'GENERATION DEBT'
No thanks to those who put sports before tuition
As a graduate of the University of Minnesota, I am outraged and embarrassed by the wrongheaded social priorities that have allowed the university to place such heavy emphasis on the new, on-campus football stadium, ahead of the primary need of students for affordable tuition ("Generation Debt," April 26). I always thought the U's mission was to educate our young people, not provide a playpen for the idle rich. Silly me.
There must be something in the air or water that has caused our alleged public servants to waste millions of our precious taxpayer dollars on stadiums when so many vital social programs go begging.
WILLARD B. SHAPIRA, ROSEVILLE
MESSAGE TO THE HIGH COURT
Get busy: November to June is too long to wait
I find the Minnesota Supreme Court in contempt of the people of the state. Waiting until June to hear Norm Coleman's challenge on voting irregularities is a disservice to us.
No matter what side individuals are on in this election, citizens deserve a quick outcome. Remember, we are not the lawyers who must bow before your court. We pay your salaries. As one of your employers, I am telling you to get this case heard fast (next week would be good), then sit down in a conference room and come back with a decision in five days. If it is inconvenient, that's too bad. It's your job -- get it done!
DOUG ECKLAND, TONKA BAY
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Too bad Norm Coleman is not following Republican Jim Tedisco, who conceded on Friday in a special election for New York's 20th Congressional District after being only 400 votes behind.
By continuing his battle against Al Franken and stalling the political process, Coleman is instead acting like Phil Krinkie. As state House Tax Committee chairman in 2005, Krinkie refused to hear the governor's compromise bill that included a cigarette fee, which helped to cause a government shutdown. The result: Krinkie lost reelection and the Republicans lost majority rule the next year.
WILLIAM CORY LABOVITCH,
SOUTH ST. PAUL
HOUSE DFL BUDGET
Critic manages to overlook spending cuts?
It's fine to be hysterical, but one should also try to be accurate. An April 26 letter writer ranted that "taxes, taxes, taxes" are the only solution DFLers put forward.
In fact, the state House DFL budget proposal contains $1.5 billion in new revenues and $1.6 billion in spending cuts.
So if I were to rant that "cuts, cuts, cuts" are all the House Dems propose, I wouldn't be entirely correct -- but I would, at least, be $100 million more accurate than the aforementioned writer.
GERALD HOPKINS, ROSEVILLE
FEDERAL SPENDING
Short-term investments are economic medicine
The author who defends the Tea Parties (Opinion Exchange, April 26) neglects to mention one thing: America is in a recession. He rails against "a federal government gone berserk" with spending, but dramatic spending is an effective way to gain jobs and prevent a depression.
These are short-term investments geared toward long-term results, which are needed because of the current economic crisis. To complain about current spending without providing the larger context is a joke and why these tea parties weren't taken seriously. They seemed more like partisan complaining than a serious debate.
ROBERT LYNETT, ST. PAUL
BUSH TORTURE POLICIES
Repercussions felt here and around the world
An April 26 letter writer ("He needs to stop blaming Bush") suggests that most of the Bush torture policies were necessary to contend with a growing and sometimes hostile anti-American sentiment." Actually, there is reason to believe the images from Abu Ghraib and elsewhere have increased anti-American sentiment.
There are good reasons that President Obama is greeted with cheers rather than protesters throughout the world. One of those reasons is Obama's respect for international law and human dignity.
ROLF WESTGARD, ST. PAUL
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The writer who believes that being "anti-Bush" and "anti-torture" is "anti-American" has it exactly backward.
MARYANN WIBORG, LONG LAKE
