Letters to the editor for Monday, March 9

The Feb. 27 Star Tribune article regarding city tax rankings for cities attributed a statement to a League of Minnesota Cities staff person that "the per capita figure is an indicator of local government efficiency." While the per capita figure may be one beginning indicator of efficiency, such numbers must be placed in context.

Each of Minnesota's 854 cities offers a unique mix of local circumstances, services provided, revenue sources available and methods of service delivery. Some cities are dealing with new development, while others are redeveloping. Some operate libraries, while in other communities libraries are a county function. On the revenue side, some cities make extensive use of fees, special assessments, utility transfers and other sources of nontax dollars, while other cities rely primarily on state aid and property taxes. Some have extensive commercial property tax bases, while others are primarily residential.

Cities with a low levy and aid amount per capita may certainly be efficient. But others lower in tax ranking may be equally efficient but responding to very different challenges, circumstances and opportunities.

JIM MILLER, ST. PAUL;

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES

In the March 5 Opinion Exchange, New York Times columnist David Brooks calls on moderates to assert themselves, setting out a scenario in which President Obama's liberalism is only slightly less scary than power reverting to Rush Limbaugh's Republicans.

His opinions are often based on solid knowledge of American democracy and make good sense, but this one fails that test.

How can Brooks overlook, or has he forgotten, that the Obama administration's first task is to start climbing out of a very deep pit dug by the aforementioned Bush administration? It is hardly starting from a level playing field. Small steps will not rescue us from the mess we're in now.

Brooks says the United States has never been a "society riven by class resentment." Were he to stroll down any Main Street, he might sense the anger about the rich getting richer while the middle class barely hangs on and the poor get poorer from failed, trickle-down Reaganomics. Tax breaks that unfairly benefit the rich, together with budget cuts for education and with low-wage jobs, help perpetuate the "class divide."

Are we going to revise history and skip past this neoconservative era that shifted America severely to the right? Before condemning Obama's programs, any critic needs to squarely acknowledge the damage done by recent extremist conservative politics in evaluating the new administration's agenda.

PHYLLIS STENERSON, MINNEAPOLIS

I do not want our country to fail financially, or in any other way, but I also have values and opinions that differ from President Obama's. Am I not entitled to voice them?

It seems to me that many wanted President George W. Bush to fail.

MARCIA ETLICHER, FRIDLEY

As chair of the Senate Judiciary Budget Division, I appreciate your editorial on March 3 highlighting the potential ramifications of budget cuts to the judicial branch.

Study after study has shown that our judicial system is one of the most respected in the nation and has the trust of the public in its impartiality to provide justice. If budget cuts force the courts to limit access and delay or eliminate the timely handling of cases, we can be assured that those high marks will deteriorate.

We are at the dawn of a new era in state government, one that will force us to prioritize the essential needs of our state. Everyone, including the governor, should be in agreement that the judicial branch is an indispensable part of our state and deserves an adequate level of funding.

It is my hope that the Legislature, governor and all partners of the judicial branch will see this budget crisis as a golden opportunity to enact meaningful judicial reform.

SEN. LEO FOLEY, DFL-COON RAPIDS

Regarding the March 6 article "High-speed train from Chicago: Next stop, Minneapolis?" transit decisions should be based on real numbers and issues such as ridership, commerce and residential density. On that basis, Minneapolis must be in the study. We need to have a regional vision and unified plan to make this happen.