The Dec. 5 Sunday Opinion cover ("Pork? Hardly!") reminded readers how the Duluth area was "stunned" when newly elected U.S. Rep.-elect Chip Cravaack's commented a month ago that the new Duluth International Airport project, already under construction, might not be needed. "Is it a need or a want?" Cravaack asked at the time. The News Tribune's flabbergasted editorial board looked at the new facility and concluded that questioning the effort is "uninformed at best and wrongheaded at worst."
But wait a minute! Isn't this the candidate that same editorial board endorsed over the Northland's longtime friend, Jim Oberstar? Rep. Oberstar, the News Tribune acknowledged, did a lot of good for our area. Sure, he earned our support, the editorial said, but politics has a short memory and economic conditions, the editorial concluded, required a fresh perspective. The newspaper's argument seemed to be that the present bunch in Washington weren't getting the job done so the job should be given to somebody else.
We didn't know much about Cravaack's ideas, of course, but he was educated and seemed earnest, so what more did we need to know? Oh, he did make some references to helping businesses by cutting costs such as those imposed by environmental laws and health-insurance requirements. But that's all right as long as you aren't suffering personally. And the economic problem is now, right? Future generations will have to look out for themselves.
Costs, of course, include unemployment insurance, medical assistance for the needy, Social Security, revenue sharing with communities that have a smaller tax base and government-financed building projects. And now Rep.-elect Cravaack is advancing what he formerly suggested. Where's the surprise?
Sometimes, unfortunately, you get what you ask for, and now we have Chip Cravaack. Congratulations. The News Tribune got what it wanted. I hope you'll be happy together.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dana Malkovich
Cloquet
