Letters for Tuesday, May 28, 2013

• Bees silent victims in seed advertisement • International Workers Day observation • Recent graduate answers the call

Bees silent victims in seed advertisement

In the recent ad, “Kauai Seed Farmers Busts Myths” the information is very misleading.   

The chemical companies said that they spray early in morning to avoid wind speeds and minimize drift that harm bees and workers. Minimize compared to what?   Every day bees visit each flower that has been sprayed, it doesn’t matter what time they have been sprayed.

The spraying goes on and on, no matter how hard the wind blows.  Just ask the people that live in the spray zones, they say the spraying is almost daily.

The honey on Molokai is already contaminated with herbicides and pesticides, I am willing to bet Kauai honey is also. It’s not only the honey bees that are affected, it’s also harmful to insects like the lady bugs and dragonflies.

Island birds and other wildlife are also affected by these poisons. Most of our island fruits are pollinated by bees. Worldwide, farmers are facing a shortage of bees that pollinate their crops. That means lower yields and more expensive food. It makes sense to stop the poison and grow organic, it’s intelligent and safe.

Diana LaBedz, Kekaha

International Workers Day observation

This past May 1 marked the yearly celebration of International Workers Day, observed all over the world except Wall Street controlled America.

Workers take to the streets to fight for such human rights as livable wages, humane working conditions, free health care for all, affordable housing for everyone, pensions for all retirees and the basic right to organize unions that will defend our interests free of employer intimidation.

Here in Hawaii, public school teachers with the HSTA, government employees represented by the HGEA and UPW and hotel workers represented by Local 5, have settled in, voted on, are in arbitration or are ratifying contracts that will improve their living standards. Non-union workers are denied this democratic right.

Walmart happily does business in countries like Bangladesh where its workers have no protections. Just recently, over 1,120 mostly women workers in Dhaka, were crushed to death when their shoddily built factory collapsed.

Walmart has stood firmly against these workers quest to raise their wages and to better their working conditions. The garment workers fight for fairness runs counter to Walmart’s demanding attitude of paying for these goods at the lowest cost possible.

On May 14, six European clothing contractors signed on to an agreement monitored by independent human rights investigators that would force the government of Bangladesh and its garment factory owners to abide by stringent safety standards, and have these same contractors not conspire with owners to keep costs so low, so that nothing is spend on employee safety and economic welfare. Walmart refused to sign the agreement.

And all across the U.S., Walmart is cutting its “associates” hours, trying to reduce many employees to part-time help so that it doesn’t have to pay them needed benefits. Walmart has set the worldwide template to downgrade the rights of labor.

Hawaii legislators shamed themselves by not voting to increase the minimum wage. Hawaii’s poorest workers long for an increase from the present $7.25 an hour to the little more decent $9 by Jan. 1, 2017. New York City’s workers got an increase because they were organized.

We don’t hear the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, who vigorously opposed the increase, cry about the 28 percent jump in Hawaii’s top CEO compensation since 2011, as reported by the Star-Advertiser on April 21. Bank of Hawaii’s Peter Ho got an outrageous 93 percent increase — he made more than $3,390,000 in 2012. Working people shouldn’t be reduced to beggars; it’s time for organization and action.

Ray Catania, Puhi

James Alalem, Wailua

Recent graduate answers the call

This letter is in regards to Dr. Monroe’s letter to the editor dated Thursday, May 23.

I am a recent graduate of Kauai High School (class of 2013) and I am mildly insulted by your letter to the editor. I do occasionally read the TGI and I also read books. My latest favorite book is “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Sure, my 12 years in Hawaii’s public school system has been “rough.”

There are many teachers who, point blank, don’t do their jobs. However, there are other teachers, good teachers, that actually teach their students! (What a concept).

Honestly I don’t feel like high school prepared me for college but I’d like to thank all my teachers (especially my AP English teachers) who actually taught me something to help me in my future endeavors.

When it comes down to it, learning is up to the student and if the student wants to learn, they’ll do whatever they can to reach their full potential.

I read your letter. I responded and thought critically.

PS: Thank you Dr. Monroe for all that you do for Kauai High School.

Christine Nishimoto, Kalaheo