As a former governor, I see the following:

The Star Tribune Editorial Board (Feb. 11) suggested that the Minnesota Legislature set “modest goals” this session. So modest, in fact, that the board left out two very vital subjects.

The first is the total failure of the media and our elected officials to deal with the findings of the study released by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in May 2021 that stated that our legislators were granting special favors to wealthy campaign donors including being able to “shape” legislation. This influence peddling is both corrupt and illegal. Where are the news stories and editorials? And where is the attorney general?

The second is the steady demise of our citizens’ Legislature that has evolved during my time from one with a modest staff that was housed entirely in the State Capitol to one that employs more than 530 people and occupies two majestic buildings costing over $800 million. Worse still is that 300 of those employees are partisan staffers hired and managed by the party caucuses but paid for by the public. Simply, each party caucus is now a massive political operation with more than 50 people engaged in communications alone.

Arne H. Carlson, Lake City

Add automatic pay raises and it looks like a full-time mini Congress with large partisan armies more dedicated to special interests and incumbent protection than voluntary public service. Is this what we want?

The writer was governor of Minnesota from 1991 to 1999.