Allred the right choice
Re: “As Allred enters Senate race, Cruz shrugs off competition — He says the Dallas congressman is too liberal for Texas voters,” Thursday news story.
As Colin Allred enters the Senate race, our Ted Cruz calls him “too liberal for Texas.” The Republicans have attempted to make the word “liberal” a pejorative!
I think they’ll find an overwhelming majority here who think the word is a proud term for one who is enlightened, progressive, hard-working and capable. These are among the many attributes Allred has used to get several compassionate things done for veterans. He has worked with our other senator on gun safety legislation, worked for bipartisan expansion of the U.S. semiconductor industry and is an affable consensus maker.
What has Cruz done except embarrass Texas over and over?
AliceAnne Ebinger, Allen
Social media ban not the solution
Re: “Protecting kids on social media — Texas House’s proposed age limit is a step forward,” Thursday editorial.
While some connect social media use with teen depression and suicides, evidence is unclear. The Economist noted, “If social media were the sole or main cause of rising levels of suicide or self-harm — rather than just one part of a complex problem — country-level data would probably show signs of their effect.” They don’t.
Underlying causes of depression and suicide are often much deeper for teens, best addressed by parents, yet some want to give it to government bureaucrats. The latest attempt is Texas House Bill 18, supported by your editorial board.
The bill would essentially ban teens from social media and force all to register online. It excludes YouTube by picking it as a winner with an educational provision.
Though well-intended, the bill would have many costly unintended consequences. Teens could lose benefits from connecting with family and friends and learning new things, have less information in a growing digital world and possibly choose less-desired activities.
Everyone registering for digital services reduces privacy and security. Texas should empower parents to decide for their kids — many of us may choose to keep our kids offline — not government bureaucrats.
Vance Ginn, Round Rock
Chief economist, Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Trails plagued by vehicle crime
Re: “Invest in Park, Trail Safety — City Hall must devote resources to ensure green spaces are clean, well-lit,” Monday editorial.
The crime along Dallas’ paved trails is not limited to murder. All too often in under-patrolled areas such as southeast Dallas, they serve as conduits for a variety of all-terrain vehicle-driven crime. Illegal dumping, including of dead dogs, is continual on the paved trail extending from the Great Trinity Forest Gateway Park at Dowdy Ferry Road and Interstate 20.
ATVs take that trail and go marauding in the forests from there up to McCommas Bluff, doing incalculable damage to the land. When the gate to the lower chain of wetlands off Great Trinity Forest Way is left open, there’s more dumping and ATVs going “mudding” on paved wetlands trails that are often 6 inches deep in mud.
Racing ATVs routinely use the nearby AT&T Trail near the Trinity Forest Golf Club, which is terrifying to walkers and bicyclists, especially women. I ran into a briar patch once to escape them.
More care should be taken in the placement of these paved trails. Just because a paved trail can go through somewhere, doesn’t mean it should. And much more enforcement is needed.
Amy Martin, Dallas
Protect green spaces
Re: “Green-space plan makes progress — Mayor moves forward in naming appointee, key potential properties,” Monday news story.
What an interesting intersection in Monday’s paper, as we read about how our mayor wants to expand parks for the southern sector, while an important editorial is published on the need for improved safety for those very spaces.
As Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson ran unopposed, due to his generally successful and inclusive policies, one can only hope that he also reads and listens to the major local newspaper in the city he governs.
Green spaces can be a source of economic development but must also be protected! Fair Park is a perfect example; were it not for all the private support, it, too, might not be the very special place it is.
Dallas, like most of North Texas, has been blessed with excellent growth. So while it seems Dallas City Council members have the funds to make great public spaces happen, ensuring their long-term stability needs to be a key element of the city’s plan.
Michael Marz, North Dallas
Levy vehicle tax based on weight
Re: “Will EV drivers face $200 fees? Texas House sends governor bill that would slow down cars’ adoption, group warns,” April 29 news story.
I’d like to express my disappointment at our Legislature for passing this backdoor tax increase 145-0, and encourage Gov. Greg Abbott to veto it.
Electric vehicle owners should pay for state road maintenance at a rate comparable to what the owners of internal combustion vehicles pay. With a state gas tax of 20 cents per gallon, this $200 fee is taxing electric vehicle users the same as an internal combustion engine vehicle owner who burns 1,000 gallons of gas a year. For that vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon, that would require driving 30,000 miles, which is at least double the average for our state.
The Texas Legislature is trying to slip this tax increase through while most Texans are still driving internal combustion engine vehicles. But as more and more Texans buy electric vehicles, more will be subjected to the higher tax, with most of us eventually paying it.
Instead, a tiered fee based on vehicle weight would be fair, with rates based on typical gas usage for comparably heavy internal combustion engine vehicles. That ensures that those who cause the most wear due to the weight of the vehicles will pay more, and it also ensures that the state favors neither type of vehicle.
Tom Desmond, Plano
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