Cart ordinance

THUMBS UP: The New Ulm City Council advances the issue of people being permitted to drive golf carts and other types of vehicles on city streets. We are happy to see that the councilors are insisting that anyone driving a vehicle of any kind on city streets have a driver’s license or a city permit, and putting in an age limit of 16 or older.

There is some question as to whether state law allows cities to make that a requirement for operating golf carts and other vehicles, but we feel the city should keep that requirement in there. It’s a matter of safety for all on the road, not simply the convenience of the alternate vehicle operator.

Pollinator Park

THUMBS UP: The New Ulm Pollinator Park got its start last year and is going strong this year. Next Saturday, July 15, the park is holding a special cleanup event, inviting volunteers to help maintain the park, pull weeds and learn about what kind of plants work best to attract bees and butterflies, the kind of insects that pollinate the plants that we rely on for food.

We hope a lot of people will go and help out, and maybe stop by the park once in a while to see how it’s doing.

Still in denial

THUMBS DOWN: Well, President Donald Trump met Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday at the G-20 Summit in Germany.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump “pressed” Putin about Russia’s alleged interference with the American presidential election in 2016, but that Putin stoutly denied having anything to do with it. Russian officials say Trump “accepted” Putin’s assurances.

We weren’t expecting Putin to crumble and confess to the interference because of Trump’s questions, like a lying witness in a “Perry Mason” episode. But we’re sure Putin wasn’t too worried about meeting with Trump, given the president’s continuing state of denial over the intelligence reports fingering the Russians. Just the day before his meeting, Trump conceded that the Russians may have had something to do with it, but that other countries were involved as well, and “nobody is really sure” who was responsible. Facing that kind of resolve, Putin must have found it hard to keep a straight face.