BILL 61 IS A GODSEND FOR OAHU CHURCHES

As president of Honolulu Prayer, I thank the City Council and especially Mayor Hannemann for his strong support in signing Bill 61 into law.

Previously, churches could not operate in industrial districts unless they were 1,000 feet apart and the property was vacant for three months. Bill 61 eliminates these restrictions.

It is very difficult for churches to find a suitable location (many are on waiting lists to use schools), yet Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. where church attendance is growing faster than the population.

Bill 61 is literally a godsend to help churches expand their mission of helping the poor, feeding the hungry, lifting up the brokenhearted and blessing the community, especially in these economic times. Aloha ke Akua.

kenneth wong | Honolulu

GLOBAL WARMING

VIEWPOINT HAS ITS NOTABLE CHALLENGERS

I am writing in response to the letters by Dunn and Hayes (Nov. 5). There are many notable scientists who disagree with the alarmist viewpoint that the world is about to end because of global warming.

Dr. Ian Plimer, winner of the highest scientific honor in Australia (Eureka Prize) has published "Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science."

Plimer cites more than 2,000 scientific articles and points out that there have been periods when the temperatures were 2 to 6[0xb0] degrees Celsius warmer than today.

Plimer concludes: "Great civilizations prospered in warm times" (page 32). Regarding CO2 Plimer observes, "Global warming occurs on other planets and moons in our Solar System. It cannot be related to human emissions of CO2 on Earth" (page 100).

Other skeptics include Massachusetts Institute of Technology climate scientist Richard Lindzen, who has repeatedly challenged the accuracy of climate models developed by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Finally, more than 31,000 scientists and academics have signed the global warming petition that refutes the claim that human release of carbon dioxide is destroying the earth (see www.petitionproject.org/)

jeffrey k. lyons, ph.d. | Mililani

DISTORTIONS DIDN'T DESERVE ATTENTION

I find it troubling that you published an essay on climate change by someone with seemingly no expertise on the subject and who only spreads misinformation obtained from others.

While Mr. Bob McDermott (Nov. 2) is entitled to his opinion, it does not warrant the prominent position given in your newspaper.

His argument was essentially that "over the past year, global temperatures have dropped precipitously." He refers to old claims made by climate change deniers on Internet posts about a drop between two carefully chosen dates (from January 2007 to January 2008).

If you review the same sources for temperature that he cites, you can see the undeniable upward global temperature trend continuing to the present.

The temperature fluctuations they show are to be expected and do not change the trend. These distortions deserve no prominent place in this newspaper.

glenn metzler | Honolulu

AFGHANISTAN

HANSON DOESN'T OFFER ANY SOLUTIONS

In the great debate on how to succeed in Afghanistan, Victor Davis Hanson, in his latest column (Nov. 5), continues to spout vague generalities. Of course, he blames President Obama for dithering but he does not offer any solutions.

To my knowledge, very few, if any, weapons, bullets or explosives are manufactured in Afghanistan.

All of the war supplies to support al-Qaida and the Taliban are imported from undefined sources. Until we interdict these supply lines and permanently stop this flow of material all we will have is another Vietnam with the same eventual conclusion.

paul tyksinski | Kailua

FURLOUGHS

OFFICIALS, PROVE IT'S NOT POLITICAL GAMES

Presently, each school is being allowed to submit a "request" to turn teacher training days into instructional days to restore class time lost to furlough Fridays.

Something seems askew when the decision is made to take away something valuable from the schools, then the schools are required to "earn" it back. The process to consider each request must go through so many ridiculous hoops that it results in everyone spinning their wheels unnecessarily. If Mr. Garrett Toguchi and others in power know that putting back instructional days is a good idea, then overturn the decision that caused this.

This solution seems so incredible that I wonder if it is just political wars/agendas played out between the BOE, governor and HSTA. I hate to suspect that our kids could be used as innocent pawns for those in power to make their point.

Prove to us that you are better than this, that you can put aside your political frustrations with each other and do what is best for the kids of Hawaii. When you work this way, you will gain the trust and admiration that I believe you desire, and keep the hope of our government alive.

dyne peich | Pearl City

HEALTH CARE

TWO BILLS DELIVERON AARPPRIORITIES

As a volunteer advocate for AARP, I'm pleased that the association has chosen to endorse the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, H.R. 3961. These two bills deliver on the priorities we've been fighting for.

AARP is supporting these bills because they protect and strengthen the Medicare program that 186,000 Hawaii seniors depend on. These bills lower prescription drug costs by closing the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole," and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. They make sure seniors get access to the doctor of their choice or can find a new doctor when they need one. Also, these bills provide benefits to seniors and people with disabilities. So that as they age, they can continue to live at home in their communities.

AARP supports common-sense solutions that will help put Medicare on more stable ground so Medicare can save money and continue to provide good coverage for seniors. The House plan does that.

jim crowe | Kula, Maui