Readers Write: Minneapolis lakes, National Guard in D.C., a Lake Superior Coast Guard rescue

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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As a water resources engineer and president of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, I was delighted to read the recent Star Tribune article highlighting why our city lakes received a “C” grade from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and why that’s an achievement (“A ‘C’ ranking for the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes is a triumph of environmental restoration,” StarTribune.com, Aug. 16). The article rightly celebrated the success of past partnerships, like the Clean Water Partnership of the 1990s, in improving water quality. However, there’s more to this story!

While we’ve made significant strides in enhancing water quality within our dense urban environment, we know there’s still progress to be made. I’m excited to share that a new partnership between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and the city of Minneapolis is already underway. This yet-to-be-named collaboration is already working on projects along Minnehaha Creek to improve water quality, stabilize banks to prevent erosion and enhance flood plain management.

This permanent partnership is also focusing on our incredible Chain of Lakes. Despite the challenges posed by our urban setting, many residents actively work to reduce their impact on our lakes and creeks. Local government can do more, and we are. Through innovative projects, we’re intercepting and treating runoff before it reaches our waterways, building on past successes to ensure a cleaner, healthier future for Minneapolis’ lakes and creeks.

Cathy Abene, Minneapolis

The writer is president of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and represents District 6.

Jerry Friest, Eagan

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Brehm’s column “Trump’s D.C. crime crackdown is great politics and even better policy” betrays a remarkable lack of knowledge and understanding of crime in general.

Brehm seems to be a very nice and sincere person, and I appreciate that most of the statistics he quotes are accurate and easily verified (much better than Trump!). But his knee-jerk, simplistic responses to complex social problems have been proven in the past to make things worse rather than better.

Yes, there have been a lot of smashed car windows in Minneapolis lately. Like Brehm, I’m not an expert on this matter, but based on articles I’ve read in the Star Tribune, these are likely spur-of-the-moment crimes committed by bored juveniles, which leads to a different, more useful set of questions.

Brehm complains about the Minneapolis Police Department policy against pursuing suspects as making “zero sense.” I’m not a fan of the policy either, but the number of very expensive lawsuits against the city by people who have been injured by them explains reasoning behind the policy all too clearly. I will be very happy if somebody can find a better way to handle the problem.

I agree with Brehm that Trump’s offer of assistance with addiction and mental health issues is the right approach. But the number of people suffering from these problems is high and growing higher, and I don’t see Trump offering any additional funds to solve the problem. Making an offer for assistance that cannot be supported is cruel and undercuts the authority of the administration.

It means that the likely outcome of Trump’s policy is going to be to pack the jails and courts with these poor people and reduce the focus on more serious criminals, which is something that experienced city administrators seek to avoid.

Trump will probably declare victory against crime in D.C. in a couple of weeks and send the National Guard troops home, probably with a medal and another parade. Doing this will give him the opportunity to invade the city again when he needs a popularity boost in the MAGA crowd.

I agree with Brehm that Democratic policies have got a lot of problems, but most of what Brehm suggests make the Democrats look smarter than the Republicans.

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Brehm should brush up on why we Americans broke from the British 250 years ago. It’s an easy assignment — our founders listed their reasons in the Declaration of Independence.

Among about a dozen currently relevant grievances, our declaration states the king “kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” Another grievance observes that the king “has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.”

Whether or how to pursue law-and-order policies in a city is a matter of political opinion and a matter for local and state decisionmakers (and boy is it a hotly debated topic!). But deploying a branch of our military to cities for invented emergencies? That violates basic, foundational American values.

Sam Adams Rockwell, Minneapolis

I also want to suggest that the Lake County Rescue and U.S. Coast Guard send the girl’s parents the bill for their rescue, since the parents were complicit in creating the situation that required it. The Coast Guard had to respond by helicopter because of high winds and big waves (whitecaps) on the lake prevented a rescue by boat. I know because we have been on the lake in Lutsen since last Thursday. The lake has been very rough. Some would say angry. The dedicated Lake Superior surfers in their wet suits might have been out, but no one with an ounce of common sense would have been out in anything smaller than a big ore ship, let alone young girls (between the ages of 8 and 14) on paddle boards. I would add “without adult supervision,” but that is a moot point since the adults left the room when they helped and allowed the girls to do this in the first place.

Given the wind, the waves and the water temperature of Lake Superior, these girls are very lucky to be alive. Please send the parents the bill for their rescue.