American Airlines’ workers need COVID help. But the already-wealthy executives don’t

The time has come, President Trump

Mr. President, it’s time to honor your oath to our Constitution. Time to honor the voters.

Time to honor the state electors who voted as the Constitution was written. Time to concede that you lost the election. Time to man up and do your job.

Concede the election you lost and provide a peaceful transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden.

- Elsie Koppa, Fort Worth

Executives don’t need this help

Reading the Dec. 22 story about American Airlines and the COVID-19 relief bill almost nauseated me. (5A, “Stimulus bill to bring back 17,500 workers at American Airlines”) If these companies are getting billions of dollars to bring back workers, that’s great. But, if that money is given to executives, it’s not.

Please tell me why these people, who are already making millions a year, are entitled to more?

- Verdonna Durham, Fort Worth

Paxton’s machinations are wrong

How can someone as corrupt as Ken Paxton be Texas’ attorney general? It’s bad enough that he tried to overturn other states’ election results. Now we find out he tried to get pandemic relief funds taken from Harris County because they was being used for mail-in voting. (Dec. 23, star-telegram.com, “Texas AG pushed to rescind Houston virus relief funding”)

His constituents better take notice.

- Bonnie Hromcik, Benbrook

Not enough to go around?

It doesn’t take much to see that Congress is not looking out for the average American. The Small Business Association released data showing that just 1% of 5.2 million borrowers under the Paycheck Protection Program received 25% of the $523 billion disbursed. The average small business owner didn’t have a chance.

Too many are fighting over scraps, and we’re made to believe that’s all we deserve. It’s like the old saw: “Ten men in our country could buy the whole world, and 10 million can’t buy enough to eat.”

- David Jones, Arlington 

All signs point to a single answer

The Justice Department has a guideline that a sitting president cannot be indicted. There are also guidelines for presidents granting pardons. So, how is it the department is protecting a deeply flawed president from a slew of lawsuits and criminal indictments on one hand and simultaneously ignoring guidelines on pardons? 

That answer is clear: Former Attorney General William Barr colluded with President Donald Trump. Shades of Richard Nixon.

- Robert Moore, Fort Worth

Follow the facts on marijuana

The U.S. House has passed legislation to decriminalize marijuana on the federal level. But we need to prioritize expanding access to medical marijuana. Hundreds of thousands of people in Texas and millions nationwide live in pain or with debilitating conditions and  could benefit from marijuana prescriptions, but they can’t get them.

Accepting the research and expanding medical marijuana — by putting patients first — needs to be at the forefront of any policy discussion.

- Morris Denton, Manchaca

This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "American Airlines’ workers need COVID help. But the already-wealthy executives don’t."