Let's hope Kapolei Mall will be pollution free

The new Kapolei Mall is slated to be bigger than the Ala Moana Center Mall. Many would also hope it will be healthier, too!

The AMC has increasingly suffered from both air and noise pollution, especially on it's ground floor area. It's makai side ground level area feels like a hothouse! It's no wonder many avoid the center for enclosed malls.

AMC would do well to enclose it's ground floor area in future plans for a more clean, comfortable, noise and air pollution free environment, not to mention the increased revenues of a pleasant shopping experience for all.

President's policies are disastrous

All reports are that the new documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" is a important and riveting film that reveals our planet's perilous condition. This film, based on solid scientific data, demonstrates there is indeed a growing and alarming problem posed by global warming. It struck me as moronic when President Bush quipped that he was not likely to watch this film, after learning that Al Gore, Bush's opponent in the 2000 presidential race, supports it. Yet it is his policies that are bringing the world to the brink -- both ecologically and also via the disastrous wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines. Bush reminds me of the ill-reputed Roman emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned -- and, like Nero, Bush set the fires and then blamed others.

It is also quite disgusting to see President Bush push a constitutional ban on gay marriage in order to appease religious ultra-conservatives who seek to deny rights to gay Americans. Bush and his supporters embrace anti-gay prejudice as a religious core value although such bigotry displays a deplorable lack of tolerance, understanding and charity.

Bush's initiative seems also to be a desperate effort to divert public attention from his many policy disasters and bolster his sinking approval ratings. He no doubt hopes to salvage the upcoming congressional elections which auger ill for Republicans who are linked to Bush's policies.

The Senate needs to reject this ignoble attempt to enact prejudice into the Constitution. Instead, the Senate should ratify the Kyoto Treaty which commits countries to limit harmful emissions into the atmosphere which cause global warming. This action would help halt the mindless, irresponsible rush to an ecological disaster that would make Hurricane Katrina look like a picnic.

GOP president bankrupts nation

James Ko's June 3 letter, "Senior senators add to crippling deficit," made me wonder why Ko doesn't remember that when Democratic President Bill Clinton left office six year ago we had a $600 billion budget surplus, but after four years with George Bush we had a $1 trillion (yes, that's trillion) deficit. And after six years of the Bush presidency, we have a multi-trillion dollar deficit.

President Bush couldn't get away with that if he didn't have his Republican cronies in the majority in both houses of Congress backing him up.

I agree with Ko that Senators Inouye, Akaka, Kennedy and Byrd, and Congressmen Abercrombie and Case, are partly responsible for our deficit. But funny he's blaming only Democrats, like none of the Republicans in Congress spend any money. Every politician spends money -- that's what they do, spend our money.

Ko also conveniently forgot to mention the biggest budget buster in more than 225 years, George W. Bush, our Republican president. At the rate Bush is going, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes down in history as the president who bankrupted our country.

Millions would roll in if tax inequity fixed

A $100 million-plus in historical properties on Oahu pay only $100 a year in property tax. The City Council should assess the value of each property and collect property tax on no less than half their fair market value. With this change, millions in tax dollars will be available for the city to spend on anything it wants. The average property owner would not have to suffer with unreasonably high property taxes.