Election 2008
Supports
Veurink’s position
I find it entertaining to read the columns (March 20, and April 3) expressing the Democrat view of the transportation bill and their support for Mr. Pitzrick. I also read the column on March 27 submitted by Kathy Veurink. As a constituent of District 42B I am keenly interested in the thought process of the representative we send to St. Paul. I find it very disingenuous that Mr. Pitzrick does not declare how he would have voted on the transportation bill and then proceeds to tell us of bipartisan efforts.
I am sure that we all wish for a political environment where slogans like; “positive, energetic, hopeful, can-do, bipartisan, let’s-be-a-better-state” accurately reflect the reality of our government. However, we are in a recession, gas prices have doubled in the last year, home energy costs have risen causing us to be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer, our property taxes have risen by double digits, homes are being foreclosed upon and tragedies such as the I-35W Bridge occur. The fact of the matter is that the Democrats are in control of the Congress in Washington and both the State Senate and the State House ... and we want more of this?
Personally, I agree with Ms Veurink’s positions. Gov. [Tim] Pawlenty has made great improvements in our highways since he has taken office and with no new taxes! I also agree that if we are to cast blame for the I-35W Bridge collapse, we should look to the administrations that designed and constructed the bridge. Those were Wendell Anderson and Rudy Perpich, both Democrats. Should we not also ask the question of proper review and maintenance of Elwyn Tinklenberg, Gov. Ventura’s Transportation Commissioner, who is running as a Democrat for the 6th Congressional seat.
Ms. Veurink is correct when she says … “Why fix what isn’t broken?” The transportation plan of Gov. Pawlenty that has been instituted by Lt. Gov. Molnau for the last 5 years is working with no new taxes. If the Democrat legislature is so keen upon “bi-partisan efforts,” then why is it that they cannot allow our elected chief executive to execute his transportation plan?
It was stated that, in addition to the I-35W bridge, that the Hastings bridge was deficient. Under the governor’s original plan all of these bridges were due for repair and refurbishment. Then the Democrat Legislature mandated 40 percent of the transportation budget to go to mass transit and trains. This system serves limited populations and limited geography at a high subsidized cost. Just think, if we had all of this money; would there have been a tragedy or a substandard rating in Hastings? Think about it before you vote!
I may sound like a right-leaning Republican, but the fact of the matter is I vote for those whom I believe will guide our state and our country in the proper direction. It is exceedingly clear to me that if Ms. Veurink is on the ballot this fall, she has my vote.
Lisa Crebar
Eden Prairie
Other topics
Solar power
important
I am an eighth-grader at Central Middle School in Eden Prairie. I am doing an environmental project in my science class on the importance of solar power. Did you know that Eden Prairie households are responsible for producing 200,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year? This is based on the electrical and natural gas the average household uses to heat and power their home. This vast amount of greenhouse gas contributes to global warming. One way to reduce this is if everyone in Eden Prairie bought solar panels. It would require only two solar panels to heat water for a household -even in December. This can save each household 35 percent of its energy use and up to 80 tons of carbon dioxide from entering our environment.
I’d also like to encourage citizens to be supportive of solar power for utility companies. According to Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona congresswoman who is vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, a 100 square foot section of land in the Southwest could produce enough energy to power the entire United States. It is essential that tax credits for solar power be extended.
Solar power is a great alternative fuel. It can eliminate our dependence on oil and is friendly to our environment. It’s time to move on this and really change our future.
Ryan Borchardt
Eden Prairie
Favors Flying
Cloud Drive
It’s terrific to see the city re-establishing a great street name that has gone by the wayside over the years.Flying Cloud Drive! What a terrific, descriptive name that evokes childhood memories of cruising down that road in the family station wagon. We’d head out from the city with the wicker picnic basket in back. Past the Prairie Motel; past the turn-off to Rock Isle Park on Bryant Lake; past the mysterious junk yard (next to present day Wooddale Church) and down to Flying Cloud Airport. It was always the first nice day in spring when school was over for the day.We’d picnic at the stone look-out on the bluffs and see the wonderful view of the entire river valley. It really hasn’t changed at all on the Eden Prairie side!On the way back we’d get gas at the Flying Red Horse station. Where else would a Flying Red Horse have lived but on Flying Cloud Drive? Sorry to know that it’s gone now.Kudos to the city for bringing back a bit of history and doing their best to eliminate the public usage of the mundane number system for this wonderful byway.
Brian Duoos
Eden Prairie
National politics
Pause and
think on Iran
I am afraid there will be a push this year to start a war with Iran to stop their supposed development of nuclear weapons of mass destruction (and to control their oil fields.) Therefore, I write this to help people pause and think.
Iran has an approximate area of 636,000 square miles and a population of approximately 68.0 million people, or about a quarter of the U.S. population. They have 545,000 active troops and a defense budget of $6.6 billion. For comparison, Iraq has an approximate area of 168,000 square miles. Before the War in Iraq, the population of Iraq was about 23.3 million, and Iraq had 429,000 active troops and a defense budget of $1.4 billion. If we decide to attack Iran, we would face a larger population in a larger area and a better-funded and larger army (along with civilians defending their homeland) than we faced going into Iraq.
The extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed our armed forces and our economy. To attack Iran, we would need either to increase greatly in our military forces (most likely through a draft) or to use many bombings (possibly nuclear weapons) to weaken the Iranian military, along with many civilian causalities. The monetary costs for attacking Iran would strain our already weak economy. Another war would tax our workforce when we need people building our country and not fighting to overthrow another.
Other nations would oppose our rush into another war because of what we have done in Iraq. Our country could face resistance ranging from economic sanctions against the U.S. to military and economic support for Iran. Other countries might even worry about being the next country targeted by our guns. Other nations have viewed the U.S. positively because we lead by doing what is right; we risk losing that privilege because we continue to make unwise decisions.
The history between our country and Iran has many incidents of misunderstandings and terrible errors: our support of the Shah over their elected leader, the takeover of the U.S. Embassy, our support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War, our downing of an Iranian airliner in 1988, and the tension resulting from the current Iraq War. The people of Iran elected President Ahmadinejad, who has challenged the United States and Israel, primarily because they felt he could lead against the United States during crises. Iranians support the Shia in Iraq because their strong religious bonds compel them to support their people’s survival.
There is hope for peace. Many Iranians admire our free culture and creative output. Iran helped persuade the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan to fight against Al Qaeda. Iran is a representative government with leaders chosen by its citizens. Iran has many rational people; we should try to convince them peace is in their best interests.
These reasons lead me to believe attacking Iran would be the biggest mistake ever made by our country. I can only hope intelligent people succeed to make the right decisions.
Dan Daniels
Eden Prairie