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.

  ”;Bob Nakasone: State legislator, 68, was lifelong Maui advocate,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 9: Bob Nakasone was quiet and effective. Never seeking the limelight, he worked in the trenches where it counted and made a difference. He embodied the best of public servant leadership and set a high bar for all to emulate. Bob Nakasone was much respected and loved. When he spoke, everyone listened. ... His devotion and dedication to his constituents was evident; he gave all his energy to the causes he championed to the very end. Hawaii has lost a darling native son and Maui, a grand champion of the common man who he loved.

  ”;Marathon perseveres in face of sour climate,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 10: Just get the timing system right this time. I felt really sorry for the runners last time. Yes you won. No you didn't win. Yes. No.

What a mess.

  Jim Barahal and Jon Cross have done a stellar job over the past 22 years making this one of the best marathons in the world. Jim's efforts have been visionary; while Jon is the consummate back-of-the-house person who gets things done.

  ”;Target hiring up to 1,200 for two Oahu locations,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 10: Any job deserves respect. In that sense, all jobs are good jobs with inherent dignity, even if near minimum wage service jobs. The question we need to ask: Hey, governor! How's that economic diversification coming along?

  Where are all the hippy protesters screaming bloody murder that another mainland company is coming here to put more mom-and-pops out of business?

  ”;Gas prices continue steep slide,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 11: Costco is doing its part to bring gas prices down, but the other companies are still sticking it to us.

  Oil is just like stocks. Its price is based on what people think it should be rather than anything to do with supply and demand.

  ”;Isle illegal immigrant hiring was scheme, U.S. official says,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 11: I am glad somebody has cracked down on illegals and the employers! These two schmucks deserve what ever sentences get handed down to them. Now ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) needs to go after the company itself. The farms can't be allowed to play the “;We didn't know”; card!

  They violated the law and for that they have to pay. I only hope that our limp-wristed judicial system doesn't just give them a slap on the wrist. With the illegal aliens gone this would be a good time for some of our healthy, able-bodied homeless people to apply for a job, rather than sitting in our parks smoking and drinking beer.

  When there are many young people nowadays who refuse to sling burgers at McDonald's because the work is too hard, one wonders just how difficult it is for employers to fill farm labor requirements with locals. Most Mexicans are extremely hard-working and can be counted on to show for work when needed. That said, work should be offered to locals first and pay accordingly. Higher labor costs result in higher prices for goods, and we as consumers, will have to “;suck it up”; to pay for this. On the other side of the coin, can you imagine how high the cost of other goods would be if it were not for countries like China and India?

  We need more news like this about employers or management involved with illegal immigration schemes facing criminal prosecution. This may convince other employers that it isn't worth the risk of hiring illegals. If you stop hiring illegals, they won't come to Hawaii since there won't be any jobs for them. With the economy going into the tank, we need to keep every available job open to locals and not outsiders and illegals.

  It is a reach saying that illegals are here stealing the jobs from our people, because I've yet to see a local trying to get work on a farm. The Mexican farm workers aren't drug dealers, they are the ones who want to avoid the drug world. Too bad we couldn't export two lazy welfare-sucking locals for every one worker allowed in.

  ”;Kailua couple offers bounty of $100,000 for homebuyers,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 11: In this buyer's market if you absolutely have to sell then you'd better be willing to price the property aggressively or forget it. There is not a property for sale that will not sell at the right price. If the buyer cannot accept that and is not willing to take a loss on the sale, then play the game and wait. Prices may come back, but then again you don't know how long that will take. Jumbo mortgage financing is going to adjust the first of the year and that will also have an effect on the sale. Not a good time to be a seller, especially if you bought at the top!

  No need for gimmicks. Just lower the price to what it is really worth, then it will sell. Sellers have been enjoying a killing in the real estate market from 2000 to 2006; now is the time to come back to Earth and quit believing your property is worth a million dollars. Bottom line: Sell while you can. Don't be greedy.

  ”;Rain, pain to remain,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 12: If something serious hits the islands, you'd better hope that us whiny residents have been giving those road crews a piece of our mind. If we don't get them to clean tree branches, shopping carts, car batteries and general rubbish from the streams around here, guaranteed we're gonna have flooding and backed up sewers.

  When you get that much rain in a short period of time, no drainage system is going to handle all that water. So the water did what it naturally does - collects in low-lying areas. I doubt that the drainage system, even if it was in perfect condition, has the capacity to flow that much water that quickly.