I recently read that the federal government has coughed up $200,000 so that police in 49 departments in Maine can step up seat belt enforcement (Sun Journal, Nov. 24).

With the economy in the tank, people going to food banks, people needing help with heat, etc., was that the best use of the money officials could come up with?

I figure Maine was not the only state to receive money, so how much are we talking about?

Seems as though the police would be looking for seat belt violations on regular patrol. Why do they need extra hours to do that?

Maybe Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins could give people some insight into the sensibility of all this.

Fred Horsfall, Buckfield