Riverfront vandals are at it again in St. Paul

Return of the vandals

I am writing to call attention to a serious matter regarding recent vandalism along Shepard Road. Last week, several newly installed street and safety lights were found vandalized along the river pathway near Randolph Avenue.

This appears to be a continuation and expansion of ongoing damage in this area. Recently, dozens of newly planted trees were destroyed along the roadway. Flower gardens along the riverfront have also been uprooted. Motorists currently face a pitch-black stretch between I-35E and downtown because all the streetlights are completely out. Now, these brand-new walking-path lights have also been needlessly destroyed.

This level of vandalism is unacceptable and poses a significant safety concern for the St. Paul community. I urge the City and County to address these safety issues immediately and implement better monitoring and security measures for the Riverfront area.

— Mike Strand, St. Paul

Save money with a new health-care system

Elections, budget shortfalls, tax increases. Do we ever have real choices? I can’t remember when. For example, could we just make across-the-board cuts in all taxing jurisdictions, of all departments, until we get to budgets that don’t raise taxes? Seems logical, but no elected leader endorsed by unions will ever do that, so the cycle just goes on, year after year.

Here’s a thought. Create a single-payer direct-healthcare system that taxes and covers every citizen with a single premium, with benefits now provided most government employees, and eliminates our unique, universally scknowledged, ever-growing bureaucratic claims-denying cost balloon. I bet that would give everyone — including government staff — better healthcare at lower cost. I bet it could erase our government shortfalls without raising taxes.

I bet it won’t happen, because multiple vested interests won’t let it.

It won’t happen, because no one has the authority to do it. It won’t happen, because we’re paying, through taxes and premiums, for several times as many health insurance lobbyists, actuaries, claims deniers and CEOs as we have elected decisionmakers.

— Mathews Hollinshead, St. Paul

Lake mnemonics

How many of us used the acronym HOMES to remember the Great Lakes’ names? Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. Thanks to our current president’s whim, we can use SHAME.

— Les Jones, Stillwater

A balance with other viewpoints?

As the new school year begins, Macalester College has stepped to the front of the anti-Semitic line.

The highly-regarded institution is offering a course this fall simply entitled “Palestine.”

But behind that cryptic title lurks a huge lesson in anti-Semitism, as reflected in the course description covering Israel’s “continued territorial expansion,” coupled with “ongoing genocide of Palestinians.”

There may be some truth to both propositions, but the course hardly seems geared to strike a balance with other viewpoints.

Its one-sided pedagogical mission is amplified in the inclusion on the required reading list of a book that purports to justify the reprehensible Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and murder of numerous Israelites and others and mocks the hostages taken that day by that terrorist organization.

The College might wish to pay heed to a call from a campus Jewish student advocacy group to cancel the course or, borrowing a phrase from former FBI Director James Comey, “86” it.

— Marshall H.Tanick, Minneapolis

Now they’ll fix it?

In the State of Minnesota we’ve had a Democrat governor for 16 years, we’ve had two Democrat senators for 17 years, and we’ve had a Democrat attorney general for 55 years. But Amy Klobuchar, Peggy Flanagan, and Keith Ellison are now telling us that they are going to fix what’s wrong with Minnesota.

— Don Anderson Jr., Cottage Grove

Island drama

I suggest that buddies Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin be convinced to participate in a reality show (along with one guest invited by each) where the contestants would be placed on a lush uninhabited tropical island with a month’s supply of MREs, a frying pan, a cooking pot, a knife, an axe, a lighter and a barrel of water per person, with no connection to the outside world except a camera to watch them. Then give them a year to see who “wins.” Perhaps the invited guests could be BeBe Netanyahu and Kim Jong Un?

Then every Saturday evening the edited footage could be shown on various commercial channels, with all advertising revenue contributed to developing vaccines for ebola, and helping rescue earthquake victims.

— Tony Manzara, Lake Elmo

A shout out the window

It’s been 50 years since Peter Finch, playing an enraged news anchor in the movie “Network,” challenged his TV audience to “get up out of your chairs, open your windows, and shout ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!’” In the movie, thousands of people, all over the country, did just that. (Check out Finch’s speech online, it’s more than worth the effort.)

A half century later, Finch’s call to action in “Network” could not be more timely. I’m mad as hell about the nonsense spewing out of the Trump Administration every day; the inaction of a feckless Congress; and the often-unexplained meddling by the Supreme Court in the business of our federal trial and appellate courts. I bet that lots of you feel the same way and want to scream about your anger. The good news is that we have a chance right now to do more than scream and shout. It’s called the midterm elections. I’m joining a couple community action outfits and will door-knock, send postcards, leave voice messages and text our brain-dead legislators. I hope I can make a difference. Regardless, I know I’ll feel better doing something. We need changes … big time. Most of all, I’m “shouting out my window” that “I won’t take it anymore” by VOTING in November.

— Jack Vandenorth, St. Paul

Cameras for safety

I can not think of an occupation where methods and tools have not been developed over the years to improve how the tasks are accomplished.

Whether you are a barber, a tradesman, a medical technician, transportation provider, a teacher, etc. you have tools, methods and in some cases certification requirements that you must possess in order to do the job. Along with the tools of the trade, it is very likely you have been instructed how to use the tools properly and the guidelines on how and when to use the tools and methods.

To do their job effectively the men and women in law enforcement have many tools and methods at their disposal. One of those tools has been in the news recently (license plate readers — Flock cameras) with some people saying get rid of this tool. Law enforcement is carrying out their number one priority, making our city, state, country safe. The law enforcement professionals have detailed how effective the cameras are in catching criminals.

So instead of getting rid of this effective law enforcement tool lets be sure that strict guidelines of use are in place. Where, when and who can view the data collected would be a good start.

Also, any misuse of the cameras by individuals will result in discipline that should include losing their job.

Discarding an effective tool of law enforcement is not the way to proceed. The city will be less safe without this tool.

— Tom Troskey, St. Paul