Commentary roundup: What newspapers around the state are saying
Houston Chronicle
Sept. 4 commentary, "Loud demands, not quiet quitting, are the legacy of Labor Day."
It’s easy to log on to the web and find inspirational Mark Twain quotes, and even easier to find ones he may or may not have said including this purported Twain aphorism: “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Sounds nice. But even the jobs we spent our college or trade school days dreaming of having can wear us down, once they cease to be fantasies and become our reality, to the point that we want out.
The COVID-19 pandemic led people to reevaluate what work means for them and what they do in their lives: After two years of remote work, why would I go back to sitting on the Katy Freeway for 90 minutes a day just for face time in the office? Is 60 hours per week in the office, away from my kids and my spouse, how I want to live my life? Can I get paid more?
These days workers have the leverage to ask for more, and many are.
A federal jobs report released in July indicates there’s about two open jobs for every job seeker. Public support for unions nationally is at a record high, at 71 percent, and rates of workers voluntarily quitting jobs for better opportunities are also well above average.
— Houston Chronicle Editorial Board
San Antonio Express-News
Sept. 6 editorial, "To rationalize political violence fuels it."
Asking the nation to unite regardless of ideology, Biden said, “We’re all called by duty and conscience to confront extremists who put their own pursuit of power above all else. Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans, we must be stronger, more determined and more committed to saving American democracy.”
This should be an easy ask. Political violence — even the threat of political violence — can’t be excused or tolerated. Violence rationalized is violence that escalates. Violence in language can serve as a precursor to violent acts. And certainly a warning of potential violence is not sufficient reason to not honor the law.
We are a nation on edge. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found 67 percent of respondents believe “the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapse.”
An optimist might see widespread national concern and therefore the promise of civic health after this moment of tumult. But that the concern not only exists but is so prevalent is stunning and disturbing.
— San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board
Dallas Morning News
Sept. 6 editorial, "Texas finally ramps up voter education after too many mail ballot rejections."
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley made headlines this week when he admitted that he won’t be siding with fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick but will instead vote for his Democratic challenger, Mike Collier.
The reaction from Texas GOP leaders was predictably hostile. Patrick’s staff said that Whitley wasn’t holding true to “Texas principles.” Meanwhile, the Tarrant County GOP is distancing itself from Whitley, with the party chairman saying Whitley had not been in line with the Republican Party “for some time.”
The county judge’s snub of Patrick was a warning, one that Texas Republicans cannot afford to ignore. The longtime Republican county judge’s disillusionment with his own party is yet another sign that the GOP can’t keep relying on the most zealous members of its base to hold on to power.
It’s jarring to hear Whitley’s critics dismiss him as not Republican enough. Whitley, who has been in public office since 1997, has been reliably conservative during his 25-year political career. One need only look back to the early stages of the pandemic, when there was great pressure on county officials and the governor to institute or continue mask mandates. Whitley declined to put one in place for Tarrant County.
His decision was in keeping with those of other Republican county leaders who said they were concerned about government overreach.
— Dallas Morning News Editorial Board
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Sept. 9 editorial, "Why did Tarrant County judge back Democrat against Patrick?"
Anyone who was shocked when Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley stepped out in favor of Democrat Mike Collier in the race for lieutenant governor hasn't been listening to the Hurst Republican.
Whitley has been teeing off for years about Austin's encroachment on local control, the state's culpability for property-tax increases, and the hard-right turn of his party. And he's laid much of it at Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's feet.
Still, it made for significant news when a decades-long leader in Texas' largest Republican county spoke out against a party poobah two months before Election Day.
On the substance, Whitley is mostly right: State Republican lawmakers and leaders have generally been chipping away at local control, particularly for Texas' largest — and Democrat-controlled — cities and counties. And the cost of public schools, for which the state should bear the brunt, is the biggest driver of property taxes.
On the politics, Whitley's comments reflect a reality in Texas politics: His brand of Republicanism, the one that built a durable GOP majority, is fading.
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board
Kerrville Daily Times
Aug. 24 editorial, "Are you registered to vote?"
Midterm elections are fast approaching. Are you registered to vote?
For the Nov. 8 election, the deadline to register is Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Each of our individual voices makes a difference in deciding the future leadership of our country, state, county and city. So, if you're eligible and not registered to vote, you're missing out on the chance to have a say on who your leadership is.
To register to vote, you must be a United States citizen and a resident of the county where you submit the application, be 18 years old by Election Day — you can register up to two months before your 18th birthday — and not be a convicted felon. You may, however, re-register to vote once you have completed your sentence, probation and parole.
Midterm polling places are historically ill-attended. In 2014, only 14,898 out of 32,627 registered voters in Kerr County made their voice heard. In many other midterm election years, the voter turnout has often been between 10,000 and 16,000. None of these numbers are even half the registered voters of Kerr County.
Once you're registered, don't forget to head to the polls on Nov. 8. Make the time to do your civic duty to choose our leaders for the next few years.
—The Kerrville Daily Times Editorial Board
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman Commentary Roundup: Sept. 11, 2022
