Public School Furlough Days

[anapuni808]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

Excuse me? the ones arrested are 2 UH students; the rest are parents, teachers and children. please explain what makes them so scary? and why would the Gov with her security guys feel "scared" enough to arrest peaceful protesters?

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

Excuse me? the ones arrested are 2 UH students; the rest are parents, teachers and children. please explain what makes them so scary? and why would the Gov with her security guys feel "scared" enough to arrest peaceful protesters?

That's the joke. They looked just the opposite with their non-threathening appearance. It was bad PR for Gov. Lingle when the arrested SOS members were shown in handcuffs locked behind their backs.

[dyasu]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

After reading through SOS's website I get a better understanding of their stance and the efforts they have made. While I do not agree with their stance against the governor, I do applaud them for standing up for what they believe.

I still feel a bit at odds with the idea of releasing so much money from the emergency fund without first addressing, or at the very least beginning to address, the bigger issue with the education system and its terrible spending habits.

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

Excuse me? the ones arrested are 2 UH students; the rest are parents, teachers and children. please explain what makes them so scary? and why would the Gov with her security guys feel "scared" enough to arrest peaceful protesters?

Are these children skipping school to do these sit-in's, if so, seems like that is defeating the purpose. Are the parents are taking off work to do these sit-in's too?

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

The Governor failing to respond to them in person when they are just outside her office is absurd. Then when they get a response via letter from the Governor it is written with a very angry personal tone.

Absolutely.

I think she should try and spend the last six months of her office repairing some of this PR mess. Go out and do the talk story's and face the public that voted you in twice.

Why bother? Lingle needn't waste her time or anybody else's with any more "talk story" sessions. As the saying goes, "Crisis reveals character." No amount of PR damage control is going to be able to salvage the horrendous visuals of walking out of a room with people who wanted to ask her questions and having peaceful protestors arrested. Voters aren't going to forget this. I hope she has another career in mind (selling cars at Cutter?) because her time in elective politics in Hawaii are over. Pau.

And maybe there will be no political opportunities for her on the federal level as well, now that news of Lingle's arrests have garnered national attention.

I think Lingle herself realizes as much, as she proceeded to carry on with her slash-and-burn tactics down to the bitter end.

Day 8

KITV

HNN

Two more arrests, and the SOS protestors have ended their sit-in.

Linda Lingle achieves her victory,..... if a victory means clearing out the protestors and successfully stonewalling herself from answering any of their questions.

But as to showing leadership qualities under fire, this observer declares Lingle to be a loser.

Moreover, the controversy surrounding the governor's mishandling of the sit-in protestors isn't over. Those who have been arrested and/or cited will have their day in court, and some attorneys (like Eric Seitz) are already questioning whether the governor's charges will hold up under judicial scrutiny. Needless to say, a dismissal of those charges will be yet another blow to the governor's image and legacy.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

Lingle needn't waste her time or anybody else's with any more "talk story" sessions. As the saying goes, "Crisis reveals character." No amount of PR damage control is going to be able to salvage the horrendous visuals of walking out of a room with people who wanted to ask her questions and having peaceful protestors arrested. Voters aren't going to forget this. I hope she has another career in mind (selling cars at Cutter?) because her time in elective politics in Hawaii are over. Pau.

The Advertiser's Dave Shapiro likewise chimes in on the now laughable idea of Lingle having a political future after the sit-in debacle.

Lingle indicated in a recent speech that she may run for office again. Good luck with that. The humility and charm she once displayed in connecting with concerned citizens have left the building, and all that's left is to wait until she does the same.

[TuNnL]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

I still feel a bit at odds with the idea of releasing so much money from the emergency fund without first addressing, or at the very least beginning to address, the bigger issue with the education system and its terrible spending habits.

After reading through Escondido100’s line-item list of seemingly duplicitous positions, I think many would agree with you on that point, dyasu, including me. But I think the point Frankie, and the many media sources he has cited are trying to make, is that Gov. Lingle woefully bungled her response to these well-meaning protestors. We live in a democracy, where government is supposed to be run by We the people...

If a state governor can’t take five minutes to answer a question or two from parents and keiki that have been waiting patiently in her office to meet with her for five days, we have a dysfunctional government. Heck, U.S. President Barack Obama and his VP spent more than half an hour to have a beer with a Harvard professor and Massachusetts policeman who were having trouble getting along.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

It get's curiouser and curiouser - http://www.khon2.com/news/local/stor...I_KaVK0qA.cspx - http://www.starbulletin.com/news/201...idiculous.html

I think the caterpiller's been sharing his hookah with Linda lately.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

It get's curiouser and curiouser - http://www.khon2.com/news/local/stor...I_KaVK0qA.cspx - http://www.starbulletin.com/news/201...idiculous.html

I think the caterpiller's been sharing his hookah with Linda lately.

State Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi said Gov. Linda Lingle's request for teachers and principals to return to classrooms without pay for three Furlough Fridays left in this school year is "reckless" and "ridiculous."

Once again, Lingle flunks P.R. 101 when it comes to garnering public support in the way she's handling the negotiations.

1) Before asking the teachers to work for three days without pay, the governor should have also announced that she and members of her cabinet and staff be willing to likewise "voluntarily" work without pay for 3 days. Hey, Dingle-Ling! Asking only the teachers to work for free without willing to make a reciprocal sacrifice on your part isn't the way to get the public on your side.

2) Instead of negotiating through the press (and doing so clumsily, at that,) how about showing some genuine leadership for once and calling together all the parties involved (BOE and HSTA) to hammer out an agreement in a face-to-face meeting? Grandstanding isn't showing leadership.

[D'Alani]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

Once again, Lingle flunks P.R. 101 when it comes to garnering public support in the way she's handling the negotiations.

1) Before asking the teachers to work for three days without pay, the governor should have also announced that she and members of her cabinet and staff be willing to likewise "voluntarily" work without pay for 3 days. Hey, Dingle-Ling! Asking only the teachers to work for free without willing to make a reciprocal sacrifice on your part isn't the way to get the public on your side.

2) Instead of negotiating through the press (and doing so clumsily, at that,) how about showing some genuine leadership for once and calling together all the parties involved (BOE and HSTA) to hammer out an agreement in a face-to-face meeting? Grandstanding isn't showing leadership.

By the same token the HSTA should have agreed to a 5% pay cut and all this wouldn't be news.

[TuNnL]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

Before asking the teachers to work for three days without pay, the governor should have also announced that she and members of her cabinet and staff be willing to likewise "voluntarily" work without pay for 3 days. Hey, Dingle-Ling! Asking only the teachers to work for free without willing to make a reciprocal sacrifice on your part isn't the way to get the public on your side.

More than that, though, is the very idea that it is even possible to operate the schools “voluntarily.” If Governor Lingle has already conceded that there are at least SOME staff besides the teachers (security guards, etc.) that are ESSENTIAL (which she has) then where is the money to pay those people? The $57 million she said she’ll approve is for next year.

The only reason teachers could theoretically ‘volunteer’ is because they are paid SALARY. What about the workers who are paid hourly? FEDERAL LAW prohibits hourly workers from working for free. Why is Lingle asking the schools to break the law?

What an idiot.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/bulletin/94889394.html

Furlough Fridays for next year are canceled.

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

So are all three unions are covered in this deal:

HSTA, HGEA and UPW?

If not, then I don't see how this can work.

All 3 unions workers which comprise of teachers, administration and maintenance/cafeteria workers, etc. all have to be on campus for the school day to be in session.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

Today's S-B says (emphasis mine):

Acting Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said the Department of Education has been given the discretion to decide the schedule and determine which employees to bring back. Although there still are some details to be worked out with the unions, "essentially we're all on the same page," she said.

[LikaNui]

Re: Public School Furlough Days

You're right, KalihiBoy. There are still several issues to be resolved, as several of our TV stations noted last night. For the newspapers or anyone else to say that furlough days are pau or cancelled or over (depending on which news service one read) is incorrect and misleading.