Letters to the editor for Sunday, June 15

As the state considers alternatives for use of the federal money to improve traffic congestion on the Interstate 35W corridor (Star Tribune, June 13), it should consider an alternative that builds on our existing light rail.

I suggest extending the light rail a short distance from the Mall of America across the river to a park-and-ride. This step would reduce the pressure on several bridges and roads.

STEVE ADKINS, BURNSVILLE

Poor MnDOT planning Most Twin Citians understand traffic snarls and slowdowns because of the 35W bridge mishap and are patient with most of 35W north of the University of Minnesota closed for major work.

But imagine my surprise as I was driving home early last week and discovered northbound Hwy. 280 closed down to one lane for repair and road construction! That is two major thoroughfares to the northern suburbs either closed or available for limited access.

And then, late last week, I found Snelling Avenue heading north was also down to one lane.

Is anybody at Minnesota Department of Transportation seeing the whole picture here? Three major northbound access roads that are either inaccessible or severely limited for traffic flow.

Larry Oakes' thought-provoking series about the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) portrays opposing factions that are both largely right. But both sides overlook a much easier and cheaper way to safeguard vulnerable citizens from predators.

MSOP's critics are right: The program is expensive. The program's supporters are right: We must do everything we can to protect the innocent from the violent.

Neither side, however, acknowledges a much bigger threat than those already incarcerated: the 90 percent of all child molesters who are never caught, exposed, convicted or jailed. We can't ignore this much larger and more dangerous pool of child sex offenders who walk free.

That's why civil reforms are crucial. Virtually no state has the financial resources or political will to charge, convict and jail every child predator. So we must reform archaic, predator-friendly laws (like the rigid statute of limitations) that prevent child sex victims from exposing their abusers in civil court.

Publicly naming predators isn't as effective as prison. But it's also not as risky as treatment nor as expensive as MSOP. Nonetheless, it is still an effective means of safeguarding the vulnerable.

OUTREACH DIRECTOR, SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS

Victimizing the innocent Thank you, Larry Oakes, for your excellent articles about MSOP. It is a relief to know that someone is finally asking the questions that need to be asked about this extremely expensive "treatment program," which is essentially a prison. While we would not be advocates for most of the MSOP inmates, we do know of one person who should never have been incarcerated in this program in the first place.

As guardian ad litems, we became familiar with the case of an abused boy who eventually ended up in the MSOP. He has now been held in "treatment" for 10 years for something he might do, not for anything he did.

This person needs a program that will help him find a way to survive in society after being held for a decade without mental, emotional or physical help. At this point he has no skills or a home to go to. There is nothing about the MSOP that indicates they are attempting to help any of their inmates or that there will be any chance for a single one of them to complete treatment.

It has been difficult and frustrating for us to be questioning this program. We have run into roadblocks from politicians who are afraid to discuss the issue and media that only want to exploit the sensational aspects of it. There are a number of questions that need to be answered about the MSOP and we are pleased to see that the Star Tribune has brought up the issue in such a factual manner.

Throw away the key The series "Locked in Limbo" should have been titled "Locked for Life!"

How do you put a price tag on someone's life? On a young girl's future? You can't, but yet that seems to be what this article is all about. My solution to this is to stop the therapy -- it isn't working anyway -- and just keep these guys locked up.

James Poole molested my niece when she was only 6 years old. He threatened that he would kill her parents if she told anyone.

Please keep this man locked up forever. He will never admit he has anything wrong with him, but just ask his victims.

WANDA BERGER, WHEATON, MINN.

The way that man has conducted himself during the primary campaign, the way he raises money and the people he is now associated with, would mean nothing but trouble for an Obama presidency.