Commentaries

May 04, 2009

 Commentaries is where Minnesota Public Radio welcomes your thoughtful opinion about current events and issues. Commentaries are like letters to the editor. To be considered for publication, your commentary should be issue-related, clearly written, and follow our Terms of Use. New insights into ongoing topics are especially welcome. Not all commentaries received are published. For topical interaction with others, visit the discussion groups.

Submit your commentary!


Speeding tickets are part of the budget?

I am appalled that speeding tickets are part of the state budget, and a community decreasing the number of speeding tickets would be considered robbing the state of income. [MPR News: Cities, state wrangle over low-level speeding fines]

If they are making such a large amount of money from speeding tickets, that really says only one thing: the speed limits are not set to a level because of safety, or because our representatives are acting on behalf of us. If the general public actually agreed with the speed limits, the state would not be making any significant amount of money off of the ticket industry.

Why doesn't the state instead tax us for the amount of money they have in the budget, and call things what they are. Speeding tickets are not a source of revenue, they are a punishment. When the government relies on a punishment as a source of income, the citizens interests are never kept in the government's sights. Instead, the government finds ways to make sure more people are guilty of the crime, so they can make more money. This is evident from the statement that they want to keep people from going to court when they get a ticket. They would like people to believe that when they get this ticket they are automatically guilty, and just have to pay the fine, and waive their right to innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. What a horrible system of government!

Justin Kremer
Minneapolis, Minn.


Raising taxes on non-essentials

Okay, I agree... smoking is bad for people and drinking is bad for people; raising taxes on alcohol and smokes is a way to discourage their use. [MPR Your Voice: Tax Commentaries] Moreover, people can decrease or stop smoking and drinking -- neither is an essential of life.

Apply the same reasoning to other things, though, if only for the sake of consistency. Tax bottled water, for instance; it's not a necessity at all and is frequently no more than tap water re-packaged. Tax soft drinks as well: not a necessity, not good for people; no more than flavored sweetened water in elaborate packaging. Tax processed food. Again, not a necessity, not good for people; ordinary ingredients in elaborate packaging. And while we're at it, tax clothing not made from natural materials i.e., all that stuff which is made from crude oil.

Using the same rationale we now hypocritically apply mostly to alcohol and tobacco. Not a necessity, not good for you, and not much more than schlock in a package -- the legislature could readily ease if not eliminate the state's budget shortages.

Ervin Wolff
St. Paul, Minn.


Two thoughts on the 'honking tree'

First, I do not applaud the vandalism. [MPR News: Vandals chop down Two Harbors' 'honking tree']

I do live near a road where the traffic and noise levels increase each year. That brings me to a noise question. Would the frequent horn honking be bothering anyone trying to work, live, or sleep within hearing distance to the tree?

My suggestion would be to plant 100 new trees as a memorial to the old tree.

Steve Gault
Sartell, Minn.


Commentaries home  :  Submit a commentary

MPR News
Radio

Listen Now

Schedule

Shortcuts
Hosts
Station Map

Other Radio Streams from MPR

Classical MPR
Radio Heartland

Services

Become a sponsor

In The Spotlight