IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION
Protect citizens first
Your May 25 article about the Legislature's failure to pass any legislation on illegal immigration does not surprise me. The Star Tribune refers to illegal immigration as immigration. So how can we expect Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller or Sen. Mee Moua to know the difference?
Who represents unskilled and semiskilled workers who have lost their jobs to, or have had their wages suppressed by, the illegal immigrants? Not Pogemiller or Moua; they only care about the activists or people with money in the DFL. After all it's not for the job of the politician, columnist, lawyer or talk show host that the illegal immigrant has come here.
As a lifelong Democrat and liberal, I cannot understand why so many representatives from my party care more about illegal immigrants than their fellow citizens who they were elected to represent. There should be a proven need for any immigration, not just a want by special interest groups as we now have.
STEVE FORD, STACY, MINN.
More harm than good The May 25 article "On immigration, bluster but little action" reinforces the myths that pervade the immigration debate in Minnesota. First and foremost are the misguided ideas that piecemeal state legislation targeting immigrants would help make Minnesota a better place and that by failing to make his immigration proposals a priority, the governor has somehow made Minnesotans less safe.
Minnesota already has laws on the books to fight both identity theft and human trafficking, crimes by no means perpetrated exclusively by people without immigration status. Quotes implying that legislators failed to act because the issue is "overwhelming" ignore the reality that the proposals were not targeted at solving existing safety or immigration-related problems.
Legislative leaders should be commended for not getting sidetracked by debates that won't actually help Minnesotans but only give a platform for divisive political rhetoric.
MICHELE GARNETT MCKENZIE,
MINNEAPOLIS
RIPLEY GARDENS HOUSING
Affordable, at a cost
I was among those at a meeting of the Harrison Neighborhood Association several years ago who voted to approve the Ripley Gardens renovation project described in your May 24 article. It's good to have a "Mercedes" of an apartment complex in a neighborhood that your reporter describes as "avenues of foreclosed houses dirtied by trash and drug deals."
On the other hand, $16 million for 60 apartment units is a ton of money. Those of us who provide rental housing for less than 20 percent of the per-unit investment, whose average rents are half those charged by Ripley Gardens, who receive no salary for managerial services, and who must operate in an environment of high property taxes and flawed crime-control strategy deserve, if not an award, some consideration for what we go through.
By the way, if your reporter wants to characterize my neighborhood in negative ways, he should spend some time here observing actual conditions instead of doing a "hit and run" in the first sentence.
WILLIAM MCGAUGHEY, MINNEAPOLIS
REBATE CHECKS
Use as economy needs
The Star Tribune's Minnesota Poll reports that 72 percent of us are planning to save or pay debt with tax rebate check proceeds (May 25). Sound financial advice advocated by many money-management talking heads I am certain, but not my cup of coffee.
Economic stimulus translates into spending so a capitalist economy can function. The size of the checks are not large enough to dramatically alter a Minnesota family's overall financial situation. The money can, however, pump up sagging local economies.
Personally, I plan to take an upcoming weekend and visit one of our beautiful state parks. I am going to conscientiously spend Minnesota that weekend; shopping and dining at locally-owned Minnesota businesses. Join me? My campfire coffee will be Minnesota-roasted.
TIM MCDevitt, Falcon Heights
ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATH
Bartenders not to blame
I see that another bar owner is being blamed for yet another alcohol-related death. It's easy to tell when an average person has had too much to drink. But what about the binge drinker? The college kid who "power drinks" every weekend and has been doing it for several years. A blood alcohol level of 0.30 would knock me on my "heinie." A problem drinker could appear just fine at that level.
Asking bartenders to spot the difference is just as irresponsible as encouraging your friends to drink to the point of passing out. As a society, we need to place the responsibility where it belongs or next we'll see bartenders being sued for contributing to someone's alcoholism.
JAY ROSENE, MONTICELLO, MINN.
COLLEGE TUITION
A promise to GIs
One reason young people are enlisting in the military is because they are told it's a way to afford college. The funds they receive for college, however, have not kept pace with the actual costs and need to be increased. John McCain doesn't want to do this because the young people who enlisted as a way to afford college might actually go to college instead of reenlisting.
If kids are willing to sacrifice to serve our country, the least our country should do is keep its promises.
SALLY BURNS, EDEN PRAIRIE
PARKING RVS IN RICHFIELD
What's the problem?
The nanny-state busybodies are at it again. As long as the RV sits on their property and not in the street what harm is done? It's not like it's a couple of junk cars up on blocks. If you don't like the view, plant some trees or shrubs.
What's next -- will I need to get permission to buy a certain kind of car or truck because my neighbor might not like the same one I do?
SCOTT SKEESICK, WHITE BEAR LAKE
