SCHOOL TIME CAN BE EXTENDED, ENHANCED

What about keeping Friday furlough days, and shortened Wednesdays, while extending the length of the remaining school days a bit, to make up the lost classroom time for students? If their education is truly the main concern at this point, then it seems in a situation where everyone is going to have to "give" just a little bit more, this might be the least-painful solution.

As an added bonus, teachers could give students assignments and projects they must do with their families over the furlough weekend, thereby actually increasing learning time, as well as enhancing its quality through a "team" effort.

susan shire | Kailua

LAYOFFS, CROWDED CLASSES ARE WORSE

Parents, you know those days you'll be missing work to watch your kids? Teachers will be out of work also.

Students, you know those 17 days of education you'll be missing? That's 17 days of your teacher's paycheck.

But at least they won't be laid off and left jobless.

Anti-furlough advocates are only acknowledging themselves; these furloughs are protecting Hawaii teachers from job losses and shielding them from extended fiscal catastrophes. They don't seem concerned that blocking teacher furloughs could cause thousands to be laid off.

Sure parents, you'll miss two days of work a month. But isn't that better than thousands of teachers losing weeks or months of work? Where's our aloha spirit and self-sacrifice?

Also, which is worse: 17 fewer school days a year, or 35-40 students packed in each class? A lack of concentration and individual assistance would be just a few consequences of such overcrowded classes.

I'm bearing in mind teachers, students and their parents, while others are only considering themselves.

During times like these, shouldn't everyone be thinking selflessly as I am?

Kelsea imose | Grade 11, Aiea High School

SENIORS

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT GOOD NEWS

Older Americans can breathe a sigh of relief. After carefully monitoring the latest developments in Washington and extensively studying the various legislative proposals, AARP's all-volunteer board of directors — made up of working and retired doctors, nurses, business people and teachers — has decided to endorse the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962).

This is especially welcome news for those of us who've been forced to choose between spending money on daily living expenses or paying for health care and prescription drugs. The House plan protects and strengthens Medicare, helps seniors struggling with the high cost of prescription drugs by closing the dreaded Part D "doughnut hole," and allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices.

When Congress took up the health care debate earlier this year, it was not at all clear a bill would emerge that addresses the crippling cost of prescription drugs. Now that has happened. No more excuses — let's finally fix our broken health care system.

Lorraine tobin | AARP volunteer, Honolulu

POLICE CHIEF

PICK SHOULD BE FROM HPD RANK AND FILE

The Honolulu Police Commission has narrowed the list of candidates to six, which includes two from the Mainland.

I firmly believe a new chief should and can be found within our HPD rank and file. It behooves the commission to seriously consider this aspect, especially if after all the testing and interviews are completed and the remaining two finalists are one from the rank and file and the other from the Mainland.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist with numerous bells and whistles and awards to be an effective HPD chief. My good friend, the late Police Chief Michael Nakamura, was a good example. Here was a man who came up through the ranks and had extraordinary people skills, had genuine respect for all his subordinates and empathy for the people of Hawaii. Furthermore, the selection of a qualified HPD applicant will pay huge dividends toward the organization's morale and recruitment efforts in the future.

I'm somewhat surprised SHOPO has not been more vocal on this hiring process.

H. Omori | Mililani

CLIMATE CHANGE

GLOBAL WARMING BACKED BY SCIENCE

A recent commentary by Mr. R. McDermott (Nov. 2) tried to discredit well-established scientific theory and observations related to global warming. Noting that some seasonal weather in the contiguous United States has been below average recently, and then concluding that global warming is false illustrates McDermott's faulty reasoning.

Global climate change must be viewed on time scales longer than a few months or years and for the whole globe (which has remained at near record high temperatures).

But even if we do focus only on the U.S. and only on the recent few years, McDermott has misrepresented the situation. Contrary to the impression he gave, temperature in the contiguous United States: was above average during six of the nine months reported so far for 2009, was near normal for 2008, and was the 10th warmest on record, 2007.

It is telling that recent U.S. temperatures have remained near normal, despite the temporary cooling effects of the La Niña event that ended in April and the recent quiet sun period—part of the normal 11-year sunspot cycle.

We should reject efforts, such as Mr. McDermott's, to infuse divisive politics into the critically important debate on climate change response.

Henry Diaz | Meteorologist, NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado at Boulder

Thomas Giambelluca | Professor, Department of Geography, University of Hawaii —Mänoa