Brainstorm! Challenge

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Why are guilty officials still in their positions?

It is amazing that appointed officials of the Harris administration, like Mike Amii, director of the city Department of Community Services, and a Leonard Leong, a member of the Honolulu Police Commission, both guilty of misdemeanors related to the mayor's campaign, are still in their positions. What is more perplexing is why Mayor Harris chooses to retain them. We have many honorable individuals in Honolulu whose integrity and honesty are beyond rapproach who can better serve us.

The people spoke in the last election. We asked, where is that integrity and honesty in the city administration? Replacing these two with honorable individuals would mitigate the mayor's scandal-ridden political contributions.

Wilma L. Albano
Honolulu

Terror war resources diverted to Iraq war

It is Paul Mossman (Letters, Nov. 6), not Rep. Ed Case, who misunderstands the purported rationale for our war against Iraq. President Bush told us Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and was an imminent threat to the United States; therefore, it had to be invaded.

We never linked Saddam Hussein or the Baath Party to al-Qaida in a meaningful way. We since found out that Bush's information about Iraqi WMD, was -- how shall we say it -- wrong. Whatever good reasons we may have for kicking Saddam out of power, his possession of WMD or support of bin Laden are not two of them.

Our ongoing war in Iraq is tying down 130,000 troops and will cost us close to $100 billion in this congressional cycle alone. It is denying these key resources to the fight against terrorism both at home and abroad.

Oh, and by the way, those were the "Ploesti" oil fields in Romania that we bombed to deny their use to Hitler. Romania was an ally of Nazi Germany, participating in the invasion of the Soviet Union. Romania was therefore an enemy of the U.S. But what are a few key details about history to those who want to reinvent it?

Khalil J. Spencer
Los Alamos, N.M.
Former Hawaii resident

Kits empower students to make a difference

Bravo to coordinators and students associated with "real world survival kits" (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 2). In our society today -- and Hawaii is no exception -- teens must be empowered to make positive decisions about their lives in a hectic and confusing world. If knowledge truly is power, such coordinated efforts are empowering our youth and providing them with the knowledge to make a difference in their lives, community and world.

Applause to all associated with this project.

Mahina Johnson
Hauula

Rising temperatures are no mystery

Your Nov. 3 editorial noted that a Senate bill designed to limit our nation's carbon dioxide emissions had been defeated by a vote of 55 to 43; it also noted that Honolulu's average temperature had risen by 4.4 degrees Fahrenheit during the past century. There are three reasons for this:

>> The world has warmed about one degree since the late 1800s as it emerged from the "little Ice Age."

>> The city of Honolulu has changed from a seaside village to a modern, high-rise, concrete city. The resulting "urban island heating effect" means that current recorded temperatures are not comparable to those recorded a hundred years ago at the same location.

>> From time to time it has been necessary to relocate Honolulu's "official" thermometer, as in 1991 when it was placed in a warmer location.

The sea level in Hilo has been rising faster than elsewhere in the Hawaiian archipelago because the great weight of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are slowly pushing the Big Island down into the Earth's crust.

If all of the nations ratified the Kyoto Protocol and adhered to its limitations, then China, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico would not have to meet any greenhouse gas emission targets. The cooling effect by the end of this century would amount to a small fraction of one degree, which is too small to detect.

Alan S. Lloyd
Kailua

Lokelani PTSA's fund-raiser a success

I would like to thank all the businesses, individuals, teachers and parents who helped make our Lokelani Harvest Dance-a-Thon fund-raiser a great success: Blue Hawaiian Water Sports, Interior Design Solutions, Extreme Sports, Island Biker, Maui Dive Shop, Maui Ocean Center, Honolua Surf Co., Jamba Juice, Outback Steakhouse, Kukui Mall Theaters, Blockbuster Video, Shapers, A & B Properties, Maui Go-Karts, Monster Mega Videos, Maui Sports and Water Park, Peggy Sue's, KMart, Valley Isle Motors and Chill Town!

Many mahalos to all from the Lokelani PTSA.

Patti Thibaudeau
Lokelani Intermediate School Parent Teacher Student Assn.
Kihei

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] Historical markers? Other cities have permanent markers signifying historic sites or locations. Shouldn't Hawaii be equally accommodating to students and visitors? What should such markers look like in Honolulu? Design one! Remember, markers on walls require the owner's permission, but markers in the sidewalk belong to the city. Send your ideas, drawings and solutions by Thursday, November 13 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Burl Burlingame Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Fax: Brainstorm! c/o Burl Burlingame 529-4750