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Thank you to Evan Ramstad for his Sunday column about the Third Precinct building ("Charred Third Precinct station should have been torn down by now," March 26). I agree this building must be torn down ASAP. It's a constant reminder of failed leadership during the riots following the killing of George Floyd. The Third Precinct is the largest precinct in Minneapolis, and I believe six council members represent the residents in that precinct. We deserve to hear from these council members on plans for a precinct building — and you deserve to hear from us.

Our officers deserve a place to work in our community. I find it interesting that we could rebuild the Interstate 35W bridge in one year, but we can't tear down an eyesore in our community or get answers on what the plan is. Minneapolis must do better.

Marcy Tollefson, Minneapolis

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Columnist Evan Ramstad called the burned-out Third Precinct police station in my neighborhood "terrible," and said it should have been "torn down immediately."

I say the burned-out shell of the Third Precinct stands and should continue standing forever as a testament to what happens when the police murder the people they are supposed protect and serve.

Some like to pretend that the nights of riots and violence were a kind of aberration, or social malfunction. They were not. They were the entirely predictable and preventable reactions of a community to the unchecked abuse of power on display beneath Derek Chauvin's knee, and nothing about the system of power in Minneapolis has changed in any substantial way since George Floyd was murdered.

Tear down the precinct building — we all know that when money and developers want something, we have no power to stop it. But until you tear down the abusive power structure that brought about that precinct fire, it's only a matter of time and circumstance before another hasty gunshot, another lowered baton or another implacable knee lights those fires again.

Robert Alberti, Minneapolis

Scott Gerlicher's commentary "What really happened in the riots of 2020" (Opinion Exchange, March 26) omits two key points. First, the riots were started by a Minneapolis police officer brutally killing George Floyd. Second, the Police Department at first tried to cover up this murder by lying to the public. If the first had not happened, the riots would not have erupted. If the MPD's first response had not been to lie to the public, perhaps they could have help mediate the public anger by being truthful. But, it didn't. The destruction from those riots lay ultimately at the feet of the MPD, especially the MPD and union leadership.

Judy Zaunbrecher, Minneapolis

A letter writer on these pages ("Can we even talk about it?" March 26) took to criticizing Attorney General Keith Ellison for holding Hyundai and Kia carmakers responsible for local car thefts. He added, "that's like blaming door lock manufacturers for home break ins."

Well, not so much. Simply put, it's a faulty analogy.

Ellison announced he's investigating the automakers to determine if they ran afoul of state consumer protection and public nuisance laws by not including industry-standard, anti-theft technology in their cars and SUVs. They're notably missing software that would prevent the vehicle from being started without the key. The problem was further exacerbated with the release of a recent TikTok challenge that encouraged viewers to steal a Kia or Hyundai vehicle using household items, like USB cables and screwdrivers, sending car thefts skyrocketing.

Consequently, in the Twin Cities, well over 3,000 Kias and Hyundais were reported stolen in 2022, almost nine times as many as the previous year, with the two automakers accounting for 40% of all vehicle thefts in Minneapolis.

Kia and Hyundai promise to roll out a software fix by this summer. In the meantime owners can contact Hyundai at 800-633-5151 and Kia at 800-333-4542 for more information on the software update.

Stephen Monson, Golden Valley

Regarding "Businesses wary over details of paid leave" (front page, March 26): Business owners "concerned" about the costs of a statewide family and medical leave program are crying crocodile tears. The reality is that workers themselves are already subsidizing these costs, whether by losing out on income when they take time off to care for a loved one or recover from an injury or illness, or by risking their own well-being or the well-being of their families by having to return to work before a complete recovery.

The reason that businesses are able to succeed at all is because of the skills, knowledge and hard work of these workers — the same people who would benefit from paid family and medical leave. Business owners need to recognize this and come to the negotiating table in good faith. Otherwise all they are saying is that their bottom line is more important than the health and thriving of the very people who make their business possible.

Carolyn Browender, St. Paul

Paid family leave should not be a negotiable option for businesses regardless of size. If you employ people (i.e., human beings), then it is your responsibility to make sure their well-being is part of the employment package as well as your business plan. The physical and emotional stability of your employees will, as has been demonstrated time and again in more socially advanced countries, ultimately result in increased productivity and retention and will have a positive societal impact at large. Kudos to the Minnesota Legislature for finally acting on this issue, and I hope it will stand firm in the face of the expected forceful pushback from employers. This will be one the best long-term investments in our state's future as a socially responsible haven in the midst of a country descending into barbarism.

Walid Maalouli, Eagan

In Lori Sturdevant's opinion piece "All the U needs is love at the Capitol" (March 26) she calls for more funding for the University of Minnesota. Enrollment (business revenue) is down. In any business when that happens, costs need to be cut, and I suggest that the U start with all positions that do not directly touch students and their experience, starting with administration.

Having worked in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system for nine years, I watched administration overhead balloon in both St. Paul at the central office and on our own campus. More and more administrative staff spent more and more time at meetings to oversee those directly impacting students, rather than trusting them to do their jobs.

When cuts needed to be made on campus in 2009, it was done at the student-touching level with nine staff, and none at the admin level where the decisions were made. I attribute much of the explosive increase in the cost of higher education to this administrative bloat. Show us the statistics and prove us wrong.