Open Forum

Thanks to the generosity of so many in our community, Baxter Police Department K-9 officer Gator will be fitted in the coming weeks for a bullet- and stab-resistant vest.

An article published in The Dispatch in June had put out a call to the public asking for donations to help offset the cost of this integral piece of equipment for Gator. Almost immediately, donations began coming in to the Vest Our Dogs account at Lakewood Bank.

To date, we have received over $1,000 in donations from local businesses, civic organizations and individuals as well as a $1,200 check from an anonymous donor. Because of your support, our goal was met and one more K-9 officer will receive a piece of invaluable equipment.

On behalf of myself, Officer Matt Maier, his K-9 partner Gator and the entire Baxter Police Department - thank you to the lakes area community for embracing this request and helping to make this possible. Our K-9 police officers put themselves in as much, if not more, danger as their human counterparts and I feel it's important to ensure their safety as well.

I would like to continue building a savings for any future K-9 vest needs. If you would still like to contribute to the Vest Our Dogs fund, please visit any Lakewood Bank branch.

Jenny Holmes

Vest Our Dogs fund coordinator

Nisswa

Reflections on the Fourth

Independence Day was awesome this year! The huge flag the Brainerd Fire Department flew over Laurel with their ladder truck helped make the day. So did the fireworks, though half the music didn't seem appropriate, but when it was, I got a lump in my throat! Even God got into the act with His gorgeous weather for us.

That was God blessing America. Now, God help America. I kind of smiled when I read the Dispatch's flowery assessment of our new embarrassment, I mean, senator. I'm thankful Coleman kept him out of Washington for five months. Now we only have him in office five years, seven months. Come on, we had to put up with Bush bashing all those years, now it's your turn.

Anyway, I don't know if the Dispatch was naive, wishful thinking or both when it wrote he should try to earn the trust of the half that didn't vote for him. To a politician the bottom line is getting in. He's going to Washington as a Democrat, Obama's lap dog! I believe he'll do a Mark Dayton. He's not used to hard works, if he doesn't resign beforehand, he'll be in for one term. Resign sounds good but I'm afraid where we go from here!

So, now we have a president to be afraid of and a senator to be ashamed of! Days like these I'm glad I know someone higher than any government here on earth! I fret when I think I but when I turn them over to Jesus, then knowing He can handle anything, my fretting is over. Try it, you'll like it! Really. Amen!

Stephen L. Heinecke

Baxter

'Trickle down' doesn't work

Brainerd's unemployment rate of 15.7 percent has me wondering where are all the jobs that the Republicans promised if we shifted the nation's tax burden onto the backs of working class and off the backs of the wealthy.

If the Democrats had done this massive tax shift the Republican noise machine would have been screaming Socialist Re-distribution! from the rooftops. After eight years of Republican tax cuts to their wealthy buddies where are the jobs that were promised? It would be comforting to believe that this latest example of the failed trickle down economic policy would cause people to reject it the next time the Republicans try to trick us into shifting the wealth to their rich buddies but only time will tell. It's failed before but people didn't learn then either.

John Reynolds

Merrifield