Politicians rigging the congressional map can only tear Texans further apart | Opinion
Pushed out
Texas legislators should refrain from a rushed effort to redraw congressional districts. At a time when politics is so polarized, people with different backgrounds and experiences should come together to reach consensus on issues that affect Texans. A rushed redistricting process will prompt many Texas voters to conclude that those who represent them care little for their views and voices. It will effectively exclude many qualified voters from representation.
- Karen Myers, Fort Worth
Act, Cornyn
Sen. John Cornyn was once elected state attorney general and a Supreme Court justice in Texas. He once actually stood for transparency, revising the Texas Public Information Act. It is disgraceful that he is now silencing his voice and succumbing to the MAGA agenda. He knows the law and that Texas’ proposed congressional redistricting is racist and a pure power grab.
As a fellow St. Mary’s University School of Law alum, I challenge Cornyn to be like the late Rep. John Lewis: Say something. Make some good trouble.
- Buddy Luce, Southlake
Manipulated
Could we put aside our political affiliations long enough to use common sense about redistricting?
The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to benefit one group over another is never right for either party in a democracy. A rigged system indicates that the powerful know their policies are unacceptable to many voters. They resort to this strategy of rigging the system to hang on to power.
Voters can see when they are being manipulated. They live daily with the results of dysfunctional government while the powerful turn governmental policy to their advantage.
- Loveta Eastes, Fort Worth
Tax truths
The July 22 news story on how President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill affects Texas homeowners missed an important point. (star-telegram.com, “What Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ means for Texas homeowners”) Most homeowners take the standard deduction when filing their taxes rather than itemizing. Only about 10% of taxpayers overall itemize.
The bill might reduce tax rates, but mostly on those who have a high income. So, yes, this bill helps the rich, and most Texas homeowners will see no change in their taxes as a result.
- John Nolan, Arlington
Crypto mud
Why does anyone think cryptocurrency has value? Creating value requires producing something useful. Wasting electricity and computer time solving a math problem whose solution benefits nobody expends resources but cannot create value.
Mother bakes a tasty, nutritious pie. Junior, emulating her actions without understanding them, makes a mud pie. Mother praises his effort because he’s a child. But a mud pie isn’t a real pie. Adults should understand the difference.
Cryptocurrency is a mud pie: People claim that because it consumed resources, it has value. But the result of the effort wasn’t useful.
- George Michael Sherry, Fort Worth