The smell of money
Pasadena flaring
Regarding “Pasadena plays defense on pollution,” (A1, Feb. 3): In the 1960s, we lived near Hobby Airport, where we could see the flares from Pasadena. We used to chant, “Pasadena where the air is greenah.” Friends who lived there would retort, “It’s the color and smell of money!”
Emily Murphy, Kingwood
Progress is painful
Regarding “Biden’s drilling order could end up being ‘nail in coffin’ for oil,” (B1, Jan. 31): Yes, progress sometimes can be painful. Horse breeders, livery stables and buggy-makers were up in arms when the advent of the horseless carriage put them out of business.
Peggy Campbell, Cypress
A medical giant
Regarding “Doctor tested research barriers,” (A1, Feb. 3): Thank you for the article highlighting Dr. Emil Freireich’s extraordinary cancer work. When all the vacuous social media “influencers,” celebrities and politicians are swept aside, it is good to be reminded there are people like Freireich who have devoted themselves to making the world a better place. As he showed, it takes hard work. These greats rarely make the headlines but their influence is worldwide. I always made it a point to say, “Hi, Dr. Freireich,” whenever I passed him on the skybridge at MD Anderson. I wonder how many appreciated that white-coated gentleman with a walker as one of the world’s medical giants.
Mark Adamcik, Sugar Land
California vs. Texas
Regarding “Letter to my liberal friends: Forget California,” (A14, Feb. 3): Unlike
Bret Stephens, I do not pretend to know why the net movement of residents from California to Texas is currently positive. But I take exception to his selective use of state rankings and crime statistics to explain it.
In the 2019 US News and World Reports’ state rankings, California was rated better than Texas in six of eight categories, ranging from health care to education, and 19 places above Texas in the overall ranking.
So, as people move from California to Democratic cities in Texas, perhaps it is our cities’ moderately liberal policies — rather than the state’s far-right policies — that are attracting them.
Jason MacInnis, Houston