Leaders missed disaster training

Our government regularly sponsors taxpayer-paid training for the management of disasters and emergencies. These are advertised and are very often well attended.

However, the “;Crisis Leadership for Local Officials”; course, sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) under way Friday at the Hilton Prince Kuhio, had NO elected or appointed Hawaii state or City & County officials. Zero state, zero city, zero neighbor island officials.

This training is timely, professional, thorough and necessary. We, as the only two civilians, are dismayed and very annoyed that no Hawaii public officials were in this course.

We are all at fault for Gulf oil spill

As the executives bicker and heckle about who's to blame for the oil disaster down south in the Gulf, the effect of it will be with us for decades to come.

I lament the endless gluttonous, gas-guzzling drilling, to record depths with zero foresight for change.

We are all to blame, as Mother Earth rebels.

All incumbents should be tossed

Steve Bartlett need look no further back than 2008 to find a candidate for president who spent in excess of $700 million (”;Democrats were party of surpluses,”; Star-Bulletin, Letters, May 20), which is greater than the combined totals for Bush and Kerry in 2004. The current race for the 1st Congressional District pales in comparison.

As far as federal deficits, I am no champion of the GOP, not a member of any form of tea party, and will not pretend to be an economist. But Mr. Bartlett seems to need some help remembering things from recent history. If he wishes to equate “;party in power”; with budget deficits, then we need to look at the legislative branch, as well. This is important because Congress actually controls spending, not the president.

During the final two years of Ronald Reagan's, all of George H.W. Bush's, and the first two years of Bill Clinton's presidencies, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. These were all “;deficit”; years. Republicans won control of both houses in the 1994 elections, and held control of both houses until the 2000 elections. These were “;surplus”; years.

For most of the first two years of Bush's presidency, Democrats controlled the Senate. One might credit the dot-com bust and 9/11 as factors in the economic downturn. We had (widely reported) record budget deficits then. One trillion dollars were added to the gross debt in two years.

Republicans regained control of the Senate in 2002, with Republicans retaining control of the House. The federal deficit remained steady, basically keeping pace with GDP growth. About $2.2 trillion was added in four years.

In the 2006 election, Democrats regained control of both houses. About $3.4 trillion was added in two years.

Finally, the Democrats gained super-majorities in both houses (and the White House) in 2008. An estimated $3.3 trillion more will be added by the end of the current Congress.

I am not really biased against parties these days so much as biased against incumbents. Toss party politics aside and throw the bums out.

New 'Five-0' star is no Jack Lord

What a sad replacement for Jack Lord on “;Hawaii Five-0”;—a skinny little guy who needs a shave. Real beards are nice, but this current two-day stubble stinks. They should find a grown-up.