I love Fort Worth, but between the property taxes and drive times, I had to leave

Individuals have responsibilities

Gov. Greg Abbott’s statements regarding individuals’ rights to make their own decisions are half right. In a civil society, individuals are held accountable when their decisions harm their neighbors.

Ask the governor: If a county can impose a burn ban to prevent the spread of wildfire, why won’t he allow a county to issue mask mandates and vaccine checks to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

- Glenn Celerier, Arlington

Had to say goodbye to home

I love Fort Worth. But after more than 40 years, I had to leave because I was taxed and crowded out of my home. My tax rate didn’t increase, but the valuation of my property skyrocketed to an effective tax increase of about 20% over the last four years. Between construction and traffic, it took 10 minutes versus the original three to get out of my neighborhood.

I loved my neighbors, my community and the city of cowboys and culture, but it was time to go. I miss what Fort Worth was, and it will often cross my mind.

- Meredith Miller, Trinity

Texas, step up for needy Afghans

The Afghans are coming to the United States, more than 70,000 so far and more each day. They stood by our sons and daughters in a dangerous and deadly fight. They worked alongside our children in trying to create a better country for themselves and their own children. That this endeavor failed is no fault of theirs.

Some will seek a new start and a second chance in Texas, an unfamiliar land with a different culture, a place where they do not speak the language and are not of the majority faith. We should welcome our Afghan allies as newly minted fellow Texans and help them succeed. It is the Texan thing to do.

- Paul R. Schattman, Arlington

These people are on my list

I’m a Cook Children’s Medical Center emergency room physician who has faced the ugly truth of COVID-19 at work for the past 18 months. I’m deeply troubled by the actions of our local and state leaders.

The list of elected officials who won’t earn my vote in their next election is growing: Judge John Chupp, who granted a restraining order on a mask mandate in Fort Worth schools; FWISD board members Carin “C.J.” Evans and Michael Ryan, who voted against joining the lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, and trustee Daphne Brookins, who abstained; Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for imposing and defending that ban; and all the Texas Supreme Court justices who blocked efforts by county leaders to mandate masks in communities with high infection rates.

- Matt Murray, Arlington

Let’s think this factory through

The plans to build an automotive factory has Fort Worth making concessions for economic development by passing up synergistic opportunities that would have long-term benefits — reduced environmental impact, using existing infrastructure and urban renewal. (Aug. 18, 1A, “Fort Worth OKs tax breaks for electric vehicle factory”)

The attitude of business as usual would also result in flooding 200,000 acres in northeast Texas for a reservoir, with no significant sharing of the burden by those causing the demand for more water in Dallas-Fort Worth. Couldn’t systems that filter and recycle gray water and other advanced designs be developed to avoid the harm to a region that would see no benefit from the reservoir?

This is an issue our governor would jump on if it were Oklahoma wanting to use Texas land for its needs.

- Robert W. Dawson, Arlington

This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "I love Fort Worth, but between the property taxes and drive times, I had to leave."