{"id":386977,"date":"2025-11-18T06:39:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T06:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/386977\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T06:39:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T06:39:13","slug":"letters-to-the-editor-politics-property-tax-cuts-no-more-pennies-chicago-grief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/386977\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters to the Editor &#8211; Politics, property tax cuts, no more pennies, Chicago, grief"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>These are not the same<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Re: \u201cPolitics Twisted Beyond Recognition \u2014 From shutdown to redistricting shenanigans, parties have swung to new levels of extreme,&#8221; Thursday editorial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">The Editorial Board can save its pearl-clutching over the allegedly bipartisan election \u201cshenanigans.\u201d There are two major differences between California\u2019s Proposition 50 and Texas\u2019 recent redistricting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Texas\u2019 redistricting was done midway through the decade outside the normal course of redistricting, and only in response to a specific request by President Donald Trump to get him more seats so the Republicans don\u2019t lose the House in 2026. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">California only changed its decades-old bipartisan commission in response to what Texas did, and only to level the playing field.<\/p>\n<p>Opinion<\/p>\n<p class=\"dmnc_features-cta-social-article-cta-social-module__3beff secondaryRoman secondaryRoman-20 text-center text-gray-dark\">Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dmnc_features-cta-social-article-cta-social-module__8MgJa flex flex-wrap text-gray-dark secondaryRoman secondaryRoman-10 text-center justify-center\">By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0<a class=\"dmnc_features-cta-social-article-cta-social-module__lU9-l border-b border-gray-dark hover_border-0 focus_border-0 active_border-0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/help\/terms-of-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a class=\"dmnc_features-cta-social-article-cta-social-module__lU9-l border-b border-gray-dark hover_border-0 focus_border-0 active_border-0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/help\/privacy-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">More importantly, the California change was done in the full light of day and with the consent of an overwhelming majority of California voters. Conversely, the Texas map was drawn in a backroom with almost nonexistent public input.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">This is not a \u201cboth sides are equally awful\u201d situation, and to claim otherwise is disingenuous.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Amy Boardman Hunt, Northwest Dallas<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for info on property tax proposal<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Re: \u201cProperty Tax Cut Plan Full of Holes \u2014 Abbott would be irresponsible to gut public school funding without offering a substitute,&#8221; Thursday editorial. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Thank you for this editorial addressing Gov. Greg Abbott\u2019s property tax proposals. Bringing attention to the practical challenges and implications of such plans is critical for informed public discourse. Your analysis helps voters understand the harsh consequences that would accompany these proposed actions. I appreciate your thoughtful coverage of the issues that impact our communities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Brendon Fitzgerald, Dallas<\/p>\n<p>Paxton targets are helpful, in a way<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Re \u201cPaxton accuses Latino group of voter fraud \u2014 Organization says suit meant to have chilling effect, seeks dismissal,&#8221; Sunday Metro story. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Thank you, Ken Paxton, for continuing to use your office to publicly intimidate your political rivals. You, along with Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump, save me a lot of time when I\u2019m researching where I want my political contributions to go. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">I made my contribution to the Jolt Initiative this morning and am waiting for your next target. Thanks again!<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Russ Olivier, Dallas<\/p>\n<p>How about nickels, dimes next?<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Re: \u201cNo longer making cents \u2014 Mint presses country\u2019s last pennies, ending production, not use,&#8221; Thursday news story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">After reading this story about pennies being discontinued, I have to ask, why aren\u2019t nickels and dimes being discontinued also? Just keep quarters and half dollars, kind of like what Europe did with the euro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">If we are spending almost 14 cents to mint a nickel, isn\u2019t that almost as costly as the penny? Eliminate the nickel and dime, that would make things a lot simpler and more cost effective. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">I know it would require a lot of price changing, but it sure would simplify things for everyone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Rene Wimmer, McKinney<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps retool phrase, while we\u2019re at it<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">When pennies are no more, the phrase, \u201ca penny for your thoughts,\u201d will have to be replaced by \u201ca nickel for your thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Larry White, Northwest Dallas<\/p>\n<p>How can we allow ICE\u2019s actions?<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">I recently spent two weeks in Chicago, which was named the best big city in the U.S. by Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler readers for the ninth straight year. No celebrations there. Attacks by ICE and the Border Patrol against citizens and noncitizens alike can be seen nightly on the local news. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Some I witnessed firsthand. How can one adequately convey the emotional impact of watching armed masked men chase people through the streets solely because of the color of their skin? <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">I saw ICE break car windows and drag people out, throw them on the ground and then whisk them away, to be held for hours or days with no ability to inform family. They were not the \u201cworst of the worst.\u201d Some were American citizens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">A priest was pepper-sprayed in the face. Another citizen was thrown to the ground and kneed in the back, breaking six ribs. His crime was trying to get to his home while ICE was raiding the neighborhood. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Tear gas was lobbed into a group of parents and children in Halloween costumes as ICE was leaving the scene. They claimed they were threatened. There are no body cams, no oversight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">My vacation was filled with heartbreak. How can we allow this in America?<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">John R. Dorgan, Flower Mound<\/p>\n<p>Good approach to grieving<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Re: \u201cLeading through the grief,\u201d Thursday news story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is correct in talking about Marshawn Kneeland\u2019s death when he said, \u201cWe don\u2019t move on, but we do move forward.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">I have been fortunate to lead a grief share class for eight years, and those words are taught in our group. We never move on from the loss of someone we love, but we take as long as is needed, and in as many small steps as it takes, move forward to honor the loved one and continue living the lives for which we are called.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">R.V. Baugus, Grand Prairie<\/p>\n<p>No inkling of what was to come<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">While riding the elevator in my apartment building recently,  I met this very large young man. I had no idea who he was, but my usual comment to a man that size is \u201dI want you on my side.\u201c<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">He smiled and answered, \u201cI am.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">We then introduced ourselves. I didn\u2019t recognize his name: Marshawn. If it had been after the Monday night football game where he scored his touchdown, I think it would have registered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Ever since his passing, I\u2019ve been very disturbed and wondered, even though he was cheerful and friendly, was he considering suicide as we talked? He was a very nice young man.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Donald Willis, Plano<\/p>\n<p>Save Dallas City Hall  <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">I have a degree in architecture from a Big Ten university. I don\u2019t live in Dallas, but listen up Dallasites: Do not tear down your Dallas City Hall. That building is a work of art and, face it folks, you do not have that many good-looking buildings in Dallas. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Jim Stodola, Denton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"These are not the same Re: \u201cPolitics Twisted Beyond Recognition \u2014 From shutdown to redistricting shenanigans, parties have&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":386978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,1596,14841,8998,79,90,5026,5386,1818,409,101355,6459,80,358,7376],"class_list":{"0":"post-386977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-dallas","10":"tag-dallas-city-hall","11":"tag-dallas-cowboys","12":"tag-economy","13":"tag-elections","14":"tag-greg-abbott","15":"tag-il","16":"tag-illinois","17":"tag-immigration","18":"tag-leading-dallas","19":"tag-money","20":"tag-politics","21":"tag-texas","22":"tag-texas-legislature"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115569332342156025","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}