Helping a little girl get home
I was walking with my granddaughter on a recent Friday evening when a police vehicle pulled up. Two large and meticulously uniformed officers exited the vehicle along with a tiny girl wearing a white tutu. As if they stepped out of a Norman Rockwell illustration, one officer took the girl’s hand and continued down down the street while the other officer walked over to me. He asked if I knew the girl, whom they found wandering alone. “No one has reported her missing,” he said. “But she keeps pointing down this street.” He then drove the car down another block and then another while his partner caught up with the little girl in tow.
My granddaughter never took her eyes off the little girl even as the trio became a blur. Later, she breathlessly told her dad that policemen were helping the girl find her home.
I couldn’t help but think about all the abuse police officers must endure doing a job that I could never do; in an environment of constant confrontation. And yet these two men were focused on a very simple act of kindness — helping this little girl get home.
Tom Collins. St. Paul
Bikes, bikes, bikes. What about business?
I attended the St. Paul mayoral election forum on Monday evening. It was great to be able to put a face with a name when thinking about the candidates. Sadly after seeing and hearing the candidates I do not feel very hopeful that St. Paul will be moving forward in a better direction come Nov. 5.
Tane Danger did a good job trying to get the panel to give concrete answers to questions on how they would solve the issues that seem to be on the minds of people — taxes, crime and the homeless. Strangely, the topic that three of the five candidates all had strong feelings about was the Summit Avenue Bike Trail.
Adam Dullinger seems to be a one-issue guy. He seems to think life will be better when we are all on bikes. I am guessing he has never packed up a few kids with hockey gear and put them on a bike to get to practice. He also used bad language to spew out a snarky comment.
Mayor Carter thinks kids don’t care about getting their driver’s license anymore.The teens I know and their parents are all thrilled to have a driver’s license. Of course there are the 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds who prefer more of a grab-and-go system of car-jacking and crashing. Kaohly Her brought up the race issue — where the bike trails are. Mike Hilborn and Yan Chen both said more important issues need to be dealt with.
Hilborn was the only candidate to talk about the business climate in St. Paul, the empty buildings and what we need to do to attract and keep businesses in the city to help with the tax burden on our citizens.
At the end of the evening I felt like we will probably have a great bike path out to the suburbs so we can visit all the smart people who have left the city for lower taxes and less crime.
Joan Barrett, St. Paul
A whopping $436,000
Recently, officials from the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County were busy patting themselves on the back as they announced the construction of 11 new homes in St. Paul. The price tag for these 11 homes is $4.8 million. For those who don’t do math, that’s a whopping $436,000 per unit. For that price, you may be wondering if these are single family homes with lakefront views and sprawling back yards. Nope. These are 11 highly subsidized, “deeply affordable” townhome units being built in the St. Paul public housing projects. I guess $4.8 million doesn’t buy as much as it used to, especially when our government is the one spending our tax dollars.
Cheryl Hanzlik, St. Paul
Try earnest money
We who walk the streets of Lowertown, and see the dearth of merchants, have a suggestion which would bring back businesses to our city. We see one of the reasons stores move out is that stealing is too lucrative for thieves and the homeless. The following ideas are presented for businesses like grocery stores, drug stores, hardware stores, etc., businesses in which a buyer has in mind at least one certain thing to buy.
Consider this: The buyer enters the store and gives $5 to the employee at the window, who then gives the customer one ticket which is good only for that day for that store. Then the employee lets the customer go through the turnstile. Upon leaving the store, having something to buy, he presents the $5 coupon and it is credited to the total purchase price. If the customer does not find what he is looking for, and therefore does not bring anything to the cashier, the customer gives the ticket to the cashier and is given a choice of something from the store which is less than $5 in value. The $5 is not returned to the customer. But note: The $5 must be cash, not credit card. We believe that the $5 earnest fee, the turnstile, and the knowledge that if you don’t buy something, you won’t get the $5 back will separate thieves from dedicated shoppers. And businesses will come back to the downtown because their profit margins will increase.
Judith Lagowski, St. Paul
Step up and pay attention
So much of what is taking place today is rooted in our history. This country has been divided by many issues in the past, but, I believe, this is the first time the division has progressed to a point where there is no longer any civil discourse to resolve differences. We see a Congress that is weak, a Justice Department that is becoming an arm of Executive Office bullying, and a president who is bent on revenge for perceived wrongs.
In FDR’s first inaugural address, he stated “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Dwight Eisebhower, in his farewell address to the country in January 1961, warned us to beware of placing too much power upon the military/industrial complex in our country because “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist”. Ronald Reagan, in his inaugural address of January, 1981, stated “in this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem”.
Thus we have arrived at our present state of strife. We have lost our common values and life has become survival mode for a lot of people. The fact that the Executive Branch of the U.S. government has made the other two branches totally ineffective should make us all weep. Where are our leaders? Where are all the good people when we so desperately need them? I am old so my only form of protest is writing letters. I beg everyone to step up and pay attention. When U.S. troops are sent out against U.S. citizens, when the president uses the government shutdown to fire people, refuse payment of congressionally approved funding, using the power of his office to personally enrich himself and attack perceived enemies, we are in danger … all of us, of losing everything this country used to stand for. God help us.
Carole Mulcahy, South St. Paul
What’s the truth?
The American Rescue Plan enacted in 2021 eliminated the income cap for those whose income was between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. A family of three making $103,280 and a family of four making $124,800 were now getting subsidies for healthcare. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act extended those subsidies through 2025.
We were told these pieces of legislation were passed to protect people during Covid. Democrats passed these bills with little help from Republicans. Are we now being told these subsidies should be permanent? Are the people now on these subsidies not able to get insurance through their employer?
Also we are being told no undocumented are receiving healthcare benefits. During Biden’s first three years, 197,000 asylum seekers were brought into the United States. These asylum seekers are allowed to receive benefits including Medicaid. Until June of 2025, undocumented aliens were able to access Minnesota Care; this state program as of June 15 will no longer enroll new undocumented adults. Do we or don’t we use tax dollars for these programs?
Ramona Jwanouskos, White Bear Lake
Flawed reasoning
I found the Bloomberg editorial (Oct. 9) regarding the government shutdown well-written, highlighting the issues on both sides of the political spectrum. However, the suggested solution is seriously flawed. To believe that President Trump would commit to good-faith negotiations over the health-care impasse is quite naïve. The definition of good-faith is “honest and sincere intention.” These are not personality traits seen in our current president. Until our elected politicians agree to compromise on the issues our country faces, no solution can be achieved. Compromise is essential in a representative democracy.
Doug Heroff, Shoreview
Making us pay
Let me get this straight. China has been buying billions of dollars worth of soybeans from U.S. farmers for years. President Trump put large tariffs on China, so they took their soybean purchases elsewhere. Now Trump is spending billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to offer subsidies to our farmers (but not nearly enough to compensate for their losses). This is about as illogical as anything else this administration has done.
Alan Miller, Eagan
Time for a change in St. Paul
Thanks to Fred Melo for his recent article, “Some prominent groups are sitting out mayor’s race.”
As someone who is constantly asking St. Paul neighbors and friends their thoughts on the mayor’s race, the overriding response relates less to Melvin Carter’s performance but rather focuses on the need that after eight years, it’s time for a change in leadership.
For the past several years, there has been a slow drip of challenging news coming out of St. Paul, much of it related to downtown’s central core and the Midway area. There are voices saying the downward spiral is slowing down or getting better. The problem is that many of us are not feeling that the city is getting better.
This election is a great opportunity to start with fresh energy to manage our many challenges. For many, Kaohly Her is a great option based on her leadership background, her existing relationships and her collaborative management style. Her strong ties to the State Capitol are certainly a hopeful piece in solving some of the many challenges facing the city.
And lastly, a Kaohly Her mayoral term would be making history by electing our first female mayor in our 170-plus-year history.
Ron Zweber, St. Paul
Don’t run again, Gov. Walz
As one who has supported, donated to, and voted for Gov. Walz twice (three times if the vice presidency is counted), I would urge him to retract his decision to run again for an unprecedented third four-year term and allow some other, better-situated Democrat to seek the office.
The governor has, in my opinion, done an admirable job over the past nearly seven years, notwithstanding a number of flaws and setbacks, some of them endemic to the governmental process. However, it is feared that neither he nor his party fully appreciates the deep resentment that exist toward them and the difficulty he will have overcoming some of the cutting-edge issues, particularly the massive fraudulent losses the state has experienced. Recent polling reflects his approval rating equal to disapproval, and outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area his esteem is dismal and might not be overcome by traditionally low turnout in the metro area in non-presidential election years.
If the Republicans, contrary to their recent experience, put forward a candidate without excessive MAGA baggage, the party stands a better-than-even chance of recapturing the governorship for the first time in 16 years and, perhaps, winning some other state constitutional offices and majority positions In both houses of the legislature as well.
The DFL will be best off with a new aspirant leading the ticket, like the highly competent Secretary of State Steve Simon, who seems eager to replace Walz. He’s got some name recognition, having won convincingly in multiple statewide races and is not tainted by the pervasive and perverse fraud that may be central in the campaign.
Another possibility is R.T. Rybak, the former three-term Minneapolis mayor who has been capably heading the huge charitable Minneapolis Foundation.
But the DFL might put its best-foot forward with a non-government candidate with substantial and successful experience in the business world, if any such candidate exist.
Since Walz probably will not step aside now that he tossed his hat in the ring, it’s getting late for a strong, credible newcomer to mount a challenge in the caucus process coming up in four months and the ensuing endorsement convention this spring.
Incidentally, Gov. Walz and his two-term DFL predecessor Mark Dayton both were initially selected in primary elections after not receiving the endorsements at the party’s conventions, which might be the path to follow for a fresh, telegenic, down-to-business face in order to avoid the significant possibility of a Republican victory and, perhaps, an electoral sweep next November.
So many choices, so little time.
Marshall H. Tanick, Minneapolis
Exhilarating, beautiful noise
I feel compelled to taint Ross Raihala’s negative review of “A Beautiful Noise.” I saw it the other night and couldn’t disagree more strongly. Ross reluctantly admitted that it was worth going to the production for the songs. All of the music was incredible and the singers and dancers had the audience electrified. But Mr. Raihala dwelled on what he referred to as “gloomy, morose therapy scenes.” I felt that thread wove the whole story together perfectly and explained Neil Diamond’s struggles with childhood, loneliness and superstardom. Without the insightful therapy scenes, it would’ve simply been a fabulous Neil Diamond concert.
The entire package was a wonderful Neil Diamond love letter. I, and the entire audience, left the theater singing “Sweet Caroline,” completely exhilarated by “A Beautiful Noise.”
Laurie Platt, St. Paul
The worst thing
The worst thing that happened to the Twins this season was when the Pohlads decided NOT to sell.
J.G. Corbett, Forest Lake
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