What smart change requires
Subject: Balance.
If you have not heard, Minnesota is the only state in the nation right now that has a party majority different in the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. This is a big deal. With single-party leadership, extreme measures are likely to pass and be signed into law. When Gov. Tim Walz proposed a 20-cent increase on gasoline, and automatic increases to follow, the Senate stepped in and said, “no way.”
In addition, with a split power structure, every Democrat and Republican in the state is represented. Not only that, but those representatives have actual power in one of the legislative bodies or the other.
The split in power would likewise, benefit our city government. For many years, as a conservative, I have not been represented in City Hall. If we had balanced representation, there is no way we would have lost the right to choose our trash collector. So, as it might seem most efficient to have a mayor and city council with the same political ideology, smart change requires a balanced, sometimes opposing point of view.
Jerry Wynn, St. Paul
Run it like a utility
With more letters to the editor last week complaining about trash I had to laugh when garbage now appears to be the biggest issue of concern for the residents of our fine city. Then I became sad, because there are so many other larger issues, some that are life-threatening, that need our attention.
In 2002, we moved back to St. Paul from Minneapolis, where we lived for 30 years and raised a family. We saw no monthly garbage bill during that time, as Minneapolis treated this as a utility and garbage was covered by the Public Works Department. There appeared to be few if any complaints about garbage. They took everything, and, when we moved, we had over 20 bags of recycling with the garbage. There was no extra charge over the reasonable fee in my quarterly water bill.
St. Paul at least has been trying, but the trash business lawyers appeared to have outsmarted the city with the contract. Our city should maybe pass a bonding bill to buy out the remaining trash businesses and run it like a utility. I believe the city missed the boat on this issue well over 50 years ago.
Gary Thompson, St. Paul