Readers Write: State budget surplus, Minneapolis teachers strike, no-knock changes, rent policies, Ukraine, daylight saving time

$9.3 BILLION SURPLUS

A chance to ease the pain

Politicians sometimes talk as though budget surpluses and budget deficits are only reflections of tax laws, but the truth is that they are also affected by the strength of the economy, of extra federal funding or savings realized when a program spends less than expected.

Bravo to Gov. Tim Walz for proposing to use a one-time surplus for one-time expenses ("Walz proposes bigger rebate checks," front page, March 18). A gas tax holiday would not only make your next tank cheaper, it could impact the cost of the groceries delivered by gas-powered trucks. A direct payment doesn't just help the person who cashed the check but the storekeeper who may sell more because Minnesotans have a little extra in their pockets next fall.

While inflation is cutting into everyone's household budgets, our elected officials have a chance to ease the pain. I hope members of both parties give the governor's proposal a hearing and that the public will give it a chance.

Matt Flory, St. Louis Park

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Carrie Kemp, Lilydale

MINNEAPOLIS TEACHERS STRIKE

The district's spin

It's strange how, seemingly every contact negotiation, step increases are something teachers have to fight tooth-and-nail to maintain, but as soon as saying so benefits a district's negotiating position, they're "step increases teachers automatically receive every year."

If Minneapolis Public Schools chief financial officer Ibrahima Diop wants to claim that as the district's position ("District must also protect safe, stable finances," counterpoint, March 18), perhaps that's something that should be codified in contract language: Pay freezes are forever off the table, so negotiations start from "step increases are automatically received every year."

Mike Phillips, Minneapolis

'NO-KNOCK' CHANGES

Believe it when I see it

The March 18 editorial ("A better policy on search warrants") expects that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's new no-knock policy will lead to a "significant improvement in policing." But that's if the police follow the new rules. How likely is that?

John Stuart, Minneapolis

Voters have spoken

I am proud of the St. Paul voters who said "yes" to ensure our neighbors have predictable housing costs and stable housing. That vote is being undermined.

State senators are once again attacking our democracy by working to pre-empt (make unlawful) the decisions made by St. Paul and Minneapolis voters on rent stabilization.

No matter what we look like, or what's in our wallets — all of us deserve to have our voices heard in our democracy and advance bold solutions to meet the crises we face on issues like housing. Let's protect our right to vote on rent stabilization, not take it away.

Gaye Sorenson, St. Paul

Local companies demur

In "Congress hears Zelenskyy's plea" (March 17), the Star Tribune Editorial Board points out that "severe sanctions have real teeth" and that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "asked for the bite to go deeper … asking U.S. companies to immediately leave a Russian market that is 'flooded with our blood.' "

It's impressive that over 400 U.S. companies have pulled out of Russia either permanently or temporarily, according to Jeffrey Sonnenfeld at Yale University, who is keeping the list updated daily. However, on Sonnenfeld's list there are several companies that have dug in and are not leaving or plan to leave any time soon — two prominent hometown multinationals on that list are Cargill and General Mills. Apparently they have made the decision that profits are more important than peace.

America can help stymie Putin's aggression by hurting the Russian economy which is why U.S. companies should stop doing business with Russia. Americans, as individuals, can help that effort by ceasing to do business with companies like Cargill and General Mills who continue to do business in Russia. To get a full list of these multinational companies, go to Sonnenfeld's website at som.yale.edu.

Jane Mackenzie, Chaska

Ski event deserved attention

The Loppet Foundation recently hosted the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Junior National Cross Country Ski Championships at Theodore Wirth Park. This brought over 400 of the best skiers age 16 to 20 from across the U.S. to compete in four events over the course of a week.

Local skiers, as part of the Midwest Team, won three national titles. Nine more local skiers were on the podium, and 25 more were in the top 10. The fact that the Star Tribune did not cover any of these events was hugely disappointing.

In a few weeks the Women's Final Four will be here and the paper will have pages of coverage and well it should; there will be high interest in the event. However, given the thousands of skiers in Minnesota, Jessie Diggins and other local athletes skiing on the U.S. team in Europe, the interest for a National Championship in Cross Country is just as high for the large local ski community and, undoubtedly, the community as a whole, which has embraced Jessie for the never-say-die determination in her races.

There is also the fact that hundreds of skiers, coaches and families came to the Twin Cities for this event and our hometown paper ignored it completely. It was, quite frankly, embarrassing.

Gary Maher, Minneapolis

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Oh, so they get things done

It was announced with great fanfare that our benighted U.S. Senate could finally agree on something. It had nothing to do with the economy, poverty, tax equity, climate change, education, pollution, or any of the dozen other issues our nation faces today. No, it's to make daylight saving time permanent (Nation + World, March 16).

Nice going, folks. We're proud of you. Now those who are so burdened by having to twiddle their half-dozen clocks twice a year are relieved of that burden. I have never been a fan of changing time twice a year — it's stupid. But this is the least of our problems in America today. Now I'd like to see some unanimity around the serious issues we face in this country.

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What's wrong with earlier sunrise in the winter? What's wrong with later sunsets in the summer? So maybe there are a couple days of circadian confusion. I like the current system. Leave it alone.