Online readers are able to respond immediately to Star-Bulletin stories through our Web forum, which can be accessed at the end of stories, editorials and columns at starbulletin.com. Below is a selection of forum comments that appeared last week. Most forum contributors use pseudonyms; their “;names”; have been omitted here.

”;Union will not sway Correa's evaluation, panel leader says,”; Star-Bulletin, April 7: The current police chief should not be retained. Morale is not good in the department and the chief has a lot to do with it. Did everyone forget how he was running the department through his deputies when he was at home with his back injury? Has everyone forgotten how he still managed to go on out-of-state trips while having his back trouble? Then there is the time he wanted a special motor vehicle. Wow, talk about extravagance! Chief, how about thinking about other people like your line officers before yourself?

———

I guess SHOPO membership wants to shop for a boss who will go easier on them. Sorry guys, you play the hand you're dealt, just like the rest of society.

———

Chief Correa should be judged by his accomplishments and his ability to work with the prosecutors. The crime statistics and strong endorsement by Honolulu City Prosecutor Pete Carlisle and U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo should carry a lot of weight. Yes, it would be great if the chief and the rank and file had a good working relationship, but do people really want another case where the public employee unions run the department?

———

”;Pentagon cap will not affect Raptors/Hawaii's Air National Guard will still get its slated 20 F-22s, says a Guard spokesman,”; April 7: These planes have never been proven in combat against an enemy such as the MiG with which the F-15 Eagle showed clear dominance.

———

You are absolutely correct! Let's start a war somewhere and find out just how capable these planes are. North Korea seems a good place to start.

———

That's right they have not, yet. We should consider ourselves very lucky that we have not yet had to go into combat against a well-matched foe. But when we do, let's hope our boys fly the best we have, not an excellent 1970s era fighter.

———

”;Senate budget proposal raids hotel tax, foresees counties imposing sales levy,”; April 8: The new Hawaii tax form will fit on a post card and have just two lines: How much money did you make last year? Send it in to the the aloha state tax office.

———

It would be pretty awful if the lawmakers had to answer their own phones and make their own restaurant reservations with that 37 percent pay raise. Hope they choke. I know my vote next time around. Having all this budget brouhaha happen just around the time that I have to write a check for the “;new alii”; to play games with sort of rubs my fur the wrong way.

———

What a chicken bleep rip off budget. Stealing the counties' money and forcing them to raise taxes instead of doing it themselves.

———

The state is always taking monies earmarked for the city to balance its budget, such as traffic tickets. That's why the city has to charge for trash pick-up, higher property taxes, parks admission and other programs that were once free. Now the state wants to raid the hotel tax. If you manage your house in a proper manner such as layoffs and start controlling your spending, maybe the state's budget would not be in a mess. It's time to change the Legislature next year and get some new people with new ideas. The Legislature only wants to concentrate on the civil unions bill. What a waste of time.

———

Charging for trash pickup should have been done a long time ago! Most every city in the U.S. does it, so why is Hawaii so backwards? I think it would be good for the city and state to institute a yearly tax increase and service fees automatically. Maybe that might get the voters to open up their eyes.

———

”;Gangs will lose, HPD chief vows,”; April 8: The officer would have been well within his rights to shoot this idiot in the head.

———

”;Bertram, GOP spar over child abuse ad,”; April 9: If this (man) wanted to speak as a “;private”; citizen he shouldn't have run for “;public”; office. Having said that, it is still abhorrent that he would condone the actions of his friend by making lame excuses. It exemplifies his lack of judgement, morals and fitness to fill the office of a “;public”; servant. He should resign immediately, or if he doesn't, be impeached or recalled.

———

Let the voters of Bertram's district decide whether his comments as a private citizen were appropriate. Why on earth would the Republican Party make this an issue this far out from an election? It's also interesting to note that the Democratic Party didn't run ads calling for Galen Fox to resign when he was arrested for molesting a female.