Austin American-Statesman Letters to the Editor: Nov. 27, 2022

Fastest growing Texas city doesn't need GOP's help

The Texas GOP cannot win in Austin/Travis County — maybe because so many residents know something about government and good public policy — so they plan to abolish it with a bill that would convert the City of Austin to the District of Austin. The newly created district would report to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the speaker of the House.

This anti-democratic measure is nothing new. Right-wing radical Rep. Briscoe Cain introduced the same bill during last year's session. This time it was filed by Rep. Jared Patterson. He tweeted that Austin's leadership had "failed their city" despite the fact that it's one the fastest growing cities in the country.

It is a perfect example of the GOP’s prime belief that you only have a right to vote if you vote right.

Do you think they will relent if we let them win a single city or county government office?

E. Brian Graham, Austin

Abbott's anti-immigrant policies hurt Texas

Re: Nov. 20 article, "Immigrants give boost to El Paso’s economy" and Nov. 21 article, "Abbott's 'invasion' tweet criticized."

Bigots in state leadership, be glad I'm not president. I would erect a Statue of Liberty at every border crossing, like the original that greeted our ancestors who came here to work hard and give their families a better life.

In a recent article about immigrants boosting El Paso's economy, the Borderplex Alliance CEO said we are under economic threats due to declining population and we need immigration to keep our economy moving forward. On Monday, I read about Abbott's tweet referring to immigration as an "invasion."

Has he watched buildings going up in his state with the hard labor of immigrants working outdoors in scorching heat and freezing cold? Eaten in a restaurant where his food is cooked and dishes washed by immigrants?

Instead of trashing immigrants he should be working on a green card program that allows them to work here when needed and return home when not.

Anne Barnstone, Austin

Props to local gas crew for their diligence

Kudos’s to the courteous gas company employees who replaced my aging gas line, taking “before” photos to be sure they returned everything to its original state.

The foreman stopped by to let me know they would be coming the next day. They worked around a shrub, causing as little damage as possible. They replaced the weed barrier and pins and installed fresh mulch, asking me what kind I used. Then, they repaired the sprinkler heads that were damaged.

It actually looks somewhat better now!

Martha Rogers, Austin

A cold weather safety tip for your home

With cold weather upon us and fireplaces going back into use, I wanted to share one important safety tip.

If you have iron burglar bars installed on your home and they're not the kind that can be opened from the inside, you may want to have them removed.

Iron bars over the windows of your home can prevent family members from escaping from a house fire and could slow down rescue efforts from outside when other avenues of escape are blocked. However, some newer models of burglar bars do allow for opening from the inside.

Be safe during these cold months — and all months — by allowing safe and fast exit from you home through both windows and doors. Happy holidays!

Bill Pemberton, Austin

Government attack on personal identity is a trap

“Law is supposed to be a framework for humans to make choices, not the replacement for free choice,” Phillip K. Howard wrote in "The Death of Common Sense."

Our forefathers stated clearly there should be a separation of church and state. This approach meant our government was to be responsible to and for others, not merely hold power over others.

We have a movement where state governments are regulating personal choice and morality, and now they're attempting to regulate human biology.

However you feel about abortion, multiple genders, sexual orientation, or who you can love and choose to marry, the big question is what will you do when government decides to regulate what defines you, and is core to you as a human?

These laws all attack our freedom of choice. They are a spiderweb that traps and immobilizes, rather than a hammock that supports and cradles. Beware!

Karen Sams, Austin

Abbott's "border invasion" rhetoric whips up fear

In a Nov. 14 letter, Gov. Greg Abbott, claiming a high number of migrant border encounters, invoked the invasion clauses of the U.S. and Texas constitutions. Calling for “unprecedented measures” to repel a “border invasion,” it sounds a hyperbole-laden dog whistle targeting undocumented immigrants.Plans include “build[ing] a border wall in multiple counties,” deploy[ing] gun boats” “enter[ing] into a compact with other states to secure the border” and “enter[ing] into agreements with foreign powers to enhance border security.”

Really? Has the U.S. Constitution ever stopped Abbott from scoring political points for a baited, fear-based audience? Has the Bible provided a theological commandment to confront desperate, unarmed civilians with military force? Matthew 25:35 says: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

That’s never been an impediment to Abbott’s border policies, either.

The Rev. Barry Abraham Zavah, Alpine

GOP mocks Trump for now, but will fall in line

Trump announced his third bid for the presidency. All but a few Republicans ignored or mocked him when he recently announced.

The sad, inevitable truth is once Trump wins several primaries after calling his opponents names, all the old crowd will fall in behind him. All that makes up the present Republican Party will re-emerge. All the hypocrisy, the dismissal of democracy and the hatred of the rule of law.

Once again, we'll see the grotesque desire for power and to be re-elected. We'll see cowardice (i.e. Cruz, Graham, Rubio, etc. ), corruption and the perverse masquerade of true Christianity.

And we'll see the authoritarian, cruel impulses of the Trump Republican base resurface. Mark it here. You cannot get good fruit from a rotten root.

Richard Coughlin, Cedar Park

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman Letters to the Editor: Nov. 27, 2022