Thank a poll worker
While I waited to be issued my ballot at the polling station, I said “Thank you for your service” to the nice volunteer woman who checked my ID. This has been a tough year for poll workers, and I wanted to let her know how much I appreciated her sacrifice of time and energy to volunteer.
She noticed from my driver’s license that I was a veteran and said to me, “It’s because of your service that I can even be here to participate in this process. Thank you for your service.” My reply was a simple and humble “just doin’ my duty.”
It struck me later that day how much sacrifice poll workers truly make to ensure that we, the people, have our voices heard. They are veterans in a sense, too. They serve this country as well as any service member, in their own way.
So when you vote be sure to thank your poll workers. Each one is very much just doing their duty.
Jerry P. Sorenson, North Richland Hills
The new voting bloc
As a dedicated community organizer focused on empowering young voters in Texas, I urge everyone to seize a crucial opportunity: vote early. This is our moment to create a voting plan that fits our lives and ensures our voices are heard.
This election, millennials and Gen Z will form the largest and most diverse voting bloc in history, representing nearly one-fifth of the electorate. With over 40 million Gen Z voters, including 8 million newly eligible voters since 2022, our collective power is immense.
We face significant challenges: an urgent climate crisis, threats to reproductive rights and an economic system often stacked against us. Young people in Texas can’t wait any longer for change; we must make our voices heard in November.
Voting early — whether by mail or in person — gives us the flexibility to ensure our voices are heard without the stress of Election Day. Until Nov. 1, take the opportunity to vote early in a way that works for you. This election will shape Texas’s future. Let’s shape it together.
Matthew Baiza, San Antonio
Texas State Director, NextGen America
Give education attention
Re: “Releasing scores will help underfunded districts — Accountability and the ’Texas miracle’ are on the line,” by William A. Brewer III, Oct. 15 Opinion.
Among the many wonderful aspects of living in this state, one of the sad realities is our public school system. As a state we are not alone, but an appalling number of our public school students cannot read or write at grade level and our funding for both rural and urban areas is inadequate.
The Houston Independent School District’s performance was so poor it was taken over by the state. Consistently, economically disadvantaged students perform the worst, adding dramatically to the challenges those students already face. Teaching positions in many districts are woefully understaffed and we now have judicial obstacles to parents even having access to their child’s school rating.
Amid the vitriol that pervades our political climate at every level of government in this election year, where is the front and center discussion of how to make our education system better? It’s crickets on all fronts, while I can think of no domestic issue more important to our societal and economic futures than educating our children. We must find a way to be better.
Carol Alspaugh Denton, Dallas
Rent rises when taxes do
Re: “Rent strains many wallets — New census report shows 23% of households spend half of income on such costs,” Wednesday news story.
In response to this front page story, I would point out one main reason for the increase in rents. When the coronavirus first came along and rental owners could no longer appear in person at the county tax office to plead for reductions of taxes, tax bills increased exponentially and continue to do so.
Now the value I can expect to receive for my properties for sale is not increasing but has reached a plateau and remains there. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t seem right to me.
The taxing authorities are raising the taxes every year just because they can. Those are expenses an owner has to pay, thus rents have to increase as well. It’s as simple as that.
Katherine Creech, Garland
Toledo Bend has water
Re: ”Wading into a water fight — Plan would help thirsty North Texas — and may drown a community,” Oct. 20 news story.
This story regards the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir as a future water supply for North Central Texas. Negative impacts upon residents and loss of natural habitat and the local timber industry are described in the story.
But there already is a reservoir that can provide water supply for North Central Texas. Located on the Texas Louisiana border, Toledo Bend Reservoir is the fifth largest reservoir in the United States. According to a Yield Study prepared by Brown & Root Inc. in 1991, the reservoir has a firm yield of over 2 million ac-ft per year, more than three times the yield of Marvin Nichols.
The Sabine River Authority of Texas and the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana govern Toledo Bend. Both agencies have previously indicated a willingness to be regional water providers.
Why isn’t Toledo Bend being considered?
Robert P. Smith, Dallas/Preston Hollow
Apply water limits to all
Re: “Enforce water restrictions,” by David Dick, Wednesday Letters.
Why don’t tougher water restrictions apply to big business properties, golf courses and government properties? Watering large expanses of grass at the hottest part of the day makes no sense.
Barry Ligus, Argyle
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