STOP FURLOUGH FRIDAYS!

I don't understand why the State can just shrug its shoulder on the huge of impact of having Hawai'i Government Employees Association (HGEA) members, most especially the teachers; to sacrifice two furlough days per month for the next 20 months begin this Friday, October 23, 2009.

No matter how the State keep saying that they will do their best to minimize the impact of Furlough days to the public, as they will close most offices, or portions of their operations on two specified Fridays per month, it's inevitable that there are people who would get affected the most and of course there would always be a resistance.

It is just unwarranted for the Department of Education and the Hawaii Public School Teachers Association to just decide on their own on furlough Fridays without getting the view or the stand of the parents and the students. There should have been a dialogue, where all parties can voice their respective stand on the matter.

The state and the employees should always prioritze what is best for the public; for that is why they're there for. They exist because, they ought to give public service.

And for them to know what is truly best for the public, they should have given the public a "say" on the matter prior for them to conclude by themselves on what should be the best recourse.

No wonder two lawsuits are now filed to halt Furlough Fridays.

The first one is a civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of nine special education students (not named), by Honolulu attorneys Stanley Levin and Susan Dorsey, of the Levin Education Access Project, and Carl Varady.

The suit stated that furloughs are an unlawful change in programs and services for the disabled children.

Federal law only allows changes to special education services if their parents agree, or a hearing officer, or that the court finds the change appropriate for the kids and that it serves their best interest.

And the second one is a class-action suit filed this afternoon by another Honolulu attorney, Eric Seitz, who alleges breach of contract, as it cause a discriminatory impact on public school students, and likewise stated that furlough violates the special education law and equal protection provisions.

Seitz and others stressed that the parents enrolled their children in public schools on the very assumption that the school year would be 180 days, and then the state all of a sudden unilaterally decided to shut down public schools for 17 days this year and 17 days next year.

Under the plan and in accordance with the new HGEA contract, full-time state employees under the Governor's jurisdiction will be placed on furlough for 18 days for the remainder of fiscal year 2010, starting this Friday October 23. It will continue through June 30, 2010; and 24 days of furlough for fiscal year 2011, beginning July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.

Part-time employees will also be placed on furlough on a pro-rated equivalent basis.

This very issue of deprivation of quality education reminds me of my Dad's ideology, that "the only fortune that he would leave us, would be the knowledge that he taught us, along with the quality education we acquired from the prestigious schools he enrolled us to."

For when we deprive our kids of good education, it's like we paralyze their future.

That's how critical it is-so critical that all politicians in most countries would make it a point that they tackle this as part of their policy during campaigns because, that's how important it is, too important that it should be treated uncompromisable, just as how we deal on terrorism.

What is even more frustrating is that the Department of Education and the public school teachers agreed and executed a contract without paying courtesy to the parents? They've sat down, came into terms, without the presence of the parents and at the expense of the children? Whew! Too much red flags!

Let's join and support the rally this Friday, at 10:00 in the morning, and at the grounds of the State Capitol. Let's take part and stand for our keikis' rights!