You say: letters to the editor
Cyclist regulation
My car’s been hit by a cyclist riding illegally. I’ve lost count of the many nearmisses I’ve had, none of which have been my fault. Even my cyclist friends are fed up with this nonsense. Cyclists sure as heck should be required to have licenses, plus tags on their bikes. And pass a driving test. And pay road taxes. And be required to carry insurance, as I am. Road safety is a two-way street (pun intended).
Texas secession
Undocumented laborers
Re: Nov. 25 commentary, “Mexico, U.S. both complicit in immigration problems.”
Ruben Navarrette Jr. made some good points in his column about undocumented immigrant workers, but he failed to mention a key factor in discussing the responsibility of U.S. employers. He said, “These folks often prefer to hire Mexican laborers ... not because they work for lower wages but because they tend to have more of a work ethic.”
Better said: “Not just because they work for less.” Why does Navarrette think they’ll work for less? It’s because they’re undocumented and don’t dare complain about sub-par wages or working conditions, and the bosses want to keep it that way.
‘Balanced’ comics
The Austin AmericanStatesman should be embarrassed for running the “Mallard Fillmore” comic strip, especially if its intent is to balance the “Doonesbury” comic strip. Recently, the Fillmore strip makes up snarky things to say about the president while Doonesbury addresses problems encountered by returning military and veterans. I’ve had enough of this balance in most of the media. If people think Doonesbury is too left-wing, that’s too bad, but it is attempting to teach rather than reinforce bias.
Some have stated they plan to stay part of the United States should Texas secede. What makes you think you’re invited?
Training puppies
I read the comments as to the primary source of full shelters being too many puppies, and the primary solution is more rigorous spay/ neuter programs. The fact is the biggest at-risk populace is mixed-breed, adolescent, large dogs. As the former behavior/training consultant of the Austin Humane Society as well as those in the shelter field know, puppies Unlike most holiday season offerings, wishes don’t cost anything. Do you have a wish for something that would make this year special? Why don’t you share it with the rest of our readers? We’re soliciting your holiday wishes for this year for publication on Dec. 25. Please limit your submissions to 150 words. Send your submissions by Dec. 14 to letters@ statesman.com or to: Letters to the Editor PO Box 670 Austin, Texas 78768 Please put“Christmas letters”in subject line of emails or on the envelope. come in, but they usually are adopted quickly. Because of lack of socialization (people/ dogs) and training in the most common problems (jumping up/housetraining/chewing), they become more isolated from the family until the “cute puppy” bond is dissolved. They are then left to become a stray or brought to the shelter for a new home. If the time between 2 to 6 months of age was realized to be the most teachable time in a dog’s life, and if training was recommended at least as much as spaying/neutering, this tide would turn.
Better school funding
Re: Nov. 27 article, “$60 million was deep cut, school chief says.”
Austin school district Superintendent Meria Carstarphen says that “voters might be reluctant to approve such an increase” for AISD “because 45 percent of the revenue generated would be sent to the state” under the Robin Hood law. Absolutely true! It is satisfying to at least see the clear numbers, and sentiment, in print.
It’s clearly time for our state’s leaders to get to serious work at fixing the school finance system that has been broken for many, many years. This is the proverbial can that they’ve been kicking down the road for too long. But, when they get to work, they need to remember that the burden cannot continue to weigh so heavily on homeowners alone via property taxes.
Poor TxDOT planning
The Austin sign said, Fort Worth: 200 miles, at 1:30 p.m. With new Interstate 35 speed limits, it should take about three hours. Wrong! I saw Fort Worth at 9 p.m., sevenand-a-half hours later. I averaged 26.6 mph. I watched the sun set at 3 mph. With endless work zones, traffic was bumper-to-bumper for miles.
Why must TxDOT do everything at once? I saw numerous accidents, vehicles overheated, and drivers on the shoulder or jumping to the access road. Texas is incessantly road growing, but where is the planning?
Does TxDOT know when barrels and barricades go up, so do fatalities, injuries, and accidents? I-35 accidents are an epidemic! Where are TxDOT numbers? We need to know. We are paying for this and enduring it! The Austin American-Statesman encourages email and faxes from readers. Please include a full name, address and daytime and evening phone numbers.We edit letters for brevity, grammar, style and clarity. Edited letters address a single idea and do not exceed 150 words.Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters become property of the Austin AmericanStatesman. Send emails to letters@ statesman.com. Mail to: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 670,Austin,TX 78767.