EDITORIAL: Good new trail, bad hockey, Cheney's patriotism

May 8—Thumbs up to the planned renovation of an old trail in North Mankato that connects the lower and upper portions of the city.

The trail starts on Lake Street across from Spring Lake Park and comes out on Mary Lane in upper North Mankato, near Bluff Park.

The steep, scenic trail, estimated to have been around for about 100 years, is used by locals who know about it and others who happen to stumble across it.

The popularity of local parks and trails has skyrocketed during the pandemic as people took to the outdoors. And many, no doubt, will continue to do so. Fixing up the path will serve more area residents and give people another trail choice.

Dirty play and brawls

Thumbs down to the National Hockey League's tacit approval of dirty play and brawling.

Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitols, a talented player but also a chronic goon, lived up to the latter part of his reputation this week in a game against the New York Rangers, hitting one opponent in the head from behind and then repeatedly slamming another player's head against the ice.

Given his history as a flagrant repeat offender, a lengthy suspension was expected. Instead, the league merely fined him $5,000.

The league came down a lot harder on the Rangers for a statement decrying the wrist slap and accurately describing the league official responsible, George Parros, as unfit for his job. That got the team fined $250,000.

With the league having washed its hands of the matter, the rematch between the two teams degenerated into a series of brawls starting from the opening faceoff.

The NHL does hockey no favors by winking at this nonsense.

Cheney stands tall

Thumbs up to Wyoming Congresswoman and third ranking House Republican Liz Cheney for her principled stand against a Republican Party leadership that is increasingly about payback instead of principle.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and his band of Republican bullies are pushing to have Cheney removed from her leadership post for her constitutionally principled stand voting in favor of former President Donald Trump's impeachment after he incited a riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and 10 other courageous Republicans in the House voted to impeach Trump earlier this year in light of clear evidence, on video, Twitter and elsewhere, that Trump instigated a dangerous riot where five people ended up dying, including a Capitol police officer.

Cheney is plenty conservative and holds to many ideas with which these pages disagree, but we can't disagree with her honesty, integrity and patriotism.

Republican leaders ousting her will eventually be seen for what they are: political opportunists not interested in American democracy or the Constitution.

Catching up

Thumbs up to President Biden's aggressive push for big legislation such as his infrastructure, family assistance and climate change plan.

The multi-trillion dollar proposal follows big COVID-relief packages.

The GOP frames Biden's proposals as socialism. But the president is taking a systematic approach to try to reset the country's thinking and approach to the country's current and future challenges.

In recent decades virtually all major challenges facing the country were put on the back burner — climate change, a deteriorating middle class, racial injustice, education, highways and bridges.

Rather than taking action and finding tax revenues to pay for it, those problems were largely ignored. Instead, approving tax cuts that increased the debt and did little to improve most Americans lives, were more often the course of action.

Yes, the dollar amounts Biden is proposing are big. The details can be fairly debated. But the problems that have been ignored in recent decades are also big. Playing catch up will put the country in a place where it can achieve its true greatness.