Letters to the editor: Aug. 21, 2022

Our state needs a governor

who will act like a 'true' Texan

Greg Abbott is no true Texan.

A true Texan is honest, kind, trustworthy, speaks the truth, works hard, does what’s right, and acts with character and dignity.

A true Texan does not blame the Uvalde massacre on mental health issues after defunding mental health care programs. A true Texan would not remain beholden to the National Rifle Association and forego the personal responsibility for enacting reasonable gun laws in this state. A true Texan would not ship more than 6,000 asylum-seeking immigrants from our border to Washington D.C. and New York just to make a political statement while creating huge difficulties for both the immigrants and the cities.

Abbott might technically be a Texan since he lives here, but he sure doesn’t act like one. We need a governor who is a true Texan.

David Voss, Dallas

For Abbott, the law is a means

to help him attain his objectives

Greg Abbott only sees the law as a tool to help him win his objectives.

He didn’t listen to law enforcements' objections to permitless gun carry. Now, he refuses to listen to Uvalde residents seeking a special session on gun safety laws.

He's spent billions on his border charade that hasn't actually done much. He's also taken $160 million from the Texas Department of Public Safety and millions from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department as well for Operation Lonestar.

And like a lawless man, he cozies up to our former president, who regularly thumbs his nose at the law and thinks the law is there to serve him alone.

Abbott also disrespects free speech by censoring what teachers can teach, and human rights with abortion bans. Many have lost respect for him.

Joanne Brininstool, Austin

Facts and logic once swayed beliefs,

but that was before Trumpism

I used to believe that facts and logic could sway beliefs. But that was before the advent of Trumpism. To the MAGA crowd there is no evidence that is not planted or manufactured and no act for which Trump can be held personally responsible. Let the FBI, using a legal search warrant, attempt to retrieve top secret documents which the ex-president illegally took to Mar-a-Lago, and you suddenly have a "witch hunt" for which one man is willing to give his life after an attack on a Cincinnati FBI office.

There is no way to defeat Trumpism without facing the wrath of the MAGA crowd. Democracy can only be saved if what I believe is still a clear-minded majority is able to make its way through the voting restrictions laid by Republican legislatures and vote.

Carl Lloyd, San Antonio

Lunacy to use gas-powered blowers

while also trying to save the planet

I know I’m not alone in holding my ears while trying not to cry in response to the noise and air pollution caused by the obsession some have to "clean" lawns by destroying critical habitat for bees, butterflies and birds.

Using gas-powered blowers while also working to ‘go green’ as our planet is on fire, suffering drought or flooding due to climate change is lunacy.

Or are we still denying that climate change is real?

Gioconda Bellonci, Austin

The new climate law has

game-changing incentives

Re: Aug. 15 article, “Climate bill could push coal communities to nuclear.”

It's a brilliant idea to have incentives to repurpose polluting coal power plants into newer, smaller nuclear reactors. Coal plants already have infrastructure in place, saving millions in construction. It will reduce global-warming emissions and stabilize our climate. Training of coal plant workers would keep them employed and improve their health.

A May 10, 2018, Visual Capitalist article reported that the safest source of energy is nuclear power, while coal power lies on "the polar opposite of the spectrum." Deaths due to coal power plants are more than 1,000 times that of deaths by nuclear power plants to generate the same amount of energy.

These game-changing incentives in the new climate bill, which includes solar and wind generation tax credits, would not only start addressing the urgent climate crisis but also create new jobs and put us on a path to reduce the effects of extreme climate disasters.

Kalpana Sutaria, Austin

Despite his pledge, Chip Roy

is again using foul language

Re: Aug 17 article, "Some Republicans say remote voting has run its course. Then why do so many members of Congress from both parties still vote by proxy?"

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy opposes proxy voting, in part, because he believes in respecting the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives.

But apparently respect didn't apply regarding his profanity-laced text to the American-Statesman on that topic.

But then using foul language in the course of representing his District 21 constituents isn't new to Roy.

In January 2021, after tweeting "leftist a**h***s," Roy penned an apologetic op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he pledged "to stop spending so much time looking at a screen and reacting in ways that are inconsistent with who I am." He also wrote, "I haven't always been proud of my language."

Yet, by that July it was "Back the f-off."

And so, here we are again.

Stephen Shackelford, Austin

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman letters to the editor: Aug. 21, 2022