PUBLIC ILL-SERVED WITH ENDLESS DRUG TEST FIGHT

Enough.

It is long past time to end the petty quarreling over implementation
of public school teacher drug testing.

In the private sector, this would have been accomplished long
ago.

Is it any wonder the public has little faith in government?

The tests were agreed to a year ago. Deadlines were set for
implementation. The same old arguing is going on.

Neither side in this ugly dispute was clear about funding. Each
carries the blame for that and each has a responsibility to settle
the matter quickly and fairly.

Yes, this was the governor's idea, but it was agreed to by all sides
in the contract and it is the Department of Education's
responsibility to implement it and pay for it.

The governor is right that the cost estimates from the DOE seem
wildly high.

The governor is wrong, however, to again raise the ill-conceived
suggestion that pay raises should be tied to implementation of drug
testing.

All of this smacks of the same old political fight between the DOE
and the governor.

It needs to end now.

At a time when Hawai'i's residents are wondering what is going to
happen to jobs, gas prices, food prices and our fraying social
services network, we don't need to see so much energy spent on what
should be a very simple matter to resolve.

We need from the DOE:

A realistic estimate of drug testing, which after all is random. We
are not talking about a large number of drug tests.

A commitment to get this done so we can get back to serious
discussions about improving the quality of education in this state.

We need from the governor:

An end to the threat to withhold pay raises.

A real effort to rapprochement with the DOE and Board of Education.
Grant the board's request for a 30-day extension in a show of good
faith.

If education is ever going to be improved in this state, everyone
with a stake in it needs to put aside differences and work to a
common goal.