Republican attacks on their own state Rep. Jake Ellzey are sickening

How can vaccine policy be political?

Now Marc A. Thiessen is going to point the finger at Democrats for low vaccination rates in states that went for Donald Trump? (July 9, 11A, “To convince the hesitant, give Trump credit for the vaccines.”) What is childish is people making medical decisions based on political perspectives.

Give Trump all the credit his followers want and deserve. Unless Trump is reinstated, I am not sure anything will change their hesitant minds.

- William Coleman, Fort Worth

Should have taken southern course

How childish and disrespectful for Texas House Democrats to flee to Washington, D.C., to avoid voting on election bills. (July 13, 1A, “Texas Democrats flee to DC to stop vote on voter restriction bills”) Clearly, this is a dereliction of their duties.

I would like to know who paid for the two private jets that carried them. Too bad they didn’t fly to Cuba.

- Angela Benvenuto, Arlington

Lies about Ellzey, rental car tax

How is it that some Republicans are now so vicious as to lie about one of their own in an attempt to win Texas Congressional District 6? The lies about state Rep. Jake Ellzey are sickening.

The bill he voted for is amending the law to ensure that the rental car tax goes to the municipality where a vehicle is rented. It’s not a new tax, and it’s not a tax on your personal vehicle, as the ads would have you believe.

Consider who in this election has integrity and honesty and should be our representative in Congress.

- Donald Warner, Arlington

Make industry pay to pollute

The story “Smoke, extreme heat pose harsh test for West Coast vineyards” on the front page of Sunday’s Extra Extra eEdition section was a bit alarming. The historic extreme temperatures, droughts and wildfires, all worsened by climate change, are a threat to the wine industry.

In my country of origin, Sweden, where climate change is considerably more noticeable, the threat is to reindeer herding, the ski industry, fishing and forestry. Climate change is associated with economic losses around the world, including Texas, and all of us need to reduce our carbon emissions.

A carbon price with a border adjustment and a dividend returning all proceeds to consumers would reduce emissions while making polluters pay and putting money in people’s pockets.

- Thomas Wikman, Dallas

Think these voting changes through

Do the people who support the changes to voting rights that states (including Texas) are trying to make to help one party think they will not affect their voting also? If some of them have to stand in line longer, can’t vote by mail, can’t be given food and drink while in line in sweltering heat, they might wonder why they are so happy about these changes.

- Bonnie Hromcik, Benbrook

Scapegoating one kind of person

Reading about the assassination of Haiti’s president, it seems that the perpetrators planned and ran the killings from Florida. Obviously, Haitians are easily able to relocate to Florida. Who knew? And now, the interim Haitian government is asking for U.S. troops and other assistance to fend off further attacks (presumably also based in Florida). 

Remind me again: Why are we so terrified of immigrant workers coming to the United States from Mexico? Doesn’t it look like we’re worried about the wrong problem?

- Owen Daniel, Fort Worth

This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Republican attacks on their own state Rep. Jake Ellzey are sickening."