Privatization is about profit, not service

Kelly Maeshiro, the former student member of the Board of Education, makes the point that privatization of the country’s school management systems has resulted in higher costs and profits with the quality of education falling ("‘Education reform’ actually a handout to corporations," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Aug. 14).

The same result can be found in other government social services, the prison system, the military and government-funded health care.

The U.S. privatization drive is perhaps the biggest promoter of graft in the history of man.We all know that private companies do not have any goal other than to maximize profits.K Street lobbyists and their ilk in each state have been picking our pockets for too long with dismal results.

It is easy to find examples of better ways to care for our population — Finland in education, Norway for prisons, Canada for social services, and pretty much every developed country in the world in health care.

The profit motive has only promoted bigger profits for the 1 percent.

Dennis Davis
Pacific Heights

Hawaiian language should be enjoyed

We have been visiting Hawaii for about 20 years. We love the music and seeing its interpretations through hula, yet not really knowing what it all means.

Recently we attended an ukulele class. At the end of the class, a guest musician sang and the instructor interpreted the song in English, giving me a better understanding of the music.She did a voice-over technique as the singer performed.

Since Hawaii is a destination vacation spot with many performances for visitors, it would be nice and appreciated if at least one song in an event was interpreted so visitors could fully understand and appreciate the significance of the Hawaiian language.

It is such a beautiful language. It needs to be preserved and enjoyed by all.

Such a unique culture, filled with color, art, love and history.

Peg Shea
Salem, Ore.

State’s high theft rate should not be normal

In response to "Thieves are ruining Hawaii experience," I couldn’t agree more (Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 15).

I have lived my entire life in Kailua and in recent years have witnessed a noticeable increase in theft.

This year, a 100-pound boat motor was stolen from a shed in my yard. There also have been multiple car break-ins on Kailua Road, only a couple blocks from the beach.

I just came back from a trip to Japan and explained to my family how blown away I was by how many thousands of bikes were barely locked up on every city block, and returning later to see each was still there.

What has gone wrong in Hawaii? How many people have lost all sense of honesty and conscience? This isn’t normal, and isn’t "the way it goes." These thieves need to be taught a lesson and actually receive punishment for their actions.

Evan Lewis
Kailua

It’s a fact that U.S. economy is troubled

Steven Vaspra says that right-wing Republicans should do some homework ("Rhetoric belies economic facts," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 9).

I am a Libertarian and World War II veteran who has been around 86 years. At the age of 12, I was cutting lawns for 15 cents an hour. I pay someone to cut my lawn for $35 per hour today. Those are facts.

The national debt is double what it was when President Barack Obama took office. That is a fact.

Unemployment figures haven’t been this high since FDR days. The government hides the true figure by not counting those who quit looking for work. That is a fact.

The population of the once-great city of Detroit has dropped by more than half because GM and Chrysler went bankrupt. That is a fact.

Obama can give all the speeches he wants about how he is going to improve the economy, but the truth remains we are still in trouble. That is a fact!

William Hanson
Ewa Beach

Elderts started events that led to his death

In response to Marssia Kim’s letter, I believe that both Christopher Deedy and Kollin Elderts could have done things differently that night, which would have led to a better outcome ("Deedy’s role as agent is at heart of incident," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 11).

However, don’t lose track of the fact that it was Elderts who set into motion the chain of events that ultimately led to his own death.

Both Kim and the prosecuting attorney said Deedy should simply have walked away. I hope for their sakes that the next time they are being harassed or assaulted, there is someone like Deedy to come to their aid.

Stephen Abrams
Waikiki