Picking candidates; Gov. Greg Abbott; labor markets; Ethan Couch; Watuga chickens

Picking candidates

This president is an Obamanation!

I could go into great detail about how the world has gone to hell in a hand basket since Barack Obama became president, but suffice it to say the dissatisfaction of the American people with this administration and the weak Republican response to counter it have given rise to Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

However, if Republicans are to beat Hillary Clinton and provide the nation with a great president, they must have a really qualified candidate for president, such as John Kasich, Jeb Bush or Chris Christie.

If one looks at accomplishments in governing, Kasich, the Ohio governor, is the most qualified. But I would be happy with any one of these three governors as our president.

Republicans must also have a vice president who works well under pressure, who has the character and expertise to be president someday. Carly Fiorina or Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida should get this job.

Gov. Greg Abbott

Regarding Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposal for a constitutional convention: How can anyone take him seriously?

Abbott knowingly welcomed to his campaign stage a man (Ted Nugent) who called our president a “subhuman mongrel” among other insults and who was investigated by the Secret Service for making veiled assassination threats.

Since then, Abbott has continued to pander to the right-wing fringe. Some say a climate of insults and hate like this led to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas.

Abbott is an embarrassment to the office of governor and to Texas.

Labor markets

Every time the Democrats mess with the labor markets (to buy votes), our products are priced out of the market.

The argument for raising the minimum wage is to help the poor, while, in fact, this hurts the poor by encouraging the purchase of overseas products and subsequent loss of jobs.

Raising wages without a commensurate creation of more asset value is creating money out of thin air.

Vote Democratic to send more jobs overseas.

Ethan Couch

In Thursday’s editorial (“In Couch’s case, take time and get it right”), the Star-Telegram appears to blame juvenile court services for the failure to notify Couch’s parents about the transfer hearing.

Where’s the district attorney’s office in this? They’re the ones who want the transfer.

If District Attorney Sharen Wilson had been interested in this case, she would have made sure that the parents had been notified as the law requires.

Unfortunately, this is the level of attention to detail that we all have to get used to.

Please put the blame where it belongs.

I’m tired of reading in your paper and hearing on TV about Ethan Couch.

It’s the same reporting over and over. Why don’t you wait until the stupid kid is back in the United States and then report something new?

Watauga chickens

We live in Watauga and have backyard chickens — six hens that were raised as chicks. Animal control says we’re not allowed to keep them.

All of the surrounding towns allow chickens. These are our pets, and the grandkids love to come over and interact.

Under the code, the chickens are listed as wild animals.

These are domesticated chickens that go to bed when the sun goes down and have an enclosed pen and chicken coop.

We also donate the eggs and use them ourselves.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Picking candidates; Gov. Greg Abbott; labor markets; Ethan Couch; Watuga chickens."