Readers Write: The flag, war in Yemen, oil and gas, solar energy, Centerpoint Energy, roads and transit, Cory Hepola

PATRIOTISM

Take back our flag

Somehow, displaying the U.S. flag has become associated with neo-Nazis, right-wing extremists, haters and the like.

We are all Americans and should all be able to show pride in our country by displaying the flag without fear of retaliation by any association.

Nobody gets to be "prouder" than anyone else. If we let any one group claim ownership of our flag, American democracy will be lost to autocracy.

So, put your American flag bumper sticker right next to your RBG sticker, and your Black Lives Matter sticker, and your LGBTQIA sticker!

America is about us, and we are all lucky to be here.

Laura Wade, Minneapolis

WAR IN YEMEN

U.S. is complicit, so 'regional proxy war' doesn't cut it

I am disappointed by references in this newspaper to the war in Yemen as "a regional proxy war." That fails to account for the U.S. complicity in this war and the fact that 16 million people, including 2.5 million children, face starvation due to the bombings and blockade.

In Yemen, they refer to the war as the "Saudi American" war. But for U.S. intelligence and maintenance aid, the Saudis could not continue their bombing raids. Recently the U.S. sent $650 million worth of arms to Saudi Arabia. I am grateful that U.S. Sen. Tina Smith voted against sending these arms, and I was saddened that Sen. Amy Klobuchar supported it (based on what I view as a misinformed belief that the arms were defensive in nature). The only way to end U.S. complicity in this war and blockade is for Congress to act. My hope is this happens soon.

Julie Doherty, Minneapolis

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Many Yemenis feel that a main party causing their misery is the U.S.-Saudi coalition. Joe Biden, while campaigning for president, promised to stand up to the Saudis and demand an end to their bombing of Yemen. He has not done so. The U.S. has proclaimed it supports only "defensive" weapons for the Saudis, yet the bombing goes on, including a recent attack on a detention center that many killed migrants, and the purposeful targeting of internet facilities. U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Pramila Jayapal will soon introduce a resolution to stop our role in this tragedy, and I hope that Minnesota's delegation will support it.

James Haefemeyer, Minneapolis

OIL AND GAS

Wall Street Journal's 'other' view didn't warrant a reprint

The Star Tribune should be embarrassed for printing the "Other Views" editorial by the Wall Street Journal on March 17 ("Oil and gas: A question for Biden"). It was little more than disinformation with a purpose.

Ninety percent of oil leases are on federal land. In 2021, President Joe Biden's administration outpaced President Donald Trump's in their respective first years in office in issuing drilling permits on public lands. A fact easily verified. There are more than 9,000 permits issued right now that are not being used, at the choice of the producers. Drilling takes time to ramp up after the demand drop in 2020, explaining some of the delay. The U.S. produced more than 11 million barrels per day in Biden's first year in office, surpassing Trump's 9 million. Predictions for 2023 have the U.S. producing over 12 million barrels per day.

The leases are issued and the permits have been granted. About the only thing Biden can do to speed production is to get a shovel and offer to help dig. Does the Wall Street Journal expect him to?

Dallas Eggers, Prescott, Wis.

SOLAR ENERGY

The additional benefit you'll realize in home value

The person advocating for the two bills restricting homeowners associations from blocking solar panels on roofs ("A homeowner's right to go solar," Opinion Exchange, March 14) gave excellent reasons for her stance, including more jobs and cleaner air. Another great benefit is that, according to the home-listing site Zillow, homes with solar panels sell for approximately 4% higher on average than homes without solar energy — an added value of about $9,200 in 2021.

With climate change pummeling us and the price of fossil fuels skyrocketing, I can't think of one good reason for HOAs to reject solar energy. Perhaps a legislative nudge will help them see the light.

Laurel Regan, Rochester

CENTERPOINT ENERGY

Explain my rate hike, which would seem to exceed 3.9%

I had to laugh when reading the March 15 Business headline "CenterPoint customers may see 3.9% hike." I live in a single family home in Minneapolis, and my monthly CenterPoint budget bill went from $76 at the end of 2021 to $111 per month in 2022 — an increase of 46%! During the winter we keep our thermostat set at 64 degrees during the day and at 60 degrees overnight. Our home does not have central air-conditioning. This has been our practice for over 30 years.

I attempted to join the virtual public hearing via WebEx on this matter, but there were technical difficulties and I gave up after 15 minutes. The voices were so garbled that I could not understand anything that was being said.

My question to CenterPoint and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is: How can an increase of 46% to my monthly budget bill be justified without an explanation?

Lois Parker, Minneapolis

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I encourage all readers to take a close look at the concept of "free gas main footage" in the recent article about the CenterPoint rate case settlement. Free gas main footage allows CenterPoint to impose extra costs on all ratepayers when a new user is connected to the fossil fuel gas distribution system. Instead of each new user bearing the costs of the new line, and instead of the for-profit company CenterPoint paying for the expansion, the costs are socialized across all users. Even with this subsidy, all-in costs for a new electric household are typically less than the costs of installing and operating gas-fired appliances. And with electricity running our heat pumps and stovetops, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and tragic explosions are much reduced.

Evan Mulholland, Minneapolis

TRANSIT AND ROADS

Private property makes way for one but not the other

The Interstate 35W and Hwy. 100 projects took several homes and businesses with little pushback from the cities of Minneapolis and St. Louis Park. That's what makes the Metropolitan Council's agreement to a build $400 million tunnel to save several homes during the Southwest light-rail project so unfathomable.

Any congressional audit of the Southwest project should ask why homes and businesses can be taken for highway expansions but not for transit projects.

Ronald Hobson, St. Louis Park

GOVERNOR'S RACE

Shouldn't be your first rodeo

So, Cory Hepola is running for governor. When I heard of the possibility recently, I sincerely hoped it would not come to pass.

For starters, it seems like Hepola is a serial job-hopper: first KARE-TV, then WCCO-AM — and now he wants to dabble in politics. Perhaps he's trying to find his niche, as many of us do, but the way the world is we definitely don't need an amateur in the governor's residence. We've already survived the Jesse Ventura Third-Party Experiment and we don't need Hepola finding himself on our time.

On a related note, the country is facing many more years of painful recovery after having another media personality (aka amateur at governing) in the highest office in the land. We all know how that went.

Hepola does say he voted for Gov. Tim Walz and partly praises him for his early handling of COVID-19. How generous. When Walz held his daily news conferences, it was the only time during the early pandemic that I felt that somebody in charge had our backs. That was priceless to me, and I remain a strong supporter of Walz. Conversely, after seeing Hepola as a talking head on KARE, I cannot imagine him (cloaked in his now-signature purple) trying to calm and inform a frightened public.

I do not fault Hepola's interest in testing the political waters, but there is too much at stake for him to want to play governor. Let him cut his teeth on one of the many local positions that would serve that purpose.

Laurie Eckblad Anderson, Minneapolis