Readers Write: National Third Graders Day, housing, federal cuts

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Thank you for reading this letter. My name is Karen Wadena, and I was just wondering why third-grade kids don’t have National Third Graders Day? There is a National Fourth Graders Day, so why can’t we have a National Third Graders Day? I saw how the fourth grade was having fun on their day this year. Some people in other grades were saying it was unfair. Some people were saying it was fair because that is their day. That is what made me think, “Woah, can we have a National Third Graders Day?”

One of my teachers helped me look it up, and we learned two teachers in New Jersey created National Fourth Graders Day. I figured I could work with my teachers and create National Third Graders Day. My teachers and I propose March 3 be named National Third Graders Day. If the third falls on a weekend, schools can celebrate the next Monday. Gov. Tim Walz, will you help us by declaring March 3 Third Graders Day in Minnesota? Other teachers and schools, will you join us this year on Monday, March 3 to celebrate? If you are reading this, thank you very much.

Karen Wadena and Desiree Reine

Wadena is a third grader at Naytahwaush Community Charter School, and Reine is an educational consultant.

The Thursday, Jan. 30 Minnesota Star Tribune’s top front-page article about home insurance is quite informative (“ ‘It’s a Disaster, Quite Frankly’ ”). It does an excellent job of helping those of us shocked by the high increases in our home insurance costs over the past few years understand why our premiums have gone up.

It comes as no surprise that the biggest factor is the increasing frequency of damaging storms and fires, or as an expert quoted in the article called them, “high-dollar climate catastrophes.” These catastrophes cause increasing costs to the companies so they have to raise our rates or get out of the business.

Later in the article it says: “Insurers also say the cost of rebuilding is rising, driven by factors like limited labor and more expensive materials and technology.”

Ironically, right now in the U.S., the president and his followers are undertaking two major initiatives that fly in the face of moderating home insurance costs.

First by denying climate change, pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords, eliminating gas mileage minimums for cars and trucks, eliminating electric vehicle initiatives and promoting the increased use of fossil fuels, which will only cause the prevalence of high-dollar climate catastrophes to increase. Second, removing much of the workforce for home repair and construction will only continue to raise the cost of such services.

Whether we’d like to admit it or not, with the exception of Native Americans, the U.S. has always been a country of immigrants. From America’s beginning, the “latest” wave of immigrants started on the bottom and did the dirty work that no one else wanted to do in order to make a living and try to get ahead. This has gone on since we were colonies and it is no different today.

Why are we literally cutting off our noses to spite our faces? Think about it. This makes no sense at all! We need policies that address real problems confronting us now and in the future.

Jay Jaffee, Minneapolis

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As a planning commissioner involved with this process in St. Louis Park, I learned a lot about what got us into a nationwide housing crisis (“Seeking growth, cities confront zoning hurdles,” Jan. 26). I worry that needed changes will not come fast enough if we rely upon individual cities to contribute millions of dollars and thousands of hours to these efforts. I’m grateful to the Metropolitan Council for offering grants to cities, but these resources could be much better spent if the state could pass legislation to allow duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and fourplexes in communities across the state. Exclusionary zoning has forced people to sprawl out into our farm and forest land that should have remained undeveloped, but it was the only affordable option for new homes.

This sprawl puts immense stress on our utilities, transportation systems and community connection. We need to do more to prevent sprawl from being the most financially affordable option because it is no longer affordable for our planet. Those opposed to statewide reform think that local control should not be taken away from cities. The only reason cities have this control in the first place is because it was granted to them by the state. Also, any legislation passed by the state should require that cities establish an administrative design review process. This would relieve planning commissioners, who are often volunteers like me, from involvement in a process that was only ever meant to prevent people of lower socioeconomic status from living in our city.

Sylvie Hyman, St. Louis Park

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I’ve been a renter in Minneapolis for almost 10 years, and have grown to love the many styles, sizes and price points of homes in my neighborhood of Kingfield. So I was encouraged to read the recent piece about state lawmakers’ bipartisan efforts to address the housing shortage in Minnesota (“Legislators unite to find housing fix,” Jan. 28).

I live in a nine-apartment building constructed in the 1930s (it has a lot of character) surrounded by single-family homes, duplexes and other apartment buildings. This makes it possible for my neighbors to find a home that works best for their lifestyle, family size and income. Unfortunately, in most Minnesota neighborhoods, restrictive zoning laws make it illegal to build anything but detached single-family homes. This has driven up living costs statewide due to an artificially low number of homes in the places people want to live. Families have to make tough choices: choose a neighborhood they love and struggle financially? Or move to a cheaper community with a longer commute, farther from family and friends?

As state Rep. Jim Nash says in the article, this is not a Democratic or Republican issue — the housing affordability crisis affects everyone, from the Twin Cities to rural Minnesota. To ensure every Minnesotan has a safe and affordable place to call home, we need state action to ensure that more kinds of homes can be built in more places.

Connor Carroll, Minneapolis

As I read the Jan. 29 article titled “Federal spending freeze blocked after day of chaos” my first thought was, well, Gov. Tim Walz, now you now know some of the pain that Minnesota business owners feel while trying to navigate through new Minnesota laws. Walz was quoted as saying “Most folks were up all night last night as we dealt with this being thrown on there with no guidance. I know you have a lot of questions. I have a lot of questions because not one damn person thought this through.”

Well, I would call that hypocrisy. As a business owner I will refer to just one of many examples where the state of Minnesota handed over a new law that businesses have to follow: the new Minnesota earned sick and safe time policy. Trying to navigate through this new law, my first thought was “Where is the guidance from the state?” Just a week later I was talking to another small-business owner who asked if I understood how to comply with this new law. So I would like to close this letter by saying: Well, Gov. Walz, now you know how some Minnesota business owners feel when new, complicated laws are put into place — let’s try to lead by example and live by the Golden Rule.

Larry Dubbe, Bigfork, Minn.

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Over my lifetime, I’ve interacted with federal employees from multiple agencies. I have had good experiences with Social Security, IRS, FBI, customs and Park Service employees and many others. With very few exceptions, the people I’ve encountered are ordinary folks trying to do a good job.

Everyone has anecdotes to share about federal workers. I just have to say that my experiences have been positive and I don’t want to see good people hurt.

Charles Carlson, Eden Prairie