Readers Write: Minnesota State Fair, Minneapolis police union, Enbridge Line 3, local news

No fair. I woke up to a beautiful sunrise this Thursday morning, a day that I would normally faithfully attend the first day of the Minnesota State Fair — but not this year. The fair has only been canceled a handful of times since 1855, and I join thousands of regular attendees in contemplating the joys and adventures of my 70-some years attending many past fairs. This one-year respite will pass, and as in past Labor Day closings, we will look forward with eager anticipation to next year. (Hopefully, a year free of pandemic disease, high unemployment and civil unrest, with improvements to political leadership and social issues.)

Last night my wife and I prayed for all those affected by the impact of this current nonevent. We thought of all those who own, manage and work fair venues here and throughout the country and depend on them for their livelihood. Then there is the city and its workers who generously facilitate and host the event, the exhibitors who share the fruits of their talents and the neighbors who weather all the traffic congestion and noise for 12 days each summer. We prayed for all the disappointed children and the child in all of us waiting yet another 365 days to experience all we love and cherish about our Great Minnesota Get Together.

364 days and counting ...

Thank you, police union head Bob Kroll, for demonstrating so clearly to all of us just how out of touch you are and why you must go ("Kroll blasts chief for 'bad leadership,' " Aug. 20).

In his criticism of Minneapolis Police Department Chief Medaria Arradondo, Kroll asked, "How can you be a copper 30-plus years and give up your integrity and just go with what you know is absolutely wrong?" That was my question exactly when Kroll rose to the defense of Derek Chauvin.

About the protests in front of his home, Kroll said, "We're losing control of civil behavior in society these days because of things like this." No, Mr. Kroll, civil behavior breaks down when officers in a position of trust regularly mistreat certain segments of our fellow civilian population and when their union leaders turn a blind eye to these offenses. The stats show that Black citizens consistently endure harsher experiences in the justice system, from more frequent traffic stops to longer prison sentences. If there were any lingering doubts about the institutional nature of racism in our city, Kroll's smoking gun shoots those down.

Kroll said that he has decided to continue serving as police union president after his current term expires in the spring. But that is not his choice to make. I have sympathy for Minneapolis police officers, most of whom are good folks doing a tough job the best they can, and who are undoubtedly feeling bounced around as we debate the future of Minneapolis law enforcement. When the officers select their next union leader, they can help show the way forward by making clear to all whether they stand for men like Kroll and Chauvin or for a society of mutual, colorblind respect and basic human decency.

So Kroll wants Arradondo to resign. Meanwhile, according to the Star Tribune's recent poll, 66% of Minneapolis residents have an unfavorable opinion of the MPD, while almost as many (63%) have a favorable view of Arradondo. While the Star Tribune did not poll on the question, a reasonable conclusion would be that it is precisely the police union led by Kroll, not Arradondo's leadership, that Minneapolitans blame for the abhorrent culture of racism and violence that led to George Floyd's death and the subsequent failure of the MPD to respond responsibly and manage the protests peacefully.

We need to get past vague slogans about "defunding" and "dismantling" and instead get real about exactly what needs to be done. In next year's city elections, the one question I will have for any candidate for mayor or City Council is this: What is your specific plan for ridding the city of the cancer that is the Police Officers Federation and bringing genuine accountability and transparency to whatever system of public safety we have in the future? If they don't have an answer to that, I will not even consider voting for them.

Gov. Tim Walz is right that a project with major environmental impacts like Enbridge Line 3 requires a "social permit" as well as a building permit ("Walz's Enbridge appeal irritates unions," Aug. 20). His decision to allow the Commerce Department's appeal on Line 3 also honors two new developments. First, it takes a step toward restoring balance to a Public Utilities Commission process that the legislative auditor's office recently found was unfairly tilted to Enbridge's advantage. Second, it acknowledges the winds of change blowing through northern Minnesota.

Just this month, clean-energy advocate Jen McEwen defeated pro-pipeline incumbent Erik Simonson in Duluth's state Senate DFL primary. McEwen earned 73% of the vote even though Simonson was endorsed by organized labor and Walz. That result would have been unthinkable five years ago, but projects like Line 3 aren't nearly as popular as they used to be. It's no secret that many people north of the metro have become increasingly resentful of foreign corporations telling them environmentally destructive projects in their communities are a "good idea," and then seeing those projects relentlessly promoted by a small group intent on breaking ground for short-term profit, no matter what the long-term cost. The DOC appeal is a nod to those changing sentiments as well.

I read with interest the commentary by Reed Anfinson ("Local newspapers need help," Aug. 17) and the counterpoint by Al Zdon ("It's not time to turn into government-run news," Aug. 19), both well-respected in the newspaper industry. Anfinson favors a government bailout. Zdon thinks it would be sacrilegious.

I am the former publisher of the Fergus Falls Daily Journal, when it was still a daily. We sent a good percentage of the revenue — I don't mean profits; I mean revenue — to the larger corporation far away. The company wasn't evil. I liked working for them very much, but, speaking logically about newspapers struggling, it was money that, in a nonprofit situation, could be invested and saved for reserves. When bad times come, you have rainy-day funds. The typical for-profit newspaper model has them starting from scratch each and every month.

Memberships would result in greater buy-in than mere subscriptions. Make readers feel valued and part of the news process.

As for e-commerce, I always lobbied for newspaper websites to become the online shopping centers for their downtown retail stores. Allow readers to purchase local goods right then and there online, not just see the ads next to the story. Zip the completed purchase orders to the retail partners, then that store sends an employee out to drop off the goods. In addition to the ad revenue, the newspapers get a cut of each order.

Imagine wanting chocolates from the downtown candy store without getting out of your pajamas. You go to the newspaper website and place an order. (Frankly, why didn't they think of this years ago, when newspapers were online and most stores weren't yet?)