Single-gender schools offer unique options

Thanks for publishing the article about the struggle over single-sex learning in public schools ("Boys on the side," Star-Advertiser, July 9). It is interesting to note that the evidence showing that single-sex schools increase gender stereotyping is very thin at best.

Since the guidelines for Title IX regulations were relaxed in 2006, there has been vibrant growth in single-gender schools with over 500 public schools nationwide offering single-gender education.

It would be beneficial for our own Department of Education to take a look at the existing possibilities that the relaxed Title IX guidelines now afford our public educational system. There is a significant body of scientific and educational data that lends credible support for an all-girls educational arrangement. The article also notes the success achieved for an all-boys educational environment.

The challenge before the nation’s public and private schools is to create learning environments based on the unique ways girls and boys learn, think, interact, display leadership and make decisions.

Betty White
Head of school, Sacred Hearts Academy

Put restrictions on SUVs, large trucks

How can Honolulu help lessen future traffic gridlock? It would be helpful if small cars were mandated and trucks were limited to commercial or "as-needed use." Honolulu has too many pickup trucks, large SUVs and big passenger cars — many pickup trucks that seldom carry anything and SUVs that seldom have more than the driver or one passenger. They take up limited space on streets and crowd into small parking stalls.

Reversing the trend to smaller ones would not be simple, but over time could be done. Licenses could be required for the purchase of pickup trucks by those having a regular need for such vehicles. People who need a truck only occasionally could rent them from licensed dealers.

Opposition to such a plan will be primarily from automobile dealers; that opposition could be lessened by tax credits or some other benefit. Although smaller than Hawaii, Bermuda has long had the policy of permitting only compact vehicles. The policy has worked.

Charlie Bocken
Honolulu

Is Hawaii prepared for bankruptcy?

"(Stockton, Calif.) ready to declare bankruptcy … " shouts the headline in the Star-Advertiser’s June 27 edition. I wonder if our politicians are even aware of what’s happening in other cities, or just dismissive that it could ever happen here. I would like to send them a wake-up call that we do not live in a "fat city," and that our economy is really just a fragile balancing act.

"Expensive investments and generous retiree benefits drained city coffers … " Sound familiar? Are we not now going down that very road? What about that next bump in the road — the perfect storm that could push us back into a worse recession?

That perfect storm catalyst could be the collapse of the Japanese economy and consequently the collapse of our tourist industry. A recent Star-Advertiser article laid that situation out for all to see and ponder. With an accelerating aging population draining more and more resources, and debt piling up as high as Mount Fuji (over 200 percent of its GDP), Japan is ready to implode. Then what, Ms. and Mr. Lawmaker? Is Hawaii ready for that perfect storm?

Art Todd
Kaneohe

GMO advocates ignore lessons of DDT

In response to Mark Phillipson, who made such glowing remarks with regard to the safety of genetically modified organism products and who also condemned the "anti-GMO activists," may I say his position appears to be based on sheer ignorance ("Experts agree that GM foods are safe," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 12). To say "there hasn’t been a single documented case of injury to a person or disruption of an ecosystem" is mind-boggling at best and foolhardy, to say the least.

Back in the day, when people were trying to sound the alarm regarding the widespread use of DDT insecticide, or the potential health hazards from smoking cigarettes, or pollution issues from landfilling our garbage, those "activists" were mocked and scoffed at as well.

Unfortunately, it took years for the physical and environmental damage to manifest themselves.

Are we willing to wait years to listen to those who are "sounding the alarm" today about the hazards of growing and eating GM products? I hope not!

Margaret Peary
Mililani Mauka

Hannemann served tourism agency well

There’s been some criticism of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association and the tenure of Mufi Hannemann, our past president and CEO.

Let me be unequivocally clear: Mufi Hannemann infused the HLTA with his tireless leadership that energized the organization and enabled us to achieve bold new goals. He was exactly what we needed to help revitalize Hawaii’s visitor industry at a very difficult time in our recent history, contributing his experience and ideas to make us more effective as a business association and better position us to thrive in the future.

The membership of the HLTA will be forever indebted to Mufi for everything he’s done for us.

Kelvin Bloom
Chairman, HLTA