The Nov. 16 Opinion Page article "A Target for Divided Government" quoted Standard & Poor's saying: "If the American workforce completed just one more year of school over the next five years, productivity gains could add over $500 billion, or 2.4 percent, to the level of GDP relative to the baseline." But it is not the American workforce that creates jobs, but rather corporate America. Pointing at the supposedly undereducated American worker as the cause of a lower GDP is inflammatory, as most of us know of many underemployed American workers, carrying several professional degrees, for whom jobs equivalent to their skills simply don't exist.

Furthermore, what Standard & Poor's is suggesting is a lose-lose proposition for most American workers: add another year of excessive student loans to an already overwhelming individual student debt to possibly gain employment with a business that does not intend to raise the salary for your position anyway.

It is long past time for corporate America to stop blaming the American workforce for a lower GDP and for American corporations to be the "job creators" about whom we are regularly lectured by their Republican lobbyists, the Chamber of Commerce, the Wall Street Journal, and so on. How about creating some real, good-paying jobs, rather than more retail and service industry positions, for which we are underemployed and overqualified? Then, indeed, Standard & Poor's will see an increase in the GDP.

D. Kingsley Hahn, Arden Hills.
ATVS

You are in charge of your child's safety

'' 'It just doesn't make any sense,' said Leann Bosma, whose 16-year-old nephew was killed while driving a Suzuki Eiger five years ago. 'What do you do when the rules on the equipment say something that conflicts with the rules of the state?' " ("Risky riding," Nov. 17).

First, you realize that the state cannot make binding rules that are less restrictive than the federal government (that would make no sense, right?).

Then you realize that, no matter what the government says, your child's safety is your responsibility. You decide what school to send them to. You decide what they eat and drink. You make all of the decisions regarding their safety. They may not listen, and they may rebel, but they are your decisions — not the government's. If you think it is not safe for your child to operate that machine, then it should not matter what the state or federal government says.

Guy Hardy, Minneapolis

• • •

Those of us in the rural regions of the state have long complained of urban culture and the population distribution influencing governance to our disliking. Many of us country folk want nothing more than to do things the way we see fit. This is evidenced by the recent elections. Your "Risky riding" series about the dangers of ATV riding is just another urban missile launch at our culture here. Any machinery has inherent dangers. We just tend to spend a lot more time using ATVs. Play the statistics all you want. Somebody always manages to make bad choices. Child accidents can be lessened by more local outcry. Fanning the flames of urban opinion will only spawn suffocating regulations. Big Brother from the city needs to stay home. We'll handle this.

STEVE ALBERG, Buffalo, Minn.

• • •

Your series about ATV deaths among children is telling. But what is even more telling is that a sports star whacks his child with a switch and there is a media frenzy and fan meltdown, whereas the ATV carnage probably won't rate a 30-second mention on TV. Particularly upsetting is the specter of a father who bungee-cords his 2-year-old's helmeted head so that he can take a ride with Daddy on a dangerous off-road motorized toy. I consider that act infinitely more abusive than a couple of leg and butt welts.

Eardley Ham, Woodbury
THE TELEPHONE

For this millennial, phone skills pay off

I am 27 and a commercial real estate broker for Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq. Over half of my week involves cold-calling and trying to recruit real estate leads and listings through talking to business owners or investors on the phone ("Phones a major work hang-up for millennials," Nov. 16).

I graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2010 with a degree in real estate. Though I had a good foundation in real estate principles, we too were never taught phone skills at school. Luckily, when I was 10 and playing youth sports, my dad (who was always my coach) made me call each parent from our teams on game days to confirm times and make sure their son had a ride. That was horrible! I was so nervous my first couple calls and asked my dad, "Why don't any of the other kids have to do this?" He would say I needed to know how to talk to adults and how to use the phone in a professional manner. Decades later, I finally understand why he made me do that and am actually very grateful.

Working the phones has now become my biggest strong suit. I feel 100 percent confident that I can talk with CEOs, CFOs and presidents of companies and be able to get my point across. I, too, am shocked when we have new hires or interns come in who have a tangible fear of the phone. They are scared to pick it up and do everything they can to avoid it, instead hiding behind e-mails.

This year will mark the first year I break a six-figure income, and I owe a lot of that to my strong phone skills. High schools or colleges should start integrating phone work or cold-calling into parts of their curriculum, just so kids can learn. Even if you're not in sales, knowing how to talk to another adult on the phone is a key skill for all career paths.

HUDSON BROTHEN, Minnetonka
COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Kids, you're making world a better place

I enjoyed the article in the Variety section ("Community Builders," Nov. 17) about the kids and their wonderful essays on community building. They have changed their world, and, if we pay attention and let them continue, they will change our world also, all for the better.

In the midst of all the negativity in the news these days, it was lovely to see those young smiling faces. After reading the stories they wrote, I can definitely see hope for our future.

These kids are our future, so let's read to them, listen to them and, above all, love them. Thanks, kids. Keep it up.

PETER CLARK, Roseville