Silence was appreciated
Silence. I enjoyed silence last week with those few days of ice and frigid cold. I stayed at home, got things done and listened to the silence on Jupiter Road. No thundering semi-trucks, no cars racing by, no motorcycle racers. Only a few emergency vehicles and the reliable DART bus transporting people to and fro.
Now, the roads are passable again and goodbye to silence.
Donald Wright, Richardson
Medicaid standoff is heartless
Re: “Texas GOP, it’s time to expand Medicaid — The need far outweighs whatever point they’re trying to make by refusing federal funds,” Sunday editorial.
Thanks for this informative and thoroughly convincing editorial. The editorial clearly shows that the Texas Republican Party puts politics ahead of the welfare of Texans.
There is an additional detail that further reinforces the need to expand Medicaid. There are over 700,000 Texans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and make too little to qualify for the Affordable Care Act subsidies. This is a cruel joke for working, low-income Texans. They can’t get the ACA subsidies described in The Dallas Morning News front-page story, “570K Texans sign up for ‘23.″
How can any Texan support politicians who allow this incredibly heartless policy to persist?
Brian Smith, Colleyville
Seeking secret Bunkhouse Chili
Re: “I found petrified fruitcake, but nothing classified — My temp job at LBJ Library uncovered lots, including Lady Bird’s chili recipe,” by Sarah Bird, Sunday Opinion.
Bird mentions finding “fading mimeograph copies of Lady Bird Johnson’s recipes, such as the first lady’s very popular Bunkhouse Chili.”
That recipe may be classified top secret. The LBJ Library website gives only the recipe for Pedernales River Chili. It has tomatoes in it, which no true Texas chili would ever include.
There are several Bunkhouse Chili recipes on the internet, but none of them claim to be Ladybird’s. I’d like to compare her real Texas recipe to “Smoot” Schmidt’s Dallas County Jail-House Chili recipe, which my mother gave me from the 1930s.
Ann Piper, Dallas
Now there’s open airspace
Why did our military wait for the Chinese balloon to cross most of our entire country before shooting it down? There were plenty of chances when it was in the middle of nowhere to take it out. I think it makes us look incredibly weak and the Chinese know it.
It is another disaster for the Biden administration. Not only do we have open borders but we also have open airspace for our enemies.
Sean Boardman, Prosper
They spy, we spy
Why get so excited about the Chinese balloon? They have satellites covering every inch of the United States constantly. We cover China as well.
I believe that the balloon saw very little that China does not already have. Also, we have Air Force planes flying around China’s borders all the time recording electronic data, so spying is done by both sides.
We will know shortly what was in the balloon. Let’s stop making it a political football, for that’s just being silly.
Ralph S. Miller, North Dallas
Helping is SPCA’s job
Re: “No justice for abused animals,” by Sharon Grigsby, Jan. 29 Metro column.
I have reread Grigsby’s column on the opting out by the SPCA from working with the Dallas Police Department, and I realize there are two sides to every issue. However, it seems the SPCA has determined if they aren’t paid by the Dallas Police Department, they will not offer their services.
I am a volunteer at an SPCA facility and I am embarrassed by this decision. It is our goal to help all pups, and we aren’t paid. They should be asking, “How can we help?”
Carolyn Exley, Dallas
What’s stopping the Cowboys
First, let me state that I would probably be called a “fair weather” fan of the Dallas Cowboys. My happiness does not in any way depend upon what happens at Jerry’s World on any given Sunday. I do, however, like to see my hometown team win and respect the skill required to play on that field.
I have no talent for predicting the direction of the stock market or whatever movie will garner the most Oscar nods. But I do stand by my prediction made in the year 2000. Since the team recruited and trained by Jimmy Johnson receded into history and the Cowboys became so obviously a patriarchal family affair, my prediction still holds that the Cowboys will never play in another Super Bowl until ownership changes.
The Cowboys will probably continue to be a financial juggernaut due to the steadfast support of fans rivaling those of baseball’s Chicago Cubs who went 108 years without a World Series victory.
It would seem the prayer of “there’s always next year” holds a mystical sway in the hearts of fervent fans that simply can’t be replaced.
Ted M. Moore, Dallas
We’re a constitutional republic
Re: “Pick president by popular vote,” by James Roberts, Jan. 22 Letters.
The United States, to the surprise of many, is not a democracy. It is a constitutional republic. The election of our president is spelled out in our Constitution.
Roberts advocates legislation to elect our president, but this is not constitutionally possible. The only way to change this is to amend the Constitution.
The Founding Fathers chose the method we have of electing our president to prevent supermajorities of large states from exercising excessive power over the smaller states.
Don Proeschel, Plano
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