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This time of year, people buy a lot of gifts and are reminded to keep their receipts in case of return. I think many in Hennepin County are wishing this approach worked for their 2022 vote to elect Mary Moriarty as Hennepin County attorney.

To be clear, people knew that she would prioritize alternative approaches to youth offenders and would not shy away from addressing police misconduct. There were many concerns about the behavior and track record of her primary opponent. However, the degree to which this permissive attitude has been applied to violent offenders has shocked many. Even her political ally Attorney General Keith Ellison was moved to remove a case from her hands due to lack of confidence that she would see justice served. When that same Ellison put out a definitive communication on the ambiguous and confusing new school resource officer law that the Legislature passed this year, Moriarty took it upon herself to issue conflicting interpretation that said in essence she would prosecute police for actions that Ellison said were allowed.

This week there was another shocking turn as a co-defendant in the deadly carjacking of Steven Markey was sentenced to no further prison time ("Plea deal outrages victim's family," Dec. 15). This was a case where a prior plea was rejected by the judge as too lenient and outside the bounds of sentencing guidelines. Did Moriarty rethink the wisdom of letting the defendant walk in the face of this challenge? No, she downgraded the charges to ensure probation was accepted by the court. While societies have believed for over 2,000 years "let the punishment fit the crime," Hennepin County has now stood that on its head and can be counted on to charge such that "the crime fits the punishment" that Moriarty would like to deliver.

I have flipped over the couch cushions and emptied the junk drawer to no avail; I can find no receipt for my 2022 vote. I suspect the window for return closed long ago anyway. The best I can do at this point is ensure I never make the same purchase again.

Mike Hess, Minneapolis

Abortion defenders have argued that, because people with Trisomy 18 often live shorter lives, abortion is "medically necessary." Let's be clear: Killing someone, regardless of age, because they have a disability and may not live long and healthy lives, is not compassionate. And it certainly isn't "medically necessary."

Furthermore, a growing body of evidence points to significantly improved survival and life-expectancy rates for babies with Trisomy 18. Dr. Glenn Green at the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital, a leading expert on Trisomy 18 in the U.S., says, "When parents engage with full interventions, we have a 90% survival rate at the University of Michigan."

Unfortunately, Kate Cox traveled to another state and had an abortion anyway.

No one, especially unborn babies, deserve to be killed simply because they have a disability or the "wrong" gender. Sadly, Minnesota just legalized not only disability abortions, but they also legalized abortions based entirely on the gender of the baby during the 2023 legislative session. Make no mistake, this is discrimination in its cruelest and deadliest form.

We need to raise awareness of the inherent dignity and personhood of human life, from conception until natural death, without exception or compromise. No one's values or rights should be determined by their disabilities, gender or life expectancy.

The writer is executive director, Human Life Alliance.

This morning, I reread the commentary from Jim Schultz trying to find something that he liked from the "spending spree" of the 2023 Minnesota Legislature — but nothing. I disagree with his conclusions ("Spending spree busted the budget? Go figure," Opinion Exchange, Dec. 14).

I am delighted to know that schoolchildren get free breakfasts and lunches at school. Children do better when their tummies are full. Having menstrual supplies in schools is also positive change. I like to know that workers have paid time off when they or their family members are ill. So many laws passed last session cost money — but they do a lot of good for many Minnesotans.

This year I will not have to pay state taxes on my Social Security — and neither will my peers unless they have a more-than-comfortable income. I was pleased with the amount of my rebate check — it helped with my groceries.

I think the State Office Building is a much better investment that the Minnesota Vikings stadium. I have never been to the stadium, but we all will benefit when our legislators have up-to-date space.

Betty Wentworth, Minnetonka

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The incentives are all wrong.

Legislators from both sides focus everything on passing a bill and the spending required to enable the legislation. There is little in the way of outcomes or metrics or accountability that comes along with said "bill."

It is as if getting authorization to spend taxpayer money equals the solution to the problem. It is often only the start and may even not be a solution at all.

Now comes the fun part. The explanations, the justification, the finger-pointing. Missing in all of this? Accountability.

The incentive should be to solve a specific problem, with an actual definition of what the problem is, what we will spend to solve it and the return on that investment. We often hear our elected officials discuss the "investments," they seldom measure the returns on those investments.

For once, will someone step up and say, "We blew it, and here is what we will do to honor our commitment to citizens"? How refreshing (albeit politically suicidal) would that be to hear.

First, though, I am waiting for the Metropolitan Council to acknowledge budgeting mistakes for the Southwest Light Rail project. Stand by, this may take a while.

Mark Hayes, Chanhassen