Why is suspect allowed to keep causing grief?

So how is this person with 81 arrests allowed to be on the street to continue his abuse on the wife and others ("Man accused of terrorizing wife and 3 others has history of abuse," Star-Bulletin, May 4)? When is the justice system going to wise up?

We have a beautiful home here and Hawaii is noted for many first, but having the most liberal justice system in the nation is not one to be proud of.

People buy luxuries instead of mortgages

Your series of articles regarding the booming real-estate market were quite informative and drove the point home as to how many people are burning the candle at both ends to pay the rent. However, I wonder how many of those trying to make ends meet are really trying?

In life we need:

Where in that list do you see ...

Wants vs. needs. A roof over your head or a killer set of rims? Hmmm ... you get da' driff.

Alert sirens silenced by Bush's re-election

Have you noticed that since President Bush is no longer facing a tough election, the administration no longer cries wolf, raising the terror alert across the land and putting Americans in fear? Maybe it is because Tom Ridge, former secretary of Homeland Security, is gone. Or John Ashcroft, former attorney general. Or is it possible that Osama bin Laden is comfortable with the new arrangement? A quid pro quo, perhaps? Remember when all aircraft were grounded in our country after the terrorists -- mostly Saudis -- attacked on 9/11, and Bush helped bin Laden's Saudi family escape from the United States?

It appears there is no longer a need for the Bush administration to cause panic among the American people; no need to make everyone fear the boogeyman, and then come charging in on a white horse, wearing a white hat, and saying, "I saved you from the terrorists once again."

Stores that sell bottles should take them back

In your May 9 story concerning the hassle of recycling, you quote Rep. Mina Morita, author of the bottle bill, as saying "If you're frustrated, go to your (grocery) store manager" and ask for a redemption center.

Ummmm, one moment, Rep. Morita. Shouldn't you and other elected officials thought of this before the bill was enacted? It seems that you are now telling the citizens how to fix the inadequacies of your great idea. You should have required stores to have redemption centers before you started taking our money.

It's a no-brainer that all stores selling containers that have the 5-cent surcharge be required to accept those same containers back for refund. I've always seen it this way everywhere else -- except Hawaii.

Subs want DOE to pay what's owed to them

In response to the letter "Subs work hard, but teachers do more" in the May 1 Star-Bulletin, the answer is very simple. Substitute teachers only want the Department of Education to pay us what it and the Legislature agreed to pay subs in 1986, approximately $140 per day. The DOE was paid that amount by the Legislature, but the DOE embezzled taxpayers' money for uses other than substituting. For nine years, or $30 million. Subs are asking the DOE to stop breaking the law, nothing more, nothing less. We're not asking for pay raises. Is that clear?

Education in on the verge of collapse in Hawaii, which has been hit by a bureaucratic administrative disaster (B.A.D. management). The only problem with education in Hawaii is the DOE.

How to write us The Star-Bulletin welcomes letters that are crisp and to the point (150 to 200 words). The Star-Bulletin reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. Please direct comments to the issues; personal attacks will not be published. Letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number. Letter form: Online form, click here E-mail: letters@starbulletin.com Fax: (808) 529-4750 Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813