Letters to the Editor – COVID-19, ‘Forget the Alamo,’ Climate Solutions Act, Dallas trash pickup
Effectiveness of the broadcast vaccine
Re: “955 fully vaccinated people get COVID-19 – but the vast majority of cases in Dallas County are those who haven’t got the vaccinations,” Wednesday Metro & Business story.
The headline at the beginning of this story reads like 955 people recently had groundbreaking cases. I know people see that headline in a hair salon, cash register, restaurant, etc. and never read the story – so they are going to get exactly the wrong message. How about this headline: “0.31% of all COVID cases in Dallas County are ‘breakthroughs’ in vaccinated people.” Or: “99.69% of all COVID cases in Dallas County are unvaccinated.”
The subtitle even says that the “vast majority” of cases are in unvaccinated people. Wednesday’s headline gives reluctant people just one more excuse to keep reluctant.
Steve Ellis, Euless
Thanks for highlighting the book
Re: “Alamo book event canceled – four hours before the conversation, the museum board told the authors what a no-go,” Saturday Metro & Business History.
I want Lt. Gov. My sincere thanks to Dan Patrick for making Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford an unforgettable book. I heard about the book but completely forgot about it. Now, with the help of our Patrick, I remembered it and placed an order to have it delivered.
I look forward to reading the accurate history of Texas and then sharing it with many people. Thanks to Patrick for actually doing something positive for our state. This is a first.
John Lingenfelder, Plano
Intellectually dishonest
The cancellation of an authoring event on the book about the Alamo at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is very worrying. According to your story, the day of the event, the cancellation was made at the behest of the museum’s board of directors, to which Governor Greg Abbott and a very outspoken Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick belong.
This book has received good reviews, including a note of “compelling” from the Wall Street Journal and “entertaining and well-researched” from the Houston Chronicle.
A museum should be an opportunity to learn. Disagreements about history happen all the time. People argue about sources and credibility – that’s fine. What is not good is to insist that there is only one right story. To pretend otherwise is more than dishonest. It is a neglect and betrayal of scientific or educational competence. This is just one step before the book burning.
Hance W. Burrow, East Dallas
Support the CO2 price calculation
I would like to thank Senator John Cornyn on behalf of my children and future generations for co-funding and voting for the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which was passed by the Senate on June 24th. This helps farmers adopt climate-friendly practices that sequester carbon. The bill had 54 co-sponsors (27 Democrats, 26 Republicans, and 1 Independent). The bill will help us fight climate change while helping farmers.
I would also like to call on Cornyn and Senator Ted Cruz to go one step further and support carbon pricing. The United States is one of only two developed countries with no carbon pricing, and that will hurt us economically. Not only is a price on carbon a very efficient tool in reducing emissions, it also increases the demand for Texas natural gas and low carbon Gulf oil. It also protects us from the upcoming Canadian and EU mechanisms to adjust CO2 limits. A carbon price is good business for Texas.
Thomas Wikman, Dallas
Pay a living wage
Re: “Litter delays pile up – complaints about rubbish, recycling pickups are mounting as the city says the problems will continue,” the Saturday news said.
The city of Dallas outsourced plumbing hiring for $ 59 million in 2013. The city requires contractors to pay at least $ 12.38 an hour. The result is that the Dallas garbage is not picked up because the employment company does not pay a living wage. I wonder what would have happened if the city’s human resources department had hired plumbing workers directly and paid a living wage. Perhaps the trash would be picked up and the city could save millions in taxpayers’ money. Has anyone else noticed that government job outsourcing often costs more and degrades service?
Fred Wells, Dallas
Retired teachers need COLA
Subject: “Not for Retired Teachers,” by Patricia K.sumy, letters dated June 26th.
I understand Sumey’s concern about the fact that the Texas legislature did not allow retired teachers to increase the cost of living in the last term. Still, I must remind all readers of the Dallas Morning News that the Employees Retirement System of Texas, which administers the well-deserved pensions of retired state employees who dutifully served all citizens of our great state, has never offered a cost of living adjustment for retirees.
Once upon a time, the employee pension scheme wrote a 13th check annually to make up for the lack of a COLA. However, according to the Texas Retired Teachers Association, 17 years have passed since a 13th check was written to retired government officials. Perhaps the special session could also remedy this neglect?
Keith Hartline, Denison
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