While a U.S. senator, Russ Feingold was known and respected for his independent thinking; he was willing to weigh and evaluate the facts of tough issues. Unfortunately, his recent opinion piece about mineral development in my region (“Messing with Boundary Waters is bad politics,” Aug. 9) was a regurgitation of outdated thinking that has led our country to an alarming overreliance on adversarial nations with irresponsible practices for production of much-needed critical minerals. He was wrong on the facts — and the politics.
I have represented northeast Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than six years; this area is home to my constituents and me. We care deeply about ensuring future generations can continue to enjoy the natural beauty of our area. We also know how stringent our environmental standards are, with the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) already having strict protections in place and a buffer zone surrounding the wilderness where industrial activity is not allowed. It’s puzzling that mining opponents continue to hypothesize about whether a new mine will affect the environment when proposed mining projects must meet high standards through an exhaustive yearslong process before earning permits to construct a mine.
Further, Minnesota agencies that oversee mining have upheld the stringency of those standards when challenged by mining opponents in court. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stated in a 2023 order that the regulation that governs mining “in conjunction with other existing state and federal environmental protection laws, is adequate to protect the BWCAW from potential water, air, and other impacts from nonferrous mining.”
I’ve seen firsthand that companies like Twin Metals Minnesota have for decades made meticulous efforts to not simply comply with our rigorous regulations, but also to go above and beyond by investing in innovative technology for the next generation of mining.
Mining in Minnesota is done in an environmentally sound way; it also benefits Minnesotans across the state through education funding and tax revenue, it provides the materials for technologies we all use in our everyday lives, and it helps us move away from relying on mining elsewhere in the world where child labor is used and environmental standards don’t exist.
Economic growth, less reliance on foreign adversaries for our supply chain needs, enforcement of strict environmental laws and no reliance on child labor? Those sound like good politics to me.
— U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn.
Risks to groundwater
Thanks for keeping the threat to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters alive for your readers. Those who don’t live in Minnesota perhaps are unaware of the problem with keeping groundwater clean. Unlike Illinois, northern Minnesota doesn’t have layers of black dirt and deep recesses of clay underneath the land surface. Impurities don’t percolate in the the soil as is the case in Illinois.
My father-in-law was a utilities manager of a northern Minnesota city. He had a terrible time cleaning up waste water before releasing it downstream. When you flushed your toilet, the results could end up a few hours later in Minneapolis after passing through the sand and rock subsoil. Can you imagine the damage a copper mine could do!
— Al Munneke, Crest Hill
Obvious partisanship
It was certainly appropriate for the Tribune Editorial Board to recognize escalating gerrymandering as a threat to democracy (“Gerrymandering now truly is a dangerous threat to American democracy,” Aug. 10). It’s not good, and a positive move toward a national bipartisan solution is warranted. While gerrymandering has been going on for a long time, what we need is a solution, not an escalation of the scourge and its threats to our democracy.
Nevertheless, the editorial board needs to be taken to task for its obvious partisanship. First, let’s recognize that both parties have engaged in gerrymandering, including after the 2020 census. But the current crisis is caused by an escalation — to break norms and gerrymander again mid-decade.
And who does the editorial board choose to attack? Not the president, who is responsible for inserting himself into state matters and initiating this escalation. Not the Texas politicians who are doing this now because they can. Instead, the board criticizes a governor’s “fight fire with fire” verbal response to this ugly and dangerous Trumpian escalation, as if the response itself were causing the problem.
Get real. Everyone knows what fight “fire with fire” means. It means that when faced with serious escalation, you might have to respond in kind if there appears to be no better alternative. But the board just doesn’t seem to be able to bring itself to criticize the ones truly responsible for initiating the current mess!
— Anthony Miller, LaGrange Park
Republicans’ backbone
Regarding the editorial ““God does not gerrymander” (Aug. 12): Why doesn’t the Tribune Editorial Board say, “God does not gerrymander,” to the Democrats, as they have done gerrymandering for decades? Just look at Illinois. It’s obvious its odd-shaped districts are made to benefit Democrats.
We’re sick to death of the cheating, and we’re so grateful that the Republicans have finally grown a backbone to help us have our voices heard.
— Kimberly Brockway, Random Lake, Wisconsin
End gerrymandering
There’s been much talk about gerrymandering by both Democrats and Republicans. Illinois is not immune to this political phenomenon. When we look at a map of the 3rd Congressional District, we see a district that stretches across two counties from Elgin to Chicago. There’s no reason we should have congressional maps that look like ink has been carelessly spilled.
There is a commonsense solution. Most states are divided into relatively square townships for land survey and taxation purposes. We need to combine these square townships into square congressional districts with population numbers as uniform as possible.
End the gerrymandering. Give us all an equal and fair vote.
— John Mulvey, Chicago
Protecting the vote
This month marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, landmark legislation that secured the right to vote for millions of disenfranchised Americans and laid the foundation for more fair, inclusive and accessible elections across the country.
For decades, the Voting Rights Act has guided election authorities such as the Cook County clerk’s office in our ongoing mission to protect and expand access to the ballot. But today, the values at the heart of that legislation are under renewed threat. Across the nation, restrictive voting laws, voter roll purges and disinformation campaigns are chipping away at the hard-won progress of the past 60 years.
The right to vote is facing mounting challenges, particularly for voters of color, seniors, people with disabilities, and young or first-time voters.
In this climate, the role of local election officials has never been more critical, as county and municipal clerk’s offices remain on the front lines of democracy. At the Cook County clerk’s office, we are committed to leading by example.
That means leaning in on our efforts to expand voter education and outreach, particularly in underserved communities. It also means making voting more accessible by increasing early voting locations and reducing language barriers to ensure that every eligible voter can make their voice heard, regardless of where they live or what language they speak.
In next year’s gubernatorial election, we are also planning a first-of-its-kind early voting initiative at several suburban high schools to engage and empower first-time voters.
We also continue to work to protect trust in our elections through tools such as our Trusted Source webpage, which offers clear, accurate information about election integrity and how your vote is protected. And, as your clerk, I am also advocating for legislative reforms in Springfield that will make voting easier and safer for all eligible residents.
Democracy doesn’t just live in Washington — it lives right here in Cook County in every polling place and with every ballot cast.
— Monica Gordon, Cook County clerk
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
