A swipe of a card and everything’s good. Until …

The amount is truly staggering. (“Accountability in food fraud case mixed,” Oct. 20). Golden parachutes for a criminal few, while the taxpayer is on the hook for $200 million. Worse, we have yet a state government alternating between being utterly garrulous on the matter to uncommunicative and combative, selfish even, thinking their own discomfort over the colossal blunder more important than anything else in the world.

What is truly mixed in my opinion is how the dispersion of taxpayer funds, the modern budgeting process itself really, is made to feel trifling and empty. A few million, a few billion. A trillion. What does it matter?

When I use cash — my preferred payment method — inevitably someone behind a counter, in front of everyone, holds up my $20 bill to the light as if I’m some potential thief. And yet, pay with a credit card and no one pays an iota of attention.

The manner in which our government allocates money seems the same to me. A swipe of a credit card and everything’s good. That is, until $200 million goes missing. Or a billion, or trillion. But who’s counting?

After all, no one is at fault. Really.

— Julia Bell, St. Paul

A St. Paul sloop

While biking recently, the sight of a Viking cruise ship moored in St. Paul got me thinking about one of my old dreams of equipping a small craft for bicyclists. It would essentially be a floating B&B that would ply the waters of the upper Mississippi and the lower St. Croix. I’d call her “St. Paul Girl.” Her home port would be Minnesota’s Capitol city. Cruises on St. Paul Girl would help tourism and would also help revitalize downtown.

Local points of interest, while moored in St. Paul, are many and would include Minnehaha Falls, the state Capitol building and the giant onyx Vision of Peace statue in the Ramsey County courthouse. There are amazing cycling trails area. After exploring those, we’d motor to places like Stillwater, Hastings, Red Wing, Wabasha, Winona, La Crosse and points south to explore and travel local trails by bike.

I’ve sailed on a small sloop in many places: Croatia, Greece, Sicily, Baja California, British Virgin Islands, Australia, Lake Superior. There is an indescribable feeling of romance and adventure when you sail into an unfamiliar city on a small boat. One of my most enjoyable memories was when we cruised into Poros, a small island in the Aegean Sea. We had taken down our sails and were under motor. As we slowed down and glided along the quay, a waiter from a seaside taverna ran along our boat, carrying a tray of glasses of ouzo to welcome us to the port he called home. I think those kind of charming memories await anyone lucky enough to cruise on St. Paul Girl.

— M.L. Kluznik, Mendota Heights

One would wonder why

The City of St. Paul seems to have little appreciation for the investments Health Partners has made in our city. Things they have built or acquired in or in close proximity to the city are enormous. Regions Hospital is the only Level 1 ER in Ramsey County. The health clinics in the county are at least seven or eight. The campus near Phalen Boulevard is second to none in the Twin Cities. They are a non-profit organization that has made enormous investments in St. Paul yet this year the city opted to renew a contract with United Health without opening it up for others to bid. One would wonder why.

— Tom Kapsner, White Bear Lake

Not a lot of specifics

It is easy to see how people dislike the approach and personality of Donald Trump. However, he states very clearly what he will do at the border to address thousands of people from many countries entering illegally costing us millions. Not to mention drug trafficking, people-smuggling and lots of other crime. He also addresses stopping jobs going overseas, things to help with inflation, energy solutions and more.

Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and even Barack Obama talk in words of making us safe, better and happier while turning the page. Not a lot of specifics in their hyperbole.

I am not telling you who to vote for but please consider what is best for our country and not who you would rather have lunch with.

— Phil Hove, Cottage Grove

A few facts to remember

For my fellow citizens who realize that character still matters and is worth voting for. I don’t need to remind you exactly what Donald Trump is and stands for; you’ve had your eyes, ears, and minds open since he came on the scene decades ago.

So, I will remind you of a few facts, strangely ignored by media and pollsters in their mad rush to crown Trump King:

1. Remember that “Great Red Wave” the 2022 election polls guaranteed.

2. Remember, you can count Trump’s & Co’s election wins since 2020 on one hand. Even if you’ve lost a finger or two.

3. Remember, the more Trump lies, insults, and jokes about body parts the more afraid he is of losing … again.

4. Remember, Trump incites, and feeds off of, hopelessness and is befuddled by hope.

5. Remember, it ain’t over until the women sing!

— Mark E. Adams-Westin, St. Paul

It’s never about Harris

We all learn a lot when Kamala Harris supporters respond to the question of why they are for her. Every response is all and solely a rant about what a vile person Donald Trump is. They never say anything even tangentially about Harris or her prescriptions. Only that she is clearly “ the way to turn the page,” and the assertion we all to need to move away from the last four years. She calls such a move “forward.” It had never occurred to her the last four years we were headed in the wrong direction, but to a big majority of Americans it did.

— T. J. Sexton, St. Paul

Of course it didn’t pass

President Biden’s bills sent to Congress for increased funding for border guards and agents never passed. Of course not. Donald Trump’s faithful followed his admonishment: If Democrats manage to control the border how can we blame them for the chaos? It worked. This is just one of the many untruths my neighbors give for not voting for Kamala Harris.

— Mary DePrey, Roseville

Propaganda day in and out

The “joy” extolled by Vice President Kamala Harris seems diminished as she continues to call Donald Trump and JD Vance weird, fascistic and a threat to our democracy. I for one, am much more concerned with the Harris/Walz agenda.

In our version of democracy, one person cannot be an existential threat. Consider that half of the nation does not support his views, only two cable networks are pro-Trump, the vast majority of TV and print media openly oppose the Trump agenda.

Lets look at the Democratic Party and VP Harris. Again, they are opposed by almost 50% of the nation, but cable TV and mainstream media spoonfeed the people propaganda day in and day out. In spite of President Biden’s mental condition, we were time after time told that he was capable of doing a great job. The radicals in this administration pulled the strings for Joe Biden, and will continue to do the same for VP Harris, if elected.

A vote for Harris/Walz will continue the destruction of this once great nation. A vote for Trump/Vance will at least give us a chance. That is all we can ask.

— Jerry Wynn, St. Paul

How can we ignore this?

“A shared value” (Oct. 24), refers to the love Minnesotans have for our outdoors, biking, hiking and enjoying our lakes and parks. I agree with our commonality in that respect; however, the writer failed, as the executive director of an organization that supports our environment, to even mention what former President Trump did to jeopardize it.

According to an Oct. 30, 2020, article in The Washington Post, their analysis found that in his four years in office, he wiped out more than 125 rules and policies aimed at protecting the nation’s air, water and land. He loosened oversight of polluting industries, eroded protection of endangered species, and stymied Obama-era efforts to address the most daunting environmental threat, climate change. How can we, as Minnesotans who espouse “our stewardship for our outdoor heritage,” ignore the possibility if Mr. Trump gets elected, this disregard for our environment would continue?

— Sylvia Benson, North St. Paul