California does roads better
Re: “Why does Texas road construction take so long? Planning, environmental review and construction itself can encounter roadblocks,” online story.
I read with interest Amber Gaudet’s story on why Texas road repair takes so long. The experts had a laundry list of reasons and excuses for why it takes so long.
I am often reminded of an experience I had during a business trip to California several years ago. I was traveling from my hotel to my work place using the busy coastal highway, Highway 1.
One day while returning from my workplace to the hotel, I noticed a lot of machinery beside the road. The next morning, much to my surprise, the entire stretch of Highway 1 from my hotel to my workplace had been completely resurfaced overnight and open for morning traffic.
If California can perform such miracles, why can’t Texas? That job would occupy weeks and months in Dallas.
Ernie Stokely, Far North Dallas
What if officials were sued?
Re: “Owner, security firm sued — Families allege failures by Simon Property Group, others before deadly attack,” Thursday news story.
What if every person who holds a political office and represents the area where mass shootings occur were named in the lawsuits also? Wonder if there’d be changes in gun laws to protect the innocent?
Judy Webster, Plano
Having things both ways
Seems to me the far right wants to wave the Constitution when it comes to having some sensible gun control. Yet when it comes to separation of church and state, the Constitution is totally disregarded. I’m sure our forefathers are not smiling down on us.
Randy Emery, Dallas
Texas is not pro-life
Re: “Still trying to dodge accountability — Texas says neglect suffered by disabled kids in foster care isn’t its responsibility to look into,” by Meredith Shytles Parekh, Aug. 22 Opinion.
The Texas government isn’t pro-life — it’s pro-birth. It disgusts me that this government is trying to evade its responsibilities to children who are already born. As the writer points out in this editorial, foster children with disabilities are in danger, and Texas’ government seems to believe they have absolutely no role to play in helping them.
So, Texas forces them to be born, then the state wipes their hands and absolves itself of any sort of responsibilities for the children? But hey, we’re such a business-friendly state, so that makes up for it, right?
Richard LaChance, Fort Worth
Voting should be easy to do
I am grateful to live in a democracy with free, fair and secure elections. I’m also honored to be an active, trained and certified volunteer, supporting our counties and state in voter registration and information work.
Despite remarkably secure elections, Texas continues to rank at the bottom in the effort required to register (for example, being one of just a few states that does not offer online registration).
Some say that is fine — that voting is a privilege and should require significant effort. Contrast that to other civic responsibilities that require much less effort from citizens. Government automatically reassesses our property values to ensure we are taxed fairly. The IRS offers easy, online tax payment options. These processes are rightly secure, and of course that is essential in the voting process as well.
My point is that voting is not our only civic responsibility and, as with others, it should be easy to exercise.
Cathy Murphree, Richardson
Why destroy education?
Texas is expected to pass a universal school voucher system within the next year. Based on what happened when the first such system debuted in Arizona, we can reach the following conclusions: 1. The cost to the government will be far greater than anticipated because more well-to-do students will participate even though their families can afford to send them to private schools without government help.
2. Without strict rules on what is educational, the money can be spent on activities such as martial arts and ski tickets. 3. Since the money provided to students will total several billion dollars, it is highly likely that state funding for public schools will be drastically cut. Disadvantaged communities will be subsidizing well-to-do children’s education. Vouchers will make education more unequal and unaccountable. 4. There is no good evidence that vouchers boost student performance.
For over 150 years, free public education has built the greatest nation on earth. Why are we trying to destroy this system?
Bob Michaelsen, Denton
No religion above others
Re: “Religion unequal in proposed lessons — Some planned public school materials lack balance or are inaccurate, report says,” Aug. 26 news story.
Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, is wrong on two counts — constitutionally and historically — in his support of proposed school curriculum that is infused with Christianity in a way that presents this one religion above others. He makes his position clear by stating, “The simple truth is that all world religions did not have an equal impact on why we’re here today,” adding that there’s nothing wrong with stating such.
On the constitutional count, Schaefer is wrong because presenting Christianity above other religions violates the First Amendment.
On the historical side, where did the idea of monotheism come from? Not Christians. Who developed algebra and algorithmic concepts? Not a Christian. Who discovered the speed of light? Not a Christian. (The answers, respectively, are Jews, a Muslim and another Jew.)
Yet somehow I doubt the proposed curriculum makes mention of these facts, or that Jews fought in the Revolutionary War. Some Founding Fathers were not Christians but Unitarians (a religion with roots as old as Christianity).
Does the proposed curriculum include any of this? No? Then it is factually incorrect.
Lori Block, Argyle
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