Readers Write (Feb. 23): Jeb Bush, barrier walls, pension plans, Apple vs. the FBI, a Lake Harriet fixture

As Donald Trump, for lack of a better word, trumped all other Republicans in South Carolina, Jeb Bush fell from political grace. His announcement officially suspending his struggling campaign was one many saw coming after his lackluster team garnered hardly any support from voters in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

Following this election cycle has been more like watching an overhyped movie than choosing the next leader of the free world. Voters seem to be drawn like moths to a flame to the candidate who yells the loudest or slings the most mud. I am unabashed in saying that Jeb Bush was the sole exception to this rule. His campaign brought back a shred of dignity to a primary season that almost all would agree is unlike any other.

Now, this is not to say that Jeb was the perfect candidate. He was haunted by mishaps like his "please clap" moment, and his inability to connect with voters on any meaningful level is no one's fault but his.

However, I might add that whenever a candidate finishes his or her campaign, they say they are suspending it, not ending it, meaning this may not be the last time we hear from the almost Bush 45. Regardless, one thing is clear: No matter which way this election goes from this point on, the last true, sane voice of the Republican Party and maybe even this entire election, has gone silent once more.

A Feb. 20 letter writer tells us "[w]alls work, as evidenced by the Great Wall of China, the walls to keep out terrorists in Israel and the sections of the U.S.-Mexico border that have a wall."

Well …

The Great Wall of China did not stop the Mongols from raiding, invading and conquering the Jin dynasty, Western Xia, the Dali Kingdom and the Southern Song. Ultimately, the Mongols conquered most of what we call China, as well as portions of Afghanistan and India. In truth, that wall wasn't built primarily for military purposes. It was built to control and tax commerce along the Silk Road. There were vast gaps in the Great Wall where commerce wasn't important.

As for the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in places where the barrier has been built it has done more to inhibit animal migration and cattle grazing than to stop border crossings. As regards human movement, it does not keep out the people we should truly want to keep out. Drug runners, gun runners, killers and the like merely go under or over the barrier — or around it even by sea. Only the people who are coming here to make a better life are being restricted, and even then not very well. Between construction delays, cost overruns and run-of-the-mill boondoggle and pork-barrel, it is arguably one of the worst wastes of taxpayer dollars within the U.S. borders.

So, if one wants to claim that walls work, one shouldn't rely on the Big Projects that governments claim will make one safer. They're really just lining someone's pockets with taxpayer money.

A Feb. 21 letter responding to my comments in Lee Schafer's Feb. 14 column on public pensions declared that the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence wants to see defined-benefit plans replaced with 401(k)-type plans. That is simply not true and not what the column said. As our legislative testimony, our "Citizens Guide" to public pensions and our public presentations on this topic all highlight, we have been and continue to be steadfastly agnostic when it comes to "how" we fix our pension problem. Our concerns are with the continued use of practices that significantly understate cost, risk and obligation, not just to pension beneficiaries, but to all taxpayers.

There are many strategies both within and outside of a defined-benefit plan that can meet the expectations and demands of a secure retirement without unduly exposing future public employees, taxpayers and public services to the considerable risks now being foisted upon them. The advantages and disadvantages of all these different strategies is not the primary issue. Recognizing a problem is.

Schafer's column flagged a legitimate concern that is currently not being addressed responsibly. Arguing that this concern is nothing more than a manufactured assault on defined-benefit plans won't make the problem go away.

Regarding Apple's stance on not allowing access to the locked phone of the San Bernardino terrorists who murdered innocent co-workers, why is that different from using a warrant that allows access to one's home and belongings, including file cabinets, desk drawers, etc.? Why should access to electronic records be more sacred? And why all the fuss over "creating a backdoor"? Just reset the password! If one of those terrorists had forgotten their password, they could have called Apple to have it reset. Why can't Apple be commanded to allow access to digital information just like a warrant allows access to everything else? Check out John Miller's commentary on CBS for a great explanation of why this should be allowed. To refuse access to this information is ridiculous in the digital age we live in.

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"What if" there were credible evidence that the iPhone used by the attacker in the San Bernardino incident also contains a portal to the FBI's most guarded secrets? (" 'What if'? A couple of scenarios give one pause on iPhone hack," Readers Write, Feb. 22.) And "what if" this link could be made public to everyone who wanted it?

Let's make a deal! Apple CEO Tim Cook could then offer the FBI a promise that he would not reveal any confidential information regarding the agency's operations in the United States. But, of course, this is "what if?"

A lot of you will know who I'm describing as soon as you start reading this. Many times I've received high-fives and words of encouragement from this upbeat gentleman as we pass each other running around Lake Harriet, but today I took time to thank him for this and to run part of the lake with him. It was amazing to see people's faces light up with surprise and happiness as he shouts out "Looking good, keep it up!", "You've got the ice rescue dog out for training, that's great!" and "I'm out here to make you look fast!" to each and every person he passes. He told me, "There's so much hate in the world, so I'm doing what I can to make things better." Not only in this way — he also makes the world a better place through his 37 years of active military service. So, Jeff, thanks for making us smile and laugh out loud! And the rest of us? We should pay this forward.