Letters to the editor for Friday, April 18

Regarding the April 16 story "Legislators want NWA held to repayment terms": This citizen and taxpayer also wants Northwest Airlines held to fulfilling its financial obligations.

If NWA cannot survive on its own merits, it should go down like Champion Air and other failed airlines before it. More nimble and better-managed competition will step in to fill the void.

Those members of the Metropolitan Airports Commission who are "inclined" to renegotiate with NWA are failing in their duties as public stewards of Minnesota's airline industry.

RON DONDELINGER, MINNEAPOLIS

Sweet Georgia home Georgia corporate tax rate: 6 percent. Minnesota corporate tax rate: 9.8 percent.

Is there really any wonder why the Delta/Northwest merger will have the home base in Atlanta?

CAL TENEYCK, SHAKOPEE

I suggest a new name: Legacy Airlines. In designing the new color scheme for aircraft, hold a contest from employees of both airlines. The winning design should contain elements of both airlines' schemes.

In addition, Northwest's training facilities must be retained as they generate much revenue. In these days of the airline industry, any source of revenue must be retained!

GREG HAGFORS, MINNEAPOLIS

Andy Brehm conveniently overlooked some inconvenient facts in his April 14 letter praising U.S. Reps. John Kline and Michele Bachmann for "courageously" refusing to fight for "earmarked" federal funding for projects in their districts.

First, the explosion of earmarks in Congress happened on the Republicans' watch. By 2006, after 12 years of Republican control, federal spending bills were stuffed with four times as many earmarks as when Republicans took over. Only when voters put Democrats back in charge did earmarks begin coming down: In just one year, Democrats cut them by 23 percent over their high-water mark of three years ago.

Second, the real cause of out-of-control federal spending isn't earmarks but the war in Iraq. Our country is borrowing and spending $12 billion per month with no end in sight, and the war has already cost the average American family $16,500.

Transparent, above-board earmarks fund critical projects here at home. Too bad for their constituents that Bachmann and Kline won't fight for them but are still fighting for the war.

BRIAN MELENDEZ, MINNEAPOLIS;

CHAIR, MINNESOTA DFL PARTY

An April 17 letter writer suggested that Minneapolis change its recycling program so that residents don't need to take paper bags when shopping. It already has.

ANNE M. HOOPS, MINNEAPOLIS

As an employee of a personal finance center that points members to wealth-building tools and strategies, I appreciate the fact that the governor wishes to prevent debt in our state. At the same time, as a member of the community who relies on public transportation for economical and environmental reasons, I am disheartened that he line-item-vetoed all of the metro-area transit projects out of the bonding bill, in particular the critical $70 million needed to keep the Central Corridor light-rail project on schedule.

Due to recent route cuts in the Metro Transit bus system, my 10-mile trip to work (from St. Paul to Minneapolis) now takes me an hour and a half.

Surely priorities must guide decisions that allow us to live within our means, but why is public transportation so low on the priority list? Being able to get around is a high priority -- a basic necessity! -- for those of us who depend on it to contribute to the health and wealth of our state.

DONNA KEMMETMUELLER, ST. PAUL

The Metropolitan Council and partners propose to invest $900 million to bring modern, efficient transit service through the heart of the Minneapolis campus. Light-rail transit has the potential to reduce the university's reliance on cars and make both Washington Avenue and the campus a much more pedestrian-friendly, vibrant and attractive place.

I hope that the university will reconsider the faraway alignment, look toward a future with more alternatives to the car, and welcome LRT to the heart of the Minneapolis campus.