Austin American-Statesman letters to the editor, Aug. 27, 2023

Not feeling all warm and fuzzy about

city's investment in Hole in the Wall

Re: Aug. 16 article, Facing closure, Austin music venue Hole in the Wall lands 20 more years on the Drag

$1.6 million to save a funky dump of a club that programmed mediocre bands and music? Wow!

I could a use a little of that windfall to stay in my modest central Austin 1-bedroom apartment home of 27 years. Latest rent increase is going to force me out of town. I saw and heard plenty of acts play the Hole in the Wall in the ‘80s. Sorry, I just don’t feel warm-and-fuzzy about the place. Socialized rock ’n’ roll. Kind of an antithetical concept, no?

The developers won. 20th Century Austin is dead. Give up trying to formaldehyde it. Not every address in the metro area is worthy of Barton Springs/Zilker Park protective measures.

Marty Lange, Austin

Disheartening that Uvalde has to ask

for donations to build its new school

When I was shopping at my local HEB last week, the store asked customers to donate to a new school being built to replace the Uvalde elementary school where 19 young students and two teachers were massacred last year.

While I greatly admire HEB’s corporate giving leadership, I felt very disheartened that the Uvalde community has to request donations from the general public to build the new school. Texas has a huge budget surplus and rainy day fund. Greg Abbott, his MAGA Texas base and Second Amendment Righters should pool together their money and fund the new school building. Time to cowboy up, Greg.

Carol Cox, Lakeway 

U.S. can step up to meet global

targets to defeat tuberculosis

Tuberculosis has found its way on TikTok and yet it remains absent in Congress. Author John Green and his followers harnessed the power of social media advocacy to push Johnson & Johnson to supply its patented TB drug to low-income countries with the Stop TB Partnership.

1.6 million people died of Tuberculosis in 2021, alone. With resources like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and now a drug that is accessible to millions in low- and middle-income countries, it is beyond time that the United States contribute our piece to meet the United Nations’ global tuberculosis targets set in 2018.

I call on Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to co-sponsor the End TB Now Act of 2023 (H. 1776, S.288) and prove our leadership in ending tuberculosis once and for all.

Peter Kim, Austin

Support political candidates committed

to protecting and honoring our workers

The labor movement has improved working conditions, created workplace democracy, and fostered participation in labor-management decision-making. The many benefits, protections and rights that workers enjoy today would never have existed if it weren’t for the laudable efforts of labor unions. There have been initiatives designed to degrade labor standards, weaken unions and erode workplace protections. Those efforts would have diminished the bargaining power and political influence of organized labor.

Consequently, we should support candidates for political office who are committed to preserving our workforce. Specifically, we should back candidates who firmly agree that it is unconscionable to treat workers as irritating speed bumps along the road to larger revenues and greater profit margins.

As we enjoy the Labor Day holiday next week, let us pay tribute to the American worker and honor those labor leaders committed to social justice and equal economic opportunity for everyone.

John Di Genio, Cibolo

Our congressional representatives should

support expanding the Child Tax Credit

During my first visit to the area recently, I was very glad to read that Austin pools are offering free admission through Sept. 30 due to Texas' heat wave. This will indeed bring relief to children and families in the community and is a great example of prompt and compassionate problem-solving that other political leaders should take to heart.

Many of the same folks helped by this decision could use some relief from the daily struggle of trying make ends meet. And that relief can come in the form of an expanded Child Tax Credit, which cut child poverty by more than a third in 2021 but has not been renewed since.

I hope that Representatives Greg Casar, Lloyd Doggett, Roger Williams, Chip Roy, and Mike McCaul will demonstrate the same can-do attitude when they return to Washington in September and offer their swift support to the expanded CTC.

Joanna DiStefano, Morgantown, WV

Better health care exists in states

which grant full practice authority

In a recent study by Wallet Hub, reported in the Austin American Statesman on August 19, Texas ranked in the bottom 10 for health care (#45 of 50) and had the highest percentage of uninsured adults ages 19-64 and children 18 and under. Of note, the top 10 states all had full practice authority for advanced practice nurses, and of the bottom 10 states only Alaska had full practice authority while six of the remaining nine (including Texas) had the most restrictive forms of practice.

Could it be purely coincidence that better health care for citizens exists in states with full practice authority?  While there are many variables that affect health care, allowing health care practitioners to practice to the full extent of their education consistently seems to be related to a healthier population. This study is just another example.

Stella Logan, Austin

Trump flaunts his indictments,

showing disregard for the law

Since I can remember, criminals would conceal or not share their criminal history as much as possible. Today we have a former president that flaunts his indictments and in his own words, "wears them like a badge of honor." The GOP must be real proud of their candidate for president! Quite an example being set to future generations: complete disregard for the law.

C. Castillo, Sunland Park

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman letters to the editor, Aug. 27, 2023