem.

Who would an appointed board serve? Would its decisions be for the best for the children of Hawaii or insulate the governor from criticism?

It would be more reasonable to apportion the Board of Education so it matches a geographic district. This would allow the voters an opportunity to hold their representative accountable.

Kaimuki school land could be redeveloped

I agree with Monica Wu’s concern about the lack of appropriate plans once the state Board of Education closes Liliuokalani Elementary School in Kaimuki (Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. 25). More specifically, I am concerned that such a large urban space will sit unused and might become a magnet for drugs and other crimes.

It would seem to me appropriate to redevelop the property as a full-service homeless shelter, providing not just housing but medical care and job counseling or perhaps a full-service senior center providing senior day care and medical services. Otherwise, it should be bulldozed to make room for redevelopment that might reduce the need to further tap our very limited undeveloped agricultural lands.

Democratic rule has ruined Hawaii

Insanity is sometimes defined as doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

The Democrats have held the governor’s office all but eight of the last 48 years. The Democrats have held the Legislature for the last 55 years, many with a veto-proof majority.

So let’s look at our island:

» Laughingstock of the nation last year due to our schools.
» Homeless situation: Enough said.
» Hawaii highway system: Ranked at the bottom of the nation.
» Teen, unmarried pregnancy: Through the roof.
» Business-friendly: Yeah, right.
» Infrastructure: Falling apart.

Using the last election’s buzzword, change, maybe it’s time for a change in our political situation. If not, can you say "insanity"?