Letters to the editor for Tuesday, Feb. 26

"Profiles in Courage" was a book written about elected leaders who decided to do the right thing, despite the political consequences to their own career. These "public heroes" withstood tremendous pressure from their own party leaders and instead cast votes for the common good. In the process they showed us what true democracy is about.

We have heroes here among us today: the six Republican legislators who stepped forward and voted for the comprehensive transportation bill that passed last week in the Minnesota House. Their names: Abeler, Erhardt, Hamilton, Heidgerken, Peterson and Tingelstad.

In a working democracy, politicians reach across the aisle and agree to invest in a critical public good, like our state's transportation system. In this case they defy a governor because the need to address congestion and crumbling infrastructure outweighs the political needs of upholding a veto pen.

RUSS ADAMS, MINNEAPOLIS

Pay as you go? The Legislature and the governor agreed that our transportation system needs fixing. The only question was how to pay for it -- raise the necessary funds through taxes, or borrow money and go into debt, adding interest to the cost, and postponing payment into the future?

Gee, our children only have the egregious national debt, a troubled Social Security system, health care for an aging population and global warming to worry about. Why not saddle them with roads, too?

LISA WERSAL, VADNAIS HEIGHTS

The 50 miles of storm sewer tunnels in need of $75 million repair work remind me of the 35W bridge where an out-of-state engineer recommended repair of gusset plates, the year before it collapsed, but Minnesota Department of Transportation engineers trumped the recommendation and diverted funds to a new bridge deck. Minneapolis-based CNA Consulting Engineers President Charles Nelson may be as much a part of the tunnel problem as is age. For decades his company has been the resource on tunnel engineering for local units of government, and only now he finds it necessary to perform the repair work.

I used to work for Minneapolis' (now deceased) tunnel engineer, who designed and constructed a majority of the deep sewer tunnels in the 1920s and '30s. He was adamant that the city have an aggressive tunnel inspection/maintenance program.

CNA was the design engineer for the light rail tunnel at the airport, which failed immediately after opening three years ago; and Nelson's firm was the engineer of record at the St. Paul tunnel where two sewer workers drowned last summer. Now is the time for an independent review of CNA's work to prevent a cover-up of its past performance, and conflict of interest, especially since Nelson's $75 million recommendation will surely line his pockets.

ALLEN JAVINSKY, MINNEAPOLIS

Minneapolis Council Member Barbara Johnson noted the tragic absence of caring parents in the death of Demond Reed (letter, Feb. 16).

Certainly parents are important to healthy child development, but there's also a role for the community to step up and assist in times of need.

DANIEL JOHNSON, CRYSTAL

Hard rock mining is encroaching on some on the nation's most pristine places. Recently, more than 800 claims have been staked in public lands around the Grand Canyon, putting it at serious risk. Hard rock mining uses chemicals such as cyanide, which has already contaminated many watersheds in the West. These mines are nearing our most amazing natural places, and I hope immediate action will be taken to remedy this.

The House recently passed the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act, a great step in protecting the Grand Canyon and our pristine lands across the United States. The Senate is debating it now. Minnesota's senators should do their part to protect our environment.

JEFF ROGERS, ST. PAUL

Not helping those who need it and helping those who don't? Sounds a lot like the Bush tax cuts.

CHARLES SNYDER, APPLE VALLEY

According to your Feb. 25 article regarding the rules for scrutiny of protesters, the police are planning to investigate protest groups that they reasonably believe "may affect public safety, violate state, local or federal laws, or which may result in a public safety risk." What am I missing? Isn't this what the police are supposed to be doing?

I would bet that if people get hurt or property is destroyed, there will be complaints that the police did not do enough to prevent such occurrences. Thank God there are dedicated people willing to take a job where, no matter what they do, they are wrong.

JOE KUCALA, MAPLE GROVE

ALAN MILLER, EAGAN

We will always have crazy people who want to shoot up a crowd. Copycats on campus will continue until change happens. There are two sides to all of this: those who want tighter laws on guns, and those who want to protect innocent, unarmed civilians.

It is so simple. Criminals and erratic people will always be able to access guns. Responsible teachers and students need to be there to stop the violence and killings on our campuses.