Readers write (Jan. 6): Somali money transfers; youth violence; taxes; light rail

SOMALI MONEY TRANSFERS
Bank's commitment has not wavered
Three years ago, Sunrise Community Banks responded to a call for help from the Somali community. The hawala accounts were being closed at banking institutions across the Twin Cities. We willingly created a unique and transparent program for sending remittances to the Horn of Africa. We also opened a bank branch in the heart of the Somali community at the Karmel Mall and raised funds for famine-relief efforts, and we have begun work on a loan product that fits the community's needs. Our commitment to the Somali community has not wavered ("Somalis decry money-wire freeze," Dec. 31).

We have reached out to multiple government agencies and officials, have made a specific proposal, and have told the agencies that we are seeking a constructive exchange with them to reach an accommodation that would satisfy the concerns of those sending funds, the government and the bank. The laws and regulations associated with this service are complex and carry strict penalties for noncompliance, but as Sunrise has told the federal government, the bank is convinced that a solution is within reach.

Members of the Twin Cities Somali diaspora are our customers, neighbors, friends and colleagues. The humanitarian consequences of this decision weigh heavily on us. That is why we continue to work with determination and hope to discover a solution. We have not given up, but we cannot do it alone. We stand ready to facilitate a solution undertaken by the bank, the community and the government.

DAVID REILING, ST. PAUL

The writer is CEO of Sunrise Community Banks.

YOUTH VIOLENCE
Intervention does make a difference
While Matt McKinney's article "Minneapolis gunshot injuries decline" (Jan. 2) provided encouraging statistics, it is heart-wrenching to hear about another child being killed by gun violence. We can prevent this ongoing senseless loss of life by expanding community-based youth intervention programs.

A Minnesota Office of Justice survey found that 80 percent of kids involved in such programs did not reoffend and that more than 50 percent reported better behavior at home and better grades in school. In comparison, in a nationwide study of incarcerated kids conducted by the Anne E. Casey Foundation, 75 percent did reoffend. Community-based programs also make financial sense. They produce a $5 return for every $1 that is invested in them.

As the director of services for the Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association (YIPA), I know that YIPA members such as Bolder Options, Youth Link, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board do amazing things with kids at critical times in those young lives. These and other organizations throughout Minnesota are changing the lives of youths for the better. Why is funding for these programs being cut? Penny-wise, pound-foolish, I guess.

Let's get it right in Minnesota. We have to quit locking up kids and instead get them connected to a caring adult in their community. Youth intervention programs save lives and save the taxpayer's hard earned money. We need more of them.

PAUL MEUNIER, HAM LAKE

Why pay taxes?
Government's value: The truth is out there
A Jan. 3 letter writer does not trust the government to administer its programs effectively. As examples, he offers the lack of accountability in the food stamp program, and he refers to immigration enforcement as "slipshod." It is exactly this type of low-information citizen who fuels conservative movements such as the Tea Party.

The food stamp program reached an all-time low in fraud in 2009, and the Government Accountability Office has given the program accolades for running an effective electronic antifraud system. It's ironic that the investment in food stamps is seen as wasteful when in reality every dollar in food stamp assistance generates nearly twice that in economic activity.

With regard to immigration law enforcement, the Obama administration has stepped up the removal of undocumented people. Also, illegal border crossings are down to a level not seen in four decades.

The letter writer says that most taxpayers are asking why we should pay further taxes. The truth is that in poll after poll most taxpayers are overwhelmingly in favor of tax increases for the top 2 percent of wage earners, and that most advocates of tax increases are not promoting a tax increase for 98 percent of us.

The letter writer should focus his lack of confidence on the party that has reduced funds for administering programs. The Republican reluctance to raise revenue for any reason will, in the long run, create even greater hardships for us and our government.

WARREN BLECHERT, EXCELSIOR

LIGHT-RAIL
Investment should extend to businesses
The article about light-rail marketing funds was like talking about a tree and calling it a forest. During the worst economy in memory, our community is building the largest public infrastructure project in Minnesota history. The next economy depends on smart public investments like light rail. Another of these smart investments is to spend real dollars to support the 700 small businesses, and hundreds of others close by, that border the construction corridor.

As a business owner located directly across from the Union Station, I know about the damaged cash flow and lost equity that comes from extended light-rail construction. I wish that marketing funds had been available in 2009, 2010 and 2011 so that the each segment of the corridor could have had the benefit of driving customers into our business. It is about time that the Met Council steps up to mitigate the collateral damage.

JEFF HEEGAARD, ST. PAUL

CORRECTIONS
•The last sentence of the Jan. 4 editorial did not appear in full. It should have read: "If the answer is no, she needs to step aside for someone who will make these Minnesotans a priority."

•The name of one of the writers included in the Jan. 4 Letters of the Day was inadvertently truncated. The letter was written by Karl Klassner.

Source: Star Tribune