People, pay attention

How can Sen. Gazelka take a paycheck when so many families are out of work due to the state shut down? I hope people are paying attention to this. It is extremely concerning that anyone would take a paycheck while families are suffering without one.

Clean your mess up

I want to thank everyone who littered in the river during and after the boat parade they had. I and my brother went fishing and we were trolling through the most littered river I have seen in years. We saw balloons and plastic wrap and cardboard crepe paper floating on the river. My brother snagged the plastic wrap — about 50 feet of it — and we took that home and discarded it but come on, next time, clean your mess up.

A waste of time and gas

There was a report in the police blotter of garage sale signs being stolen. Maybe if the people having the sale would take their signs down when they are not open, the signs would not disappear. It is extremely inconsiderate to put signs out or leave them up when not having a sale. Shoppers waste their time and gas driving to sales that are no longer open. Perhaps the city should impose a fine on people who leave their garage sale signs out when the sale is finished.

Respect?

A comment about the lack of respect for the American flag at the Brainerd Fourth of July parade. First, the number of flags dumped on the ground after the parade was over just like trash. Second, the number of “clods” that don’t remove their caps when flag formations pass by. Your head will not float off into space if you remove your cap. Respect?

Priorities and values elected

The public record of area legislators refusing pay during the state shutdown reflects the priorities and values of those elected.

Not how it used to be

I understand that Minnesota government workers get unemployment, insurance and health benefits during shut down. When I was laid off from the place where I worked for many years, I got some unemployment insurance but no health benefits. It used to be that when people didn’t work, they had no job nor benefits of any kind.

Just stay home

I’m going to reply to the Vox Pop in Thursday’s paper. Got somebody complaining about the dogs and dog parade in Crosby. Maybe they should just stay home. If people want to bring their dogs, they’re more like your kids. You shouldn’t go places where there are people. You should just stay home.

Trail vs. St. Paul?

I’m just real curious as to why John Ward, our representative, on the Thursday before the Fourth of July, was biking up in Nisswa on the Paul Bunyan Trail versus being down in St. Paul trying to fight the budget crisis?

Vox Pop, voice of the people, publishes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Submissions are limited to 100 words. To phone in a comment, call (218) 855-5888 and leave a message. To e-mail a comment, write to voxpop@brainerddispatch.com. Comments, which must meet the newspaper’s standards of fairness and good taste, may be edited for clarity, length and libel.