Capacity to learn begins at birth

Quality child care and early childhood education are essential for school success. The capacity to learn, however, begins at birth.

An infant is able to distinguish its mother’s voice from another. Through repetitive, responsive care, the infant begins to understand its environment. Such nurturing relationships develop brain architecture necessary for making sense of information.

The infant begins to develop a sense of who she is, learns to focus and relate to people. Such abilities are critical to relate to teachers, attend to lessons and cope in a sometimes fun but chaotic classroom.

In our discussion about early education, let us remember young children, birth to 3 years of age. Keeping them in mind can only help them develop their own minds for learning. 

True education is hard work

The article in the Star- Advertiser reports new urgency to plans for a state-funded preschool program ("Fewer tots deemed set for school," Dec. 6).

When most of the kupuna such as I attended school, there was no kindergarten. Instead, we began school in the first grade and attended classes for hours more than the students today, without teacher preparation days. That meant that each year we received a full day of instruction meant to educate students, not to entertain or make education fun. True education is hard work. In 1962, my year of graduation from high school, we had some of the highest SAT scores recorded.

The solution to the preschool problem could be solved at less expense to our citizens by discontinuing this unnecessary program entirely.

Rail debate sounds familiar

During the mid-1960s, I lived in northern California. The debate about a transit system in the Bay Area began in 1947. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) was narrowly approved by the voters in 1962 and was completed in 1972.

At that time, there was ongoing and ferocious debate in the local newspapers on the merits of BART. Many of the same arguments against Honolulu’s proposed rail system were used against the BART system at that time: No one would use it; it will cost too much; it will not reduce peak traffic. The daily weekday rider use for BART in November 2010 was more than 350,000. Those 350,000 riders could not imagine a world with rail transit.

Somebody please stop rail project

More than 130,000 of us voted against Honolulu’s rail project. Now, as expected, it appears the cost overrun may be substantial. It seems that those who proposed the project were concerned primarily with getting it built and gave little or no thought to operating and maintaining the behemoth. And, of course, it will destroy much-valued scenery and views. Operating personnel would have to be on duty 24 hours a day, even during those hours when there would be few riders. This is costly. And there is no substantial evidence of actual ridership during peak hours.

Somebody stop this thing and come up with a light rail system that we can afford.

Taxpayers spend own cash better

The Democratic spin is that Republicans want to extend tax cuts for the millionaires and billionaires. Really? The Republicans do not want to raise anyone’s taxes — they want the American taxpayers to hold on to their own hard-earned money to spend or save as their own situation dictates.

Republicans realize that a smaller, more-efficient government will require less taxation and more money staying in the hands of those who earned it. Taxpayers can spend it far more efficiently and really begin to stimulate this economy.

If Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey really thought that the government appropriately and efficiently spends the resources provided to them through taxation, they could simply donate some of their billions to reduce the deficit.

But, no, they choose to direct their own redistribution of wealth through charitable contributions and foundations.

It’s OK to be critical of HPD

Moana Higa takes issue with the results of the Star-Advertiser’s Big Q polling results that showed only 39 percent of 450 respondents believe that Honolulu Police Department operations have improved under Chief Louis Kealoha during his first year ("Ride along with HPD before being critical," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 4).

Higa is concerned that voters in the poll were not asked to explain their lack of confidence in the chief.

Fortunately, the Star- Advertiser does provide an opportunity for readers to freely post their comments in response to articles, which they did for the Nov. 29 story about Kealoha’s first year. Readers stated very specific concerns regarding the chief and HPD, including the number of pedestrian deaths, $50,000 for new furniture, political motivations, the arrests of HPD officers, mistreatment of Hawaiians, lack of communication with the public and low morale.

Seed crop firms here negligible

The article stating that rising seed crop values have contributed to Hawaii’s economy gives a distorted view of whether the biotech companies have actually benefited Hawaii’s food production and use of land resources ("Isle seed crop value jumps 26 percent," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 18). In fact, the seeds are exported to the world, exploiting Hawaiian soil, air and water, using the islands as a contained open-air laboratory in case something goes wrong. The number of people employed and the amounts of seeds used in local food farms are minimal.

Biofuels and luxury items such as coffee beans and tropical flowers are counted as part of agricultural sustainability but contribute little to the local food supply.

The large estate owners would do a greater service to parcel out the lands for a reasonable cost to our young small farmers or to those willing to grow organic produce and provide healthy alternatives to our communities.

Also, benefactors such as David Rockefeller have supported the farm-to-table movement with restaurants like Blue Hill, which could be models for numerous small farm-restaurants on all islands.