Readers Write (March 23): Elder care and immigration reform, soccer stadium, society's priorities, prekindergarten, U women's sports

Dear President Obama:

Here in western Minnesota we are grateful to have the Great Recession behind us, with a corresponding decrease in the rate of unemployment. Ironically, this sweet fortune has turned sour for the elder-care industry, which finds it more and more difficult to hire the staff needed to serve our aging population. Small-town nursing homes are shutting down at an alarming rate, simply because they cannot find enough workers willing to do the humble work of caring for our frail elderly.

At the same time, we have in our rural Minnesota communities a significant number of Latina women who are quite willing to work, but their immigration status forbids them. Their husbands have work permits, but these women do not — they are allowed to be here as family members only. If these women could be employed caring for our elderly, the labor shortage would be substantially reduced, and perhaps alleviated entirely.

Mr. President, if you came to my town, I would introduce you to an 83-year-old retired farmer named Wilbur. When his wife of 60 years developed dementia, Wilbur cared for her by himself for as long as he could. He will tell you with tears in his eyes how lucky he was to then find "Maria," a Latina woman who came to stay at their home and provide care for his beloved wife when he could do so no longer. I know there are numerous other "Marias" in our community who are capable of doing the same, if only the law would allow.

Mr. Obama, if immigration reform becomes part of your legacy, more compassionate women like "Maria" will be freed to provide services for the millions of aging baby boomers (like me) who will need someone's care in the years ahead.

So it looks like Minnesota taxpayers could be on the hook for yet another professional sports venue — this time a $150 million soccer stadium ("MLS a major step closer," March 17).

What makes this especially unpalatable is that Bill McGuire, the team's prospective owner, made his fortune (more than $1.6 billion) as head of a health insurance company, UnitedHealth Group. And, of course, health insurance companies amass their profits by collecting premiums from businesses, workers and families — while paying out a significantly lesser amount toward actual health claims.

• • •

That Major League Soccer could come to the Twin Cities is exciting. Another stadium, though? Perhaps if the location is correct. The location that would be the pivotal site reconnecting our city with its roots and would continue the current transformation of downtown Minneapolis would not be located near the Farmers Market site, but rather would be along the Mississippi River at the current location of the Main Post Office. Think about it. Integrate trails, retail, condos — you get the picture. It's the perfect project to replace an outdated building past its time. The ownership group of the potential MLS soccer franchise can leave a legacy that will be remembered for generations. If we are going to do it, let's do it right.

Was anyone else struck as I was by two articles on the front page of the Twin Cities+Region section last Tuesday — "Battle of the bluffs" and "At two shelters, day gets started a little later"? There is something really wrong with a world that has resources in excess of $4 million to save mansions from sliding down a hill but can barely scrape $100,000 together to keep a homeless shelter open for an extra two hours a day. Please don't read this and think there is nothing that one person can do, or that this is just the way it is. Or, even worse, that folks who are homeless deserve what they have, or don't have. There is no justification for it. We are all human. Those of us with resources have to rethink what success looks like.

History will not judge us as a great society because we have made such great advances in technology that we can stop a home from sliding down a huge bluff. No, we will be judged based on how all of society is doing, not just some of us. I am glad that the homeowner's "nightmare" is over and that she continues to live in a "magical place." But there are hundreds of people who have the same worries of losing a home but no government agency that is going to save them, and they certainly are not living in a magical place.

As a mom of three young children, I'm surprisingly not in support of universal pre-K, as Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed. I am very much in support of pre-K for those children who will benefit the most from early educational experiences and whose parents/caregivers cannot afford private preschool. This is essentially how pre-K in St. Paul already works.

With the success of so many of the University of Minnesota women's athletic programs, a number of letters have been written to the Star Tribune commenting on the lack of fan support at their various sporting events. I also have wondered why attendance is so poor, particularly in light of the fact that the men's programs have fared so poorly. Moreover, women, historically, in these programs have far surpassed men in taking advantage of their scholarship opportunities by outperforming them in the classroom, thus better preparing themselves for life beyond college.

Where is the support from women, who comprise at least half of the population? In light of the competitive struggles they face in so many areas of life, it seems that they should be clamoring to support these individuals regardless of any particular interest they might have in sports. Remember, thousands and perhaps millions of young girls are watching these teams. There are all kinds of ways of being a role model, so get with it, ladies.