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‘No taxation without...’

Our democratic form of government began even before we separated from England when enough people got together and decided (together) that they didn’t want to pay taxes to an entity that didn’t listen to them.

“No taxation without representation” was a slogan.

Minorities and poor people are in a similar situation now. If our leaders don’t want them to vote, maybe those people should do what our founders did and stop paying taxes.

Pennie Turcott
Duluth, Minnesota

Jeez, those silver maples

Phil Anderson is right on again! At nearly 84, I never ride in an auto if I can walk – though my daughter, especially now after a year of no bus riding, does get me into the co-op – or I hope up the lake this summer.

Then I turned to Kyle O’Reilly’s “Duluth pedestrian mall.” Silver maples? Oh, jeez! I love trees, but silver maples should never have become urban trees. In Kentucky I’ve seen their shallow uprooted trunks fall and after wind storms those long heavy multiple trunk branches sticking through houses. Fast growing – yes, way too fast growing – low branching seldom pruned to strengthen structure. I love looking out my front window at the giant across the road – but with a sense of what’s ahead someday. Sugar maples withstand storms in Kentucky – red maples are also beautiful and strong – I’m really happy with the one planted by the city along my lawn. The elm has lost leafing of a few of its graceful limbs – I feel for it.

Great to block the cars off a downtown area – love the notion. I’d like to pen the many residential lots, where so many are given over to cars rather than trees, gardens.

Beside the silver maples – in the plan for a pedestrian area downtown (great hope for future) there will be problem of increased auto traffic in and out of Essentia’s new expansion and high sky parking. More pollution over Duluth’s beautiful harbor?

Ann Davidson
Duluth, Minnesota