Letters to the editor for Friday, March 13

Regarding "Panel says no early start for state's schools" (March 10): It is so good to know Minnesota's stance on the value of an education: Start school before Labor Day? What would the State Fair do for employees? What would North Woods resort owners do for help in cleaning cabins?

At 175 days, we already have one of the shortest school years in the nation. Let's not lengthen the year; let's just delay the opening until after Labor Day to take care of the needs of the State Fair, etc.

Has anyone considered the needs or availability of the thousands of unemployed who would welcome income from the State Fair or the cabin owners? Nope. Gotta have those cheap teenagers around.

CHARLES A. HARKNESS, WOODBURY

Call me confused, but my understanding of the president's latest stimulus package was that homeowners no longer had to be "delinquent" on their mortgage in order to qualify for refinancing and or adjusting their mortgage to an affordable rate. I was laid off from my position at a major marketing company in the metro area in December. My husband and I have two children in college and have stretched our budget as far as possible to remain current on our mortgage and keep up with tuition payments. Unfortunately that is no longer possible.

Our current mortgage is with Indymac Bank, which I understand was part of the massive government bailout program. I have had countless conversations with bank officials, but have been told that since we are still "current" on our mortgage we do not qualify for any assistance. I was also advised that until we become at least three months delinquent we will not qualify for our loan to be reviewed, and even then they would not guarantee that they would be able to help us.

Through my job searches, I know that employers now make a habit of checking a prospective employee's credit rating; not paying our mortgage will thus affect my ability to become employed. Basically, we are between that proverbial rock and a hard place. It appears to me that even though we have bailed out the banks, they are still not willing to help the homeowners. What's wrong with this picture?

I am concerned about the E. coli vaccine being developed by Epitopix (Business, March 10). If the vaccine is administered to cattle, we are sowing the seeds of a drug-resistant E. coli bacteria, causing even greater problems than we have already.

Wouldn't it make more sense to prevent E. coli infection in the first place? This can be done by developing smaller and more frequently inspected beef finishing operations and slaughterhouses, and by feeding cattle food they are able to digest (grass and hay) rather than food that makes them sick (a constant diet of corn). Many sick cattle have diarrhea when they are moved from feedlot to slaughterhouse. This greatly increases the chances that infected manure will come into contact with meat being processed.

Taking steps to stop E. coli at its source means our beef will cost a bit more, but wouldn't it be worth it to know that your steak came from a healthy cow that was free of drugs?

NAOMI JACKSON, MINNEAPOLIS

Regarding "Obama signs $410B spending bill full of earmarks..." (March 12): Someone needs to tell our new president that he has the power to veto bad bills.

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Officials in Washington and St. Paul are trying to spend our way out of this economic crisis with borrowed money. Is that not what got us into this dilemma? Those chickens will come home to roost, and who shall pay?

BRUCE GRANGER, PRIOR LAKE

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Besides the loss of jobs and increased number of foreclosures, we have seen the significant accumulation of debt at all levels and the acquisition of good farmland to build unneeded shopping malls and homes.

We need a 21st-century government that will plan expenditures and monitor performance. We need a 21st-century economy that will preserve farmland and encourage innovation, research and information technology capabilities. We need a 21st-century mind-set that will be environmentally friendly and have economically realistic expectations.

C. MICHAEL PIPER, NORTHFIELD, MINN.

President Obama's speech on education was widely applauded by many different people, including our governor. Obama called for the elimination of "bad teachers." Why treat teachers differently than corporate executives? Maybe the bad teachers could be helped with a federal bailout.

CORWIN KRONENBERG, BLOOMINGTON

Another week, another gunman on a rampage. More innocents killed, and journalists look for clues: an unhappy home life, trouble in school, etc.