My wife and I have been on vaccine hold with Tarrant County for weeks now

What does it take to hear back?

I’m 76 years old, and I want the COVID-19 vaccine. My wife and I registered with Tarrant County Public Health in late December. The next day, we both received but missed automated phone messages from the health department’s hotline and were reassured that we would get an email. Two weeks later, still no email. So we registered again Jan. 10, but were not given a registration number. On Feb. 13, we emailed to get our registration numbers so we could check our status, but there’s been no response.

- Carl Krohn, Fort Worth

This worked and that didn’t

We should all be grateful and thank essential workers who have been struggling to restore electricity and water service. Likewise, the news media have done a wonderful job of keeping us informed and providing useful advice to survive. They’ve also given us factual information about the colossal failures of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the fossil fuel power industry. 

The governor and Legislature failed to prepare for this foreseeable event and must come to grips with reality so that Texans do not needlessly suffer such horrible and costly disasters again.

- August Schilling, Southlake

Texas can’t go it alone

Lawmakers will hold a hearing Thursday to consider why the self-proclaimed “energy capital of the nation” has again failed so dismally. But with invited testimony only, it’s hardly a public hearing. Energy failure happened in 1989 and 2011, and federal regulators provided recommendations to keep it from happening again.

Former Gov. Rick Perry is dead wrong. Texas must be part of the national electric grid and better regulate this industry that has proven itself unable to keep the lights on.

Yes, some wind turbines froze — because, unlike those in Scandinavia and many other places around the U.S. and the rest of the world, they weren’t properly winterized. But a greater number of gas sources froze — except, apparently, those slated for export.

This will happen again. Will Texas’ repeated failures affect the state’s ability to attract business?

- Robert Vann, Fort Worth

These rounds not completed

Quick question: What happened to the U.S. Postal Service motto: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”? We did not receive any mail all week during the winter storm. 

Frustrated. A promise is a promise.

- Charles Searcy, Fort Worth

Cruz showed his true colors

First responders (fire, police and medical personnel) go toward the flames, into the riot, among the sick and dying. They are heroes because they do their jobs no matter the risk or cost to themselves. And then there is Sen. Ted Cruz. 

Texas, like all the other states, has only two Senate seats, and we have given one of them to this man. He not only didn’t do the job we elected him to do — he tried to sneak away at a time of misery and fear across the state. 

It’s clear that he has a huge ego and boundless ambition, but not one ounce of empathy or loyalty to the people who put him in office.

- Larry Story, Fort Worth

This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "My wife and I have been on vaccine hold with Tarrant County for weeks now."