Editorial: Swastikas in St. Cloud are one thing ...

Updated: February 19, 2008 - 6:26 PM

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Where Ford Parkway meets Mississippi River Boulevard in St. Paul, at the base of a flagpole in front of an assisted-living facility, a clean bed of snow was desecrated over the weekend by a 15-foot swastika.

For a group of Saturday morning joggers who set themselves to trampling over the symbol, it was a jarring reminder of the darker side of even the most placid neighborhood. Ugly and degenerate sentiments can be found everywhere, not just the outstate areas, and the Twin Cities, in all of its enlightenment, is not immune.

Happy here, but worried

A new Met Council survey of metro-area residents found that 94 percent of them consider this region a better place to live than other large American cities.

But a growing share of metro Minnesotans are worried; a third of those surveyed said the quality of life has declined in the past year. That's more than double the share of Twin Citians who said as much in 2000. Two-thirds of those who held that view in the latest survey cited one or both of two problems -- transportation and crime. On both issues, the Legislature tried to pass laws last year, and transportation is Topic A in St. Paul right now. With their interests so clearly at stake, Twin Cities residents should find it easy to pay attention this year.

Fair is fair

Reporter, Capitol news conference, Feb. 12:

"Is there a vote required for the sales tax" in the proposed DFL transportation bill?

Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing:

"No. This is the same deal that the governor gave the Twins. If it's good enough to build a ballpark for millionaires and billionaires, it's good enough to build safe roads and safe transit systems for everybody else."

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