BOE at odds over proposal for more library closure days - Hawai...

I can feel some empathy for State Librarian Richard Burns in his quest to trim the State Library budget. Unfortunately, like our legislators, City Counsel members, and now the BOE just can't seem to make a decision about anything. "No, let's table it for now! No, let's form a committee. No, we need to look at this more indepth," seems to resound from the legislative halls, council meeting room, and the BOE. We desperately need representatives that will forge ahead and make those decisions, not dilly-dally along hoping that it will all go away.

Yet another indication that BOE is dysfunctional.

Maybe the BOE should stop and think about what is being proposed, and if they don't like it they should help come up with an alternative. It's easy for them to say no we don't like it come back with something else. But have they themselves thought what that something else could be? I'm sure it's not easy if you stop and "THINK"!

WE should cut all that fat in the DOE administration, sucking up a major proporation of the annual $2.3 BILLION dollar budget! Too many slackers at the bloated top..starting with that crook Pat Hanamoto and her cronies!

The two accountants made a bogus, smokescreen audit of the DOE and reported that 98% of the educational budget goes to the operation of our schools and administrative support and only 2% goes for library services. This 2% looms very large in the eyes of the BOE members when they are concerned about streamlining the bureaucratic DOE. Another glaring and very real statistic is that 64% of the 98% is used foe administraive support. If my math is correct, only 36% is left for the operational of our schools. Therefore, my question is: Where should we cut?

Libraries are an important community service.

Big John-Hawaii Kai wrote:

I can feel some empathy for State Librarian Richard Burns in his quest to trim the State Library budget. Unfortunately, like our legislators, City Counsel members, and now the BOE just can't seem to make a decision about anything. "No, let's table it for now! No, let's form a committee. No, we need to look at this more indepth," seems to resound from the legislative halls, council meeting room, and the BOE. We desperately need representatives that will forge ahead and make those decisions, not dilly-dally along hoping that it will all go away.

We need decisive people like you, Big John. You are running next year, right?

Once again the BOE has failed to make the tough decisions necessary that will keep our public libraries afloat. The State Librarian's proposal for cuts, while not popular particularly with outer island board members and their constituents, is something that needs to be done in light of the economic crisis that we are all facing. Doing nothing is not going to make the problem go away. In fact, it will only get worse the longer we wait. Action is needed NOW. What's more painful...temporary closures and temporary cuts in library hours or the closure of all branches permanently when the money budgeted for the libraries eventually runs out? Relying on the false hope of the legislature coming to the rescue or the fundraising campaigns by the library system and the Friends of the Library of Hawaii to come up with 3 million dollars is a mistake on the board's part that will cost all of us dearly in the long run. Better start getting used to seeing more "closed" signs everyone when you try to enter one of our 51 libraries in the coming months.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/04/future.lib...

This article was an interesting read, however the technology that is required for digital libraries to exist depends on something that the Hawaii Public Library System doesn't have right now....money. If the library system cannot afford what it has right now, how can it possibly afford to be fully digitized as those libraries on the mainland? The BOE needs to get it's act together NOW and come up with a realistic solution to the lack of funds or our libraries won't survive to see another day and enjoy such technological advances.

Realist wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/0 9/04/future.library.technology /index.html

Only 2% of the educational budget which amounts to only $48,000,000 goes for library services compared to the $900,000,000 that is now being spent to pay the salaries of 15,000 educational officers in the central office of the DOE. This is where the fat is and yet our BOE will not touch or recognize this bulge.

small percentage wrote:

The two accountants made a bogus, smokescreen audit of the DOE and reported that 98% of the educational budget goes to the operation of our schools and administrative support and only 2% goes for library services. This 2% looms very large in the eyes of the BOE members when they are concerned about streamlining the bureaucratic DOE. Another glaring and very real statistic is that 64% of the 98% is used foe administraive support. If my math is correct, only 36% is left for the operational of our schools. Therefore, my question is: Where should we cut?

It's all about smoke and mirrors...how do you think Mufi..the biggest sleaze got his "slippery" con talking skills? He learned while being at a DOE school!

The DOE and BOE are nothing but a disfunctional corrupt organization infested with cronyisum, favoritism and a bloated administration runned by an equally corrupt Pat Hanamoto and her cronies! Their main focus is NOT educating Hawaii's students, but enriching themselves at the EXPENSE of both the taxpayers and students!

The students are there to be prostituted for profit by these DOE fat cats, their family members, former DOE executives, their corrupt cronies, corrupt Union officials all getting "inside" track on non-bid contracts totalling over $900 MILLION each year...lining their pockets with ill-gotten wealth...all at taxpayer's expense!

Johnny Boy wrote:

<quoted text>
It's all about smoke and mirrors...how do you think Mufi..the biggest sleaze got his "slippery" con talking skills? He learned while being at a DOE school!
The DOE and BOE are nothing but a disfunctional corrupt organization infested with cronyisum, favoritism and a bloated administration runned by an equally corrupt Pat Hanamoto and her cronies! Their main focus is NOT educating Hawaii's students, but enriching themselves at the EXPENSE of both the taxpayers and students!
The students are there to be prostituted for profit by these DOE fat cats, their family members, former DOE executives, their corrupt cronies, corrupt Union officials all getting "inside" track on non-bid contracts totalling over $900 MILLION each year...lining their pockets with ill-gotten wealth...all at taxpayer's expense!

Exactly, but us small guys are helpless to challenge this huge DOE bureaucracy. They misuse the tax dollars to their hearts content and speak to the general public that what they are doing is for the sake of our children. Even the BOE and its members are not concerned with our failing school system, but rather more concerned about their future political careers. One member by the name of Breene Harimoto blew his chances of ever achieving any public office when he was caught taking a trip to Disney Aorld on government expense. The others on the BOE have not shown any leadership skills to move our educational system in the right direction. Instead, because they spend much of their time discussing trivial matters, our school system has slipped down to the 49th position in the nation. I don't think they even noticed this downward spiral.

I am totally of subject now because this is not about the libraries, although I feel bad if they do have to close some branches.

The DOE has decided that it will not allow the schools to broadcast President Obama's speech to the students via webcast next week. Either I have missed that in the news, or it has not been brought up.
I know this is controversial with some people, but I am upset with the DOE to just be so cut and dry about this. What an opportunity would it be for many children to hear the President giving them a motivational speech about the benefits of a good education, and with his family history all the more encouraging for children of all walks of life. Hawaii, the multicultural island in the US has decided not to broadcast the address of the US President to the children of this country. How spineless is that? Why am I the only one upset?

State Librarian, Richard Burns have
obviously thought about all the ways
to keep the libraries open. With the
limited funds available and other circumstances that are beyond his control. His board came up with reasonable solutions, but to come up short every time, by the Board of Education. To the Board of Education,
I have watched the Sept. 3rd meeting and
I am upset by the behavior of some of the Board of Education Members,esp, the disrespect that was shown to him. Plus,
dancing around after!! please show some control.

The BOE should concentrate on restructuring the BUREAUCRATIC DOE to save hundreds of millions instead of closing libraries to save a few millions of dollars. You must correct the misuse of funds by the DOE or other programs will eventually have to be cut. What will be next in line? After libraries the already short funded classrooms will face the chopping ax. And finally the administrators will have no school system to administrate and that will close the chapter of the DOE.

library not the issue wrote:

The BOE should concentrate on restructuring the BUREAUCRATIC DOE to save hundreds of millions instead of closing libraries to save a few millions of dollars. You must correct the misuse of funds by the DOE or other programs will eventually have to be cut. What will be next in line? After libraries the already short funded classrooms will face the chopping ax. And finally the administrators will have no school system to administrate and that will close the chapter of the DOE.

The BOE is just a mini version of the State Legislature. Focus all their time and effort on a minor non-issues and avoid facing the 600lb gorilla, which in this case is the bloated, unaffordable administrative bureaucracy of the DOE.

Lefty wrote:

<quoted text> The BOE is just a mini version of the State Legislature. Focus all their time and effort on a minor non-issues and avoid facing the 600lb gorilla, which in this case is the bloated, unaffordable administrative bureaucracy of the DOE.

Library services is only a small part of the $2.4 billion dollar educational budget. It can even be considered as negligible if you consider the amount. Investigate one fraudulent contract on the DOE books and you can easily cover the libraries to remain afloat.

rweduce hours but keep libraries open, especially in low income areas.

When is the BOE going to investigate our BUREAUCRATIC DOE? My suggestion. At least take a look at it. Leave the libraries alone. More money can be saved in the DOE structure and one place can be improved is the awarding of contracts.