Readers Write: Cost of living, transit safety, Biden pardons, sustainable gift-giving

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Weiler’s Law states “Nothing is impossible for the man who does not have to do it himself.” Tuesday’s column (“Listen to taxpayers: Reduce the 2025 property tax increase,” Strib Voices, Dec. 10) is a good illustration of that saying. It suggests that property taxes should not be raised, rather, that “Leaders … should dig deeper … for more savings.” That is unfair.

Taxpayers who want relief should bring specific proposals to their representatives for cuts in programs. But we don’t do that. We continue to ask for things and then demur when asked to pay for them. And insisting that somebody else pay for our benefits is a trend across the board. We enact a higher minimum wage and then complain when restaurant prices increase. We want to cap rent increases and expect landlords to eat any additional costs. We want affordable housing, so we ask developers to build apartments that rent for less than they cost. We say, “Don’t tax Social Security,” but don’t say, “Raise my taxes to make up for the shortfall.”

When are we going to grow up and bear the burdens we usually impose on others? I’m not saying livable wages and low rents are bad goals, just that we need to be reasonable about sharing the burden that providing them imposes. Don’t declare something like, “Housing is a human right” without adding, “and I’m willing to pay higher taxes to provide it.”

Rolf Bolstad, Minneapolis

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Regarding “Listen to taxpayers: Reduce the 2025 property tax increase”: Mayor Melvin Carter’s budget proposes a 7.9% increase in the tax levy. Some City Council members propose to decrease that to 5%. For my home in Ward 4, the difference would cut our monthly taxes by $45. One woman at the hearing said, “I’d like to retire, but I am not even close.” Sadly, cutting the tax increase from 7.9% to 5% is not going to solve this problem. Residents can’t stay in their homes nor support their families based on that small difference.

That money is going to allow St. Paul to weatherize low-income homes and begin to decarbonize homes. It will improve the tree canopy for heat-burdened households. It will allow St. Paul to improve snow plowing so we can get to work. It pays for services we need to live here well — community safety, libraries and recreation centers. The count I heard from the hearing was 28 comments in favor of funding for climate initiatives and 18 opposed to increased taxes. The city budget makes an important difference for climate and quality of life — listen to all these needs.

Amy Gilbert, St. Paul

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Mobile home renters are being treated as second-rate residents, as Jana Hollingsworth made clear in her Dec. 9 article, “The desperation of Maple Field.” The disastrous mismanagement of the mobile homes for rent is juxtaposed by the fact that rent is still being collected at its normal rate. The neglect and greed shown by Maple Field’s owner and landlord, Steven Schneeberger, has caused the residents of Maple Field to be put in danger from Duluth’s bitter winters and at risk of financial ruin.

Is it too much to ask that landlords do the job that our rent pays them to do? There is a reason that landlords get a bad reputation; it’s because this story is all too familiar. The sad part is that lots of renters cannot afford to move into other housing due to the rising price of rent everywhere in Minnesota. This problem is also intensified by the increasing cost of houses for sale, which has grown 4.9% in the last year alone, according to Redfin. These renters are trapped in their situations — forced to pay rent that will not go toward repairs, and powerless to leave.

Erin Grube, St. Peter, Minn.

I appreciated the article pertaining to Metro Transit safety by Robin Washington (”To solve light rail crime, start with agents on every train,” Strib Voices, Dec. 11). I wanted to share some experiences that I have endured while using the light rail. I work for two different companies, part time, that provide guest services for sporting events and concerts. Since I use light rail a lot to get to my job and then to get home, many times my ride home involves using the last train of the night.

I will admit that in general, I feel a lot more comfortable riding the light rail now that they have increased the number of TRIP agents. However, I do not see TRIP agents on those last two trains after 11 p.m. On Nov. 7, after the volleyball semifinals for the MSHSL held at Xcel Energy Center, I experienced the most unsafe trip that I have ever been on. I, along with many presumably first-time users, got on the Green Line at Central Station at around 10:45 p.m. There were a large number of people who also got on that train that exhibited actions that made many people feel unsafe. Without going into the details, I guarantee you that none of those first-time users will ever use the light rail again. And I am sure that many users, like Washington, have sworn off the use of the light rail because of their experiences. I will continue to use the light rail and hope that they add more TRIP agents and/or Metro Transit Police on the lines and at the stations.

George Eichinger, Shakopee

The White House with its talk of preemptive pardons will be doing greater harm to our justice system than Donald Trump will ever accomplish (“Biden mulls preemptive pardons,” Dec. 6). It could cement, in the overall public consciousness, the cynical and negative view that our justice system will and can be corrupted. American courage and faith in a system, envied and respected worldwide, must overcome intimidation and fear. Up to this point, MAGA Republicans have been the only true believers in this corruption conspiracy. Their leaders used this mindset for the purpose of feeding their agenda to save Trump from prosecution. Unfortunately, the election is responsible for ceasing this prosecution, not the justice system itself.

I am not a lawyer, but I am quite certain of the complexity of the law. The ways that our justice system grinds through its mandate may not always get the desired result but realistically, I have to believe that there is very little time and energy for partisanship. There are too many people of various colors, creeds and political inclinations involved for any one ideology to overcome the day-to-day real workings of the procedures and systems grounded in our American justice system.

Connie Clabots, Brooklyn Center

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Joe Biden should probably give immediate pardons to the jury members that convicted Trump in New York. The team members doing their job in Georgia, too. Being selected for jury duty is your civic duty. Doing what is necessary for your employment shouldn’t be life threatening.

Paul Gilbertson, Champlin

Thank you for printing Malia Becker’s “This holiday season, shop secondhand” (Strib Voices, Dec. 7). This has never caught on, but I’ve often advocated celebrating Groundhog Day as an adjunct to Christmas. Prices are better in the stores for gifts, or there is more time to make your own. That leaves the December holidays free to focus on the “peace on Earth and good will to all” that shows up on so many holiday cards. Incidentally, instead of a $5 card, I often buy a secondhand book a friend or family member would like. Inside I write something like, “This is your birthday card (or whatever the holiday may be). Don’t worry. I didn’t go over the top. It’s from the ARC (name your thrift store) and it cost considerably less than most cards.”

Larry Johnson, Golden Valley