Letters to the Editor – Texas surplus, immigration laws, Uvalde mom, birth control

Surplus ought to profit all Texans

Re: “Budget surplus soars to $33B — The ‘astonishing’ cushion comes as lawmakers work on 2-year spending plan,” Tuesday news story.

The state of Texas’ surplus is the results of tax revenues, resembling the gross sales tax and power taxes, that grew as inflation elevated costs of about every part. Everybody in Texas ought to profit from that surplus as a result of everybody contributed to creating it. The Republicans’ proposals to use the surplus to scale back property taxes would profit solely those that personal property. That could be unfair, not equal and a switch of cash from renters to property homeowners.

Almost 40% of Texas households are renters, and in main cities a majority are renters. The surplus must be used to profit everybody. Reducing the 6.5% state gross sales tax could be a easy technique of assuring that everybody advantages.

Keith Swigger, Denton

Executive department not the drawback

Re: “Political Theater at the Border — Texans are completed a disservice when governor gained‘t engage seriously over immigration,” Tuesday editorial.

Why is it that the blame for this crisis is always laid at the feet of the executive branch? This is a failure of the legislative branch to do its job. Comprehensive immigration reform is legislators’ accountability in live performance with the government department.

The bipartisan Gang of Eight handed simply such reform laws in the Senate in 2013. Then-House Speaker John Boehner wouldn’t even convey the laws to the ground of the House of Representatives. Why? He didn’t have the votes to go it as a result of he was coping with the similar group that introduced us 15 rounds of voting to elect a speaker of the House.

If we’re going to level fingers, let’s level them at every of our personal elected representatives for his or her failure to act in over 10 years. That’s the shameful reality of the matter!

Eileen Friestad, Berrien Springs, Mich.

Compassion goes a great distance

Re: “Prison or mercy? A rioter’s journey — Compassion shown in past weighed against present crime,” Sunday news story.

I virtually handed up this story in Sunday’s paper. Mercy for a Jan. 6 rioter? Never! But then I learn it anyway and wow, so glad I did!

Ten years in the past, the rioter’s sister was killed by a drunk driver. The mercy, forgiveness and even encouragement to transfer on together with her life that he and his household confirmed to the drunk driver was actually wonderful.

You can argue whether or not or not Jake Peart ought to have completed time for his half in the riot, however that’s not the level. Mercy, compassion and charm is one thing all of us want and all of us want to lengthen it to others.

Keith Einstein, Dallas/Oak Cliff

Too many crimson flags ignored

Re: “Mother of Uvalde shooter arrested — Charges in Oklahoma City include assault, threatening violence,” Saturday Metro & Business story.

I hope all who learn this story about the Uvalde shooter’s mom have been as horrified as I used to be to be taught of the shooter’s “disturbing history.” It apparently included “killing cats, a fascination with mass killings and terrorizing women with threats of graphic violence.”

These behaviors have been ignored for years as he was rising up. His on-line gaming nickname was “school shooter.” None of this was reported to authorities. How does this occur?

Is it very doable that the youngsters’s lives in addition to the lecturers’ lives wouldn’t have been extinguished had dad and mom, faculty officers and even different college students acted on what they knew. The saying, “if you see something, say something” has taken on new that means for me. I hope it can for others as properly.

Martha Tim Latta, Fort Worth

Not the answer you count on

Re: “Birth control decision hurts teens,” by Sharon Grigsby, Jan. 4 Metro & Business column.

As all the time, Sharon Grigsby’s column is spot-on. I laughed out loud at the sentiment that “Title X violates a parent’s fundamental right to control and direct the upbringing of his minor children.” Sadly, the youngsters of people that really feel the want to control each side of their youngsters’s lives could also be the ones who most want entry to Title X providers — ever hear of teenage revolt?

And somebody ought to inform Alexander Deanda, on whose behalf this go well with was filed, that stopping his daughters from having entry to contraceptives won’t assure “abstinence from sexual intercourse until marriage.” It would solely hold them from getting pregnant. Sex Ed 101.

Jane L. Fueller, Plano

Political inbreeding

It was a observe of rulers in lots of nations via the centuries to marry shut kin to cement their maintain on energy. Over time, this led to a gene pool so shallow you’d scarcely dampen your ft, and resulted in rulers who have been totally “mad, bad and dangerous to know.”

I submit that gerrymandering may be very like the outdated European kings’ observe of consolidating energy. The capability to get elected is narrowly confined by districts that may be practically 100 miles lengthy and just a few yards vast, and is dominated by members of explicit “political families” that may guarantee a specific candidate is topped.

From watching sure House members in motion, it seems the slim concentrate on retaining energy has diminished their capability to govern in any significant method. And, like one mad king in our personal historical past, George III, who couldn’t govern and misplaced a wealthy colony due to it, what and the way a lot will we stand to lose with these offended, egocentric and energy-hungry congresspersons who search to rule us?

Kate French, Waxahachie

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