A national blood shortage has hospitals in critical need. Fort Worth donors, step up | Opinion

Give the gift of life to others

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood shortage. Fewer donors than needed gave this summer, drawing down the national blood supply and reducing distributions of some of the most needed blood types to hospitals.

Hospital demand for blood products is outpacing the donations coming in. Hurricane Idalia further compounded a shortfall of about 30,000 donations in August.

A strong national blood supply is critical to providing routine and timely care for patients. On behalf of the Red Cross, I’m asking blood donors not to wait to give. Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, and there is an emergency need for platelet donors and type O blood donors. Please make your appointment to give by using the Red Cross Blood Donor smartphone app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).

- Brian Moeschler, Regional donor services executive, American Red Cross Blood Services, Fort Worth

Cowboys back to Super Bowl?

I got a good chuckle at the Sept. 10 edition’s front-page headline: “Is the Cowboys’ 28-year Super Bowl drought finally over?”

Until you read the headline “Jerry Jones fires Cowboys’ general manager” — himself — you shouldn’t get your hopes up.

- S.R. DeWees, Arlington

Government, just leave us alone

Government health agencies urge us not to use tobacco in any form, but some give a silent pass to sucking cannabis smoke down our lungs. The Food and Drug Administration approves drugs only to collect data then tell us about side effects. Milk is good for you — no wait, don’t give anything but skim milk to your children.

Now, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests that recommendations on alcohol intake might be revised downward. Coming from a family with a hereditary bent toward alcohol intolerance, I can testify to the potential harm it will do when used excessively. But no one in D.C. needs to be minding our individual business to manage alcohol use by individual adults. People will drink, period.

Go fix the economy and the roads, defend our borders, stop terrorism, support the military — and leave us alone.

- Debra Seamans, Georgetown

Don’t let up on Ken Paxton, Bud

I read with interest Bud Kennedy’s excellent commentary about the Ken Paxton trial in the Sept. 10 Star-Telegram, “A look at foolish claims behind Ken Paxton’s case.” (1C) The attorney general and his lawyers must think that everyone in the Legislature is as gullible as those who continue to reelect him.

I hope that once the impeachment is sustained, Paxton’s long-awaited criminal trials will begin. Keep up the good work, Bud, debunking the lies and telling it like it is.

- Owen Daniel, Fort Worth

Get a real handle on tax rates

School districts and cities are lowering tax rates. Taxpayers are relieved, until they get their tax bills and realize their actual taxes paid have increased. When are we going to demand transparency in our tax system?

We should insist that the school districts or cities show with their proposed budgets how tax bills for homes of various appraised values will be affected. We need to address this issue by stopping the talk about tax rates and instead addressing the actual tax rates we pay.

We do this bait and switch each year. Everyone screams and gets mad at the appraisal district. Instead, get mad at your school board members, city council members and the state representatives who mandate this ever-increasing overhead.

- Frank M. Wagnon, Southlake