"Government exists to serve the people

[Mister Ed]

2. I'd say it's not quite that cut-and-dried with White Bear Lake.

I'm an old White Bear boy, and know quite a few lakeshore homeowners personally. Many are Democrats. One who springs to mind is a very hardworking, dedicated local peace activist.

The lake is unlike other local lakes in that it's fed mostly by springs, and not runoff. I think the problem is that permits to draw water from the underlying aquifer have been handed out quite freely to developers over the years. In some cases, the water has even been used to create small artificial lakes to enhance new developments. As the water level in the aquifer has dropped, the springs that used to feed the lake may at times act as drains instead.

The result is that the lake's level has dropped about six feet. One family I know has seen their shoreline recede about 300 feet from where it once was. That represents quite a loss, both in quality of life and in property value.

If the DNR has allowed wealth to be transferred in this way from the lakeshore homeowners to the real-estate developers, then I think state aid may be appropriate, just as it is to the Mille Lacs resort owners.