Don’t drive drunk; help true homeless; right to work; worthy Americans
Don’t drive drunk
The holidays are a time for reverie, giving thanks and expressing generosity with loved ones.
It’s also a time to be cautious and careful, especially while on the road, whether it’s because of unpredictable Texas weather or the dangers of those celebrating and deciding to get behind the wheel at the wrong time.
For those who live in rural Texas, there’s another unfortunate reason to have concern this Christmas season.
Rural hospitals all across the country are closing their doors, making it harder to access lifesaving services.
When disaster strikes, getting timely, appropriate medical care can be the difference between life and death.
Thankfully, we’re fortunate that air medical transport bases are located throughout Texas.
In the event of an accident, local EMS personnel have the ability to dial up a helicopter that can be on the ground in a matter of minutes to help victims, even on New Year’s Eve.
Please celebrate safely. Don’t endanger yourself or your loved ones by driving under the influence.
Toni Logan, communications officer, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Texas State Office, Austin
Help true homeless
There is a huge difference between homelessness and panhandling.
Panhandling is a second job for most of them. If you don’t believe me, just watch as they park their vehicle a block away, then work their corner for hours.
They make money from people who they deceive into feeling they’ve done a kind deed to satisfy their conscience.
Perhaps their money would be far more valuable given to a resource center that helps the true homeless get off the street (and there are many of them).
Cathy Seifert,
Fort Worth
Right to work
Right-to-work laws, including the one in Texas, are actually a burden to our national budget.
They decrease income to the point that many people become dependent on the government.
With the new dependents on government services, we see an increase in the national debt.
What we need to do is repeal right-to-work laws on a state and national scale but dis-incentivized low-wage employment,making tax cuts on condition that it must be used to increase pay.
I do not support a $15 per hour minimum wage solution. We must incentivize skilled and college-educated employment that pays above poverty to begin with.
John Davis, Fort Worth
Worthy Americans
I just read two Thursday letters to the editor putting forth the idea that if you eliminate the voters of California, Donald Trump won the popular vote.
They implied that California is less American than the rest of us and unworthy of determining a presidential victor.
I’d rather think that if you eliminate the votes of the traitorous states that rebelled against our country back in the 1860s, Hillary Clinton would have won both the popular and electoral vote.
We should be careful about how we parse who is a real and worthy American. There could be other interpretations.
Dennis Novak, Fort Worth
This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Don’t drive drunk; help true homeless; right to work; worthy Americans."