A reader praises City Council for pausing on a proposed SAWS rate increase and calls for raising rates on those who use large amounts of water. Another reader asks why SAWS has not reduced drought restrictions in light of so much rain.
MARVIN PFEIFFER/San Antonio Express-News
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones greets people after a press conference at the Holocaust Memorial Museum where she called on canceling a planned Alamodome concert for Ye, who has a long history of making antisemitic comments. A reader says other acts at the Alamodome also deserve scrutiny.
Blaine Young/Contributor
Right to pause rate hike
Re: “Council delays SAWS rate hike,” Front Page, June 20:
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I applaud the council members who wanted more details about the San Antonio Water System rate increase.
I would hope they insist on specific details and time frames for projects. I also would prefer assurances that none of the increases would go toward bonuses.
Another way to raise SAWS revenue would be to lower the volumes that incur higher rates during watering restrictions.
Summer is barely here, and I already see individuals in my area disregarding restrictions. Starting at Stage 1, SAWS could lower the volumes subject to higher rates, and continue reductions and higher rates at each subsequent stage of restrictions.
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Let those who think their lawn is more important than a dependable source of drinking water bear the burden for their indifference.
Hopefully the City Council will get behind this.
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SAWS fees in disguise
The Edward Aquifer Authority has been in Stage 2 drought restrictions for San Antonio since May 30.
Many San Antonio residents want to know when San Antonio Water System will lower its drought restrictions from Stage 3 to Stage 2 and why it has taken so long.
Homeowners who maintain a decent lawn know the Stage 3 drought fees are simply a water-use rate increase in disguise.
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Jones in wrong job
Re: “Mayor’s first year marked by her failure to lead,” Editorial, June 21:
The Express-News had been very gentle on Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ abysmal job performance, at least until last Sunday’s damning editorial.
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The Editorial Board faithfully assessed Jones and her stunning leadership failures. Perhaps more is at stake.
I spent 32 years in federal service, half at the executive level. I observed many individuals with exemplary credentials and experiences, like Jones, but with deplorable interpersonal skills, rendering them incapable of public service. They do not play well with others.
Jones has honed intelligence, but she belongs in a think tank or research facility with limited public contact.
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Downplay military ties
Re: “S.A. can do more to ensure next decade is prosperous,” Another View, Tuesday:
Only one thing stood out to me in Council Member Marc Whyte’s opinion piece with which I disagree.
He wrote that San Antonio should “expand the military presence in our city.”
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As he noted, San Antonio ranks last among Texas cities’ readiness for future prosperity. The military has been integral to our history here for almost 200 years. Yet we’re poor, still.
I recommend that unless our city is applying for some kind of government program or contract, we don’t mention Military City, USA.
Other than for ex-military members and contractors, I question whether advertising our government affiliations and military dependency is positive advertising.
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What about Chris Brown?
Five days after news broke that Ye would be performing at the Alamodome, Mayor Gina Ortiz-Jones advocated for canceling the event.
Subsequently, County Commissioner Grant Moody and County Judge Peter Sakai released statements with similar sentiment.
It bears noting that the Alamodome is also set to host repeat abuser Chris Brown for the second year in a row. Public officials have voiced zero concerns about booking a performer with a history and continued pattern of violence as domestic violence continues to plague San Antonio.
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The recent Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence, or CCDV, found that in 2024, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the San Antonio Police Department received more than 58,000 calls for assistance related to family violence.
If, as Moody stated, “Hate and intolerance have no place in Bexar County,” where do our leaders stand on misogyny and violence against women when it comes to those chosen to perform at the Alamodome?
Kate Solis, board member, P.E.A.C.E. Initiative
Inconsistent concerns
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy’s responses to COVID-19 and the New World screwworm have been severely, even bizarrely, different.
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Regarding the pandemic, he was dismissive, even contemptuous of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s commonsense safety measures, including vaccines, which medical science has proven to lessen the severity of the disease or prevent infection.
Moreover, he crossed the line into quackery by promoting ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 treatments when both were of unproven effectiveness and possibly dangerous for human use.
Contrast that to today’s Roy, who rightly supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s scientific efforts to eliminate this dangerous parasite — both to protect the cattle industry and, indirectly, consumers of beef products.
Yet sadly, when it comes to dangerous and possibly deadly pathogens that directly threaten ordinary moms and dads, children, grandparents and others, Roy’s concern seems severely lacking.
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Stephen Shackelford, Austin
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