Letters to the editor for Thursday, May 8

The Legislature is working out a $38 million compensation program for the victims of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse. The victims should be compensated, but I think that the amount is too high.

Every year thousands of people are killed by drunken drivers. These are innocent victims as well; however, there is no compensation program for them. Drunken drivers kill and maim mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, babies, students, etc. If the government is going to pay people for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, then it should include the victims and families whose lives have been changed forever by drunken drivers.

DARLENE THYEN, PAYNESVILLE, MINN.

As an elected official, I am frustrated to hear that levy limits are once again being proposed as a way to control local government spending. Historically levy limits have not worked well and do nothing to recognize the unique needs and issues of each city.

Cities are trying to do their part. Our city dealt with the 2003 Local Government Aid (LGA) budget cuts by eliminating 14 positions. We scrutinize spending and partner with other entities. We've raised fees and tapped reserves. Over the last four years our general fund budgets have averaged increases of just 4.5 percent and total levy increases have averaged just over 4 percent, which essentially mirrors what would have been required under levy limits. However, that is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain when other costs are increasing at a higher rate and revenues sources like LGA don't keep pace.

Last year I worked on the LGA program with a group of mayors of Minnesota cities from Browns Valley and Mahnomen to Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was apparent that all of them take their fiscal responsibilities very seriously. Instead of criticizing them and mandating artificial controls, the governor and legislators ought to work with local officials to understand the issues they face and be a part of creating solutions. Levy limits do the opposite.

MAYOR STEVE COOK, HUTCHINSON, MINN.

PAULA CROTEAU, FRIDLEY

Torture exemplified It never ceases to amaze how public figures can be such strong proponents of fighting against torture within the human culture, while being such strong supporters of abortion. They seem to ignore the torture that is inflicted in destroying the unborn. Then to claim that "an anti-torture campaign is a prolife campaign" really tortures their logic.

One can always be sure that your No. 1 liberal columnist will always be standing by to defend this irrational logic.

GENE FLOERSCH, MINNEAPOLIS

Archdiocese's discredit I am disappointed in the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for choosing to publicly discredit itself as an advocate of social justice in its recent decision to disallow the speaking appearance of antitorture activist Dr. Steven Miles at St. Joan of Arc Church. This decision flies in the face of the statement made by the diocese's own Archbishop Harry Flynn in a separate article on the same page.

Unfortunately, by barring Miles, the archdiocese's actions speak louder than words, rendering official Catholic exhortations for justice advocacy hollow and irrelevant.

MARK MEYER, MINNEAPOLIS

A May 3 letter writer decried the Supreme Court's ruling on voter ID, stating "Americans want to exercise their hard-won right to vote."

Brave Americans, including soldiers who went to war for that right, and civil rights marchers who risked everything to make sure that it was available to all Americans regardless of race, sacrificed greatly for that hard-won right. Given that sacrifice, is it really such a burden to bring a valid ID when we go to the polls to exercise that right?

Once in the ballot box, a vote cast by a legally ineligible voter counts the same as the vote of someone who was legally eligible. A voter's hard-won right to vote should not be negated by someone who, according to the law, is not eligible to vote.

As a parks commissioner for the city of Andover, I see the challenges faced by our youth sports leagues as they compete for a limited number of quality playing fields and recognition from their communities and school districts -- especially when a sport emerges as a new, popular alternative to the existing sports. A recent example has been the emergence of lacrosse across the north metro.

Fortunately, one way to help accommodate this growing sport is at hand. The Anoka-Hennepin School District should make lacrosse a varsity sport districtwide. I have confidence that the school board can and will find the $46,000 out of its $260 million annual budget to enable the over 400 students who have dedicated themselves to this sport to compete at the varsity level.

The Minnesota State High School League has already recognized lacrosse, and many other school districts have already elevated it to varsity status, creating a shrinking number of potential opponents for the existing club teams in our school district. Making lacrosse a varsity sport is in the best interests of our kids and our communities.