Letters to the editor for Wednesday, March 19, 2008

We are now being treated to yet another lesson in trickle-down, laissez-faire, deregulation economics. Things are trickling down pretty fast these days. I think I had better go look for my raincoat.

PHILIP HOGAN, ELY, MINN.

I am appalled to read that $550,000 of taxpayer money is being spent to rebuild the public image of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Star Tribune, March 16).

We do not need our money wasted on this. Rather, the Pawlenty administration should use it to trim the budget deficit.

KONRAD SCHULZ-FINCKE, ROCHESTER

Hey, pilots: In all or nothing, "nothing" will win.

In a Delta-Northwest merger, why should there be only one seniority list? If Delta has 7,000 pilots and Northwest has 5,000, why not alternate promotions, giving Delta two extra slots after each five rounds to represent its larger current workforce?

I was one of the drivers who was ticketed by photo cop before the law was suspended. Photo cop does a great job of enforcing the law. But there is a huge difference between speeding through a red light at 40 miles per hour and making a "rolling stop" while taking a right on red (my offense).

Practically no one comes to a complete stop before turning right -- assuming there is no oncoming traffic. It doesn't make sense to waste gas, brake linings and time just to fulfill the letter of the law when the spirit of the law is to prevent accidents. Yield signs already exist to remind drivers that cross traffic has the right of way. The law for right turns should be changed to "yield" rather than "complete stop" at most red lights. Otherwise, the law will be subjectively enforced (which is what photo cop is designed to prevent) and a lot of fines will be levied that will do nothing to prevent accidents.

DEAN DEHARPPORTE, EDEN PRAIRIE

The court has ruled In his March 18 letter, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan writes that photo evidence is used to catch bank robbers, drug dealers and others and asks: "Why then, is using photo evidence for traffic enforcement not acceptable?"

Answer: In a criminal case, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed this most fundamental tenet of law recently and will do so again.

DAN ROMIG, MINNEAPOLIS

Here is a novel idea: Instead of a racino, why not let bars have slots?

Throw them a bone to help make up for their lost revenues from the smoking ban. It will create jobs -- for workers ranging from bartenders and waitresses to contractors renovating bars.

A racino does nothing to stimulate Minnesota's economy and would create only a handful of jobs.

TERRY FROST, HANOVER

We have many complex issues that politicians can argue about, but this should not be one of them. Passing and extending the act should be a slam-dunk. We must give law enforcement and our intelligence services all the investigative tools possible to pursue those who would certainly try again to harm us.

LYLE ARNOLD, APPLE VALLEY

A flaw in her argument Bachmann's attempt to continue the tired Republican fear-mongering needs some help. All 18 of the "threats" that she cites the Heritage Institute as identifying were discovered and dealt with before the Protect America Act was passed.

JAY ACKROYD, NEW YORK

Giving away our freedom I am saddened that terrorists have already frightened Bachmann so much that she forgot to mention what is preventing a vote on the Protect America Act: the president's insistence that the bill include retroactive immunity for telecommunication companies that provided private information to the government. I understood the "No. 1 job" of government to be to uphold the Constitution, not to spy on its citizens regardless of the law.

J. TODD EMBURY, RAMSEY

Ashwin Madia started small and finished big. Starting as a candidate with no name recognition and no money, Madia now leads the Democratic race for the Third Congressional District seat.

With a firm background in community activity working with the homeless, the unemployed and the developmentally disabled, he has set the model for the change we need in America. Madia's work ethic, tone and integrity established a compelling ideal for the other candidates in the race. He avoided making personal attacks and selected an excellent campaign staff.

I left my Senate district conventions as a proud Madia delegate.

I commend all of the Democratic candidates who saw reason to run and to skillfully compete in this race. The political climate change that America needs starts here and now.