Keep cool heads about convention Those progressives considering strong protests at the GOP convention might benefit from recalling the consequences of emotional outbursts at the Wellstone memorial. Unseemly, angry, poorly-thought-out displays can provoke a negative backlash among the very voters we need to attract to liberal candidates.
BRUCE D. SNYDER
MENDOTA HEIGHTS
Tim Pawlenty: Is he still here? O, Tim, Tim. When are you going to learn that being a conservative in a liberal state means moderation? "No tax" is so extreme and obsolete. We need to move forward responsibly. Please, please take the vice presidential nomination. Of course, the results will be disastrous for you and McCain but best for the country. Thank you for your service.
LEROY HORN
PRIOR LAKE
Keep climate talk off weather page Why isn't the condescending tripe, also known as Paul Douglas' weather forecast, located in the opinion section? When he and the other climate messiahs move out of their energy-guzzling homes at Bearpath and other far-from-carbon-neutral locales, they can lose their title as preachy hypocrites. Until then, stick to weather and leave climate science to climate scientists. Which, Mr. Douglas, you are not.
JOHN RAUSTADT
PRIOR LAKE
Where's the help for the little guy? If Sun Country Airlines can ask for $50 million from the state for help with fuel costs, why can't businesses, truckers or ordinary citizens?
Personally, I'd like to ask the state for a low interest loan of about $75,000 to pay off my mortgage and credit cards so I can afford the fuel cost to get to and from work and still have $2 left over for groceries. What is the state doing to help with fuel costs? Oh, I remember now, they voted for a higher gas tax. Maybe we should all applaud the state for looking out for its constituents.
JO ANN ANDERS
SHAKOPEE
Mortgage bailout is the wrong policy A $300 billion bailout for an estimated 400,000 homeowners. This bailout is to individuals who otherwise do not qualify for government loans because they are too "risky." Isn't that exactly what got us into this mess in the first place? Giving loans to people who don't really qualify for a mortgage? And how many of these individuals who will be bailed out have more than one mortgage? When people were buying multiple homes before this crisis and making money hand over fist as they turned them over for mere profit, did they experience a "windfall tax"? The answer is no. Now as they have lost money on their investments, we, the people who live within our means, keep to a budget, are financially responsible will be asked to pay more taxes to bail out these people.
BRAD ALLAN
EAGAN