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.

  ”;HECO sees hope in new generator,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 29: This new generator should have been installed 20 years ago. HECO decided to buy American Savings and other businesses instead of putting profits into the utility. It charges the highest electricity rates in the nation and it has failed to give the consumer assurance that we will not suffer from blackouts. What good is the Public Utilities Commission when it has allowed a monopoly to buy banks and other businesses? Remember HECO's insurance company, which filed for bankruptcy after Hurricane Iniki, leaving many people in Kauai without payments to rebuild? When are our political reps going to call this company on the carpet for some explanations?

  Finally HECO admits what we already knew; its generators are antiques compared to today's standards. Hmmm, and where has all its profit money been going all these years? Obviously not to upgrade the generators. Underground power lines are immune to lightning and hurricane winds, yet HECO's policy was to string wires in the air and on wooden termite-food power poles.

  The HECO grid is not well designed. The major generating capacity is centered on Waiau, Campbell and Kahe. The major demand is centered on the corridor from Pearl Harbor, airport, downtown, to Waikiki. This is a political design, not an engineering design. No engineer would design a system that had almost all the generating capacity at one end and the major demand at the other. This is a system that is designed to fail. Even now additional generating capacity is being built, where? At Campbell. Dysfunction at its best!

  ”;Isle bankruptcies hit 3-year high,”; Star-Bulletin, Dec. 31: My family was also a victim of this trend - bankruptcy. Only lawyers make money in this sad situation. We are living on the mainland and started all over again. Not bad. Hopefully, someday we'll be back in Hawaii to enjoy the ohana. God bless you folks who are about to lose your homes. I understand your pain. Everything happens for a reason. Chin up and smile to the Lord.

  Living beyond their means and greed are at the bottom of all these filings ... took out equity for a vacation or bought a new car and now the house ain't worth what you paid ... no sympathy ... and we all pay for these bankruptcies.

  There are some other reasons besides living beyond their means that bankruptcies occur: Losing your spouse through divorce or worse yet, death. Death of a child, medical bills, illness, job loss. This really could happen to anyone - no discrimination to race, color and financial status.

  ”;Mayor picks Caldwell to be his top deputy,”; Star-Bulletin, Jan. 1: Kirk Caldwell is the best representative that we've had in Manoa. The city is lucky to have him. He works tirelessly and is a good man. He is not a personal friend, but he has been at every Manoa event, big or small, to be available to his constituents. He is at every Manoa Neighborhood Board meeting even when his schedule is very busy. We in Manoa, will miss him, and he certainly left big shoes to fill. Good luck, Kirk Caldwell, and thank you for your public service. As an attorney, you could be making a whole lot more money in private practice. Happy 2009!

  Councilman Charles Djou's comparing Ann Kobayashi and Duke Bainum's back room deal to Mayor Hannemann now appointing Kirk Caldwell is ridiculous. Djou and rest of the Kobayashi leftovers are now trying to elect Duke mayor. Watch them try to derail Caldwell's confirmation.

  It seems to me that Kirk Caldwell is well qualified and of good character. I feel fortunate to have him as a public servant. I just hope those Council members who see him as a potential opponent and threat to their political aspirations will not use their offices as a platform to try to destroy this capable and good man.

  ”;State will mark 50 years with new power in D.C.,”; Star-Bulletin, Jan. 2: The state's 50th anniversary also has the potential to be divisive. Native Hawaiian sovereignty groups have traditionally used Statehood Day to protest and call attention to their causes. “;You're not hearing much about what Hawaiian groups are going to do,”; (University of Hawaii political scientist Neal) Milner said. “;To me, one of the things to watch is going to be how state officials handle the whole issue ... how they'll try to keep a balance between the recognition and some celebration of statehood while at the same time paying homage to sovereignty.”; Fifty years of continued “;unofficial”; suppression. The illusion of reality continues! What is it that we kanaka have to celebrate? It should be more than just the usual suspects and their red-shirt rallies! KUE! KUE!! KUE!

  What the story represents is hope and opportunity. Optimistic people are always “;lucky”; because they see opportunity and go for it. I pray that everyone will come together, in the spirit of aloha, and find the New Year a time for opportunity. Aloha and Hauoli Makahiki Hou.

  It is absolutely fantastic that Hawaii-born Barack Obama will serve as our president at the same time Hawaii celebrates membership in the sacred union of these United States. The shrill voices of the fringe Hawaiian sovereignty activists have successfully stifled, stymied and intimidated the Democratic Party of Hawaii wherein the Democrats have been reluctant to stand up and be counted as Americans, and instead have catered to and wet-nursed those folks. With Obama as president, coinciding with a celebration of 50 years under Old Glory, what are the Democrats of Hawaii going to do now? The sovereignty movement is fading fast, and no longer as popular as it once was. God Bless the USA. All Hawaii, be proud to be Americans!