Letters to the editor for Sunday, March 22

Christian hypocrisy may have finally put to rest the myth of "Minnesota nice." I hope there are many Minnesotans, such as myself, who are embarrassed by the actions of certain state leaders regarding the issue of allowing Sara Jane Olson to serve her parole time in Minnesota, rather than California.

She has now served her prison sentence, and she has the right to serve her parole in Minnesota. Attempts to deny her the opportunity to do her parole time in Minnesota, particularly when the corrections authorities of both states appear to have approved her request, are petty and vindictive.

GLENN ST. MARIE, WADENA, MINN.

The "outrage" expressed by President Obama and officials in Washington over the $165 million in AIG bonuses is a facade designed to divert attention away from their own incompetence and corruption. The truly outrageous behavior is our leaders giving taxpayer money to those who created this crisis with no controls over how it is to be used.

BRUCE CARLSON, BROOKLYN PARK

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Now that we appreciate how unmitigated greed on the part of AIG's top echelon caused nationwide unprecedented business failures, causing myriad commoners to lose their jobs, their health insurance and their life savings, do we now have a more perfect understanding of "trickle down economics"?

The Attorney General's Office, under both Mike Hatch and his hand-picked successor, Lori Swanson, lobbied for passage of a state false claims act five years in a row, only to be conspicuously absent when the bill was revived this year ("Swanson is asked; Hatch answers," March 15).

So what happened?

Last year, several of my former AGO colleagues and I contacted members of the Legislature seeking to end the destructive, irrational and unethical management practices we had endured first under Hatch and later under Swanson. Rep. Steve Simon, the chief House author of the 2009 false claims bill, listened to our concerns and courageously pushed for a nonpartisan investigation by the Legislative Auditor despite fierce opposition from within his own political party. Simon also publicly exposed Mike Hatch's unauthorized use of a staff attorney's name on a pro-Swanson blog post and Hatch's subsequent attempt to cover up the incident by asking the attorney to falsify his timesheet.

Hatch's ridiculous conflict-of-interest allegation against Simon comes as no surprise. Having had the misfortune of working under Hatch for eight years, I have considerable insight into how he operates. Every move he makes is calculated either to maximize his political gain or to destroy his opponents. By seeking and speaking the truth about Hatch and his successor, Simon has become the target of Hatch's latest smear campaign.

Thankfully for Rep. Simon and for the citizens of this state, the Star Tribune is finally unmasking Hatch as the vindictive, unprincipled man his staff came to know years ago.

Star Tribune editorial cartoonist Steve Sack depicts Norm Coleman as "blocking and obstructing" everything. If Norm can in any way block or obstruct the socialist Democrats' agenda to crush American taxpayers and turn the United States of America into the United Socialist States of America, I support and encourage Coleman in every way possible.

JIM BENDTSEN, RAMSEY

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A rallying cry during the American Revolution was "No taxation without representation." Today, Minnesotans are represented by only half of our U.S. Senate contingent, thanks to the silly stalling tactics of Norm Coleman and the GOP. So, does this mean that on April 15, I need pay only half of my federal taxes?

DAVE MACKMILLER, ST. PAUL

It's time to review the laws that surround fireworks in this state. Everyone knows someone who goes across the border to South Dakota or Wisconsin to spend countless dollars on "hi-octane" fireworks and then proceeds to illegally bring them back into Minnesota. These other states make a great deal of money in taxes, and what does Minnesota gain? Nothing but a headache for law enforcement.

JOHN W. LOCHER, NEW MARKET

I was optimistic that, after George W. Bush left office, Garrison Keillor would develop a more positive tone in his column. Unfortunately, his March 15 column hit a new low.

I'm fine with Rush Limbaugh being taken to task for something based in facts, but name calling based on Limbaugh's BMI and his drug addiction are tactics that belong in a seventh-grade homeroom, not a daily newspaper.