Readers Write (May 2): Landline phones, obesity and the military, Gov. Mark Dayton, Baltimore unrest, north Minneapolis

The recent commentary by the Minnesota attorney general, the AARP and my friends at the AFL-CIO ("Don't deregulate landline service," April 29) was an overly dramatic interpretation of reasonable telecom legislation now before the Minnesota Legislature.

From 1983 to 2001, I ran the Minnesota attorney general's Consumer Services Division. This division is entrusted with the responsibility of helping consumers with day-to-day problems in the marketplace. As a former consumer representative, I continue to have an interest in these types of issues.

I've taken the time to actually read the legislation and understand the issue. This proposal is a modest step at bringing about regulatory parity in the telecommunications market. H.F. 1066 /S.F. 736 does not deregulate. It simply regulates the voice service of a telephone company, like CenturyLink or Frontier, in the same manner as their cable (Comcast, Charter) voice competitor. Under those rules, the state Public Utilities Commission has the ability to investigate complaints, reject a rate increase and oversee service quality. I have great confidence in the ability of the five members of the Public Utilities Commission to protect consumer interests.

In 2015, consumers have many alternatives to the traditional telephone company. Today these companies are losing thousands of voice customers each month to less-regulated competitors. In Minnesota, at least two-thirds of households have selected a voice provider that has less regulation than the local telephone company. It simply does not make sense to continue to apply monopoly-era regulation in today's consumer-driven telephonic marketplace.

According to a study by Mission: Readiness as reported in "Generals: Suck in that gut, Minnesota" (May 1), 69 percent of Minnesota's young adults are not physically capable of serving in the military. If the study had been done by the University of Minnesota or the American Medical Association and based on data from tens of thousands of 18- to 24-year-olds, it would have a lot more credibility. And what kind of reporting, especially for a front-page newspaper story, doesn't dig into the study specifics: How was it done? How many people were tested? Slow news day, Star Tribune?

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Minnesota kids are too fat to fight. Perhaps there is a blessing in obesity.

The article states that the generals' report "doesn't pull any punches," yet not a word about the overriding influence that parents hold over their children. The generals have made the case for fitness in our schools. They have also made a compelling case for doubling the salary of teachers.

Gov. Mark Dayton was quoted as saying: "I'm not going to back down on things I've identified as absolutely essential to have and absolutely essential for Minnesota not to have." ("Pre-K, gas tax plans take a beating," April 30). Sounds to me like the governor is willing to shut down the state government to get his way. I wonder who he will blame if there is a shutdown.

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Dayton has laid out an agenda that is near-perfect. Everything he has proposed makes sense, for now and for the future. Please, legislators, don't mess this session with silly arguing. We've had enough political bickering. Let's get something done for all of Minnesota!

Responding to the May 1 letter condemning the Baltimore Orioles game that was played behind closed doors because of nearby unrest, teams in America typically move their games to other cities if they can't be played locally. However, soccer matches across the world have been played behind closed doors. Causes include hostile fans in Italy to a deadly flu epidemic in Mexico.

I am writing to thank the Star Tribune Editorial Board for publishing "As Baltimore roils, hope for North Side," referring to north Minneapolis. I found the tone and statement to be appropriately inspiring as the attentions of our local community and nation have been captured by recent tragic encounters of police with unarmed African-American men. Despite these current highlighted events and the pervasive strife between communities of color and law enforcement, there is good reason for inspiration and optimism.

My small nonprofit, Hope United CDC, along with other African-American-led organizations, is leading the formation of alliances of business leaders to help thousands of North Side welfare recipients become employed in jobs providing paths to careers. In our first pilot that ended in December 2014, 30 percent of the individuals who completed training and were hired exited the cash portion of their public-assistance benefits. In 2015, these numbers will significantly improve as volunteers from urban and suburban congregations and businesses come on board as career coaches.

These new members of the workforce will help bring about the changes we so desperately need in communities that have been ravaged by poverty and its attendant miseries. Imagine if their journeys were chronicled and their victories celebrated. Would the Star Tribune take an interest in this? Hope can bring transformation to the collective consciousness of our region.

The May 1 article "Stadium project 'very difficult' minus tax breaks" states that Minnesota United FC team owner Dr. Bill McGuire "doesn't want investors to have to 'write a check every year' to keep [the proposed soccer stadium] operating." That generates three questions:

(1) Isn't that what investors do?

(3) If he does not want to ask investors for money on a regular basis, why is he comfortable asking taxpayers for money on a regular basis?