Readers Write: People, the climate and the environment; University of Minnesota president's salary; generosity, immigration and homeless encampments; Twin Cities as experienced by visitors

We should not be even a little bit surprised by the lead headline "Most dire climate warning" (front page, Oct. 9). Nor by daily news concerning the huge numbers of hungry humans among us, homelessness, violent behavior with guns and without, and all the rest that results from carelessness with money and materials and population.

By a fine coincidence, "The Plow That Broke the Plains" was there when I completed the reading and flipped on the TV. It's the 1936 half-hour documentary film that shows what happened to "the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada when uncontrolled agricultural farming led to the Dust Bowl."

Gee, does that have a familiar ring to it? The plow is another good thing ill-used and carried to an extreme.

A film so quietly thoughtful as this is sure to be lost on a society that simply wants to move on — backward, that is. Searching out a past time when America was so great as to be permanently without flaw.

"The Plow That Broke the Plains" did reflect on necessary legislation that helped to plant huge numbers of trees for windbreaks. The trees grew and did their best. But humans forgot why the trees were there and subsequently cut them out to make more land to make more money. So what started to happen again? That's right. And then we remembered to plant trees right there again.

It was, anyway, a learning experience. We continue to learn as well as to forget.

Labeled "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," that particular documentary is now preserved in our National Film Registry.

You have used the same climate headline for 15 years. It has lost all true meaning. It just means that the United Nations wants more of our tax money.

Regarding proposals to pay a lower salary to the next president of the University of Minnesota ("Can U get new president for a bargain?" Oct. 8, and Readers Write, Oct. 9):

Hire a woman. We're used to working for less.

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Jo Brinda's insightful Oct. 9 letter ("Dollars for sports, not leadership") expresses the bewilderment many of us feel over the money the university spends on athletics. But Brinda understates the football coach's compensation at $1 million. According to the Daily Gopher, that's just his base salary. He also receives $2.5 million a year for "media, fundraising, community involvement, endorsements, apparel, and shoes" — all things that are expected of the university president for no additional pay.

• 99 percent of U.S. homes have at least one TV; 66 percent have three or more.

• 77.2 million Xboxes have been sold.

• 5.5 million U.S. families own more than one home.

• The average American family owns 2.28 vehicles.

• Americans throw away more than 38 million tons of food per year.

• U.S. market for luxury goods: $182 billion.

We can choose to hoard our stuff and refuse to give our immigrants a running start, but we would do this at our own peril. Our nation was built on the backs of immigrants, and we continue to depend on immigrants for our economic vitality. Besides, I would argue, we do have enough — loaves, fishes and Xboxes after dessert.

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Regarding the Hiawatha homeless encampment: The most tragic unspoken part of this story is that there is enough individual and corporate wealth in the Twin Cities to solve this issue within a week. Shame on those with the means and for companies with the means to financially solve this for not doing what is right, right now, for not only the good of humanity, but your neighbors.

My wife and I spent four days in Minneapolis and were surprised by the large number of aggressive panhandlers and homeless people. They continuously and aggressively confronted us and others, asking for handouts without any police discouragement or public assistance. This is contrary to our experience in other American cities, including New York, Chicago and Baltimore.

Your marathon is billed as "the most beautiful urban marathon in America," but we can't recommend it, nor travel to Minneapolis. Walking the streets guarantees confrontations with the potential for assault. Minneapolis simply doesn't protect those on the margins of society, or those on whom they might prey, and both groups deserve better.

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Dear Minneapolis-St. Paul,

We performed at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts last month with the Gipsy Kings and we want to thank everyone for making it a wonderful night! From the moment we arrived backstage, the theater personnel made us feel very welcome. They were polite and courteous and showed us to our dressing room and were there for us all day and night. Like old friends with warm smiles and friendly conversation, they took good care of us. Everyone from the kind staff to the amazing caterers nourished our souls with courtesy and delicious food.

This was the first performance of the tour, and we were pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic and attentive the St. Paul audience was. The listening and response to our songs, along with the loud and long applause, led us to be so incredibly grateful for the level of sophistication that the audience held. We were overjoyed that an unknown opening act was so well-received.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely yours,

Park City, Utah