To the editor:

As an 80-year-old (this puts me in the “high risk” category) I’d like to express my thanks to Governor Walz, as well as to all the responsible local businesses who support wearing masks in public, often at high cost to themselves. Thank you for valuing my life, as well as those of the brave front-line medical workers who will willingly put their own lives at risk to care for those who foolishly refuse to mask up. And it’s working! If we all cooperate, Minnesota has a chance to become one of the few states that learns to control the virus – something we have to do in order to get our economy (and schools) open again.

This might be a good time to consider our votes in three months. Can we risk entrusting our health to anyone who is trying strip from our Governor his authority to protect us, and who continue to support a President who doesn’t appear to care about the pandemic? Mindy Kimmel, a mental health professional, knows how to care, and knows how important it is for people to feel safe because they ARE safe. She will support our Governor as he follows science to protect us and if the worst happens will champion ways to make health care affordably available to everyone. Let’s send Mindy Kimmel to St. Paul, for these times.

Thomas Kuster

New Ulm