TO THE EDITOR:
The New York Times reports that our billionaire President said “Affordability doesn’t mean anything to anybody”. It’s a “fake “narrative”, a “con job”. Trump plans to withhold SNAP payments unless states divulge private personal information about recipients. As personal bankruptcies from health care debt rise the AP reports chances of retaining health insurance subsidies are “dwindling”. Affordable housing is nonexistent, shelters are overflowing, food banks and food assistance organizations are overwhelmed with the “fake narrative con job”. The tragic fact is, it’s not the President’s job to fund government programs. The responsibility for spending, taxing and tariffs lies squarely in the House of Representatives which is controlled by Tom-sit on his thumbs-Emmer, and his republican cronies. Our “representative” ignores the needs of CD6 to grovel at the feet of the billionaire dance hall president, trading away the most important duty of the people’s House of Representatives-the Power of the Purse. We deserve better. Trump will be a lame duck next year. In 2026 the Power of the Ballot will have intelligent thoughtful citizens ridding Congress of the Emmer lazies and putting responsive representatives to work for us. Emmer get off your knees and serve your constituents.
Connie Rutledge
Big Lake, Mn
TO THE EDITOR:
Why are our Property Taxes continuing to increase? A lot of the reason(s) are due to unfunded State Mandates, but instead of you reading what I have to say, listen to the Sherburne County Administrator. In October, Mr. Bruce Messelt spoke before the Big Lake Township Board of Commissions, providing a “Sherburne County General Update” and it was extremely informative. He gave the same update to the Orrock Township on 11/19/25, who recorded it and placed it on their YouTube channel, where it can be watched at the following address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t-qD3W7MLU&t=1081s. Mr. Messelt’ remarks start at the 16 minute mark and go on for another 24 minutes. He talks about Northstar, Data Centers, Nuclear Power, Road Projects, Budget, SNAP, Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA), Marijuana, Tobacco, Post Offices, Weather Sirens, St. Cloud Airport. . . every person, and not just those that pay property taxes directly, need to listen to this update so as to become informed and learn what is going on now and what is coming in the future.
Bret R. Collier
Big Lake, MN
TO THE EDITOR:
Who Really Buys the Farm? Farmers aren’t struggling because they forgot how to farm. They’re struggling because policy shifts and higher costs hit faster than they can adapt. Tariffs choked off export markets. USAID, once a reliable $2 billion-a-year buyer of U.S. crops, vanished. Prices of inputs rose. Many crop farmers now lose $100–200 an acre, and bankruptcies have nearly doubled. Folks warn that without real help, we could lose a quarter of America’s farms. AcreTrader doesn’t buy scrub ground. It targets productive row-crop farms (corn, soy, Delta rice) with good yields. The land goes into an LLC, then gets sold in slices to investors. The farm family often stays on as tenants, while rent checks and long-term appreciation flow outward. J.D. Vance’s venture-capital fund was an early backer, helping AcreTrader scale from a niche startup into a major player in the farmland-investment boom. His own Senate disclosures show a personal stake as well. That investment helps legitimize and accelerate a system where farmland becomes a financial product. And who can buy in? Only accredited investors with high incomes or over $1 million in net worth. Any legal U.S. resident can participate no matter where they were born. When farmland leaves local hands, the wealth leaves with it.
Vanessa Davenport
Big Lake, MN
