Readers write (June 22): Education, state budget mess, Libya, summer fun, biking, golf

Many lawmakers have benefited from an education made affordable by public support of state universities. This made it possible for them to climb the ladder of success.

Are lawmakers now removing the ladder for today's generation of students?

The world has no shortage of poorly educated, unhealthy people. I cannot identify another investment that offers society a higher return than an investment in human capital.

PAUL THOMPSON, MANKATO

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The proposal to shut down the government because the Legislature and our governor are more interested in politics than governing is asinine.

The cost of stopping and restarting our government, paying unemployment benefits to the laid-off employees and possible litigation resulting from broken contracts cannot be justified by such action.

For the state employees, receiving their compensation at a later date has to be better than not receiving any compensation.

PHILIP GALLION, LAKESHORE, MINN.

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Tim Pawlenty's fiscal legacy for our family from his eight years in office was the doubling of real estate taxes on a very modest 60-year-old home.

NOMRA I. NAEGELE, MINNETONKA

It is true our elected officials deserve a say on the Libya intervention as stated in your editorial ("Obama spurns law and American people," June 21). But I think we are kidding ourselves in the idea that Congress wants to vote on this matter.

Pulling out of Libya provides the real possibility of a known terrorist rising from the ashes to slaughter his own people.

Staying in Libya would brand our congressional leaders as warmongers who delight in spending money we don't have on a war most Americans don't care about.

A congressional vote on Libya would provide rich fodder for 2012 election campaigns. I can see the attack ads already. And I think Congress can, too.

JOE WENKER, MINNEAPOLIS

Jon Tevlin's column on the return of diving docks in Minneapolis brought back many memories ("Fun is back, along with diving docks, in City of Rules," June 21).

To me, the best part of the lakes was the main beach at Lake Calhoun. The beach was much wider then, there was a 30-foot diving tower (Lake Nokomis had one also), and the bodybuilders from the Calhoun Beach Club would come over and work out on the rings, high bars and parallel bars.

The bathhouse was spacious, a snack bar was connected and the veranda was wide and great for people watching. There is no need to comment on how badly it has all deteriorated since then. Deplorable.

THOMAS DICKS, MINNEAPOLIS

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Doesn't anyone else find this disgusting? The green bike program cost around $2 million. I know that some of that is paid by people renting the bikes, but nothing near the real cost. What is wrong with this city? How many kids can $2 million feed? Or even half that?

MOLLY STAHLKE, MAPLE GROVE

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David Brooks' column of June 20 is typical of the hysterical responses to the Fannie Mae "scandal" ("The biggest scandal since Watergate").

Based entirely on the recent Morgenson-Rosner book "Reckless Endangerment" that analyzes our 2007-09 financial collapse from the standpoint of human greed, Brooks bypasses the big picture and the root cause.

Brooks should know that public policy will never be corrected unless the mechanics of the massive fraud are clearly understood and the root cause is convincingly exposed.

Conflating mismanagement at Fannie Mae with the far more damaging outright fraud engineered by the large Wall Street banks raises a distraction that ultimately could forestall any constructive remedy for the economic mess engulfing us.

JAMES M. PETERSON, RICHFIELD

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With Rory McIlroy's amazing performance at the U.S. Open, suddenly he has won over the hearts of golfers all over the world. How refreshing to see the man who'd be golf's new superstar restore the sport's image as a gentlemen's game.