Open Forum

The James Wallin that I know as a lifelong friend is a man of unquestionable character and integrity beyond reproach. As a successful businessman he is capable and qualified, as his record has proven, for his position. Brainerd can be proud to have a man like James Wallin willing to serve in this not always rewarding position of mayor.

W. Spike The Barber Wales

Pine River

Wallins exhibit generosity

Kudos to the Brainerd Dispatch for allowing Steven Wolff enough rope to verbally hang himself in your publication with his bitter, personal, and ridiculous comments and innuendos about Mayor James Wallin in the "Public forum turns into attack on mayor" article. My husband Ron and I have had the pleasure of traveling with Mayor Wallin and his wife Minna on various vacations. Mayor Wallin proudly represents the fair city of Brainerd well and does not lose sight of the greater good, whether he is at home or away.

Kudos also to Mayor Wallin and Minna for their generosity, service, dignity, and level-headedness.

Millicent Engisch-Morris

Baxter

Jindal hurt his chances

Kathleen Parker's opinion column, (What did they do with Bobby?, March 2), suggests that Jindal's imitation of Kenneth the page in his response to Obama's address to Congress was just a temporary lapse by an otherwise brilliant leader.

It's no secret that Jindal's recent weak performance was a relief to many Democrats. Jindal is regarded by many Democrats as a likely strong opponent in the 2012 presidential election. But even though others may have written Bobby's speech, the fact that he gave it with obvious sincerity suggests weaknesses that Ms Parker doesn't acknowledge.

Jindal appears to buy the Reagan nonsense that government is the problem. Business doesn't. We know that many of the major new technologies, from computers to communications to medicine, depended heavily and still depend on government sponsored research. And business constantly looks to government, in places like DOE, DARPA, DOD, NIH, and government funded universities, for backing. It is this joint business/government research that keeps the U.S. competitive. And now it is government which has to bail out much of our commerce in this time of crisis.

Democratic dreams of a Republican ticket headed by Palin or Huckabee are a bit closer to reality today.

Rolf Westgard

Deerwood

ROLF WESTGARD is an associate chair of the Crow Wing County DFL.