Austin American-Statesman letters to the editor, July 2, 2023

If Abbott meets goal to end property tax,

Texas children and their parents will suffer

Re: June 28 article, “Abbott calls new special session: Governor says goal is to end property tax”

Why is our Texas governor determined to defund public schools? What is the purpose of an uneducated populace?

A special session should be used to support public services, like paying teachers a living wage. If parents want to send their kids to private school, then they should use their own private money, instead of grabbling public school funds.

Abbott’s idea to eliminate (school district) property taxes is idiotic. Property taxes pay for public schools, public safety and roads. They can be reduced, but not at the expense of Texas children’s public education.

Instead of defunding public schools, funding should be increased to match the value of private school education.

If the property tax is eliminated, Texas children and their teachers will suffer.

Jenny Clark, Austin

We need federal rules to protect outdoor

workers from heat exposure and illnesses

Re: June 25, 2023 article, “Outdoor workers need increased protection”

It is sadly true that as Austin gets warmer with worsening climate, there are consequences for outdoor workers in construction, agriculture and postal work. As a project manager working on city of Austin building projects, I have experienced the hot conditions firsthand at job sites. We ensure that contractors working on city projects provide a 10-minute shade and water break once every four hours. Signs are posted in English and Spanish.

But Governor Abbott signed a law upending protections for workers directly impacted by summer heat. These workers construct infrastructure and buildings and grow food for Texans in the brutal heat. Is just 10 minutes of respite not acceptable to Abbott? Last year 279 people died because of heat in Texas.

Contractors and owners who care for workers are providing protections regardless. OSHA must act promptly to enact federal regulations to protect outdoor workers from heat exposure and illnesses.

Kalpana Sutaria, Austin Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Rules barring Angela Paxton from voting

don't hurt the suspended attorney general

Excluding Senator Paxton from voting on her husband’s impeachment trial accomplishes nothing, and in fact, almost certainly helps suspended Attorney General Paxton. If she could vote, and on the off chance she voted for conviction, that would hurt him. But a non-vote is the same as voting against conviction, because the two-thirds majority of 21 senators is required with her being present. If she was not present, only 20 votes would be required for conviction.

The committee’s rules disqualifying her from voting may sound good, but they don't hurt Paxton at all. It seems like the committee is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

James Machin, Austin

Once we had two parties. Then the GOP

morphed into a cult based on Trump's lies

Does anybody remember when we had a two-party political system?

Up until six or seven years ago, we had the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The former is still here, but the Republicans morphed into a personality cult based on the lies and ego of Donald J. Trump. This cult believes in fictional thinking, such as (1) Trump, with dozens of well-documented felony counts, is innocent because he has been framed by the Department of Justice and FBI, (2) the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection was mostly an enthusiastic political protest, (3) the 2020 presidential election was stolen, even though there is no evidence of such.

In addition, quite a few bought into a wacky conspiracy theory (QAnon) that Satan-worshipping Democratic politicians and other liberals were running an anti-Trump, cannibalistic pedophilia ring plotting to take over our country. I shudder to think how the 2024 election will go.

Arlen Grossman, Monterey, Calif.

Just as one fentanyl-laced pill can kill,

so can one bullet, Governor Abbott

Re: June 15 article, 'Abbott signs law allowing murder prosecution for fentanyl distribution deaths'

"Backed by brokenhearted parents, families and friends, Gov. Abbott signed several bills to fight fentanyl overdoses ..."

It is most likely true that these folks who died from fentanyl-laced drugs weren't meaning to die, that they were buying pills unknowingly tainted and met an unfortunate end. So it is very refreshing to see Abbott jump on legislation to prevent further deaths, "We've learned all too well that just one pill can kill."

Well, Mr. Abbott, one bullet can kill, too. Pretty sure the people who went to school, or the outlet mall, or church, or box store, did not expect to die, either. Is their family's grief less important? Less meaningful? Obviously less to you as you have only loosened gun laws. Shame on you, Mr. Abbott.

Kelly McQuerns, Pflugerville

As representatives of American justice, our

high court judges should be held to standards

Dear Statesman editors, I have written my representatives in Congress asking them to please take action so that Supreme Court judges meet and exceed standards set for judges across the United States. They should not receive benefits which later create an appearance of impropriety. Certainly, Justice Alito has done this. He seems like a Russian oligarch, not a representative of American justice.

Patricia Raine, Smithville

Banning insurance for organ transplants

shines a needed light on forced harvesting

I’d like to express my gratitude toward Governor Abbott for signing Senate Bill 1040, which prohibits insurance coverage of organ transplants if the organs originated from a country involved in forced organ harvesting. In China, the main victims of forced organ harvesting are detained prisoners of conscience. My father nearly became one of these victims.

He was imprisoned in China for practicing Falun Gong, a meditation that incorporates gentle exercises and moral guidance based on truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. This peaceful practice has been brutally persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999. In prison, my father was forced to undergo blood tests and other examinations necessary for organ and tissue matching while being nearly tortured to death.

This new law gives me hope that more Texans will realize the atrocities committed by the Chinese regime and, moreover, avoid being unknowingly complicit in this crime against humanity.

William Yu, Austin

How to submit a letter to the editor

Send letters of no more than 150 words by noon Thursday by using our online form at https://bit.ly/3Crmkcf or send an email to letters@statesman.com.

We welcome your letters on all topics. Include your name and city of residence; we do not publish anonymous letters.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman letters to the editor, July 2, 2023