Retired Star-Bulletin editor Chuck Frankel chimed in on yesterday’s coverage of the Samoa tsunami by Honolulu’s two dailies. In an email, he observed:

In your discussion of the Star-Bulletin’s story today on Gartley Hall, you fail to point out how this comparatively trivial story overshadowed the important Samoan tidal wave story on its front page. The Advertiser correctly made it the banner story with dramatic photos, while the Bulletin used an uninteresting photo and a so-so head with a tiny so-so photo.

Tsunamis in the Pacifc are local news. The toll was horrific. The Star-Bulletin missed the ball — missed the waves.

True. When I wrote that entry yesterday, I hadn’t yet seen the print version of either newspaper, which we bring inside later after our morning walk to the beach.

The Lingle administration again demonstrating its inability to cope with the budget process with its disclosure of a $44 million “clerical error”. It looks like the administration just lacks the experience and skill to craft a budget that works. It started with the inability to deliver budget details while the legislature was in session, and has continued with clumsy attempts to impose arbitrary cuts without clear understanding of what savings would result or the necessary process for implementing cuts.

Here are a couple of new bits of information.

The Hawaii Labor Relations Board issued its written finding that the state failed to meaningfully consult with the HGEA over proposed layoffs by failing to provide documents and information in a timely manner.

The board directed the state to turn over to the HGEA “the procedures and guidelines followed and the factors and criteria considered by each named Respondent in making the determination of which positions/employees would be subject to RIF.” The deadline for turning over the documents was yesterday, September 30.

The labor board did not issue an injunction to block the scheduled November layoffs at this time, but neither did it deny the request. However, it scheduled a status conference next week “to determine if the parties are engaged in meaningful dialogue. If the Board determins that the parties are not adhering to the Board’s order, then the Board will take appropriate action.”

Meanwhile, the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the faculty union, has prepared detailed comments in response to an “open letter” sent to faculty this week by UH President M.R.C. Greenwood. The UHPA comments are being circulated to UPHA members, who will vote next week on the university’s “last, best, and final” contract offer.

I was surprised to see a comment left last night by Garth Stein, author of “The Art of Racing in the Rain”, which I mentioned yesterday.

Submitted on 2009/09/30 at 7:47pm

My father died last April. I was with him throughout his illness. My only regret was that he was sedated and on a ventilator for several weeks, and died without regaining consciousness. I would have liked to share with him some of the things in my heart. But then, everything I wanted to say, he already knew. So maybe I was more concerned with me than with him.

What you’re going through is very difficult, I know. If Enzo has helped you in any way, that is reason enough for me to have written the book. Thank you for sharing this, and I wish you and your father all the best. The fields are endless: we can all run forever in one direction and then run forever back. May your journey, and the journey of your father, never end….

Garth

Thank you, Garth. It’s interesting to see how the web allows authors to interact with readers in this fashion.