Cheers to Mark Cuban for at least trying to fix what’s wrong in Medicare drug pricing

Prescription program needs a review

The column about Mark Cuban’s drug site should have told the whole story. (July 16, 6A, “Mark Cuban won’t fix drug pricing problem”) Many newer drugs that have recently gone generic are still wildly overpriced.

Here’s one example: I take a generic drug that costs $144 for a 90-day supply at a major national pharmacy with Medicare Part D. I pay $6.60 plus $5 for mailing at Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs site. Clearly, Medicare’s drug insurance is badly in need of congressional revision.

Either the drug companies or the pharmacies are raking in huge profits at the expense of seniors. Mark Cuban is doing a wonderful service and should be commended.

- Rick Weintraub, Mansfield

School board member out of line

What a disappointment the Grapevine-Colleyville school board is for all of us. It took no action on the despicable conduct of school board member Tammy Nakamura. (July 19, 5A, “G-C board takes no action after board member discussed firing”) Her comments about former principal James Whitfield were so inflammatory that I can’t believe she would speak them in a public forum.

With such Neanderthal thinking, she has no place on this board or any other school board.

- Lynn Miller, Granbury

Dribs and drabs of truth in Uvalde

We are still being gaslighted about the Uvalde shooting and cover-up: surveillance cameras not monitored, finger-pointing and pugilistic rhetoric about culpability, along with police mutiny of the duty to defend and protect the children.

It’s inexplicable and surreal as we view police running away from the shooter — no esprit de corps, no observance of the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared.” The icing on the cake was the officer pumping sanitizer on his hands as if cleansing his hands of the entire matter.

The police department ought to issue water pistols to those officers for all the good the real ones did. Were they even loaded? God bless the children and teachers as they deal with their indelible memories.

- Delbert Cantrell, Fort Worth

Look at our schools’ role

In recent major mass shootings, the laws that everyone wants were in place, and the government failed in each instance to act.

In Uvalde, a police officer could have stopped the shooter before he killed anyone but chose not to. Failure of government.

In Highland Park, Illinois, the police had been to the shooter’s house because he threatened to kill people, but nothing was put into his record so he was able to buy his firearms legally. Failure of government.

We can pass all the laws we want, but that won’t guarantee us against government failure to stop these shootings. I would take a hard look at what schools are teaching our children.

- Gene Tignor, Emory

Separation of church and state?

The July 15 story, “Prayer should be put back in schools to prevent shootings, Texas sheriff says,” (10A) reports that the original post of the evangelistic press release by the Hood County sheriff’s office has been removed from Facebook. But not mentioned is that it remains on the department press releases web page, nor was any mention made of the inappropriate use of taxpayer money in proselytizing a particular religion.

Exactly what Constitution did this department spokesperson swear to uphold? Certainly not the one that famously says the government should not endorse any particular religion.

That this happens in the home base of the Oath Keepers, whose indicted former leader and current interim leader both call Granbury home, is indicative of the state of our democracy in Hood County.

- Charles Stonick, Granbury