Chief stands above others
Police Chief Eddie García impacted Dallas in many significant ways, but for many of us, one event stands out as a defining moment in his time in Dallas: He was the first Dallas police chief, in almost 50 years, to apologize to Bessie Rodriguez for the brutal murder of her son, Santos.
Members of a group seeking justice for Santos reached out to his office within a few weeks after he arrived in Dallas and were assured by staff that “the chief will do the right thing.”
At a graveside ceremony to mark Santos’ 48th anniversary, a few months later, he addressed Bessie directly: “On behalf of the Dallas Police Department, as a father, I am sorry. We are sorry that someone trusted to protect you, someone who wore the same uniform I proudly wear today took your son and took David’s brother away by way of murder.”
Dallas is a better city because of you, Eddie García. Thank you, Chief García, for giving Bessie, who is no longer with us, the dignity and grace she richly deserved.
Hadi Jawad, Dallas
President, Human Rights Dallas
Choose a side in dance firings
Re: “Old, new schools clash at legacy company — Fired dancers say there’s a cultural shift afoot,” Sunday Metro story.
Thanks to journalist Elizabeth Myong for summarizing the situation for the fired Dallas Black Dance Theatre dancers. Long story short: The dancers organized a union, then management fired them, hired scabs and will try to continue production. It’s the same as any other worker/management showdown. Dallas people need to decide which side they are on.
Gene Lantz, Dallas
President, Dallas AFL-CIO Council
Let’s talk about taxes
Re: “It’s only make-believe — Presidential candidates are promising goodies paid for with unicorns, but no one is talking about debt,” by Abby McCloskey, Sept. 15 Opinion.
McCloskey’s opinion, “It’s only make-believe,” raises important issues related to spending, taxes and interest on the federal debt. She asserts that “taxes are at record highs.” In fact, we are not heavily taxed by historical standards. In 2023, federal revenue was 16.3% of GDP, a measure that hit 19.8% in 1999. We are currently on the lower end of the normal range.
Corporate and personal tax rates are significantly lower than they were in the past. McCloskey implies upper income families are heavily taxed and cannot carry more burden. There is a growing concentration of wealth among the richest Americans attributed to unrealized capital gains that are not taxed during the owners’ lifetimes. These fortunes frequently pass nearly tax free to heirs due to loopholes in estate tax law.
McCloskey includes Social Security benefits as one of the drivers of our budget problems and states that neither party has taken steps to fix the program. President Joe Biden laid out a plan to fix Social Security by applying the payroll tax to incomes over $400,000 per year. To address our real budget challenges, we need a more accurate assessment of our status and options than this column presents.
Brian Smith, Colleyville
Decide by policies, issues
Re: “William F. Buckley was correct,” by Daniel Carlson, Saturday Letters.
Regarding Carlson’s “William F. Buckley was correct” letter, where he said it is critically important to look at the character and temperament of the candidates, I recognize the concern about former President Donald Trump, but I believe there is at least an equal concern about the character and temperament of Vice President Kamala Harris. Not to mention, there’s a more disturbing apprehension about her “no-content” policies, answers to issues and incomprehensible babble.
Why can’t we decide this election based on policies and issues that make our lives better, rather than personalities? I doubt Buckley ever knew of two candidates with personalities like we have now — and hopefully will never have again.
Jack Carroll, Irving/Las Colinas
Debating Buckley’s choice
Carlson’s letter restates William F. Buckley Jr.’s announcement that he would rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the telephone directory than by the Harvard University faculty. As a lifelong conservative, Buckley accurately characterized Harvard’s faculty as liberal elitists, out of touch with everyday Americans.
Carlson wrote that like Buckley, he “would prefer to be governed by that number of randomly selected Americans than by Donald Trump and his MAGA minions.”
Carlson is free to choose whom he prefers for president, but I seriously doubt that Buckley would choose to be governed by Kamala Harris and her woke ideologues.
Robert P. Smith, Dallas/Preston Hollow
Support global nutrition plan
Re: “Prioritize relief for the middle class — As tax cuts expire in 2025, expanding the Child Tax Credit will deliver help,” by Colin Allred, Sept. 13 Opinion.
All children deserve the chance to live and thrive. Allred’s column expresses the importance of expanding the child tax credit. Parents around the world want the best for their children, just like us.
In 2022, about 5 million children under the age of 5 died worldwide. Nearly half those deaths were caused by malnutrition. It is heartbreaking. Malnutrition can cause stunted growth, poor cognitive and motor development and anemia. Anemia can cause complications for pregnant women and their babies.
Nutrition is critical during pregnancy and the first two years of life. Fortunately, there is a plan. The Nutrition for Growth Summit will be held in March 2025 in Paris. This global gathering of governments and nonprofit organizations upholds programs to increase breast feeding and provide nourishment to adolescent girls and women, reducing birth defects and maternal and infant deaths.
We ask the U.S. government to take leadership and pledge $13.3 billion to N4G in 2025. Together, we can ensure a bright future for children around the world.
Rebecca Brownlow, Austin
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