Readers Write (Oct. 17): Taxis vs. Uber, the $15 minimum wage proposal, Russia's threat level, President Obama's legacy

It is not surprising that "libertarians" Lee McGrath and Anthony Sanders ("10 years of freedom in personal transportation," Oct. 13) are repeating the same unfounded Uber accusations against the taxi industry they did in 2006 when they rammed through their entrance into the Twin Cities transportation market. For these accusations, I say: Prove it. Of course, they can't, although I'm sure they will continue to use the same techniques as some politicians to tarnish their opponents. Rather, I would like to ask just one question of Uber: Why are you so secretive?

A customer taking a taxi and having a problem with the service has myriad avenues to complain and get a response. Not so with Uber. If a person wants information about a taxi driver's criminal history, it is available from the city of Minneapolis. Not so with Uber. Citizens who want to know how many taxi vehicles are operating in a city can find out. Not so with Uber. Customers who want information on how background checks are conducted can contact the city or any taxi company. Not so with Uber. Those who want detailed information on the insurance for the vehicle they are riding in can contact the city or any taxi company. Not so with Uber.

Full disclosure (or in some cases any disclosure), we are told by people who have tried, is impossible to obtain from Uber. I may never find out for sure, because Uber calls its business model "proprietary." But there is nothing new about its operational mode; some taxi companies have been using a similar booking system for as long as Uber has.

I would be happy to discuss or debate this with any Uber representative in any public forum. But I won't hold my breath waiting for a response.

The writer is training coordinator for Blue and White Taxi.

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In her Oct. 13  "10,000 Takes" article, Star Tribune writer Sharyn Jackson asked, "Why don't my Uber drivers like me?" For the record, the Uber rating system cuts both ways, and a low passenger rating has little to do with conversation skills, as Jackson suggested. Rather, Uber drivers rate passengers on what matters most in any economy: cash. Those who keep their Uber driver waiting (and therefore unpaid) for more than a minute, or who fail to leave a tip, can bet that their passenger rating will suffer. Since Uber fares barely cover drivers' operating costs and do not include a gratuity, passengers with low ratings might see Uber drivers decline their requests.

The increased income low-wage workers get will be spent right here and right now, and in an economy driven by consumerism, that's important.

In his rebuttal to Thomas Friedman's Oct. 6 commentary "Putting up with Putin has gone far enough," an Oct. 10 letter writer makes a number of assertions regarding Ukraine's conflict with Russia that do not line up with the facts.

Assertion: Russia has not attacked any country.

Fact: In 2014, Russia invaded and occupied Crimea. The Russian military has also been involved in training and supporting separatist forces in Ukraine's Donbas region.

Assertion: The U.S. encouraged a violent revolution against a democratically elected president.

Assertion: Ukrainian revolutionaries stormed toward Crimea, killing hundreds of Russians in their path.

Fact: The government-controlled media in Russia have continually referred to the participants of what is now refereed to as the "Revolution of Dignity" as fascists, neo-Nazis and ultranationalists and as anti-Semitic. No credible evidence has been produced to verify attacks on Russian nationals.

Assertion: 85 percent of Crimeans voted to join Russia.

Fact: A report written by Ivan Simonovic, U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights, alleges that the Russian government repressed dissent and anti-Russian sentiment in the days before the election, effectively rigging it in favor of a vote approving Russia's annexation of Crimea.

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Our U.S. air base had 20 minutes' notice to get our aircraft off the ground before long-range nuclear missiles or Russian MiGs bombed our base. We airmen and soldiers prepared for war with Russia every single day, and this threat certainly seemed real to us, given the tensions of that era.

Russia was the enemy back then, but that Russia was far worse a regime than the more pragmatic and diplomatic Russia that we face today. Our politicians must remember that fact.

This is why I find it terribly troubling and unnecessary that President Obama and Hillary Clinton have been so ineffective in their dealings with Russia. Ronald Reagan fared much better with Russia under much tougher circumstances. I believe that Donald Trump's deal-making ability would give the U.S. better results, too.

For those Americans who never lived during the Cold War nor experienced having their breakfast plate and silverware flying when the phrase "scramble, scramble, scramble" blurted over the chow hall loudspeaker, allow me to be crystal clear. A war with Russia could lead to an escalation that brings about the end of the world as we know it. And neither hacking, Syria or Ukraine is worth that risk.

Through all the disgusting distractions of this current election campaign, my heart is actually most saddened by the fact the President Obama will be leaving the White House soon. I voted proudly for this man twice and feel he deserves his place in American history as one of our greatest presidents.

Thank you, President Obama, for all the good — past, present and future — that you bring to our country. Your memory will last a long time with me. Amen.