Opponent needed; striking a balance; the federal interloper

Opponent needed

I moved to Bedford in May last year from Irving.

Mainly because of my strong opposition to the 2010 Affordable Care Act, I supported Republicans in 2014.

While I couldn’t vote in the Republican primary in Tarrant County due to the timing, I do wish I could take back my general election vote. State Rep. Jonathan Stickland appears to not have the temperament for his position.

I myself ran for public office once, and serving as an elected official is a responsibility to be taken with respect, not to just those you agree with, but to those you may not.

Rep. Stickland needs an opponent in his next election, should he choose to run, and maybe I should be one of them.

— Michael Taylor Brown, Bedford

Striking a balance

Money magazine recently ranked Mansfield as one of the best places to live in America. Our strong economy attracts thousands of new residents.

But judging from some activists, things in Mansfield aren’t so great. They claim natural gas drilling has reduced property values and ruined our quality of life.

I’ve been in Mansfield for 39 years, and longtime residents like me have watched Mansfield grow from a small, quiet town to continue on as a great hometown.

According to the real estate website Zillow.com, the median home price in Mansfield has increased by nearly 15-20 percent since 2009.

In the last decade, more than 200 natural gas wells have been drilled within the city limits.

If drilling is devaluing property, why are people still moving to Mansfield?

The city of Mansfield has done a good job of revising and strengthening the gas well ordinance many times. The latest ordinance update includes setback distances for wells that are determined to be safe by comprehensive research.

Mansfield is a wonderful place to live, and we’ve proven that we can reap the economic benefits of natural gas drilling while also protecting the health of our community.

— Dee Davey, Mansfield

The federal interloper

I am outraged to hear that the city of Fort Worth is involved with the federal Department of Justice to usurp our city’s judicial authority! (See: “Fort Worth is part of federal push to bolster police, community ties,” Friday, March 13.)

Don’t be fooled by tried-and-true methods of tyrannical government to undermine local and individual liberties! This current federal administration, particularly, has sought to create racial discord and strife from its beginning! They are practicing one of the oldest tricks in the book: Create a problem, then swoop in and “fix” it so that they gain more power.

The assumptions of President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder in every “unarmed black shooting” have been wrong. Their judgments and declarations have made matters worse. Need I mention Ferguson, Mo.?

I have been a Fort Worth resident for 29 years and have been Texas-proud to live in a place “Where the West Begins.”

It has only been within the last six years that socialist ideologues in Washington, D.C., have fomented a national atmosphere that they say cries out for their intervention in local law enforcement and judicial affairs.

Please do not try to educate me on the supposed benefits of this usurpation.

I vehemently oppose it.

— Oletta Branstiter, Fort Worth

This story was originally published March 24, 2015 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Opponent needed; striking a balance; the federal interloper."