Fair Park’s downfall
Re: “What Could Go Wrong With Privatizing Fair Park? (Everything, It Turns Out),” Sunday editorial.
Fair Park is a Texas treasure. No doubt it’s a gut punch to the citizens of Dallas to have to watch an art deco gem slowly crumble from the incompetence, lies and neglect of the people who were paid to be the stewards.
As an Austin parks watchdog, I know your pain, Dallas.
Our elected City Council entered into a series of contracts and handshake deals with shady, commercializing nonprofits to receive private and city funds to maintain parks and grow what council members call “cultural events.”
Ten years in, our citizen eyes tear up as we behold near-stomped to death trees and vegetation, filthy restrooms, eroded trails. We are excluded from our parks in the fall, winter and spring so festivals may be set up, taken down. Hundreds of thousands of “festival” party tourists swarm our parks.
Opinion
We know from IRS documents that the nonprofits have bloated payrolls and tens of millions in the bank. The nonprofits are misusing their dwindling donor money. Our calls for city audits are ignored.
Here’s my idea for Fair Park and Austin’s New Deal Zilker Park: nix the commercializing; curate buildings, keep one or two; plant the remaining land with a thick forest for our future use in Texas’ heat.
Chris Flores, Austin
Cruz correct on liberty
Re: “Cruz likens FCC leader to ‘mafioso’ — He calls threats by federal regulator against ABC over Kimmel dangerous,” Saturday news story.
It’s not often that I agree with Sen. Ted Cruz. Cruz nailed it with his comments on the Federal Communications Commission leader. While people can argue about whether or not Jimmy Kimmel’s comments regarding Charlie Kirk are right or wrong, Kimmel has the right to speak.
Government interference with individual liberty used to bother conservatives. Imagine if the Biden administration had attacked Fox News in the way the Trump folks have gone after the media.
Alan E. Mesches Frisco
That’s entertainment
Re: “A wild night at Dallas City Hall — A poker club got its permit after a board hearing turned into a trial featuring a council member,” by Robert Wilonsky, Friday Opinion.
What a terrific and unexpected thing just happened! Reading Wilonsky’s column about the Board of Adjustments meeting concerning Champions Social Club’s certificate of occupancy actually took my mind off of national political shenanigans.
What an extreme adventure into the dark side of a city’s political intrigue. Now that’s entertainment!
Dan Siculan, Royse City
Reverse confinement ruling
Re: “Homelessness stymies city — Council eyes rules for public areas; advocates call for more resources,” Saturday Metro & Business story.
In O’Connor vs. Donaldson (1975), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that dangerous mentally ill individuals who were capable of surviving on their own could not be confined against their will. That decision was followed by others in a similar vein.
This has led to at least a material part of the current homelessness problems in Dallas and the rest of the nation. While the court was well intentioned, it failed to address the protection and well-being of both those individuals and society at large.
Reversing O’Connor and allowing for safe, institutional care for the homeless who are mentally ill would improve their lives and those of the rest of society.
Edward F. Walker, Dallas
Leaving Texas, News
Re: “My old friend the newspaper,” by Ellen Fleming-Hughes, Friday Letters.
I really enjoy the letters section of The Dallas Morning News mainly because I like diversity, and I always find at least one person who is my polar opposite.
In Friday’s paper, it was a person overjoyed as they read the paper for the first time in years and found some cherished “old friends.” I have been reading daily (when not traveling for work) for 35 years.
Lately I have been questioning the value due to the loss of coupons and the focus of reviews on restaurants and activities that, considering Dallas-Fort Worth traffic, are too far north of where I live and are also outside of my budget.
Hopefully, more people like Fleming-Hughes will return to buying the newspaper and offset the loss of my subscription as I move to a state that isn’t so hot in summer and has a government that has a better balance of representing both working-class citizens and major campaign donors.
I hope that all newspapers survive for a while longer. They were the focus of breakfast discussion in my house while I was growing up. I miss that life.
Kenneth Mathias, Grand Prairie
Gun control requires women
OK, grandmas and young women! I want to share something with you and encourage you to get it together.
In 1929, Republican grandmothers and wives met in living rooms and got their senators and representatives to change the law on liquor. They were tired of the current law regarding liquor and were afraid for their children and grandchildren. Too many shootings!
So they got the law changed: 1. Legalization. 2. Regulation. 3. Taxation. Then people went about their lives and enjoyed it.
We need all the women — and men who want to join us — to get together and change these gun laws. Article II says “all are free to own a musket!” OK, give them a musket!
Seriously, grandmas and young women. It looks like it has to be us to get control of the guns.
Beth Weems Pirtle, Dallas