Letters

I can see it now, thanks to the recent article, "Some state legislators want drinking age lowered to 18" (March 29): The sun has just set on another fine fall day in Minnesota and the bars are filled with high school seniors and college underclassmen having a few beers before heading to the big game. Roads are filled with cars full of teens fresh from the drinking training grounds legislators have deemed as the best way to open their minds and, as Rep. Kahn said, "slowly get used to drinking ... in supervised circumstances." I'm sure parents everywhere are comforted by the thought that drinking establishments throughout Minnesota would become the guardians of children under the influence ...

Why are these legislators ready to take Minnesota youth two decades backwards and six feet deeper? Have they done any research into the tragic cost of young people drinking? ... Kids will drink, I know that. Young adults will binge, as we have seen in recent headlines. But thinking that the answer is lowering the drinking age limit? You've gotto be kidding me!

BRIAN SIDDONS

ANDOVER

Find a school solution for all Lora Pabst wrote a story on the dispute Ramsey City Council Member Matt Look is having with PACT charter school in regards to where his child should attend kindergarten ("Charter school dispute rests on 'city' vs. 'town,'" March 30). I would like to point out that all Ramsey kindergartners are currently bussed to the Anoka-Hennepin kindergarten center in Anoka. They do not attend Ramsey Elementary due to space limitations.

My next questions, I would address to Mr. Look. As a council member, what are you doing for all of the students in Ramsey who will be in kindergarten next year? There are 207 kindergartners this year and I would expect about the same number to be enrolled next fall. How are PACT charter school's 36 spots going to serve the community? Obviously, the school was not designed to serve the entire community. With 540 students, K-12, it has half the enrollment of Ramsey Elementary, which only serves grades 1-5. Are you working with the Anoka-Hennepin district on solving the educational needs of the entire community? ...

Many of the founding families [in the PACT charter school] home-schooled their children before working to build this school program. The success of the school is not because of its location but the dedication of its staff and parental involvement. ... Mr. Look, as a council member, are you willing to help the school pursue opening a second location, whether or not your child would make it through the lottery for kindergarten? ....

It seems that your lawsuit is designed only to get your child into a school that is more conveniently located for you. As a council member, you need to be working for the entire community.

KERRI WALDERA-DEROSA

RAMSEY

I am appalled at the nerve of the major oil companies to go before Congress and ask the American people for more subsidies. Is it just me or are there others who feel the same? I also want to know how our government can let these big guns make the billions in profit they have continually made for the past several years without making them accountable for all the subsidies we have already given them.

We need a detailed report from them telling us where they spent all the money. I think that is only fair. People, people, wake up and call your congressman, senators and representatives and tell them to put the pressure on big oil to lower the price. They have made enough money off the little guys like us.

KATHY OLBERG

ELK RIVER

Dee DePass' "Downsizing's human toll" (March 31) tells it like it is.

My manufacturing company is in the race of our lives for talent right now. Finding, training and retaining people to fill skilled manufacturing jobs is much more than a vexing problem, it's literally a matter of business survival.

Most manufacturers across Minnesota join me in having a tough time finding highly skilled workers. We have challenging jobs with high wages and good benefits. However, many of our best jobs require advanced, cutting-edge technical skills beyond those taught in high school.

Figuring out the solution is crucial, not only for domestic manufacturing to succeed but also so lower skilled entry-level and incumbent workers will benefit from lifelong learning and higher education to get and stay on a career path that leads to higher incomes, more job security and family-sustaining wages.

ERICK AJAX

EJ AJAX AND SONS, FRIDLEY