Netlets for Tuesday, July 15

I have read several letters and a commentary in the past week arguing against increased fares for transit riders. Why should this particular group of people be exempt from the rising cost of fuel over everyone else (e.g. motorists, truck drivers, air travelers)?

I ride the bus to and from Minneapolis and Elk River five days per week. If I have to pay an additional 25 or even 50 cents each way, it is still a bargain and a time-saver.

TINA MATTSON, ZIMMERMAN

Farm subsides are broader than ethanol Peter Rothfork points out in his commentary on ethanol mandates that he takes pride in the fact that their operation was built without a dime of government subsidy ("Here's one farmer hurt by ethanol," July 9). I would like to point out that his operation has been indirectly subsidized by the government all along. He has enjoyed buying corn for his turkeys below the cost of production for most of the last several decades because the government has subsidized corn production.

There are also a plethora of risk-management opportunities that would have allowed him to contain his cost of corn at much more favorable prices than are available today. However, I do empathize with him that in these rapidly changing cost structures it is difficult to know when to lock in prices.

TODD STANLEY, GRYGLA, MINN., FARMER

The dangers in health care report cards AARP's full-page ad about the health care "reform" law passed by the Legislature in May is misleading (July 9). That law may well have the net effect of damaging quality of care and raising costs.

Report cards can harm patients in several ways (in addition to invading their privacy), including giving doctors incentives to avoid sicker patients and to shift resources away from unmeasured services to those that are being graded.

Medical report cards do not grow on trees. Clinics and hospitals will have to extract the data on patients the Health Department asks for, prepare it for transmission to the department (or hire a "vendor" to do that), and the department will have to adjust the "grades" to reflect differences in patient health and then publish the grades.

KIP SULLIVAN, MINNEAPOLIS

Coleman: complicit in the corruption In response to Michael Kinsely's op-ed piece ("Departing from the script," July 8): To call Norm Coleman simply a "run of the mill professional politician" is letting him off far too easily.

Coleman, as chairman of the Senate Sub-Committee on Investigations, was deeply complicit in the malfeasance of the Bush administration's actions in Iraq. His failure to open a single investigation regarding the waste, profiteering and sheer financial misconduct in government contracting in Iraq was a dereliction of his duty to all those he was sent to represent in the Senate.

TODD REDMANN, LE SUEUR, MINN.

Franken's own doing Michael Kinsley and Al Franken are both clever with words. Trouble is, his opponents didn't "create the impression that he is a sexist monster." Franken created that impression with his words and writings. And twice in recent weeks the Star Tribune has quoted Franken as saying he's sorry... not for his despicable acts, but that they led people to believe he's what Kinsley describes as a sexist monster. Franken's simply swimming in his own swill.

ROBERT L. HALL, RICHFIELD

Job training for older workers I read with interest the July 9 story about the Hopkins/Minnetonka Resource Center Project, which donates school supplies to low-income families. Myrtle Kemo, who was quoted in your article as a volunteer, is actually part of a much-needed program that provides job training for individuals over 55, who need to upgrade their work skills to find employment. Without these individuals, many schools, libraries and other non-profit organizations around the state, would not be able to function.

This program, Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), benefits both older adults and agencies. I speak from personal experience as a former program coordinator of the SCSEP program in Hennepin County and the current Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services Technical Assistant.