TO THE EDITOR:
Citizens of Becker, I am a member of the Becker American Legion and we are the sponsoring organization for the local Boy Scout Troop. Until recently, a continuous source of fundraising for the troop has been the cardboard recycling that was at the Becker Community Center. However, that has had to be taken away due to the few people that are unable to help themselves from dumping trash in or near that recycling dumpster. People talk big about supporting veterans and veteran causes like the Boy Scouts. We need your help and support to restore this symbol of cooperation to our terrific city. Please support us and help us bring this back.
Mark Swanson
Becker American Legion Past Post Commander &
Boy Scout Sponsor
TO THE EDITOR:
Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council (MNSILC) is the collaboration of people with disabilities and organizations established in federal law out of the Disability Civil Rights Movement to support the rights of people with disabilities. Independent Living is a community effort. Laws such as 34 C.F.R. § 300.34 under the IDEA and Americans with Disabilities Act are set boundary markers established by our national community that establish the bare minimum we expect as rights to ALL its citizens. Kimball School District violated both educational and civic rights and now has the audacity to challenge legal precedent that has been law for well over three decades. People with disabilities make up roughly 20% of our residents in Minnesota. We will not be erased and to the McMahon family: we see you and stand with you. In Solidarity,
Robyn Block,
MNSILC Chair
The People of Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council
TO THE EDITOR:
We are told to fight hackers by setting strong passwords, avoiding scam calls, verifying if our personal information was part of data breaches, etc., but no one warns of the “hackers” on Capitol Hill. Are you aware of the Durbin (D-IL) and Marshall (R-KS) bill introduced last summer? Its name “Credit Card Competition Act” is a misnomer. The bill would empower the federal government to control our credit card transactions and cost consumers much more. Currently, Mastercard and Visa have security guarantees that would end under the proposed legislation. Retailers could ignore our preferred networks and opt for alternative networks—cheaper for them but with increased fraud risks for us. The big-box stores supporting this bill would not lose funding; banks/credit unions have guaranteed payment to the retailer. Jeff Tassey, board chairman of the Electronic Payments Coalition, warns the proposed mandates would place the payment system at higher risk, putting consumers in a vulnerable position. While politicians say, “When it comes to Main Street versus Wall Street, I’ll choose Main Street every time,” investment advisers note the big-box retailers are the real threat to Main Street. They add that there is currently competition among Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover and question the need for federal control. It’s time to tell our elected federal representatives that we do not want the federal government to control our credit cards.
Dr. Phyllis E. VanBuren
Clearwater, MN
