How 'bout that "settlement " that "averted" the almost teachers strike at the last minute (4:35 am) February 20? Talk about staged and orchestrated events. The strike would have been the first since 1973 (three years after union collective bargaining was enacted). The tough talking HSTA union, used teachers as pawns and held the taxpayers and their children hostage so they could continue to flex their political muscle. Make no mistake about it, this strike had nothing to do with the quality of education. Salary improvement for all teachers was a by-product of a political battle. The 1998 Gubernatorial election campaign is already underway and the HSTA knew the Governor would have to back down if he wanted to be reelected. He did, and he does. Did many teachers deserve a raise? You bet, based on MERIT. But at no time during the latest "crisis" in our state did quality, performance or accountability come up, only money. The Governor insisted the state didn't have it; the HSTA said it did. Actually, the Guv was right, the state has nothing that it doesn't first confiscate from the taxpayers--including school teachers. This 17% settlement, with an estimated price tag of $100 million, will cost everyone plenty. The state will try to get the money by looting several existing special funds (Highway, TAT) and "as a last resort," raise your taxes.Case in point is the $2 per day car rental tax which was enacted supposedly for "highway construction, maintenance and beautification," but now is needed to satisfy union demands. the Transient Accommodations Tax is another example; it will be tapped or increased to help fund the continuing debt of the yet unopened State Convention Center. Then, when its all over, the next bunch of unionized public workers will be waiting for their cut of your money. This is mismanagement and malfeasance at its worst.We wonder why Hawaii keeps losing its best and brightest and why 65% of public school teachers with school age kids send THEIR kids to private school. If we continue to force people to belong to a union, and give up their income so the union can continue to spend it on electing the same people to office, we will be worse than a third-rate banana republic. The people of Hawaii--and our keiki-- deserve better.

Contrast this strike threat with the courage of the librarians, also public workers, who stood up against the state contract with library outsourcer Baker & Taylor. These librarians came forward individually and demanded accountability and a change, not for themselves, but for the kids and taxpayers of the state. They are to be commended; they had nothing to gain and everything to lose career-wise by standing up as they did. The State, DOE, BOE and State Librarian should all be indicted for their complicity in this shameful waste of taxpayer funds. The problem is not outsourcing or privatization, it is the ineptness by a political machine that doesn't understand business or the value of other peoples money.

The voters rejected him, but the Governor resurrected defeated Senator Rey Graulty and anointed him new State Insurance Commissioner, replacing Wayne Metcalf who was appointed to replace ailing Senator Richard Matsuura. Politics in Hawaii is the next best thing to a perpetual income machine.

If you call an Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki, you get a reservationist in Denver. Now if you want to find out the operating hours of any Hawaii Post Office call a 1-800 number that gets you someone in Denver too. Why not just annex Hawaii to Colorado since so many residents and businesses work out of Denver?

Remember when your real property values declined last year, Mayor Jeremy Harris and the City talked of raising your real property tax rates? At the '97 Legislature, State Budget Chief, Earl Anzai, has said that a gasoline tax increase will be necessary, in part, because cars have become more fuel efficient. See, the owners of gas guzzlers were right all along. Government doesn't really care about the environment:only about more money--yours. Anzai also said this is not the right time to implement the 1996 State Tax Review Commission recommendations (which include tax reductions) because it would cost nearly $175 million to overhaul the system.

Surprise! the City's vaunted logo store isn't producing. The Honolulu City Store, criticized at the outset by SBH, now owes the City more than $65,000 in delinquent royalty payments. The vendor, Resort Sports, signed a contract to pay the City $80,000, or 13% of gross, whichever is more, annually for 5 years, beginning January 30, 1997, regardless of its monthly take from the $1-per year Ala Moana store. Sales figures to date were not available.

Welfare rolls in EVERY state but one have been cut. Guess which Island State separated from the Mainland, that could be??

Helen Altonn's Honolulu Star-Bulletin story (2/12/97) reviewed the Pacific Ocean Science and Technology Center at the University of Hawaii. Originally scheduled for completion in 1989, the building so far cost taxpayers almost $50 million, is incomplete, unfurnished and unusable. Repeat:We lack leadership, not money, in Hawaii government and education.

Leadership could come from Maui Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle (SBH's January Conference keynoter) who always tells it like it is.

They can now clone sheep; if they can clone a jackass, we can skip our '98 elections.

I always enjoy your "Small Business Views" column...but must correct your comments in February's edition regarding the Food Lion suit against ABC-TV.

Your column reads "...ABC was found guilty of fraud and trespass in its phony story of health violations..."

The record shows that Food Lion never pursued a libel claim and didn't argue the accuracy of the story, but instead sued ABC for the methods used in gathering facts.

Hope you agree in retrospects that this wasn't a "phony" story.

Michael A. Rosenberg,
President & GM, KITV-TV

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