Fourth of July, electric dereg, Arlington bike plan, Kimbell detectives

Thoughts on the 4th

My family enjoyed the annual Arlington Fourth of July Parade with well over 120 entries from the local community.

We could not help but notice that the most high-profile community members were missing.

Where were the Dallas Cowboys? Where were the Texas Rangers?

War veterans 80-plus years old and hundreds of high school kids could find time and energy to show their support.

It seems one or two players, cheerleaders, coaches or owners could have found the time to show support for the city and our nation's independence.

After all, the city of Arlington showed its support for the Cowboys and the Rangers by agreeing to help fund their stadiums.

-- Brian Burger, Arlington

In the Star-Telegram July 3 and 4, we were told, "All nonessential federal, state, county and municipal offices will be closed in observance of the July Fourth holiday."

If these offices are "nonessential," why are they ever open?

-- Wanda Woodard, Fort Worth

For the second year in a row, citizens were shooting off fireworks all around my neighborhood, and we could not get law enforcement to respond. The 911 operator told me to call the fire department. Fire department lines were busy 20 minutes before I got anyone on the phone and was informed they were too far behind and if my house caught fire to call 911.

The fire department does not have enough boots on the ground to scratch even the smallest surface of this problem. This is a massive public safety issue.

Fort Worth must come up with a better method of enforcing the city's fireworks ban. People who shoot fireworks are breaking the law. Just the presence of a squad car would most likely stop it. There is no way the fire department alone should be expected to handle this problem.

The police and fire departments should work together, and we citizens should demand the ban be enforced.

-- Susie Fitzgerald, Fort Worth

Dereg not working

Once again, Mitch Schnurman has it wrong. Deregulating our electricity was not good and is not good. (See: "More proof that electric competition is working," Wednesday)

He says the competition is "working." It is only working toward putting money into middlemen's pockets. The retail electric providers do not produce or transmit one kilowatt of electricity; they just buy and resell it at a profit.

Maybe that is why more than 100 Texas cities have banded together to fight deregulation and expose deregulation as a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Rates are low, purely and simply, because of the Barnett Shale play and other recent gas finds in the U.S. There is a glut. This will not always be the case. Then watch where the price of a kilowatt-hour goes, especially in light of the fact that natural gas is used in Texas as the marginal fuel when figuring electricity prices.

Maybe one of the goofiest things he says is, "Consider that investors, not ratepayers, paid for the new generation, representing more than half of today's total capacity. And since then, rates have declined, often sharply." Does he not think that the investors are not charging this back to us, and at a profit to boot?

-- John T. Johnson, III, Arlington

On the bike plan

I watched some of the Arlington public hearing recently and was appalled at some of the personal attacks and accusations toward city leaders. I felt it was way out of line. Jay Luke set the correct example in politely opposing the hike and bike plan with reasons, not attacks.

Well observed by Robert Shepard was the cultural decline of compromise and respectful discourse. I know most of the council members and find them willing to listen.

Many of us in the community realize the hours of time and sacrifice that service demands, and I want to make sure they heard our strong appreciation after such an outburst.

-- Gary Walker, Fort Worth

Artful detectives

Thank you for Gaile Robinson's fascinating July 3 story about the travels and travails of the terra cotta bust of the "mystery woman." (See: "Was Kimbell statue hiding a sordid sales history?")

Not only do art historians and curators have to evaluate and display creative works, they have to be detectives as well.

Congratulations to members of the Kimbell Art Museum staff for their integrity in dealing responsibly with artworks from the Nazi era. Not every museum or collector seems to have been so careful with Hitler's often-looted art.

-- Bruce W. Rider, Grapevine

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