Readers Write (Oct. 21): Airport noise, Working Families Agenda, law enforcement, family function, Congress, senior dancers

An Oct. 20 article reported that the MSP FairSkies Coalition and the South Metro Airport Action Council will take part in a rally protesting noise generated by planes using the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Also, that the Metropolitan Airports Commission anticipates growth in airport traffic by 2035.

Just add five years to that number, and you will get 2040. That is the Metropolitan Council's date for the region to "Thrive" — the title of its long-range plan. Since the Met Council has always wanted to extend Northstar commuter rail to St. Cloud — and beyond — just let it have its way. The St. Cloud Regional Airport recently extended runway(s), and Northstar can shuttle customers to St. Cloud for flights to wherever. Just make sure an independent cost-benefit analysis is conducted.

I am a longtime Star Tribune reader. While I don't always agree with the opinions of the Editorial Board, nor do I expect to, I've never before been horrified or embarrassed by one of its editorials. "Anti-business agenda should be scrapped" (Oct. 16) was insulting and mean-spirited. It's one thing to disagree with Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and some members of the City Council on aspects of the Working Families Agenda; it's quite another thing entirely to insult their intelligence and policy experience.

As a businesswoman for 30-plus years, I support the idea of sick time for all employees. I do not think that allowing employees to earn one hour of sick time for each 30 hours worked — for a total of 40 to 72 hours a year, depending on the size of business — will break the bank. As a matter of fact, offering this type of benefit will likely increase employee loyalty, leading to decreased costs in recruiting, hiring and training hourly employees.

Frankly, this editorial read more like it had been written by the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, not the Newspaper of the Twin Cities. Frankly, I expected more.

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We need much stronger protections for workers who have faced "wage theft" — illegal deductions from workers' paychecks. Key provisions in the proposed Working Families Agenda will provide such protections. Between 2005 and 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor found more than 5,500 violations of wage and hour laws by employers in Minneapolis. As you read this, there is an ongoing class-action lawsuit against the company that cleans Macy's stores in Minneapolis in which workers complain that they were paid as low as $4 to $5 an hour without receiving full overtime pay.

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Thank you, Kaila Conley, for your to-the-point commentary ("Here's my side of the story on Minneapolis work rules," editorial counterpoint, Oct. 20). Today, the meditation I received from Richard Rohr quoted Dom Helder Camara, and while not addressing Conley's issue specifically, it finesses her message very nicely: "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."

Is it possible that when we juxtapose two recent Star Tribune articles, we might conclude the glass is half-full?

Consider the comments of Anoka County Sheriff James Stuart concerning the decline in applications for deputy positions ("Suburbs struggle to recruit new cops," Oct. 18) and the information that the Richfield officer seen on video striking a teen in the head ("Richfield cop previously disciplined," Oct. 20) had been disciplined twice before and warned not to strike suspects in the head. Could the two relate to one another?

Maybe the increased scrutiny of police officers has resulted in fewer applications of those who are not, in Stuart's words, "good-hearted people." Maybe the small number of officers whose reprehensible behavior has created public distrust have in effect discouraged new candidates whose motives were in the wrong place from the start. Maybe the 294 new deputy applicants, who have witnessed heightened police scrutiny, feel they can be our protectors without improper use of the powers granted them.

The Minneapolis-based Search Institute's report "Don't Forget the Families" ("Parent-child bond is a key to learning," editorial, Oct. 19) is more than half right. Its conclusions, illustrating the importance of love, being involved, being respectful, fostering independence and understanding your unique child are "right on" messages for all parents. What worries me is that the outcomes reinforce the way the pendulum of parent-child interaction has swung in recent years. Yes, parents can't love their child too much, but they seem to forget to be the parent. A parent also establishes rules, sets limits, is consistent, explains rules and decisions, and, while doing all of this, avoids harsh discipline. There's no more important or demanding job than raising children. Yes, love, but also limits!

The writer is a retired University of Minnesota professor of family education.

Here's a quotation from the letters of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower (written in 1954): "Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. … Their number is negligible and they are stupid." Does this sound a bit like the present Congress?

As Minnesota Lynx season-ticket holders (yay, Lynx!), my wife and I have seen the Senior Dancers many times. I take exception to the Oct. 19 letter criticizing the newspaper for the original article about them ("Shame, shame on Star Tribune. Seniors have so much to offer.")

By all indications — such as their beaming smiles — the dancers are having fun, comfortable with (indeed, proud of) their bodies and getting exercise while showing what good condition they're in. I do not recall hearing anyone laugh at them. Rather, we all cheer in affection and appreciation for their putting on a great show.

And I hope that as I progress further into my senior years, I will have the same humor and confidence that these women show.