Letters: Pawlenty wields veto pen

If you are someone who typically doesn't pay much attention to state politics, I strongly encourage you to pay attention now. Over the next two days, decisions will be made that have the potential to change the face of our state forever.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has announced his intention to go it alone on balancing the state budget if an agreement satisfactory to him cannot be reached by Monday. He will unallot $3 billion in state funding for areas such as health care, schools, public safety and local government aid. He indicated these cuts will be similar to his first budget proposal; if this is true, Minnesota will lose thousands of jobs in nursing homes, hospitals, schools and public safety. The health care of our families and seniors will be diminished, and the education of our children will be compromised.

We have been talking to Minnesotans over the past several months, and they told us they are willing to pay for the things they value. I am committed to working hard over the next two days to strike a responsible budget agreement with the governor. I believe Minnesotans have the right to see all the budget options and to understand how they will impact their lives, and I encourage the governor to join us in reaching a compromise that stabilizes the Minnesota economy.

The decisions made these next two days must carry our state forward for years to come. With so much at stake, it is my hope Minnesotans will take the time to truly understand the choices we face and also know that in this very public process, their voices matter.

REP. MARGARET ANDERSON KELLIHER, MINNEAPOLIS; SPEAKER, MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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I am ashamed of my governor. Thursday night he used the line-item veto to slash the entire $380 million appropriation for General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC). In the midst of the worst economy in 70 years, he is balancing our state budget on the backs of the poorest of the poor.

In a good and decent society, everyone shoulders the needs of the widow, the poor and the orphan. Fulfilling that obligation sometimes means raising taxes on those who are most able to pay -- a truth that this governor obstinately refuses to acknowledge.

THE REV. DAN DIMICK,

NORTHFIELD, MINN.

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I would like to know the governor's reasoning for cutting the GAMC fund. Don't use the pathetic excuse of trying to balance our state's budget. Proposals have been offered -- some even by members of his own party -- that would have prevented this from occurring.

JEFF GUCKEEN, MINNEAPOLIS

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Last year the DFLers in the Legislature, along with six Republicans, raised our taxes $1 billion.

They came up with another great plan this year -- raise our taxes by $1.5 billion if they can get three Republicans to go along with them.

Do they ever come up with any ideas that don't involve taking more of our money? How about cutting the programs that were started during the budget surpluses of the 1990s?

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I cannot understand why Gov. Pawlenty would choose to eliminate the GAMC program. These are the people who are the poorest among us, most of whom have a mental illness, chemical dependency or both. This is a cruel game -- just because you cut off their health care doesn't mean that their needs magically disappear. The treatment and medications that are covered under GAMC help people recover and put their lives back together. These are people who have less than $600 a month in income, and we're asking them to make this sacrifice in order to balance the budget?

SUE ABDERHOLDEN, ST. PAUL;

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS

If you were a delegate or alternate to the Minneapolis DFL convention four years ago, chances are that you received a letter from me asking you support Peter McLaughlin for mayor. He had pledged to make public safety his top priority, and as a protection consultant for more than 30 years, I felt more should be done to staff the fire and police departments and to fight crime in our city.

And certainly the city's quick and effective response to the Interstate 35W bridge collapse shows leadership in public safety. But there is more to our mayor that I would like to share with you.

The night of the bridge emergency, I worked at the crisis center in the Hilton Metrodome Hotel. By midnight several families and loved ones of the missing had come to the center. Shortly thereafter, the mayor arrived and went to those whom had learned the worst but had not yet been linked with a chaplain. His ability to comfort and console these people was more like a pastor or priest as he prayed with them and clearly helped them in their time of tragedy.

R.T. is a man of rare ability, and, given the challenges our city faces, he is the right person to lead it.

STEPHEN A. CARLTON, MINNEAPOLIS

I am an engineer who has used math and science for more than 30 years in my job, and who is now interested in teaching math and science. I will take teacher licensing seriously when they add what I consider the most fundamental requirement for teaching a subject -- the candidate must have actually worked in a real job that relates to their subject matter for a minimum of five years!

An interesting juxtaposition: Minnesota's legislative auditor recommended Wednesday that the Capitol and related buildings receive improved security measures -- the same day that the House of Representatives voted down an opportunity to close the gun-show loophole, a move that would have prevented convicted felons, domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill from obtaining firearms at gun shows.

No irony here?