Michael Cohen wasted all Americans’ time and money

There is nothing to learn here

Why did our government waste taxpayers’ money on a public hearing Wednesday for Michael Cohen? He didn’t have anything new to say — no recordings or videos, only the word of a vengeful man. But the Democrats want to parade him around trying to disgrace our president.

They say our president is racist. Well, why don’t they look within their own party before throwing stones?

Move on, Democrats, and do something positive for our country.

Make a deal, Mr. Dealmaker

Congress should set aside the amount needed by President Donald Trump to fund his wall entirely. Tell Trump this money will not be released for the wall until after all the families needlessly separated by his actions have been reunited.

This ought to shut him up, and the wall will be forgotten.

Answers needed on hospital elevator

Members of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court — who have John Peter Smith Hospital oversight responsibilities, appoint hospital district board members and approve its budget — collectively are paid more than $1 million annually in salary and benefits. The hospital district CEO is paid more than $700,000. The JPS communications department costs a few hundred thousand dollars a year.

Did these officials earn their money in responding to JPS elevator problems? Did they live up to their oversight responsibilities? Did they communicate the seriousness of the problems to patients, employees and the public fully and in a timely manner?

A deeper look at the issue is urgently needed. The commissioners court must order an independent probe to learn what happened, when and whether the response was thorough or fell woefully short.

The probe must include whether the commissioners court met its own oversight responsibilities.

Not the original vision of America

I was sadly frustrated to read the column “A requiem for American vision” by Leonard Pitts Jr. (Feb. 21, 9A) His premise was that Americans have lost their ability to dream and achieve big and lofty goals — in other words, their American vision. As an example of a resurgence of this vision, Pitts used the Green New Deal proposed by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey.

We are now hearing proposals for changes to the United States’ social, environmental and economic policies, including universal health care, universal higher education and guaranteed jobs with guaranteed wages.

America was not founded upon universal guarantees. Rather, every individual had the opportunity to pursue his or her dreams, but no guarantees were given. It was up to the individual to work for them.

Pitts’ column illustrates how the American vision has been distorted and is viewed so differently by many Americans today.

Any president’s appropriate role

Someone needs to explain to President Donald Trump what his job is. He is not the king who makes all decisions.

Our Constitution charges him with enforcing the laws and overseeing spending according to Congressional votes. Congress does not work for him. It is not within his purview to issue edicts and misappropriate funds to satisfy his political base or to defy Congress when it doesn’t do what he wants it to do.