Welcome Ikea; deserving Trump; pay substitutes; obey police; GOP Obamacare
Welcome Ikea
It’s great to hear that Swedish retailer Ikea is planning a store in Fort Worth.
Now, before he stirs up a hornet’s nest, somebody needs to tell company president Lars Petersson that Fort Worth is its own city (with a larger population than Stockholm) and nobody here considers himself or herself to be in the “Dallas area.”
John Kent, Fort Worth
Deserving Trump
I must take exception to the Friday column by Cynthia Allen (“Trump is exactly the president modern America deserves”).
Citing the perceived incivility of social media, and in particular Facebook, is unscientific at best and reckless at worst, and in no way whatsoever explains the rise of Donald Trump.
Facebook, used properly, is a curated communication tool populated with people you know and theoretically like.
Anyone who writes coarse, disrespectful or profane comments on my social media is banned immediately. I will not tolerate it.
Surely I am not alone in behaving like a grownup. I can, and do, discuss politics endlessly with people who have opinions polar opposite from my own, and we remain friends.
Be a good person.
It shouldn’t be that difficult.
Diane M. Gatzke, Arlington
Cynthia Allen is grossly mistaken. I do not deserve Trump.
More importantly, she alluded that public opinion cannot change matters. Remember Richard Nixon and August 1974?
William Kramer,
Fort Worth
Pay substitutes
I read Thursday’s letter from Fort Worth ISD trustee Ann Sutherland about the problem finding substitute teachers for her school district.
As someone who has an education degree and has substituted in the past, let me answer.
The reason they are not available is the same reason teachers don’t stay: money. With the pay for substitutes being around $10-12 per hour, what are you expecting?
If you truly want a good stable of fill-in teachers, the answer is simple: Hire enough full-time substitutes at full-time pay, and you will come closer to solving your problem.
No one with a degree in education should have to work for poverty wages.
Bill James, Arlington
Obey police
Want to improve race relations in Fort Worth (or anywhere, for that matter)?
The simple, easy, immediate and incontrovertible method is to ask people to do just one thing: consent to follow police authority. Simply do what they ask.
If a magical force could somehow commit us all, children included, to do this for 30 days, over 99 percent of all problems within all areas of police involvement would be resolved.
No more daily news accounts of police issues. No more tragedies, loss of life, questionable arrests and no more anger.
Police use authority to enforce the laws, and if we obey what they request then all matters get resolved quickly and peacefully.
When we do not accept police authority, we force them to use police power, which too often results in negative endings.
The first step in this really simple process is to convince ourselves that it’s the right thing to do. Then, teach it to others.
It won’t be easy for some of us, but it sure is simple and simple is good.
Patrick Jenkins, Arlington
GOP Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act is no longer affordable. Premiums continue to increase and are projected to go up even more next year, as health insurance companies are dropping out of the exchanges.
For years the Republicans have promised to repeal Obamacare, but they always had the excuse of the presidential veto.
There is no excuse today. They need to get it done and fulfill their promise.
W.B. Gordon, Fort Worth
This story was originally published February 10, 2017 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Welcome Ikea; deserving Trump; pay substitutes; obey police; GOP Obamacare."