ATVS CAN'T REPLACE USE OF POLICE HORSES

It was very sad when they stopped the horse patrol on O'ahu. Horses are better for the environment, better for crowd control, better at coming up quietly on unlawful activities and better for community relations.

The all-terrain vehicles are no substitute for the horse patrol. The horses don't race around the parks, make loud noises as they race each other and burn gas, or spend their time talking story while they congregate in one area.

But (former Honolulu Police Chief) Boise Correia stopped them, only wanting them for parades, etc.

Look at New Orleans after the Super Bowl or Mardi Gras, or Los Angeles after the riots. Horses helped keep things in control. Horses can go places that regular patrols cannot. Police have better visibility on horseback than they do on all-terrain vehicles, on foot or in patrol cars.

Last but not least, horses don't pollute the environment.

Lloyd Y. YamasakiAdrienne wilson-yamasaki | Wahiawä

HECO

RECENT RULING WILL DETER SAVING ENERGY

The Public Utilities Commissions' recent ruling that Hawaiian Electric Co. can now make as much money as it needs, regardless of product sold, is unbelievably stupid. The idea is that "revenue decoupling" will give an incentive to HECO to be more efficient. Apparently being in business wasn't enough of an incentive. Oh that's right — it's a monopoly, so I guess it wasn't.

The impact is that it no longer matters if customers cut back power use; we will now actually have to pay more per kilowatt hour as a punishment if we choose to use less energy. How much more anti-family, anti-environment and pro-business can you get? Guarantee revenue stream at X amount and punish citizens for saving energy, so that they are more likely to continue high usage, and the result is an exploding profit margin for HECO and its wealthy execs.

HECO has proven to be inefficient and incompetent while raising our rates and resisting the demand for sustainable energy production. We don't have consistent rate hikes and problems from the Board of Water Supply, do we?

It is time we the people take this monopoly away from HECO and make it a truly public utility.

Matthew S. LoPresti | 'Aiea

PROPERTY TAXES

DON'T RAISE BURDEN FOR STATE'S NONPROFITS

Your editorial about Ho-nolulu property tax and nonprofits (Feb. 19), leaves one to wonder whether or not all nonprofit institutions should be bundled together for consideration when it comes to revisiting the $100 minimum tax charged to nonprofits.

St. George Catholic Church in Waimänalo and many other churches of all faiths and persuasions play a significant role in feeding those of the community who are less fortunate.

Last month, St. George passed out bags of groceries to feed more than 400 people through its outreach program. The church spends approximately $2,000 a month on food for the program.

It seems to me that nonprofit institutions that serve their communities in such a fashion should be left alone when it comes to adding to their financial burdens.

h.m. winston | Kailua

ANTI-SMOKING

TOBACCO TRUST FUND SHOULDN'T BE RAIDED

As a 19-year-old member of Real: Hawaii Youth Movement Exposing the Tobacco Industry, I want to remind people in Hawai'i that we can't afford to lose money from the Hawai'i's Tobacco Trust Fund that fund tobacco prevention programs such as Real and many others across the state.

When the Hawaii master tobacco settlement occurred, Hawai'i legislators set up a special fund called the Tobacco Trust Fund that would provide funding for a strong tobacco control movement in Hawai'i.

Now some legislators want this money for other purposes. If we lose these trust fund dollars, Hawai'i will lose a strong movement against companies that continue to target my generation as customers for their deadly and addictive products.

Without a strong movement, who will speak out to protect Hawai'i from the lies and manipulation of this industry? Please help protect the Tobacco Trust Fund by asking legislators to leave these funds alone.

abe arkin | Kailua, Kona

TRAFFIC SPEED

FOR SAFETY, DRIVERS NEED TO SLOW DOWN

Slow down! For the safety of our people, especially the senior citizens and the children, slow down. For the sake of other drivers, slow down. We don't want to read about another traffic fatality.

Roy E. Shigemura | Honolulu

RAIL TRANSIT

GOVERNOR CORRECTIN FULLY VETTING EIS

Gov. Lingle is correct in saying that she will not be "railroaded" into signing off on the environmental impact statement for the rail project until she has fully vetted it.

The New York Times reported on Feb. 17 that the Federal Transit Administration pulled $70 million in stimulus money from a planned expansion of commuter rail service in San Francisco because the rail agency did not properly study the project's impact.

Better we do it right the first time than risk having funds yanked later.

lynne matusow | Honolulu