The good news is that a deal to end the partial government shutdown has been reached.
The bad news for those who believe in expanding physical barriers on the southern border — not included in the deal — is that it reminds me of the old "Popeye" cartoon in which Wimpy said "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."
Tuesday never came for Popeye.
Bob Jentges, North Mankato, Minn.
• • •
Neither President Trump nor congressional Democrats are proposing durable solutions to the migration of economic and security refugees. Migration will continue until very significant action is taken to provide economic opportunity and security in Central America. Walls will not stop refugees seeking asylum at legal ports of entry. And, taking in large numbers of economic migrants does not help House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California — Los Angeles in particular — where 80 percent of public schoolchildren live in poverty, where more than 50,000 people are homeless, and where there is an acute shortage of affordable housing. We need to put a lot more well-supervised investment into economic opportunity and security for people where they live, both in Central America and here.
Les Everett, Falcon Heights
• • •
The suggestions from the Minnesota Medical Coalition members for relieving the crisis at the southern border ("What we saw in Tijuana … ," Jan. 23) are strong and sensible.
I would like to stress the power that just one person can have in effecting change. Last year my spouse and I observed court proceedings and relief efforts on both sides of the border at Nogales. We were so moved that, upon returning, one individual in our group raised enough money to build a water purification system for migrant children at a relief center.
What if our lawmakers used their collective power to seriously address the suggestions made by the medical professionals from the coalition, suggestions that would eliminate the need for a wall and contribute to peaceful solutions on the border?