FAVRE STAYS RETIRED

Wishful thinking over news judgment

Though no real evidence existed that he was close to signing with the Minnesota Vikings, ESPN "experts," the local media and even a few politicians over at the Capitol nearly ran over one another in their efforts to spread information about Brett Favre's future.

Sadly, the "news" they were reporting was nothing more than speculation, guesswork, gossip and wishful thinking, none of which accomplished anything except to waste the time of Minnesotans, who deserve better.

JASON GABBERT, APPLE VALLEY

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For all of you who were so excited at the prospect of seeing Brett Favre with the Vikings, I have two words for you: Herschel Walker.

DON HABERMAN, ORONO

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It is not easy to be a Minnesota Vikings fan and live in Wisconsin, but I am proud of it and display my pride. We Wisconsin fans of the Vikings despise the conceited, arrogant Brett Favre and are sickened by the news that the Vikings actually considered bringing him from the dead again. Let him stay where he belongs. His stats should tell you that he is of no value to the Vikings, the Jets or anyone else. The Packers figured that out -- why can't you?

MICHELLE BOLLHORST,

DODGEVILLE, WIS.

SCHOOL PLAN ON HOLD

Reorganization will aid students, communities

I am proud to be part of the Minneapolis public schools. We have strong leadership and a bold vision for renewal and reform. We have made a firm commitment that every school in the district will be high quality and that every child, regardless of zip code, will have the opportunity to succeed to his or her highest potential. Last November the citizens of Minneapolis agreed that investing in our young people is critical to the health of our city. They voted overwhelmingly to support our levy, and in so doing, placed enormous responsibility on the superintendent and the board.

For the past several months we have been examining how best to reorganize our system of schools so that we can ensure equity and fairness across the district, find greater efficiency in our operations and drive more money into the classroom. We have been working to create a more stable foundation for the future while maintaining our commitment to excellence, choice and diversity.

Such large-scale reorganization has created anxiety and frustration for many. I have been heartened by people's willingness to roll up their sleeves and help us to think about how to improve our schools. I have also been impressed with people's willingness to think not only about what will work for their child, but also to consider what all children in the district need to be successful. This is the essence of strong community.

PAM COSTAIN, MINNEAPOLIS;

DIRECTOR, MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL BOARD

CLOSE TO THE DEADLINE

Pawlenty must start to get serious

It's time for Gov. Tim Pawlenty to start actually contributing to the budget process and to stop just criticizing the Legislature and threatening a veto.

GRAHAM MARTIN, MINNEAPOLIS

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I am a small-business owner, and I am writing to ask Gov. Pawlenty to please -- please -- consider a responsible budget that involves spending cuts and tax increases.

No more gimmicks. No more accounting shifts. No more borrowing. No more "sacrifices" asked only of citizens down on their luck, who haven't had the best hand in life dealt to them.

In this difficult economy, everyone needs to sacrifice -- and that means some people should have their taxes raised (back to 1998 levels) and some people should make do with fewer services. Why should only the poorest and neediest make all the sacrifices in these challenging times?

Please stop running for president and put together a responsible budget for our state -- one that serves all Minnesotans and sets a solid foundation for future growth.

HANH TRAN, MINNEAPOLIS

COCOA BEAN SHELL MULCH

Funny -- unless it's your dog that eats it

The amusing May 6 article notwithstanding ("Mulch ado about nothing? Dog bill gets long debate"), cocoa bean shell mulch poses a real danger to dogs. Many dogs are attracted to cocoa bean shell mulch because of its sweet smell. Cocoa beans contain the stimulants caffeine and theobromine. Dogs are highly sensitive to these chemicals.

In low doses, these chemicals can cause gastrointestinal problems, and in higher doses can cause muscle tremors, seizures and even death.

In 2007 the ASPCA Poison Control Center handled 26 cases of cocoa bean shell mulch poisoning.

This is a consumer-protection issue, because very few dog owners know about the dangers of cocoa bean shell mulch.

Minnesotans love their dogs, and this bill will help prevent accidental poisoning, unnecessary suffering and costly treatments. The bill merely requires a warning notice to be posted where cocoa bean shell mulch is sold. It has passed the House and Senate and awaits the governor's signature. On behalf of our 180,000 members and supporters in Minnesota, I urge that he sign this bill into law. This is a very low-cost way to help protect our family dogs.

HOWARD GOLDMAN, ST. PAUL;

STATE DIRECTOR, HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

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Last week House Republicans complained that House DFLers were changing rules to stifle debate. This week, they prolonged discussion on the pros and cons of legislation that would require cocoa bean shell mulch to be labeled as potentially unsafe for dogs.

In the shadow of a budget deficit, why would we want to call for a vote on small things and delay moving on to more pressing matters such as health care, education and jobs?

MATTHEW FLORY, ST. LOUIS PARK