Readers Write: Supreme Court, congressional race, utility fees and swim safety

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The conservative justices of the Supreme Court of the United States must be breathing easier with news media consumed with the 2024 election rather than decisions rendered at the end of the 2023-24 term: Bump stocks are fashion accessories for assault rifles, bribes paid to public officials are allowed if paid after the “favor,” presidents are above the law and judges are better positioned to determine rules and regulations governing the environment, public health, personal safety, finance, etc. These pesky regulations prevent business interests from maximizing profit.

Overturning Chevron deference, which federal courts used for four decades to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of federal laws, is very consequential. Lawyers for businesses, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs such as Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, etc.) are preparing for challenges to regulations, getting ready for the new Supreme Court term in October. The challenges will first be heard in lower courts before heading to the high court as the final arbiter.

In Minnesota, watch for challenges to the Twin Metals and PolyMet permit delays, water quality standards for PFOA/PFOS limits and remediation, oil pipeline permits, air quality standards for automobiles, industrial operations and power plants.

Removing experts with the education and training from the process of setting standards will be disastrous for our health and the environment. Clean air, safe water, access to public lands and consumer protections for products and financial institutions will be in the past. Companies do not have a track record of “doing the right thing” and Mother Earth can no longer recover.

Autumn 2024 will be “wild” with the presidential election and rolling back multiple regulations. Buckle up!

Michael Bennett, Eden Prairie

In Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin’s commentary endorsing U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar over challenger Don Samuels (”State DFL chair: Omar is the choice in the Fifth District — literally, and with good reason,” July 22), he neglected one salient fact. He was correct that she won the DFL endorsement by the required 60% on the first ballot. What he neglected to say is that she was pulled over the top by those known as “superdelegates.” Superdelegates are a potpourri of DFL elected officials and certain DFL insiders. They have not been elected as a delegate by any local caucus. They are simply awarded delegate privileges by virtue of their position within the party. In my opinion, as members of the party elite, superdelegates have an outsized ability to steer the direction of endorsements. If they don’t like the direction and work required of the democratic process, they are often able to change it as they think best.

Yes, I support Samuels. I have known him for over 30 years and worked with him both when he was an engaged community member and when he held elected office. I know him to be a person of integrity, wisdom and experience. He has given of himself all these years with no suggestion of improper benefit or enrichment. He rarely takes credit for the many things he has accomplished and would never take credit for the work of others. He has genuine humility. These qualities set him apart from the competition.

Samuels’ near defeat of the incumbent congressperson in the last election appears to have shaken the windows and rattled the walls of the Minnesota DFL elite.

Gregory Hestness, Minneapolis

We’ve recently seen two of the hottest days ever recorded on Earth, and 2023 was the hottest year “almost certainly” of the last 120,000, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. But I won’t bore you with more of that old news.

Right now, in Minneapolis, the mayor’s office is negotiating new franchise agreements with our utilities, Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy (”Minneapolis’ once-a-decade chance to fight for energy and the climate,” June 14). It’s a big deal. Franchise agreements were once seen as simple right-of-way agreements for the utilities stringing their wires and laying their pipes; but they’ve evolved to become climate change documents, agreements that help chart the course for the city’s clean energy transition.

As things are getting hotter, the utilities should at least commit to clear, enforceable annual performance metrics with consequences for failure to meet city goals. They have monopoly power, after all, and it seems a humble request that they be held accountable to benchmarks so that we all can see how it’s going. Are we actually transitioning to a clean energy future?

While the utilities own and profit from the vast majority of the energy assets in our city, it’s our air, our climate and our future. We need to be included in the conversation.

Brian Krohnke, Minneapolis

On Feb. 9, 1950, in a speech in Wheeling, W.Va., a relatively unknown senator from Wisconsin, knowing the angst in the country regarding encroaching Communist infiltration, announced: I have a list in my pocket with the names of members of the State Department who are known members of the Communist Party. Whether Joseph McCarthy, the senator in question, had such a list is irrelevant; whether the accusations were true or false is equally irrelevant. What is relevant is McCarthy had hit the jackpot in the art of manipulating the media. That announcement turned McCarthy into America’s champion. He castigated hundreds of Americans for alleged Communist ties in the McCarthy hearings. Were there Communists in the State Department? Probably. Were they a threat to the United States? Probably not. Was McCarthy serving the American public by his name-calling and derision of public servants? Absolutely not! He was serving himself. McCarthy’s genius was in finding ways to garner media attention. Thankfully, the country tired of his ruse and even his own party moved on.

If you find any relevance to today’s political arena, let’s hope history repeats itself. Let’s hope the media and the American public recognize the graft and move on before our democratic republic is destroyed.

Marian Severt, Brainerd, Minn.

Minneapolis urgently needs to add signage and emergency life preservers at common swimming areas.

According to the Red Cross, drowning is a leading cause of death for children in the United States. Those risks increase depending on your race or economic level. I have read several articles on drowning deaths in rivers and lakes this summer due to high water levels. You can imagine my surprise when I visited Minnehaha Falls this week and noticed extremely high water levels, fast currents and numerous families swimming. There were no signs posted to notify families of their risks to swim, no emergency life preserver available in case of an adverse event and no life jackets available for swimmers.

I acknowledge that the city may not want to encourage swimming at Minnehaha Falls and other areas, but to ignore the reality that many people swim there puts too many people at risk. They should also add more free or reduced swimming lesson options to the parks since the current public options fill up as soon as registration becomes available.

Kian Glenn, Minneapolis