Do you know what it’s like?
House leadership is declining to give the Senate Bill 839 a fair chance. My husband was released from the hospital Dec. 14. The doctor told him there was nothing they could do for him, his body was shutting down and told his son he only had a couple of days to live. He died Feb. 8. He suffered. If this bill had passed he wouldn’t have had to go through this. Do you know what it’s like to see someone you love suffer? They put animals to sleep when their suffering, how about humans?
Gerry Kahulamu
Kailua-Kona
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Maybe this isn’t gonna work
Planning Director Zendo Kern signs off on documents before checking on a conflict of interest, and before putting conflict protocols in place — despite serious concerns about just that dominating his confirmation hearings. Mayor Mitch Roth calls Kern on the carpet … oh, wait, Roth defends him.
The Campbell conflict-of-interest signoff is discovered — but is this before, or after, the press and public start asking questions?
Kern can’t publicize his list of former clients without getting in hot water with the clients. That means the press and public can’t watchdog conflicts of interest. It also means Planning Department staff may only be able to uncover conflicts by sifting through reams of old records — for years to come.
Multiple conflicts are likely, and overworked Planning Department staff will have to cover for Kern.
Mayor Roth and Director Kern — maybe this isn’t gonna work.
Martha “Cory” Harden
Hilo
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Schools are walking tightropes
The hardworking director and teachers at West Hawaii Explorations Academy are planning the reopening of their school. However, the staff must follow the guidelines of the CDC and Department of Health. To label teachers and administrative staff at West Explorations Academy, or any other school, as uncaring people who want to collect pay without working is unfair.
Most of the teachers are working harder than ever. They are teaching full-time virtual classes as well as planning for on-campus classes. Many teachers have willingly risked their lives by working with students on campus before the vaccines were ever rolled out. To label teachers and staff members ineffectual, uncaring, and uncommitted does them a great disservice.
Recently on the CDC website there was still a warning for schools to be careful when opening: “While fewer children than adults have had COVID-19 in the United States, the number of school-aged children with COVID-19 has been increasing. Children and adolescents can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, can get sick with COVID-19, and can spread the virus to others. … School officials should make decisions about school opening and about staying open for in-person learning based on CDC’s Indicators for Dynamic Decision-making. The many benefits of in-person schooling should be weighed against the risks of spreading COVID-19 in the school and community.”
Many students in Hawaii live in extended families and are at risk of taking COVID-19 home to their loved ones. This risk forces the Department of Health to track the daily COVID-19 count to determine safety in the community. Schools must follow the COVID-19 numbers closely to determine safety for students and staff. It is important for readers to understand that schools are walking tightropes between their community’s health and their students’ wellbeing.
Yvonne Jayne, M.Ed.
Maui
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