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St. Paul's guaranteed-income program, the People's Prosperity Pilot, showed how much better life could be for low-income families with an extra $500/month ("High marks for guaranteed cash," front page, and "Positive results from guaranteed income," editorial, Dec. 27). The news article talked about benefits to recipient families: improved ability to cover a $400 expense, having money saved, having higher levels of employment, a positive outlook on life. It even talked about savings to government: a slight decrease in Social Security payment to a child whose parent earns more than before the pilot.
"Republicans [however] say that such programs 'place an unsustainable burden on taxpayers and hinder economic prosperity,' said Anna Mathews, executive director of the Minnesota GOP." What's not mentioned is the substantial savings in the cost of local public services: social workers to handle family crises, the court system to adjudicate child neglect and abuse cases, police to respond to family issues, losses from petty crime caused by lack of money. I speculate that $500 a month saves the public purse more than $500 in services not needed.
When your city or county proposes a guaranteed-income program, support it based on financial and humanitarian considerations.
Elaine Frankowski, Minneapolis
PEDESTRIAN DEATHS
Broader considerations
"Why are so many pedestrians [hit by vehicles and] dying at night?" (Nation & World, Dec. 27.) Driver distraction is probably the obvious reason for the rise in these fatalities, but it would have been constructive to list some defensive techniques.
In addition to avoiding distractions, drivers can always drive with headlights on so that their vehicles are more visible to pedestrians and other drivers. The difference becomes more obvious as we age.
Pedestrians and bike riders can resist fashionable black and instead wear light-colored or reflective clothing, and perhaps a light.
It is human nature to expect others to be as aware as we are of our presence, but they are not. Bike riders are required to use lights at night. Do your kids use them?
Avoid walking in the street if you can, but perhaps you live in a suburb where lower taxes mean no sidewalks, therefore less safety. If you must walk or run in streets, choose less busy ones if you can.
Always walk or run on the side where you are facing traffic so that you and drivers can anticipate problems.
Wearing headphones greatly increases your danger, especially from quiet electric vehicles.
D.C. Smith, Minneapolis
MIDEAST
Realism is in order
Many years of efforts by experienced, skilled and well-intentioned negotiators to resolve obstacles to Mideast peace have failed. Instead, on Dec. 26, a letter writer proposed a secular democratic solution.
The writer's thought may well have been kind and well-intentioned, but it is curious that someone could picture that possibility.
How could it be possible that centuries of hate of Jewish people would disappear in the writer's proposed consortium of camaraderie? Consider the level of Palestinian hate that must exist to have generated the vicious Oct. 7 massacre by Palestinian men, knowing that the certain level of military response would cost thousands of lives of their own Palestinian men, women and children.
What level of Palestinian hate must exist to justify in Palestinian minds the horrendous Oct. 7 carnage and acceptance of the inevitable sacrifice of thousands of their own children? No thoughtful, peace-loving person wants to kill innocents and children. But the Palestinian killers, on Oct. 7, were willing for their own children to die.
How is it possible to negotiate a peaceable solution when dealing with that level of hate and heartlessness? Those who now call for a cease-fire, and those who think that peace can be negotiated with Palestinians so committed to killing Jews, need to understand the billions of dollars and military commitment Palestinians have made to execute their hate.
Perhaps there can be peaceful coexistence someday. Until then, the Palestinians' threat to kill all Jews and destroy Israel, using their underground apparatus to facilitate that killing and destruction, should be eliminated. After that, there can hopefully be a meaningful discussion about how Israelis and Palestinians might live peaceably side-by-side.
Thomas W. Wexler, Edina
READING SKILLS
Here's a head start
The outstanding Dec. 23 commentary "Minnesota can, must rise in reading ranks," called for grass-roots community innovation with low-cost/no-cost strategies to help prepare all children's brains to be able to read before they start school. Here's a fun, fast strategy that costs nothing and is based on the latest brain science that has found that children who cannot process and remember sound effectively and efficiently will most likely struggle with reading.
What is it? Sing to/with babies and children and develop their basic music skills. Children who can keep a beat, clap the rhythm of a song, match a pitch and sing in tune will be better readers.
To start, here are free activities and a Musical Fitness Assessment for parents, care providers and preschool teachers: www.rocknreadproject.org. There is a huge gap between the one-third of Minnesota students who never learn to read at even a basic level (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2022) and those who become proficient readers. Let's call for all early childhood organizations to work together to launch a grassroots movement to "Zap the Gap!"
Ann C. Kay, Minnetonka
The writer is education coordinator, Rock 'n' Read Project.
GRAND AVENUE
Kenton House plaudits
We read the Dec. 24 article on St. Paul's Grand Avenue ("Big things still in store on Grand?") and were disappointed that the Kenton House Building was only a side comment. This significant five-story property at the east end of Grand includes not only the luxurious apartments mentioned but also the reopening of Emmett's Public House and Saji-ya restaurant. Noteworthy too that the property and restaurants are owned and operated by the local Kenefick family. For us, this is a relevant example of how Grand Avenue is dealing with the loss of retailers. We were surprised it did not receive the attention it deserved in the article or recent restaurant opening/reopening stories.
Joe O'Neill, Savage
PUTIN/TRUMP
Being of good cheer …
On Dec. 26, the Star Tribune carried this front-page headline: "Navalny moved to Arctic prison." But then that is what Russian President Vladimir Putin does to those who oppose him. Maybe it should have also included former President Donald Trump's Christmas message, in which, after ranting and railing against his opponents, he ends with, "MAY THEY ROT IN HELL, AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
After all, each reveals the paranoid, hate-filled, revenge-seeking, immoral compass that guides the thoughts and actions of a dictator and wannabe dictator.
Roland Hayes, Shoreview
