Latimer’s loyal service to our community

I know that I’m merely one of countless St. Paul residents that has a George Latimer story.

I first met Mayor Latimer in 1977. I was a senior at Humboldt High School and the mayor addressed a dedication ceremony for our brand new building. We spoke that day of our shared Lebanese heritage and my plans for the future. In the many years since then, he and I would bump into each other several times, always within the St. Paul city limits. To his credit, Mayor/Dean/Professor/Citizen Latimer always remembered me and our first meeting. We’d greet each other as best we could in the Arabic language of our grandparents, and would catch up on each other’s family.

During one of those chance meetings, he reminded me how fortunate we were to live in a community where, despite its large size, it was commonplace for old acquaintances to run into each other every so often. In my view, George Latimer played a leading role in growing that sense of community in St. Paul. And I will always be grateful to him for his shining example of pride in, and loyal service to, our great city and its many excellent institutions. May he rest in peace.

Paul Ablan, St. Paul

Fast bikes, cars and no buffer

The other day we were driving along Summit Avenue and came across this group of bikers. I don’t imagine these bikers ever choosing to ride on a raised bike path.

With the current plan for a raised path, the street bike path and buffer zone would be taken away, leaving fast bikes and cars to share the street, which is much more dangerous than our current situation.

I’ve noticed that around 75% of the bikers on Summit Avenue are “fast” bikers who would not use a raised path. Please consider this before spending millions of dollars and cutting down trees.

Gretchen Cudak. St. Paul

Spend here? Then cut there

I’ve been involved in a small, cooperative business for the past 21 years, and while the United States is not a small business, there is a fundamental financial idea I think might apply: You don’t buy something, when you don’t have the money.

Clearly the U.S. is in debt to itself, and some debt is okay. Certain programs need to continue for the well-being of our citizens.

With this in mind, my “modest proposal” is that when the government wishes to spend our money on new projects (for example: the Green New Deal), the money projected to be spent is removed from other areas. So, if we want EV charging stations across the land, the money from this project could come from Education, Defense, Social Security, Medicare, Agriculture, other countries, world organizations, or even – gasp – Pork Barrel projects across the country. The greatest minds in Washington, D.C., could determine this.

Also, if a project is “guaranteed” to generate money, do not take this fictional future cash into account when determining the actual cost of the project. Any real cash generated could be used to reduce the deficit. As with a small business, things would be different if we were not so much in debt. Finally, those great minds could decide NOT to do the project at all.

As most of us know from experience, being in debt is not fun. It is a challenge to do better.

Mead Stone, Stillwater

The law is the law?

Regarding: “Driver, 20, is charged in fatal collision. Pregnant woman and baby killed, husband hurt; suspect drunk, police say” (Aug. 21, Pioneer Press).

The woman was five months pregnant with the baby that was killed in the collision. Lock that in your minds. The driver has been charged with one count each of criminal vehicular homicide (one for the woman and one for the unborn baby) while under the influence of alcohol and DWI plus two counts of criminal vehicular operation while under the influence of alcohol.

The puzzlement here is how can the unborn baby’s death be considered a criminal act, yet, a woman can voluntarily have an abortion and its considered a legal act?  The results are the same — a dead baby. There is no justification or legal grounds to have it both ways. If you say, “the law is the law and it must be upheld,” I say to you, “The law needs to be changed.”

Gary Schraml, Lindstrom

Why all the hubbub?

I don’t get what all the hubbub is all about regarding Project 2025. One of these comes out every four years by The Heritage Foundation no matter who’s in the White House. It’s a conservative think tank just like all the liberal think tanks at many of our universities. They’re all giving their opinions to anyone who will listen. But the Democrats sure are hammering on it just to scare the hell out of everybody. That’s all they got. I’d be more worried about the teachings of Mao that our governor seems so interested in.

Mark Ruecker, Roseville

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