Readers Write for Thursday, July 30

This "Cash for Clunkers" voucher program is rewarding bad behavior. Those who own environmentally unsound gas guzzlers get rewarded with a steep discount on a new car. What about folks like me who drive a 14-year-old car that gets 30 miles to the gallon on the highway? Why don't people like me get some sort of subsidy to fix our cars and keep them on the road?

AARON VEHLING, HOPKINS

So Gov. Tim Pawlenty wants the Minnesota delegation to abandon its support for a national health care plan and instead focus on what states have done to make health care more affordable. Let's review what the governor has done on this issue since he took office.

First in 2005, after shutting down the state government for the first time ever (due to his inability to come to an agreement with the Legislature), letters were out to anyone on a state-run health program warning them that their health coverage was not considered an essential function of the state government and therefore services received during the shut-down may not be paid for! Then by using unallotment, he ended General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) and used its funds to balance the state budget.

Sorry, Gov. Pawlenty. You've made your priorities crystal clear, and they don't involve innovative ways to ensure everyone gets affordable health coverage.

ANDY ROTERING, MINNEAPOLIS

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KARLA ROSE, GOLDEN VALLEY

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David Tilford, CEO of Medica, says it's "time for a new direction" and characterizes it as an example of health-care reform from within (Business, July 24). Well, my nonprofit employer just heard from Medica that our premiums are going up 22 percent this fall, and the premium for me is doubling as a way of forcing me off Medica and on to Medicare.

Medica and its peers are more responsible than anyone for the health care crisis, and anyone who believes they are capable of "reform" from within or even have anything useful to say about reform is guilty of magical thinking.

JACK CANN, ST. PAUL

President Obama and his congressional minions are trying to get health care legislation passed prior to the August recess. There must be many closed-door meetings where they are playing "Let's Make A Deal."

These bills need to slow down until legislators return to their districts and have discussions with their constituents.

MIKE MCLean, Richfield

The Star Tribune ran a three-part story about the low number of bank examiners in Minnesota, but failed to provide any evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship between the number of bank examiners and the number of recent bank failures.

In fact, bank failures are occurring in all states regardless of the number of bank examiners. Thus, the evidence actually suggests that additional bank regulators merely increase costs.

I doubt that the July 28 letter writer who likened Thom Hartmann of Air America to Walter Cronkite has ever listened to Dennis Prager on AM 1280. The theme of his show is "clarity," and he actively seeks out guests who disagree with him, whom he treats with the utmost respect. He is a conservative, but readily admits to changing his mind on issues when the facts have persuaded him to do so.

I invite the writer to listen to Prager before he makes further generalizations about all conservative talk show hosts -- and I will add Hartmann to my list of sources as well. None of us will find "the truth" if we only listen to opinions we agree with.

CINDY SMITH, EDINA

Last weekend I completed my form M1PR (Minnesota Property Tax Refund). It occurred to me as strange that when selecting an option from multiple ovals I was to use an "X."

On a ballot we are not to use an "X," but to blacken the oval completely. It would be good if Minnesota could come up with some consistency on this seemingly minor matter.