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The war, Rep. Michele Bachmann are writer topics |
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Wednesday, 26 March 2008 |
Intimidation
Wow...if Mr. Massey was so intimidated by “more than a dozen phone calls and e-mails objecting to or questioning the school involvement...” our public schools are in tough shape.
I hope Mr. Massey and others who likely contributed to his decision to cancel the Heroes Tour at the high school take a moment to look into who intimidated them into the decision. It’s unfortunate.
I know Minnesota is home to thousands of proud veterans who have given a chunk of their soul, their health, the stability of their family and career, because they believe in making the world a better place.
My family and I honor their service. They are heroes.
Dan Collier
Lino Lakes
5 years later
Five years from last Wednesday the U.S. dropped the first of many bombs in Iraq. 1825 days and 3992 dead U.S. soldiers later, the bloodshed is no closer to an end than it was in March of 2003.
In addition to 3992 American troops, the number of causalities in Iraq includes 1001 U.S. government contractors, 308 military deaths from allied nations, 6222 Iraqi police and 40,928 Iraqi civilians (the amount of Iraqi casualties includes only deaths since April 28, 2005, when the Shiite-led government began keeping statistics). The cost of war has been more than 52,451 human lives.
It’s five years later, but not much of anything has changed. The warm welcoming of American troops is nothing but a distant memory, and there is still no vision for stabilizing the mess that is Iraq and returning all American troops home safely.
Instead, the body count will continue to rise, each one a deadly reminder of the consequences of war.
In a speech to the American Society for Editors on April 16, 1953, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower explained the reality of war and its toll on humanity: “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.”
Fifty years after Eisenhower’s speech, the clouds of war are again blotting out the sun. And in the shadows, beneath the missiles and among the bullets and dead bodies, hangs the future of humanity.
Devon Holstad
Forest Lake
Bachmann’s vote
Futurists have told us that the way to bring new business to the state of Minnesota is three-fold. We must provide affordable housing close to the jobs, provide reliable transportation to get to the jobs, and least not, an educated workforce to meet the demands of the industries.
Congress is now writing a bill to deliver more federal financial aid help by this spring. Without the assistance of financial aid, many college bound students wouldn’t be able to attend college. Middle class families are finding it increasingly harder to support and pay for the American dream of sending their children to college.
We read about the soaring costs of college education increasing by double digits. At this time, Congress is poised to deliver a bill to increase financial aid to students and make the reality of better jobs through education within reach of most middle class families.
How disappointing it is to learn that Michelle Bachmann and John Kline are the only members of the Minnesota delegation to oppose this legislation.
Again, I am frustrated by her commitment to stand up for President Bush’s agenda and not that of the citizens of Minnesota.
Marsha Wood
Columbus
Voters need say
I read with great interest the letter from Russ Goudge about electing government officials once the merger of the city of Wyoming and Wyoming Township takes place.
My concern stems from combining the city and the township and not having a complete new city council, elected by voters. How can the current town board and the city council decide that somebody will step down from the city council and somebody from the current town board will step in. My understanding is that two members of the council will step down and be replaced by two from the town board.
I believe there is a larger population in the township than in the city. Why does the town only have two stepping into the governing body? The revamped council for the combined area has the right to increase taxes and decide on many other things affecting the former township. Is this not taxation without representation?
I would like to see a complete campaign and complete election for all the people that will sit on the governing body where I live. I would like to know what each member of the governing body stand for. Perhaps the current five members of the Wyoming City Council are best suited to govern the entire merged area. Perhaps the town board, in its entirety, is best suited to govern the entire area. Perhaps it is a combination of the two. To have a preset concept that one of two from the current council will step aside in favor of one or two from the township and those two people will be chosen by the township and the council is not and should not be the way things are done.
The town board and council have not been and should not be an appointed or anointed group. The voters should have their say.
Nancy Immel
Wyoming Township
No New Loans
The primary financial backer and genius behind the Minnesota Taxpayers League and “No New Tax” pledge, William Cooper CEO of TCF Bank, has decided his bank will no longer participate in the federal student financial aid loan program.
In its “No New Student Loan” pledge, Minnesota’s largest hometown bank will no longer support the educational aspirations of thousands of Minnesota families. Financial aid offices across the state are scrambling to find money for this year’s graduating seniors.
The hypocrisy and what lies beyond the Class of ’08 should concern us all. If banks can opt out of the federally insured program, how will Minnesota’s families pay for college? How will Minnesota remain competitive? Where is corporate responsibility?
Under the thinly veiled guise of “helping hard working Minnesotans,” Cooper and his taxpayers league work to serve their own financial interests - period.
When Cooper isn’t wasting taxpayer money suing Minnetonka police to weasel out of a snowmobiling fine or Minnetonka Water District for allowing tour boats too close to his multi-million dollar mansion, he’s in the office of Gov. Pawlenty finding ways to reduce his taxes – not yours.
My Swedish grandfather was always suspicious of offers for anything “free.” And there is still a lesson in that for all of us today.
Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny are not about to fix our roads. And people like William Cooper and the taxpayers league really don’t care.
Wade Vitalis
Shafer
Election sham
We are writing about the Wyoming Township election, where a last minute right-in campaign almost unseated the incumbent board member. Ironically that seat is scheduled to be eliminated in four months.
Whoever is in that seat is eligible to be appointed to the new Wyoming City Council according to the annexation agreement. This is just another example of what can go wrong with clause 9 of the orderly annexation agreement and why it should be changed.
Mark Utecht is and has been a dedicated member and has given hard work and effort to us, while working on the Wyoming Town Board and deserves respect and gratitude.
It is a given that anyone who wants to can run for office if they are legally qualified. I do not understand why anyone would see this as the proper way to run or install someone new on the town board. During the filing period any town resident could have filed for Mark’s seat.
This would have shown respect for the process and given voters the ability to evaluate which candidate we might want as a board member. We could have had a real contest where both candidates have an equal chance of winning on the merits of their knowledge, skills and experience.
By going about it in this fashion, it comes off looking more like some kind of ugly political trick; more like a third world coup-de-tat than a free and fair election.
Frankly this is beneath the dignity of all involved and unnecessary. This may have been legal, but that does not make it the right thing to do. Elections are important and should be treated with respect.
I doubt that those involved with this write-in campaign had the best interests of our township in mind. We the people should be in charge of who sits on our new city council.
Buck Schott
Russ Goudge
Wyoming Township
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