Letters to the editor for Wednesday, April 9, 2008

A trickle-down ideologue gets himself elected governor over a weak opponent (twice), starves a state's basic and necessary services with his no-new-taxes gospel, and now he's pulled out his line-item-veto pen to put the kibosh on mostly Democratic district projects. And the DFLers are shocked?

Like other liberal Minnesotans, I want to howl about No-Tax Tim Pawlenty as though he and his political minions are solely responsible for all the mean-spirited stuff that goes down in St. Paul, but four words keep coming to mind, fellow DFLers: Roger Moe, Mike Hatch.

DFLers helped create this shameful situation by running weak candidates against Pawlenty. We ought to at least have the strength of character to suck it up when his ax falls on yet another good idea or needed program.

DON ROLLINS, HANSKA, MINN.

Good for the guv Kudos to Gov. Pawlenty for standing up for families and taxpayers against the tax-and-spend philosophy of the DFL in Minnesota.

If the DFL would have put together a package that the governor could live with, Minneapolis and St. Paul politicians would have gotten their light-rail funding.

DAVID ANDERSON, LONSDALE, MINN.

ANDERS IMBODEN, MINNEAPOLIS

Time is running out With the clock running out on the 2008 session, it was disappointing to see the governor playing politics with the state bonding bill.

Perhaps the bill was a bit optimistic in light of the current budget deficit and coming recession, but the concentration of vetoed projects in the Twin Cities makes it clear that this is as much a matter of posturing as one of fiscal restraint.

MATTHEW FLORY, ST. LOUIS PARK

In his April 6 article "Thank you to my viewers" commenting on his recent departure from WCCO-TV, Paul Douglas has shown what a humble and classy person he really is. It is just too bad that the management at the station and its parent company, CBS, couldn't show the same class that he has. He will be missed.

Losing a viewer Once again, a foolish decision is made so that shareholders and executives at CBS can continue to line their pockets at our expense.

The decision to fire Douglas is so incredibly shortsighted that it's hard to believe anyone at CBS corporate offices knows what they are doing. This is exactly why so many people would rather get their news from webcasts, podcasts or other sources. Viewers want consistency, competence and personality. Paul Douglas (and John Reger) had all three. He didn't deserve to be treated like a castoff. So, goodbye, CBS, and hello, BBC or PBS news.

EVA LOCKHART, EDINA

Keep him, Strib! We were dismayed to see that Douglas' departure from WCCO may cause the Star Tribune to reconsider his role with the newspaper. Reading Paul's comments to start our day is one of the highlights of reading the paper. If you let him go, we will in turn have to let you go.

EMILY AND GABRIEL KELLER,

He's a treasure Here we go again -- firing another big name in the Twin Cities community.

I realize there are myriad places to look for updates on the weather, but no one can match the glib, effortless use of fresh vocabulary and the expressions of Paul. While other weather forecasters repeat the same humdrum phrases, he always manages to be original on the air and on the Star Tribune's weather page. He recently wrote that the future will bring "no tornadoes, no flooding, no lightning, no pestilence."

For this 62-year-old, there will be "no more WCCO television weather-watching!"

PATRICIA FOLEY, COON RAPIDS

Your April 6 editorial against lowering the drinking age seemed to be written by someone who had not bothered to read the bill. The proposal does not advocate a complete lowering of the drinking age for all purchases but only for "on" sale, or public, drinking in bars and restaurants.

REP. PHYLLIS KAHN, DFL-MINNEAPOLIS

The wrong argument Those who say, "If an 18-year old can be sent to war, why can't he have a beer in a bar," have a good point.

However, I think they have the solution backwards. Rather than lower the drinking age, why not raise the minimum age to join the military to 21?

Imagine how much less war there would be. Of course, our military and political leaders would never let this happen, because it would be too hard to find people to fight the battles of our country's corporate war machine.

JEFF NACHBAR, HUDSON, WIS.