Dear Gov Ige, Invest in education and you invest in our state's future. Show us that your words aren't empty and that you actually do care about our students and the state's future. Sincerely, Y. R.

Dear Gov. Ige, I have worked very hard in my life to get a high level of education and expertise. I love passing this onto the wonderful students of Hawaii. I teach Nursing at Kauai Community College. The cost of living is so high here that we live paycheck to paycheck. Almost 50% of my wages go to my benefits pkg. but without that I could not make it. We have been having a hard time hiring new faculty. We work many [...]

Dear Governor Ige, I am a Full Professor at Kauai CC. After working for the Univ. of Hawaii full-time for more than 15 years I still have difficulty making ends meet. I should also say I have a Ph.D. and am sure I could make a lot more money, particularly in terms of/relation to the cost of living, teaching elsewhere. I hope the state will choose to show some respect for my years of service in real monetary compensation. Sincerely, R. R.

Dear Gov Ige: We lost 3 of our best Mainland students in our dept. this semester. They pay full out-of-state tuition. They were tired of an under-funded university. Please support UH. Best Regards, M. Haws

My son is in his first year of college in Arizona. ""it's not Rocket Science""...yes, in Hawaii it's difficult to attract and retain highly qualified faculty to lead our state in exceptionally dynamic technological fields. So he goes to Arizona and will graduate in a few years with a degree in advanced technology. He probably won't come home. We need to support our faculty. We are families losing our children. B. W., Hawaii CC

Aloha Governor Ige, My students will suffer if I have to leave for the mainland to afford a proper life for my family. I have put in 10 years at the CC level and am tenured at Manoa, and I am still applying for jobs on the mainland because I can't hope to provide for my family here. Assoc Prof D. B.

Dear Gov Ige: I've brought in $10 million in research funding during my years at UH. Your offer of a 1% increase is insulting. Should I seek another job on the mainland where I could make 20% more? Best Regards, M. H. Add your voice and send the Governor a postcard

Aloha Governor Ige, Please work with UHPA to help keep the university faculty ranks strong. We want to keep our local kids here for college, but how can we compete with mainland universities that are able to retain their best faculty and have world-class facilities? Mahalo for getting involved in collected bargaining. Assoc. Prof. D. B. Add your voice and send the Governor a postcard

As a Kanaka Maoli scholar, I believe that Hawaii is the place I need to be to do work that matters for my people. I made a conscious choice to be here, but it was not without difficulty. I've lived in the US continent for 15 years prior to my hire at UHM in large part because of the cost. We need competitive salaries and benefits so that choosing to be in this place is not a hardship. I want to stay. [...]

As a faculty member I am not feeling valued by our Governor. We work very hard for very little compensation by the state. It is hard to keep the commitment strong when I struggle to pay my bills. Other colleges within and outside of Hawaii are willing to pay me more for what I do. H.N. from Hawaii Community College Add your voice and send the Governor a postcard