Anyone buying less than 1% of our land is not a serious issue in this Senate campaign.
USA Today Network file photo
Small deal
A current political TV ad criticizes James Talarico for voting to allow the Chinese to buy 160,000 acres of Texas. Sounds like a lot, but Texas covers about 172,000,000 acres. That means the Chinese own far less than 1% of our land — a trivial amount, and not worthy of serious consideration as a relevant campaign issue.
– David Roll, Colleyville
Iran reality
Iran is a quagmire that President Donald Trump cannot get out of. No matter how much he huffs and puffs, he hasn’t defeated Iran, stopped its nuclear ambitions or opened the Strait of Hormuz. Close to 20% of the world’s oil is not getting to market.
America and the world continue to pay for Trump’s war: more for food, more for gas and diesel, more for travel. A food crisis is coming as fertilizer is in short supply and diesel fuel costs more for farmers around the globe. And our military power is depleted.
– Robert Terry, Fort Worth
Data-driven
Tarrant County needs a voting access strategy that is both bipartisan and evidence-based. The core objective is straightforward: ensure that every eligible voter can cast a ballot without unreasonable distance, delay or confusion.
Achieving this requires shifting to a stable, data-driven framework. A bipartisan oversight group should review site plans annually, publish access impact statements and recommend adjustments based on wait times, complaints, turnout gaps and other public metrics. This would align administrative efficiency with democratic legitimacy and provide a durable, transparent process for future elections.
This strategy offers a balanced path forward: operationally manageable for administrators, politically neutral for elected officials and measurably easier for voters.
– Leslie J. Smith, Grapevine
Priceless
I can’t put a price on my vote. It’s my opportunity to make my wishes known. Voting is a right and a duty. County money is well spent establishing poll locations for residents to cast ballots wherever they live.
Loads of money has and will be paid in settlements for jail deaths and in defense of poorly trained detention officers. The money spent on elections is a drop in the bucket compared with other public spending.
Tarrant County, we can do better.
– Marilyn Kepner, Fort Worth
Our future
As we approach Labor Day, dedicated to the contributions of American workers, we urge readers to recognize the skilled tradespeople in residential construction who build the world around us.
Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, ironworkers, welders, heavy-equipment operators and countless other craft professionals transform blueprints into the homes, condominiums and apartments where Americans build their lives.
All too often, the skilled trades remain underappreciated and underpromoted. Many young people are steered exclusively toward four-year degrees while excellent, well-paying opportunities in residential construction go unfilled. The resulting shortage reduces the supply of new homes and increases construction costs, contributing to higher housing prices.
This Labor Day, let’s give these men and women more than a long weekend. Thank them for the roofs over our heads and the floors beneath our feet. When we invest in the skilled trades, we invest in our future.
– Kimberly Eaton-Pregler, Executive vice president, Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, Fort Worth