Readers write (June 9): State budget, Pawlenty's plan, night life, St. Paul Festival

Another Republican supporter wields the empty slogan "Minnesota ... does not have a revenue problem but rather a spending problem" (Readers write, June 6) as though it means something, even something important.

What Minnesota does have is an infrastructure-to-be-built-and-maintained problem, a students-to-be-educated problem, an infirm-and-ailing-to-be-treated problem, a legal-system-to-be-kept-operating problem and an environment-to-be-protected problem. The budget should be the solution to these problems.

All along the legislative Republicans have treated the budget like it is a sort of giant sudoku puzzle requiring only that they put a number in every box without considering the effect on Minnesota's people and land.

JOHN SHERMAN, MOORHEAD, MINN.

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George Orwell's novel "1984" contains a line, "They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they ... were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening."

This idea was truly prescient. Today, some Minnesotans have bought into the extreme budget-cutting rhetoric. The truth is, the budget Republicans endorse is bad for students, transit riders, state employees, those in nursing homes, those with disabilities and, well, it's bad for all of us.

It threatens people's livelihoods, mobility and independence. If paying attention during the session, one would have seen wave after wave of groups flooding the Capitol to advocate for adequate funding in many areas.

The claim that these are not cuts belies the reality that increases in projected spending are due to higher costs and more children in public schools. Allowing transit, education and quality of life to deteriorate will reduce our competitiveness.

Raising revenue needs to be part of the solution, and income tax is the most fair. I pray that legislative leaders will urgently start listening to informed citizens and meet Gov. Mark Dayton halfway.

DOROTHY J. DOYLE, ST. LOUIS PARK

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To Brian Rusche's commentary ("Legislators, there is no magic number," June 7), I would add one step: Measurements should be an integral part of any budget. A good approach, found at www.balancedscorecard.org, is being used by a growing number of governmental units.

Our legislators seem afraid to put measurements in place, since that would require compromise and agreement on what should be measured and how. Without this or some similar approach, it's all ideological mumbo-jumbo.

DAVID PUTRICH, BLOOMINGTON

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What the headline in Wednesday's paper should have said was "Pawlenty: Destroy government to save it."

Outside of being an absolute guarantee that government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy not perish from the earth, the only thing missing from this absurd plan was a return of the monarchy.

THOM JESBERG, EAST BETHEL, MINN.

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The salaries of all United States Postal Service personnel are paid from the revenue generated by the sale of the products and services we provide -- not your tax dollars! Could it be that Pawlenty doesn't know that?

Our prices are low enough to force our competitors' prices lower, too. Without the Postal Service keeping prices in check, those other companies can charge whatever they want. Pawlenty's suggestion to privatize the Postal Service will help whom -- and in what way?

KAREN LUOMA-VARICHAK, MINNEAPOLIS

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In the "olden days" (1970s), young singles managed to enjoy many fine evenings in local watering holes without the benefit of ear-splitting noise blasting from the rooftops ("Bar owners oppose new patio rules," June 7).

We danced, flirted, drank alcoholic concoctions, engaged in conversation, snagged new partners, and -- yes -- had one-night stands. A good time was had by all and, somehow, we were able to pull off this late-night merriment without blatant disregard for surrounding neighborhoods.

In short: In can be done, and folks will still live to tell about it.

REBEKAH RISING, MINNEAPOLIS

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This past weekend I attended Grand Old Day with friends. We people-watched and strolled down the street while eating and imbibing in the beer gardens (both beer and water). Toward the end of the day, we sat on an upper-level back porch to observe the "party" wind down -- and watched the body count pile up.

First, there was a woman stopped for a DUI, then, two young men carrying a petite, limp-bodied woman across the parking lot and down an alley, then, the arrival of an ambulance arrived at the back of Tavern on Grand, where a young woman was assisted out the door and taken away, then, another woman taken by ambulance from the bus bench at the corner of St. Albans Street.

St. Paul city leaders, it's time to rethink how alcohol is dispensed, or change the focus, or discontinue this annual event. Is it appropriate for government to sanction public drunkenness?

Also, considering cleanup and emergency services, does the cost of this event outweigh the financial gain? It certainly is not an event that presents the best face of this community, nor one that I will attend again soon.

JOHN MACLEAN, GOLDEN VALLEY