Water restrictions, Fort Worth Cultural District parking fees, texting while driving

Water wonders

Last weekend on a local highway, there was an electronic billboard with the message "extreme drought conditions -- conserve water." Shortly after reading that, my husband and I popped into a local restaurant for some brunch. Our waitress automatically brought us two glasses of water without asking. While dining, I made a visual sweep of the tables in the restaurant. Almost all of the patrons' water glasses were sitting there full, while they drank their glasses of tea or soda.

Please, restaurant owners, do your part and only bring out water if your customer wants it. And not only in times of severe drought, but all year. If conservation and earth stewardship are not incentive enough, consider how much cheaper your water bill would be!

-- Vespa Stuckey, Benbrook

Just thinking about the extreme drought conditions throughout Texas and mandated water conservation and wondering if the drilling companies have been excused from preserving our dwindling supply of water. One well requires a minimum of 3 million gallons of water during the initial drilling and as much each time hydraulic fracking takes place.

The water used can be taken from lakes, rivers, aquifers and streams. Is it safe to assume they are exempt from water-use restrictions?

-- Kathy Heller, Colleyville

Ozone updates

What happened to the ozone reports we used to receive? I don't have asthma but in past years I have always had wheezing of the lungs on days when the ozone was high. I've had a number of those days this summer, and with the record-setting heat would expect that we would have had high ozone levels at least some days. Why do we not get reports on the TV news and in the newspapers?

-- Elenor Zepeda, North Richland Hills

Texting while driving

Mike Norman's Friday column caught my attention. (See: "Arlington's texting ban isn't a good idea") As a longtime motorcyclist (47 years of riding), I am for a complete ban of cellphone use while driving. I can't tell you of how many times I have had a car with an oblivious driver with a cellphone glued to an ear coming around a corner heading straight for me and my motorcycle. Or watched a cellphone addict wobble down the freeway at 70 mph.

Speaking from experience on this issue, I have almost run off the road trying to get my iPhone out of my pocket while driving my car. Using my iPhone as a GPS has lead to similar experiences. I think using a phone is equally as dangerous as being drunk or sleepy while driving.

Pull over and stop in a shopping mall if you want to talk on a phone or text someone.

-- Ron Criswell, Grapevine

Voter hypocrisy

It is humorous to me, although also sad, to read all the letters condemning our politicians, either in general or those of the political party opposed to the writer.

It is not the fault of politicians that the voters who elect them want extensive and expensive government benefits and subsidies for themselves and their friends, but do not want their own taxes raised to pay for them. However, these same voters usually are willing to have other people's benefits cut and taxes raised.

Our politicians' follies are merely the natural expression of our own hypocrisy as an electorate. We richly deserve the leadership we have; a pathetic people deserve appalling leaders.

As is always the case, we have met the enemy and he is us.

-- Marc Rogers, Fort Worth

Budget tricks

In 1991, the state Legislature created the Auto Burglary and Theft Protection Authority (ABTPA), a law enforcement and public education program, funded with a $1 annual fee added to each auto insurance policy sold in Texas. This year, Gov. Perry and the Legislature transferred the funds from that fee to the general revenue budget so they could claim a balanced budget.

In order to keep the ABTPA program operating, this fee was raised to $2 for each auto insurance policy sold -- $1 for the general fund, $1 for ABTPA, a 100 percent increase. So while our governor pontificates about balancing the budget without raising taxes, he certainly employed numerous back-door tactics to accomplish that goal. In my book this higher fee is a tax increase.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck!

-- Annie McHenry, North Richland Hills

Impressive new school

On Monday we took our sixth-grade daughter to the new Benbrook Middle School for the first day of classes. What a wonderful building with natural light beaming in as you pass through the hallways. The exterior design is one of the best you will see for a public school. The athletic facilities are designed for multiple uses, and the two gyms, arts centers and music rooms are amazing. This structure was built with children in mind and not some cookie-cutter building.

Benbrook Middle School was built on time and on budget. Kudos to the Fort Worth school district for running a bond program the way it should be run!

-- Bobby Spence, Benbrook

End overtime

I have a plan to help create jobs. The government should eliminate or drastically reduce the amount of overtime an employee could work. Employers would then seek other full-time employees to cover the gap. Smarter people than me would have to draft the provisions, but we have lawyers for that.

Instead of trying to create jobs over the next two to six years, these new employees could be hired by Labor Day. The job increase should be significant. This would discourage employers from paying 20 hours of overtime to avoid paying benefits to a full-time worker. Just a thought.

-- Jack Durham, Fort Worth

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