Readers write (July 2): Government shutdown, bicyclists, Tom Petty, Michele Bachmann, Congress

Legislators, thank you for not bothering to settle the budget during your four months in session.

Why bother with a pesky budget when more important matters like gay marriage and Voter ID are on the table?

Thank you for not coming up with any kind of jobs plan for the thousands of Minnesotans still out of work.

Thank you for the publicity you're giving Minnesota. Nothing like a government shutdown to lure the tourists into our state. Our beautiful parks will all be open during a shutdown, right?

Thank you for holding fast and not raising taxes on the top 2 percent. Lord knows those rich folks need all the help they can get. It's hard work creating all those jobs in India and China.

And last but certainly not least, thank you for the added stress that my husband and the tens of thousands of other hardworking state employees are experiencing because you wouldn't do your jobs.

Nothing like a layoff to get the old heart pumping! I'm thanking all the legislators now because, I'm sorry to say, I won't be thanking them when they run for reelection.

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Since the state has shut down, I believe the fair and equitable thing to do would be to shut down the collection of all state taxes: No sales tax, property tax, etc. If we aren't receiving state services, why do we have to pay for them?

ERIC MICHELSEN, PLYMOUTH

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I'm afraid I don't see what all the fuss is about regarding the state government shutting down. After all, my partner and I had already canceled our Christmas shopping trip to the Mall of America once we saw what state leaders thought about couples like us, so we're not missing anything.

SCOTT DOONAN, ATLANTA, GA.

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The Twin Cities may be the most bicycle-friendly place in the country, but not so much its drivers, as suggested by two recent letters (Readers write, June 29). I'm a casual commuter. I use paths when available, obey traffic lights and yield the right-of-way. Even so, I was once knocked over by an SUV.

Here are some observations that may help a few of my fellow cyclists avoid the emergency room. Most drivers aren't aware that they are required to stop before the crosspath or before turning right on red. Hostile drivers will look you in the eye, cut across your path and dare you to object.

There are of course exceptions; delivery truck drivers (i.e., Postal Service, UPS, FedEx) are the most courteous.

RONALD MEAD, PLYMOUTH

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A Star Tribune article described musician Tom Petty as apolitical ("Bachmann gets the 'kiss-off' from Petty," June 29). Obviously, this word doesn't accurately describe Petty, who recently issued a cease and desist to U.S. Rep. and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann for using his song "American Girl" at her event.

The article said he allowed Hillary Clinton to use his music, but not George W. Bush or Bachmann. This sounds pretty political to me.

GAIL SPAULDING, CRYSTAL

In his response to President Obama's news conference on Wednesday, Republican House Speaker John Boehner declared that the American people know tax hikes destroy jobs. Actually, we know no such thing -- despite Republicans repeating it like a mantra.

What we know, or should know (especially after several fine investigative analyses by the Star Tribune), is that tax breaks do nothing to generate jobs.

More specifically, despite a decade of effusive tax relief for Minnesota corporations, the corporations that have received the most largesse have closed plants, moved factories (and jobs) out of state or out of the country, increased executive bonuses or simply pocketed the difference as profit.

Until the Republicans can provide evidence that their tax-breaks-for-the-rich policies actually have produced results somewhere, anywhere (but don't hold your breath), they should hold their tongues and back off their catastrophic brinkmanship with our president and our governor.

NEIL ELLIOTT, WHITE BEAR LAKE

It's obvious we need a system in place that ensures the state and even federal government a balanced budget.

We need a system that allows politicians a set amount of time to argue and debate then in the end, if no consensus is achieved, assigns a nonpartisan arbitrator with unilateral power to make the cuts necessary to balance the state and federal budgets.

It would be great to allow this person to set tax increases as well, but I have a feeling we might have constitutional issues related to "taxation without representation."

This plan would work, and the time for it is now!