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TRIBE'S DONATION TO 'U'

A drop in the bucket

Congratulations to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community again on its generous gift to the Gophers football stadium.

If one thinks this through -- with the tribe making between $600 million and $1 billion a year and contributing $21 million a year on average, the tribe contributes at best 3 percent of its untaxed income each year total to its select causes.

Compare that with the average citizen who pays income taxes, real estate taxes, sales taxes, fees, licenses, etc., that the casino and tribe are exempt from. In my case, these taxes and fees easily add up to 50 percent or more of my income.

Who among us would not trade the right to donate 3 percent of our income (plus free PR and advertising) in exchange for paying nothing to the government?

When one looks at these kind of figures, one has to think that it's time to open up a state-run, regulated, taxpaying casino. Our roads, our schools and our overburdened taxpayers would all benefit. Perhaps it's time we let the taxpayers of Minnesota vote on this.

LYNN JAKUBIK, RICHFIELD

SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

Lack of respect, too

I am the kind of person who schools want to recruit for teaching high school -- advanced technical degree, 25 years of industry experience, a love of teaching and financially secure so I have some flexibility in my career choices.

Two years ago I seriously considered teaching high school. There were three factors that turned me away from that choice: licensing, pay and abusive parents.

Even though I have a Ph.D. and am qualified to teach at the college level, getting licensed to teach high school would have required me to return to college for two years, full time, at a cost up to $20,000.

Pay? I live in the Orono School District, one of the better-paying districts in the state. If I qualified for the top pay scale (which was not likely), adjusted for inflation and summer vacation I would have been earning roughly the same salary that I had been earning in 1990.

Lastly, I have worked as a high school coach. While most parents are great, there are a few who are highly abusive and suck inordinate amounts of time and energy.

Given that overall picture, is the shortage of teachers any surprise? The corollary is this: The next time you encounter an outstanding teacher, be generous with your thanks and appreciation -- he or she is sacrificing a great deal so that your kid can get a good education.

DAVID GARDINER, MAPLE PLAIN

NO OVERRIDE OF SCHIP VETO