Wish more politicians would follow the governor’s lead
Regarding Joe Soucheray’s Sunday May 11 column on Gov. Walz’s 2025 budget, in which Walz proposed to end some taxpayer subsidies to religious schools: Soucheray’s main argument is twofold: this has been a practice for 50 years and why would anybody oppose paying for religious students’ transportation costs.
I suggest Soucheray go back to the Minnesota State Constitution that has been the law of the land since 1857: “Article 111 Sec. 2. Prohibition as to aiding sectarian school. In no case shall any public money or property be appropriated or used for the support of schools wherein the distinctive doctrines, creeds or tenets of any particular Christian or other religious sect are promulgated or taught.” That predates the 50-year liberalization of laws by legislators and the courts who used twisted logic rather than straightforward garage logic of transferring public tax dollars to religious schools.
Even longer before that, Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) “to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of (religious) opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical.”
I, for one, find comfort in the governor’s ability to take on an unneeded government benefit. I wish more politicians would have the nerve to follow the governor’s lead and eliminate more taxpayer subsidies to religious institutions.
Steve Petersen, Shoreview
A pittance compared with all the over-spending
Once again Joe Soucheray has come out swinging and has hit the target right on. I do hope our governor reads his columns — he could really learn something.
I might not be the smartest person in the room but I do have common sense. Does Gov. Walz really think this pittance that goes to non-public education would make up for all the over-spending that has been done? If many of the students attending non-public education are not able to continue in their schools because of tuition increases they could be forced to attend public schools, increasing enrollment and stretching class size and over worked teachers.
I worked in special education for the Saint Paul schools and my children all attended Catholic schools K-12 (and actually college as well). I remember during their years at Nativity, our children were asked to clean up the fields at Groveland because they used them for baseball and soccer games. What? Did they forget that their parents were paying property taxes in the city?
I think we should try to get Joe Soucheray to run for governor, mayor just about any office just to get someone that has a brain.
Joan Barrett, St. Paul
Cheers for the Frost
Cheers to the Minnesota Frost, our Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team, for never giving up. The PWHL is composed of the best female players in the world. The PWHL is about more than hockey. It is a movement empowering female athletes and society in general.
With three games remaining in the regular season they lost to the last-place New York Sirens at home. To qualify for the playoffs they would have to win their two remaining road games in regulation. They did. This gave them the chance to defend the Walter Cup, which they won in the PWHL inaugural season. Last season they also demonstrated a no-quit posture with comeback wins in the playoffs .The Walter Cup is given to the best team of the playoffs.
The Frost lost the first game of this year’s playoffs to the Toronto Sceptres. They rebounded and won the next three games, the last in overtime, to advance to the finals. They are three wins away from becoming Walter Cup champions again.
The Minnesota Wild this year in three home games in the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs sold out all three. Let’s show the same support when the Frost play at home at the Xcel Energy Center in the finals. Let’s sell out the arena. Let’s show civic and Minnesota pride. Let’s support these world-class athletes.
Never giving up, being resilient, passion, skill, hard work, teamwork, etc., are lessons in life our Minnesota Frost have displayed.
Gordon Hayes, Eagan
Take a more positive and objective view
This was a well written, heartfelt letter, very revealing regarding what Minnesotans are reading and comprehending.
The author begins, “I have never seen headlines and articles in the Pioneer Press or anywhere else like I’ve seen in the last week.”
He then goes on to list the headlines of the previous week, which were all Trump hit pieces.
His closing paragraph suggests he believes those hit pieces, and has not, or does not, read a broader range of information sources.
I too have been dismayed at the headlines over the past month, but have been questioning the lack of objectivity in current Pioneer Press reporting and editorials.
I close by challenging the writer to broaden his sources of information, while taking a more positive and objective view of America’s future.
Joe Remley, Hugo
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