Readers write for Oct. 8, 2010

I am grateful that Mark Sellner possessed the courage to express his social values in his Oct. 6 letter.

At the same time, I am frustrated that many of us baby boomers have lost our vision of a collective community, the wealth that comes from shared risk and shared contributions.

Generations before us knew that sustainable wealth was a result of shared contributions. Free public education, land-grant colleges and tax-supported higher education were all developed to enhance the wealth of individuals and communities.

When Sellner and his friends scheme to avoid taxes (i.e., counting the days of residence in the state), they are saying they no longer find it necessary to contribute to the collective well-being of current and future generations.

This is even more unsettling given that these men gained wealth not solely through their skill and industry but through their luck of gender and the economic (i.e. taxes) and social contributions of past generations.

I worry that we baby boomers are the real "me" generation. In this one short letter, we see that my peers believe they are the sole authors of their wealth, that they no longer hold any obligation to the community that gave them support and resources, and that they can freely access the resources of the state, like the Gophers football stadium, without obligation.

In the end, Sellner threatens us with a planned move to a state that taxes its visitors.

MICHAEL SCHOCK, GOLDEN VALLEY

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I have some advice to the letter writer who bemoans the individual income tax rate in Minnesota and the subsequent desire of him and his fellow rich University of Minnesota alumni friends to flee to Florida for more than half of the year to avoid paying those taxes.

If you really are a true, devoted Minnesotan, you should be happy to pay the appropriate taxes needed to keep our state among the upper tier in health, education, livability, law enforcement and infrastructure.

Without individuals paying their fair share of taxes, the state will wither and die, and current and future Minnesotans will not have those same opportunities that were afforded to you and your friends, who most likely grew up in a time when taxes were not considered vile and disgusting.

When the richest Minnesotans take their money down to Florida (or Texas or Nevada) about this time every year to avoid paying any income taxes, they are basically thumbing their noses at the rest of us Minnesotans. They want the advantage of living here about half of the time, using the state's services and taking advantage of the "good life" without contributing to the state's bottom line.

Obviously, the writer and his University of Minnesota alumni friends did well living here until now -- good educations, high-paying jobs, comfortable retirements.

What, then, is so wrong with giving something back once you have reached such a lofty position in life?

If you really love Minnesota, it is the right thing to do.

CRAIG BROWN, BLOOMINGTON

LAURA SEWARD, CHAMPLIN

I imagine that Randy Moss's return has many Minnesotans flustered.

Moss did some spectacular things on the field for us diehard fans. He also did some things on and off the field that made us wish him good riddance. I was one of those folks, writing a letter to the editor sarcastically applauding Moss for being such a good role model after his "disagreements" with the Minneapolis traffic control police officer.

But now I welcome him back to the fold with open arms. We all deserve second chances. If you want to play ball and be a part of our community, glad to have you back! Give it your best, and we'll do our best to embrace you.

ROSS ANTONSON, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Ironically, the woeful Gophers are completely directionless. Coach Tim Brewster's folly is a constant source of ridicule and embarrassment. As the humiliating defeats pile up, the only direction for Brewster is out.

DOUG PEARSON, EAST LANSING, MICH.

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To those who have been calling radio shows to personally attack the Gophers' football coach, I wonder where the passive-aggressive tendencies come from for so many people. What is it in people that emboldens them to hide behind a phone call and personally attack someone?

I'm not defending Tim Brewster's record on the field. I'm a season-ticket holder, and I want more from the team. However, for the passive-aggressive, incompetent "fans" who call in for no other reason than to get a whack in on someone who is down, I challenge you to ask a competent question.