Letters to the editor for Friday, Aug. 17

MINNESOTA ACT SCORES

A flawed barometer

An Aug. 16 letter writer implied that Gov. Tim Pawlenty's refusal to allocate more tax money to education was the right decision since average student ACT scores in Minnesota are high.

Yes, we beat out other states on the tests -- but we need to keep in mind that not all students are required to take these tests. The students who take them are usually college-bound and are invested in academics. If we tested all of Minnesota's students, I would predict that the average would drop significantly.

Schools do not just cater to the motivated students, and efforts to reach students who don't yet see the importance of a good education could be a big cause of the money problems that districts face.

It does little good to focus on those high ACT scores if we're completely ignoring the needs of thousands of students who are barely, if at all, making it through high school.

HEATHER DODDS, ST LOUIS PARK

THE COLLAPSE AFTERMATH

Reason for the rush

Why the rush to rebuild the Interstate Hwy. 35W bridge? Could it be that the GOP wants it completed right around Election Day '08?

GUILLERMO SAPIRO, MINNEAPOLIS

Roads vs. rail

I'm tired of hearing people complain that the light rail doesn't generate any revenue. Last time I checked, none of the highways in Minnesota generate any revenue either.

MIKE CORCORAN, RICHFIELD

Small price to pay

The consequences of a 5-cent gas tax increase: 20,000 miles per year at 20 miles per gallon would result in a $50 per year increase in taxes (or $1 per week).

The consequences of insufficient funding for road and bridge repair are obvious, and all around us. The Pavlovian antitax reaction is disgraceful. To "Just prioritize" with a trillion-dollar national transportation maintenance need is complete nonsense.

LEN SCHAKEL, LAKELAND

NICOLLET ISLAND FIELD

No need to hurry

Today the Minneapolis City Council may decide to forever close one half of Nicollet Island's remaining two public cross-streets to build DeLaSalle High School's football stadium. The City Planning Commission, ruling the stadium would violate numerous riverfront plans and destroy valuable river connections, asked the City Council to delay vacating Grove Street until outstanding issues are resolved.

Principles of good government dictate that the council should not rush toward irrevocably vacating Grove Street and that this action cannot meet the city's own "no further public use" standard for street vacations. Further governmental actions are still needed to determine whether the project is even possible.

Next week the Metropolitan Council considers whether to remove a restrictive covenant dedicating the parkland as public open space where stadiums cannot be built. Last week the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission rejected removing the land from Central Riverfront Regional Park.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals will hear arguments next month on appeals of two earlier City Council approval actions, with a decision due this year. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and the National Park Service believe that state law requires developers to consider alternatives before destroying historic resources.

Grove Street, in continuous public use for 141 years, is a rare road that meets the Mississippi twice, and is the busiest street in its historic neighborhood. Minneapolis shouldn't permanently vacate a useful, historic, public street for a project that may never be built.

JUDITH MARTIN, MINNEAPOLIS;

FORMER PRESIDENT,

MINNEAPOLIS CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

CONSERVATIVES AND CLINTON

She's a uniter

Bruce Bartlett speculates that conservatives may accept Hillary without much fight since she is "most conservative" of the leading Democrats ("Conservatives warming up to ... Clinton?" Aug. 15). He thinks conservatives are coming to terms with a likely Clinton presidency so they won't fight her very hard.

Conservatives are not going to sit back while the left takes control of all three branches of our government. Next year conservatives will face the prospect of the most polarizing politician in America presiding over a government completely controlled by Democrats. I expect conservatives to fight like the defenders of the Alamo.

DEAN KNUDSON, HUDSON, WIS.

soliciting republicans

Convention shortage?

As a gay man whose marriage is responsible for the deterioration of the American family, I am confused and worried by the recent spate of arrests of Republicans -- elected officials, their press secretaries and their family members -- being arrested on prostitution-related charges. Will the Twin Cities will be able to attract enough prostitutes for the convention next year?

CHARLIE ROUNDS, ST. LOUIS PARK

taking on iran

It's long overdue

It's about time that the United States branded Iran's Revolutionary Guard as terrorists. This unit, which promotes and enforces Iran's warped ideology abroad, has consistently proven itself an enemy of democracy.

While one must understand that dealing with a government such as Iran is a tricky proposition, the article omits the fact that Iran is a signatory of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, which calls upon the nations that signed it to not pursue nuclear capabilities for either peaceful or military use.

The European and Arab countries share deep concern over a nuclear and hostile Iran but, sadly, do absolutely nothing about it.

RICHARD O'BRIEN, ALBERTVILLE