And more people get to see their opinions in print. Develop a consumer rating system, such that readers of letters can rate letter writers on a 1-5 scale. With an e-mail address for a letter writer, communicating about editing changes is streamlined. Tell your letters to the editor readers that you welcome their opinions, but prefer e-mail. Couldn't agree more.
Most sites are too bland.
However, your solution of creating 'stars' runs counter to the management practices that filter their way down to most newsrooms today. Simply put, stars cost money. That's the last thing newspapers want to do. No manager wants to create a budget busting writer with an overly inflated sense of his or her own importance. It's much cheaper to keep feeding bland content than to create stars by promoting personalities.