HOUSE UNDER A HIGHWAY

That photo of the new Crosstown looming over Mary VanSlooten's house says it all! This is why governmental agencies' oversight in American lives should be kept to the minimum -- their very nature too often steps right over common sense to "stick with the rules."

CAROL JOHNSON, EDEN PRAIRIE

In all this discussion of the number of troops to remain in Iraq, why has there been almost no mention of the 190,000 contractors we have there? In the Vietnam War, there were five military personnel for each contractor, while at present we have more contractors than troops. And many of them are Blackwater-type mercenaries whom the Iraqis want to be able to prosecute for war crimes.

Have the media just forgotten about these contractors?

GARY FARLAND, MINNEAPOLIS

So President Obama is proposing a 2010 budget deficit of $1.75 trillion -- four times the size of President George W. Bush's 2009 deficit. This is the recklessness we deserve for electing an inexperienced community organizer.

And when Congress "trims" that proposal down to a $1 trillion deficit, Obama will be hailed as making "difficult" cuts. This isn't the change we were hoping for, but politics as usual. And at great cost to our children's future.

As a park board member in Plymouth, I take pride in working toward creating and maintaining an amazing city park system while keeping a close eye on fiscal responsibility. Providing superior services and programs while maintaining a tight bottom line is the utmost concern and has helped our city earn accolades.

It was with some dismay that I read that the Three Rivers or Minneapolis park boards were considering a halt to soda sales within the park system. If it was because their contract with the vendor was expiring and the price was going up, I'd have no problem with that decision. There is a financial responsibility to the citizens of Hennepin County. I would hope they would reject the bid and negotiate a better deal.

My issue is with Three Rivers Park District Commissioner Dale Woodbeck's saying the sale of soda was the "biggest health disaster that we have been doing to ourselves and our kids." I won't defend pop as a healthy drink choice, but it isn't a job for commissioners to make health decisions for everyone else. Each individual maintains the ability to make that choice.

If the Three Rivers or Minneapolis park boards want to choose not to renew their contracts with Coca-Cola, they should do so because it is the fiscally responsible thing to do. If our goal as commissioners is to keep the children safe and healthy, let's focus where we should -- on maintaining facilities and equipment in tip-top condition and providing high-quality programs. Let's leave the food and beverage selections to the fully capable and intelligent patrons of our parks.

AARON VANDERWALL, PLYMOUTH

Pawlenty's ambition depends on attrition. He is waiting for a chasm to swallow his rival contenders, a chasm he hopes to bridge ... Oh, dear. Oh, dear, dear, dear.

MARK WARNER, MINNEAPOLIS

In the past, I have been critical of Steve Sack's liberal, partisan bias. I was beginning to think he didn't know how to caricature Obama, but I was wrong. In the Feb. 26 Star Tribune, he showed the president as having solutions for everything, but no details. All talk but no idea of how to do it. Good job, Steve. Keep it up.

TED CLIKEMAN, ROCHESTER

Minneapolis should build the 1-mile link between the Cedar Lake Trail and the Mississippi River Regional Trail even if the cost per mile exceeds the rest of the system. The significant amount of privately raised funds, in addition to the public money, are a true testament to the broad support for this project.

Bicycling and walking can play an important role in reducing health care costs, carbon emissions and traffic congestion. Why wouldn't you want to make it desirable for people to bike and walk to the Northstar commuter rail or to a Twins game?

DORIAN GRILLEY, ST. PAUL;

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

BICYCLE ALLIANCE OF MINNESOTA

The Feb. 26 Star Tribune article "Gagne case: Death ruled a homicide" raised the question of whether someone should be criminally charged for Helmut Gutmann's death.

We have a government that should be charged. It should be charged for the deaths of my wife, June, and my mother, Ellen, and the 200 other people who die every day from Alzheimer's disease.

The neglect of our government should be obvious to a first-grader. It has underfunded research into the cause of Alzheimer's disease now for many years. It has dedicated 21 times more in funding to AIDS research than it has given to Alzheimer's research, despite the fact that AIDS is not one of the 15 leading causes of death in the United States, while Alzheimer's is the sixth.