It’s political insanity
Re: “Go ahead. Close public schools — Abbott’s plan to cut property tax funding forgets that any education failure is the state’s fault,” by Glenn Rogers, Sunday Opinion.
Rogers’ Sunday column was brilliant. Never have I witnessed such political insanity as Gov. Greg Abbott’s incessant push to rid Texas of public schools.
If that is truly what Texans want, and this has been supported by their continual votes for the state Republican regime, then all the public schools should be closed.
This letter is difficult for me to write, having been a classroom educator for more than 40 years in California. There, teachers received respect — not a great deal, but certainly some — along with a living wage, a decent retirement and little threat of private schools being advocated from our state government, whether Republican or Democrat.
Opinion
Why am I living here in Texas? Because 13 years ago, everything else went sideways in California. I love Texas, but not the ridiculous lockstep march to follow the educational “reforms” of Abbott and his minions.
However, I can still vote my preferences as can every other Texan. As Rogers tells us, Texas, be prepared for what happens if (when?) public schools are closed permanently.
Carol L. Welch, Flower Mound
Megadonors take control
Thank you, Glenn Rogers, for pointing out one of the goals of Gov. Greg Abbott is to eliminate public education and move the state toward private Christian education.
The first step was to push state-funded vouchers for parents to use to send their children to private schools — a program shrouded as school choice. The next step to defund public education by removing school property tax sounds wonderful for homeowners, but what Abbott has failed to mention is how public school districts will be funded.
Rogers mentioned that megadonors on the far right are funding this push to complete their dominion over their Seven Mountains (family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business and government). These megadonors funded Political Action Committees to eliminate any Republican state house member who did not support Abbott’s vision to crush public education in the state.
The megadonors are Farris Wilks and Tim Dunn, West Texas oil billionaires who have been funding the state’s move to the far right for well over a decade. One of their stated goals is to replace public education with private Christian schooling.
This is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind.
Mark Johnson, North Dallas
Not really a ‘win-win’
Re: “Ignite downtown’s next era with 6 strategies — We can bring growth and vibrancy back to Dallas’ historic core,” by Jeff Ellerman, Monday Opinion.
Mr. Ellerman tells us that our downtown office space must evolve, and many buildings are beyond their useful life as offices. Few would disagree with this statement.
However, in his next paragraph, he suggests that moving City Hall into one of those same buildings would be a “win-win” saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. This is the same mantra others in the real estate community have been repeating for weeks. They realize the obsolescence of these buildings, but nevertheless they propose that the city should occupy one, inefficiently spreading city functions over 20 or more floors in a 40-year-old building making city government much less accessible to citizens than the current location.
Furthermore, his assertion of hundreds of millions of dollars of deferred maintenance is speculative at best. The Dallas Museum of Art has millions of dollars of deferred maintenance. I hope that building will not be abandoned to create a “win-win” for downtown.
Tipton Housewright, Dallas/Lake Highlands
Show your bravery
I have sent the following to all my Washington representatives:
ICE has gone too far. Once a reputable organization, the current administration has turned it into a lawless group.
I am passionate in requesting that you insist upon a review of ICE by calling Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller to account in hearings before Congress. Immediately, please insist ICE be withdrawn from all states until its hiring, training, tactics and identification of deportation targets can be reviewed and corrected.
U.S. citizens and people who are following all federal requirements toward citizenship are being arrested along with criminal immigrants who are supposedly the main targets.
Frankly, I want to see courage from you as my representative. This is an American issue, not a party issue. Even the National Rifle Association and other outspoken Second Amendment supporters are outraged by what happened to Alex Pretti.
Republicans in Congress have not upheld their constitutional duty to place checks and balances upon this administration. Please show your bravery now. Anything less is pure cowardice.
Cecil L. Taylor, Plano
Another ceasefire
President Donald Trump should add one more entry to his prestigious list of ceasefires in war zones — that being the state of Minnesota. Pull out every federal employee of ICE in Minnesota and send them to Florida for a vacation. Then reassign them to a place that respects the law.
Let Minneapolis or any other city up there live with their decisions.
Milt Bergman, Whitney
Delivery by 6 a.m.
The Dallas Morning News arrives despite the storm. There it was at 6 a.m., courtesy of our loyal delivery person. I had to make a path by throwing old rugs on the ice but anything to get my paper. Thanks, DMN!
Karen Andries, McKinney
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