Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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An article in Wednesday's paper devoted significant space and ink to let us know that some financial institutions are crediting customers' direct deposits one or two days early ("Earlier pay is making their day," front page, Feb. 8). I don't get it. Say a person gets paid every other Friday, the day that the financial institution actually receives the funds. That's every two weeks, or 14 days. Now, if that same person has their funds available every other Wednesday, two days before their financial institution receives the funds, that is still every two weeks, or 14 days.

I don't see how that benefits anyone. Even if you're living paycheck to paycheck, 14 days is 14 days. So, what's the big deal?

Steven Hanson, Minnetonka

The writer of a Feb. 1 letter ("For legal residents only," Readers Write) is against allowing undocumented residents to become licensed drivers because they are here illegally. The writer suggests that an undocumented resident would be unlikely to get insurance if they had a license. The writer has it backward; they cannot get insurance because they can't get a driver's license. There are plenty of licensed drivers (who are legal residents) who drive without insurance. Is there any evidence that an undocumented resident who gets a driver's license would not also then get car insurance?

The writer sarcastically suggests that running red lights and talking on cellphones while driving should be legal because people are doing that today. How about more enforcement for those laws so that there is a consequence to breaking the law? I hope efforts to bring back photo enforcement for traffic violations finds support this time around. Many other cities and states have found a way to use photo enforcement to improve traffic safety. Let's ticket and prosecute all drivers who violate these laws, licensed or unlicensed.

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From "For legal residents only": "If we know someone is here illegally, why do we just ignore that and, worse yet, try to make life more comfortable for them?" This is a multiple-choice question. Are any of these the right answer?

a. Aren't we talking about driver's licenses? Why are we talking about comfort?

b. For those who hew to scriptural standards: because "they" are our neighbors and "strangers in a strange land" whom we are mandated to welcome.

c. For golden-rulers: because "they" clean and/or re-roof our houses, prepare our fast food, care for our children and elders and so much more to make life more comfortable for us. We should at least support their ability to get to work safely.

e. All of the above.

Clearing access to a driver's license is not a slippery slope that will lead to reckless behavior, illegal voting or disrespect for the value of citizenship. Let's get this done, Minnesota legislative leaders!

Kathleen McDonough, Richfield

The Southwestern states that have almost drained the Colorado River dry are looking our way for more water ("Mississippi River eyed again as water solution for West," Feb. 3). In the meantime, as their now-critical problem, which everyone has been aware of for years, continues to worsen, they sit on their hands doing nothing constructive to deal with the reality. They choose instead to point fingers at each other while disagreeing on who needs to do what to control consumption before it is too late, which may already be the case. Does anyone really think we should give them any access to our water from Minnesota or anywhere else in the country, for that matter? Do you honestly think they will somehow magically become good stewards going forward when they have not yet chosen to deal with the desperate situation they are in? I know where my vote will go if we have one.

Charles Hendrickson, Eden Prairie

Although the water situation in the Colorado River Basin is dire, building a pipeline to pump water from the Mississippi and Missouri rivers is not a solution. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two important reservoirs, are down about 35 million acre-feet of water, combined, since before the current drought started, according to the Washington Post. Using the estimate of 600,000 acre-feet per year of water that could be provided by the pipeline by 2060 (according to "Mississippi River eyed again as water solution for West"), it would take more than 58 years for the pipeline to replace the water in the reservoirs. That's 88 years total, accounting for the 30 it would take to build the pipeline in the first place.

An alternative solution is to make better use of the precipitation that falls naturally by restoring lost wetlands ("Humans have destroyed a fifth of the Earth's inland wetlands," Feb. 9) and requiring producers to use cover cropping, rotational grazing and other water-friendly practices, with financial backup from the federal and state governments to address their business risk. It will be difficult and will take time, money and political will, but so does a pipeline. In the 30 years it would take to build a pipeline, the Colorado River Basin states could implement a wide range of restorative practices, across millions of acres, and begin to see results in just a few years.

Kyle Nelson, Minneapolis

I have read and received the Star Tribune for decades and this is the first time I have written to the paper with disgust.

I read the commentary "Overall, Biden deserves a solid 'A'" (Opinion Exchange, Jan. 20) and thought, how repulsive, misleading and false. How would the Star Tribune even publish such fake information about Joe Biden?

Joe Biden is a devout Catholic, although he has changed his belief from being against abortion to promoting full-term abortion. He has been a hypocrite on many topics throughout his lifelong career in politics.

I could write a paper on the negatives about Biden and his time as president and his dishonest character from previous decades.

I am not sure that any U.S. president deserves a solid "A" overall rating, although sure the heck not Biden.

Dean Baker and the Star Tribune should be ashamed for putting this in the paper.

Dean Tonsager, Elko, Minn.

Wait a minute. Joe Biden's record is only "slightly above average"? ("State of the Biden presidency: slightly above average," Opinion Exchange, Feb. 7.) Writer Prof. David Hopkins, in own opinion piece, lists: the bipartisan infrastructure act, which was the first major such act since the 1950s. Add to that the climate, health and economic stimulus laws. There have been a lot of presidents between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Joe Biden. John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson had excellent administrations, but I would put Biden in their realm. If that is only "slightly above average," I can't imagine what great would be.

Mel Aanerud, Ham Lake

Let us not forget former President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, when heckling, catcalling, hostility and booing were the norm for the Democratic Party during the speech! ("Heckling of Biden new normal for GOP," Feb. 9.) Also, let's not forget then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripping up the former president's speech at the end. "Do what we say, not what we do" is the norm for the Democratic Party. How soon they forget their actions!

Jordan Pudenz, Jeffers, Minn.

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