Downtown danger?

THUMBS DOWN: Someone looking at the buildings in downtown New Ulm might be inspired to call them “quaint.” There are a lot of older buildings with a lot of the original facades. Many have been painted to highlight the architectural designs and brickwork.

But on two ends of Minnesota Street, there are buildings surrounded by yellow tape warning people to be careful when walking by. One building, at 1st South and Minnesota Streets, just dropped a dozen or so bricks from a parapet three stories up.

It is important for building owners to take responsibility for the inspection and maintenance of their buildings, before someone gets hurt.

Starving the USPS

THUMBS DOWN: We are beyond being shocked by things that President Donald Trump says when he’s winging it, but he admitted Thursday in a Fox Business Network interview that he’s opposing a pair of relief package bills in the U.S. House because they contain additional money for the U.S. Postal Service. “If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money,” Trump said. “That means they can’t have universal main-in voting; they just can’t have it.”

So, the president said — on camera — thathe is willing to let the USPS run out of money so that people can’t vote by mail. He’s afraid that he’s losing the election, and is willing to suppress voting so he can stay in office. He also repeated his untrue claim that Democrats are seeking universal mail-in voting, and that mail-in voting will be swamped with fraudulent votes, a claim that lacks basis in fact.

We should be surprised and dismayed, but sadly, we are not.