Online readers are able to respond immediately to Star-Bulletin stories through our Web forum, which can be accessed at the end of stories, editorials and columns at starbulletin.com. Below is a selection of forum comments that appeared last week. Most forum contributors use pseudonyms; their “;names”; have been omitted here.

  ”;HPD links crimes to gang,”; Star-Bulletin, Nov. 12: It is apparent these thugs are “;gone,”; too much ice in their veins, too little brain left in their heads and no remorse in their thinking. Too bad, we as a public cannot tolerate this type punks running around the streets. Enough is enough, no bail - no chance - no problem. Lock 'em up with the big boys, they'll learn respect fast.

  Throw them in prison and toss the keys away. They can be part of a new gang forever, OCCC.

  The HistoryChannel has a series running called “;GangLand”; and I bet kids are inspired and motivated by all the (stuff) they watch on TV and the gangsta music that gets pumped into their stupid heads. Blame it on the media!

  All three will do a couple years in prison at the most. When the community and the media forget about these three, the Hawaii Paroling Authority will quietly release them back into the community. While they are at OCCC going to their day jobs, one or more of them will fail to return and be an escapee. He will in the meantime commit more robberies, murders, or break into your car or mine. One or more of them will at one time attempt to escape from Halawa. Same ol' same ol'.

  ”;Ala Moana, Ward Centers owner facing bankruptcy,”; Star-Bulletin, Nov. 12: I was at Ala Moana Center last week and I thought the place was closed! It was noon on a Wednesday and there was no one in sight. Nordstrom was a ghost town, and even the food courts had very few people compared to what they usually have. It was like I had the whole mall to myself only I didn't have any money to buy anything.

  Ala Moana is so dreary. It's not the sunny, airy, open, local place that it used to be. I used to shop and eat there a couple of times a month. Now I only go there 2 or 3 time a year.

  Ala Moana and Ward are money makers. Just because “;locals”; don't shop there, don't mean that tourists aren't shopping there - you'd be surprised if you look at actual numbers of daily retail sales.

I've always had a negative view against Nordstrom. I don't understand that store at all. We have a Sears (low end), a Macy's (middle), and a Nieman Marcus (high end). Nordstrom has no retail market niche in Ala Moana and doesn't belong there. Should've built the sucker in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

I think executives tried to turn Ala Moana and Ward areas into an L.A./West Hollywood/O.C. type of area but failed miserably. If tourists wanted to go to the O.C., they would go there! There's nothing unique about Hawaii anymore . It's all upscale, trendy, and Southern California-ish. Instead of trying to create a unique niche, execs replicated Southern Cal and it turned out tacky (Hawaii will never be SC). It's not a surprise that mainland tourists have decreased in numbers over the years. Why fly all the way to Hawaii? Just drive to Southern Cal - it's the same thing.

Ala Moana is not the problem - General Growth's problems are debts on its mainland developments. Ala Moana is one of its best holdings and will continue to be so.