Readers write for Aug. 25, 2010

Note to Minnesota, America and to candidates: Our state and our country are aging ("Aging boomers will strain families, state," Aug. 22). There is no way to provide care for this population without either raising taxes to pay for medical, home care and long-term care, or having more people out of the work force and at home caring for aging family members. Either way, our incomes will decrease. Stop looking for gimmicks to save money. Some savings can be realized by improving health and community supports, but many of the costs are inevitable if we as a society plan to care for, as opposed to neglect, the aging. We have to pay up in one way or another.

But guess what: Instead of focusing on greed, ourselves and our pocketbooks, we will have the satisfaction and peace that comes from living in a community that cares.

MARY MCGURRAN, Minneapolis

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Having followed the Star Tribune's coverage of the problems of aging, we note that the assumption is usually made that an aging person in uncertain health has two choices: enter a nursing home or stay in his or her own home with help from family and/or outside, often government, resources. Only rarely is mention made of the many retirement residences that offer meals, safety, some medical care (with swift access to advanced care), and, most importantly, companionship.

With all the technological advances to enable the aging in stay in their own homes, the distress caused by loneliness is never addressed. Don't count on the person delivering Meals on Wheels. He or she can stay only a minute, because other "customers" must be served. Don't count on the aged person's friends. At 85 or 90 years of age, most friends are either deceased or unable to visit. Family? If there are, indeed, family members in the neighborhood, which is not always the case these days, they are usually employed and cannot visit during working hours. Neighbors? The suburbs in which most people live are deserted from 7:30 until 6 or later. This is also increasingly true of small towns.

We believe the advantages of staying in one's own home have been oversold, and the merits of residences for the elderly have been underestimated.

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Your article was a gift to readers, especially those who have considered end-of-life scenarios for themselves and loved ones. With the "silver tsunami" cresting on the horizon, it's time to make tough decisions. How can one make decisions about dying the same way we do about health care while we're functionally living? In terms of a humane approach, we treat our pets better than ourselves when we know they're suffering and won't recover. Nursing homes became popular in just the last generation, but still, they seem to be almost no one's ideal last residence.

The time is nigh for a national health policy dialogue centered on this important moral and economic topic.

BOB WORRALL, ROSEVILLE

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And where would young paid staff members come from? Countries such as Mexico and other Latin American countries where young people are plentiful, willing to work, and willing to emigrate to the United States.

JIM WALDO, Duluth, Minn.

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Getting older has it's challenges. It isn't helpful when the news media paints aging as a "tsunami," or impending crisis.

RICK FELBER, Minneapolis

We're proud to be the first business in Minnesota (and one of only a few in America) to convert hybrid vehicles to plug-ins, and we specialize in conversions that work well in cold climates like ours. Politics has nothing to do with the fact that converting a hybrid to a plug-in is an effective next step to "kicking gas" and using local, potentially renewable energy instead.

We spent over two years in research and development before launching our business, and we chose to stay in Minneapolis because this is our community. It's no wonder that local, green-minded elected officials attended our opening, and we are proud as individuals to support leaders who work to make our state more sustainable. We look forward to talking to anyone about the benefits of converting their vehicle and growing our business right here in Minnesota.

ALEX DANOVITCH AND SHAYNA BERKOWITZ, CO-OWNERS, REGO ELECTRIC CONVERSIONS

After reading the Aug. 24 article about the Richfield science, technology, engineering and math school in the Star Tribune ("STEM-ing school losses), I am very happy for the positive publicity for the district. I have long felt that public perception of Richfield, both as a city and as a school district, lags behind our suburban neighbors. I also know that science, math and technology are hot topics in the education world right now.

However, I cannot help but be disappointed at only one passing mention of Richfield Dual Language School (RDLS), the "other" magnet school in the district, which last year drew students from Minneapolis, Bloomington, Maplewood, Edina, Farmington, Burnsville and Chanhassen. It has played a key role in retaining and attracting students while also inspiring district leaders to reshape the district's elementary school model.