Rein in, repair, restore, St. Paul

My property taxes in St. Paul went up 20.78% last year. The current proposed increase for 2026 will raise it another 11.1%. How many citizens of St. Paul can sustain an almost 32% increase in property taxes over just two years? When will we see some relief?

It is not surprising that the population of St. Paul is decreasing. The City of St. Paul needs to refocus its spending to only “must haves” and core services until the loss of federal and state funding is better understood. No new discretionary spending. This is the same analysis each of us, as individuals, are doing with our own budgets. This is not stagnation. It is stabilization. This would be responsible financial stewardship on the part of the City.

People are attracted to cities that are well managed. They look to see how high the taxes are and what the community is getting for their taxes. In St. Paul, we have terrible streets, a Parks Department with a maintenance backlog of over $200M and a downtown that is drying up. We have the second highest property tax burden of all the cities that the state reports on. We have the highest sales tax in the state. How are all those funds being spent?

We have reached a breaking point for many. Time to rein in the spending, repair the flawed priorities of St. Paul’s city government and start to restore trust in the ability of our leaders to govern our beloved city.

Gary R. Todd, St. Paul

 

Looking like fools

Minnesota wins a lot of “most of” contests. Like lakes, walleyes, days below freezing, etc. But his latest award takes the cake. Gov Walz apparently has the biggest government fraud numbers in the country. Makes the legendary Chicago corruption look like penny-ante scams. Thanks for keeping the state in the national news. We appreciate looking like fools to the rest of the country.

Louis Matis, Roseville

 

He did OK after that

Note to all the so-called sports analysts and Viking fans: Troy Aikman went 0-11 his first year, which was cut short due to injury. He did OK after that.

David Cassman, St. Paul

 

Is Venezuelan dope more addictive than Honduran dope?

President Trump recently announced he will be pardoning ex-Honduran President Hernandez, who is serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking in a West Virginia penitentiary. Hernandez had been found guilty in U.S. courts of importing cocaine into this country.

This confuses me. The president’s stated reason for threatening to launch a war against Venezuela is the drug trafficking by the Venezuelan president. So why the pardon for the ex-Honduran president? Is Venezuelan cocaine more addictive than Honduran cocaine? Or could this be a quid pro quo-caine?

Steve Larson, Minneapolis

 

The president’s petulant whims

All command positions in our military operate under an explicit directive to never needlessly place those under their command in harm’s way. Those deserving of their rank feel some bit of personal failure and responsibility for every life lost. We now have a soldier fatally shot during a deployment that served no purpose other than meeting her Commander in Chief’s insatiable need for theatrical stunts that draw attention to him, and to make it appear he’d gained the upper hand in his whizzing match with a duly elected local official. The most likely outcome for anyone at a lesser level of command would be immediate dismissal and a court martial hearing.

Many offer reasons for yet another impeachment, but prominent among them should be his demonstrable ignorance of the fact members of the military offer their lives in service to the critical needs of our country, not to the childishly petulant whims and grandiose fantasies of its Commander in Chief. And while none of them fired the bullet that took this young soldier’s life, no one in her chain of command who stood by silently in the face of this deployment order can claim not to have had a role in this tragedy.

Tom Baldwin, Falcon Heights

 

Not the way to make America great

Americans expect the president to inform the nation of important issues and events in a formal capacity: State of the Union addresses, important press conferences, etc. Trump, however, randomly, haphazardly and sporadically communicates using a variety of methods, including social media.

Some might consider this being “transparent” and “speaking to the common person;” instead, it’s unfiltered, irresponsible, and downright dangerous.

When we face a crisis as a nation, we want someone to show us a calm, even-tempered demeanor. We want to know that our leader is on the job, managing the crisis in a serious, controlled fashion. We don’t need or want our president publicly projecting his first knee-jerk, emotional reaction; making random, unsubstantiated threats; and casting aspersions on people before he knows all the facts. We don’t need our president calling people names, inciting violence against his perceived enemies and creating social, political unrest.

Trump makes it difficult for us to remain unified as a nation, for us to thoughtfully and effectively solve problems together, and for common decency and humanity to rule the day. His recent rant in the wake of the National Guard tragedy in which one soldier was killed and another critically wounded fanned the flames of violence and unrest in America. Rather than address the tragedy with the seriousness, concern and decorum becoming a leader, he lashed out senselessly and irresponsibly. He spewed blatant and harmful lies about immigrants, insulted a state leader using disgusting language, and openly mocked a member of Congress for her culture and religious beliefs.

The shooter in question was legally accepted into the country during the Trump administration. He came here legally, obtained legal status, and was in no way considered illegal or a criminal until he attacked the National Guard soldiers. The event was tragic, heartbreaking, but certainly doesn’t warrant sweeping generalizations that only serve to pit us against each other in this country.

Unfiltered anger and angst is no way to lead a nation, and no way to make America great.

Laurie Harmon, Hudson

 

Sainted and Tainted

Sainted to the Pioneer Press for printing the article “Cop describes a DWI crash — his own” in the Nov. 26 daily paper. Back in August, Allan Olson (a Woodbury police officer) and his 18-year-old son, Jacob, were injured in an ATV in Itasca County while on vacation, were hit by an impaired driver and both seriously injured. This very preventable collision has changed their lives and their family’s forever. Somehow, both survived and required multiple surgeries and wide financial hardship.

Now, a Tainted to the impaired  driver who hit them.

The article’s main message is that these types of tragic crashes are completely preventable. “To stay safe, drivers should plan their ride before using any impairing substances, line up a sober driver, use rideshare, schedule a pickup or offer to be a designated driver.”

There are many life-saving messages in this timely article…worth reading and following through with family and friends.

Bill Vilendrer, Lake St. Croix Beach

 

A break and a laugh

Thank you for running Mark Glende’s essay, “Just a simple dream, my dream of a birthday mow,” in the Thanksgiving edition of the Pioneer Press. Between all the food prep I was doing on Thanksgiving morning, I took a break, and his essay his gave me a needed laugh. Thank you, and please thank him, too.

M Emily Nieters, Mendota Heights

Related Articles

Obituary: Renowned TU Dance founder Toni Pierce-Sands, 63, reminded dancers there’s ‘nothing to prove, only to share’

St. Paul police investigating Payne-Phalen fatal shooting

Another business in a Madison Equities building may leave downtown St. Paul

St. Paul’s Grand Meander is Saturday. Here’s what to do, see and sample

Crayon therapy: St. Paul minister creates, donates coloring books for women in shelters

St. Thomas’ historic season came to a close Friday night at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis in a five-set battle with No. 5 Iowa State, 25-21, 13-25, 16-25, 25-21, 8-15.

Iowa State’s balanced attack proved too much for St. Thomas as four different Cyclones finished with double-digit kills. The Tommies valiant effort came up just short of a monumental upset.

In its first season of Division I postseason eligibility, St. Thomas played its first NCAA Tournament match. The Tommies looked to win and snap a 28-year drought by Summit League teams in the NCAA Tournament.

St. Thomas held its own against No. 5 Iowa State in the first set snatching a 13-10 lead midway through thanks to strong serving and dominant net presence.

Tommies head coach Thanh Pham said while Iowa State poses problems for opponents his team’s recent success in the first set had him confident.

“We were actually expecting to win the first set, and to actually (play) out that way was actually a touch of relief,” Pham said.

St. Thomas sealed Set 1 with an Addie Schmotzer kill on setter Morgan Kealy’s 15th assist of the set. It was the Tommies first-ever set win in the Division I NCAA Tournament.

St. Thomas hit .355 in the opening frame and was led by senior middle blocker Megan Wetter and freshman outside hitter Anya Schmidt with four kills each.

Kealy said the plethora of options across the court helps the offense stay on track.

“There’s really no bad option on our team,” Kealy said. “Having a balanced offense, and being able to trust anyone at any time.”

The second set started in similar back-and-forth fashion but the Cyclones asserted themselves with a 5-0 run midway through to take a 12-8 lead, forcing Pham to call a timeout.

The Tommies could not find an answer for Iowa State’s offensive onslaught as the run reached 11-0 before St. Thomas got back on the board. The Cyclones cruised to the finish line in Set 2 to even the match.

Cyclones head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said St. Thomas came out aggressively at the service line but her team found its rhythm in Set 2.

“Sometimes you’re just in that groove, and especially once we calmed down, you could see what we’re capable of,” Johnson-Lynch said. “So we just had to calm down, we had to serve a past much better. We were kind of on our heels (in) set one.””

Iowa State found its flow offensively in the second set, hitting .552 with 16 kills and no attacking errors.

It was a commanding 25-16 Set 3 victory for Iowa State, who never trailed in the set, and put the Cyclones in pole position to advance.

But the Tommies, fighting for their season, responded by jumping out to a 7-3 lead in the fourth set. St. Thomas then responded to an Iowa State surge with a 6-1 run to grab a 19-15 edge.

Iowa State made it close late but a gritty St. Thomas effort helped the Tommies seize a 25-21 Set 4 win and force a season-deciding fifth set.

The Cyclones opened up an 8-5 lead in Set 5 thanks to three diving digs from sophomore libero Rachel Van Gorp. She finished with a career-high 33 digs.

Iowa State carried that momentum down the stretch to collect its first NCAA Tournament win since Dec. 2, 2022.

St. Thomas season ends in heartbreak after taking Iowa State the distance. Pham teared up as he talked about this special group and the nine seniors who played their final match.

“Today we didn’t win, but our program got better,” Pham said. “I know that on the scoreboard, a lot of people are looking at, “did you get the W?” I just feel like it was a momentous step for our program to compete with a team like Iowa State.”

Related Articles

Gophers likely bowl destination: Rate Bowl in Phoenix

Gophers dismiss defensive line coach Dennis Dottin-Carter

D3 Football: Patience, persistence paid off for Matt Walker and Wisconsin-River Falls

‘This group is ready’: Young, tested Gophers volleyball team set for NCAA run

Gophers football: Five players plan to enter transfer portal

By COLLIN BINKLEY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is bringing back dozens of Education Department staffers who were slated to be laid off, saying their help is needed to tackle a mounting backlog of discrimination complaints from students and families.

Related Articles

Arizona congresswoman claims she was pepper sprayed during federal operation

FAA launches investigation into US airlines over flight cuts ordered during the shutdown

What to know about the air traffic control overhaul and the company FAA hired to manage it

What to know about the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein files

What to know as lawmakers disclose vivid new details of US boat strikes

The staffers had been on administrative leave while the department faced lawsuits challenging layoffs in the agency’s Office for Civil Rights, which investigates possible discrimination in the nation’s schools and colleges. But in a Friday letter, department officials ordered the workers back to duty starting Dec. 15 to help clear civil rights cases.

A department spokesperson confirmed the move, saying the government still hoped to lay off the staffers to shrink the size of the department.

“The Department will continue to appeal the persistent and unceasing litigation disputes concerning the Reductions in Force, but in the meantime, it will utilize all employees currently being compensated by American taxpayers,” Julie Hartman said in a statement.

In the letter to employees, obtained by The Associated Press, officials said the department needs “all OCR staff to prioritize OCR’s existing complaint caseload.” The office handles everything from complaints about possible violations of disability rights to racial discrimination.

More than 200 workers from the Office for Civil Rights were targeted in mass layoffs at the department, but the firings have been tied up in legal battles since March. An appeals court cleared the way for the cuts in September, but they’re again on hold because of a separate lawsuit. In all, the Education Department workforce has shrunk from 4,100 when President Donald Trump took office to roughly half that size now, as the president vows to wind down the agency.

The department did not say how many workers are returning to duty. Some who have been on administrative leave for months have since left.

The Office for Civil Rights had a backlog of about 20,000 discrimination cases when Trump took office in January. Since then, with a significantly reduced workforce, the backlog has grown to more than 25,000, AP reporting has shown using department data.

Trump officials have defended the layoffs even as complaints pile up, saying the office wasn’t operating efficiently, even at full staff.

The Office for Civil Rights enforces many of the nation’s laws about civil rights in education, including those barring discrimination based on disability, sex, race and religion. It investigates complaints from students across the country and has the power to cut funding to schools and colleges that violate the law, though most cases are resolved in voluntary agreements.

Some former staffers have said there’s no way the office can address the current backlog under the staffing levels left after the layoffs. Families who have filed discrimination complaints against their schools say they have noticed the department’s staffing shortages, with some waiting months and hearing nothing.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like the days of the perfunctory take on holiday arts programming are behind us. Something in the air at Twin Cities performances this year suggests a renewed commitment among local artists to giving it all they’ve got. Perhaps the current troubled state of things and the attendant feelings of helplessness have theater artists and musicians recognizing their work to be all the more important, be it to offer solace or inspiration.

I submit as Exhibit A Penumbra Theatre’s production of “Black Nativity.” It’s the 33rd version of this show that’s been presented by the Twin Cities’ foremost purveyors of plays and musicals about the lives of African-American people, and I’ve caught several of them. But I don’t recall it ever being as electrifying as what I experienced at Thursday’s opening night.

In recent years, Penumbra has been making music more the focus of its “Black Nativity” productions, which combine Langston Hughes’ adaptation of the Christmas story with carols traditionally sung in African-American churches and modern dance centered on Jesus’ birth.

Albert “Coco” Conteh and MerSadies McCoy portray Joseph and Mary in the ballet sequences of Penumbra Theatre’s “Black Nativity,” which is being presented at the theater through Dec. 24. (Caroline Yang)

It’s always been a worthwhile holiday tradition, but this year’s production is suffused with so much energy, enthusiasm and masterful musicianship that the most docile visitors to Penumbra’s intimate theater in the Rondo neighborhood might find themselves bouncing in their seats.

The theatrical structure is very much that of a concert, with a chorus of six women and a five-piece band supporting the often breathtaking efforts of principal soloists Greta Oglesby and Dennis Spears. The singers’ résumés boast years of experience with such stars of spiritual-centered music as Sounds of Blackness and the Steeles.

But, as I let the waves of wonderful music flow over me, I found myself thinking about another Twin Cities group of similar vintage: Moore by Four. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sanford Moore led that vocal quartet through several successful years at local clubs, offering its own contemporary spin on jazz standards. Spears was a staple of that group, and it’s fascinating to find that music director Moore’s skills have transferred so successfully to the gospel realm.

There’s a lot of music in this “Black Nativity” that sounds like jazz, giving the sense that much of the good-natured one-upmanship between the singers could just as easily be used in wordless scatting and love ballads as singing the praises of Jesus.

Four vocal soloists — from left, Greta Oglesby, Deborah M. Finney, Angela Stewart and Dennis Spears — sing Christmas songs from the gospel tradition in Penumbra Theatre’s “Black Nativity,” which is being presented at the theater through Dec. 24. (Caroline Yang)

Yet make no mistake that these performances are clearly fired by religious fervor. Oglesby has been in these productions for years, but I’ve never heard her sing with such power and conviction as on opening night. Whether engaging Spears in an adrenaline-raising duet on “How Excellent is Your Name” or putting her own stamp on the most moving “O Come, All Ye Faithful” I’ve ever experienced, Oglesby seemed a performer who’s found another level in expressing herself onstage.

If she comes off as tapping into a fresh taste of liberation, so do dancers MerSadies McCoy and Albert “Coco” Conteh in their exhilarating execution of Marciano Silva dos Santos’ choreography. Add Jennifer Whitlock’s compelling straight-from-the-pulpit narration and Moore’s takes on the traditional that range from Louisiana swamp pop to slow-burning funk and you have a marvelous opportunity to experience some spiritual renewal, no matter your religious tradition.

‘Black Nativity’

When: Through Dec. 24

Where: Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul

Tickets: $45-$20, available at 651-224-3180 or penumbratheatre.org

Capsule: A particularly impassioned take on a holiday theatrical tradition.

Related Articles

Theater review: Fresh ‘Phantom’ reminds us why it became Broadway’s biggest smash

Review: History Theatre’s Winter Carnival musical tuneful but scattershot

Theater review: ‘The Notebook’ goes for a gusher at the Ordway

Theater review: Guthrie’s ‘Christmas Carol’ could use more spirit

Review: Heart of Children’s Theatre’s ‘Grinch’ grows bigger by the year