Unused bike lanes, Panther Island bridges make Fort Worth a Texas laughingstock

Jeff Williams did Arlington proud

When Jeff Williams stood in front of us in the fall of 2014 to announce his run for mayor, few who heard him speak could doubt he would take Arlington to incredible heights. His passion and life spent serving our city was all the evidence needed that it was his time to lead.

Spring 2015 saw a mad dash of block walks, meet and greets, and so many yard signs, all of us working together because we believed there was a better future in store for Arlington. For six years, Williams never stopped campaigning for our city. He brought thousands of jobs, kept our Rangers and revitalized a downtown worthy of “America’s Dream City.” And he always led with kindness.

On behalf of many campaign volunteers, we say, thank you, Mayor Williams. Because of you we can always say: It’s a great day to be in Arlington.

- Kelly Curnutt and Gara Hill, Arlington

Not how politics should work

If you are fortunate to be employed and your boss asks that you complete an assigned task but you walk out ignoring the request, would you still have a job? No. Democrats walking out of the Texas Legislature to avoid debate and vote on a critical issue should be fired. The employer (the people of Texas) expects elected officials to keep working until the job is completed.

If you oppose a bill, stay and get your position on record. Voters, let’s fire these spoiled brats. Gov. Greg Abbott is correct: No work, no pay.

- R.C. Lester, North Richland Hills

It’s not the 20th century anymore

We cannot win in the 21st century with 20th-century infrastructure or technology. We cannot protect American business and industry or American capitalism in the 21st century without a comprehensive cyber-defense system to shield it from hackers and hostile state actors. We cannot protect democracy from authoritarian attacks, foreign or domestic, without fuller, more open access to the ballot for all American citizens.

On all these issues, the Democrats are right and the Republicans are wrong.

- Paul R. Schattman, Arlington

Want the market to work? It does

It’s funny how the free market works when you least expect it. When the Green New Deal was proposed, the questions were How much will it cost and who will pay for it?

But the Green New Deal is being implemented in real time. Electric vehicles, solar power, energy storage and planned zero-emissions communities are under way, along with an energy storage system to support and eventually replace Texas’ obsolete power grid.

The companies pioneering these don’t need politicians or lobbyists. They just do their jobs and trust the free market to make them winners. The Green New Deal is real and unstoppable because they don’t ask, they just do their jobs.

- Bill Wedeking, Fort Worth

Setting us up for more gunfights

Texas’ loose gun laws did not prevent the deaths in Thursday’s front-page story, “Mother and son ID’d in shooting that left 3 dead,” and probably helped facilitate them. “Constitutional carry” will allow even more Texans to carry handguns without a license.

Neither my family nor I will feel safer with more handguns on the street. The new law can only empower swaggering, self-appointed vigilantes and result in more suicides, accidental killings, maiming and mayhem.

- John Edsstrom, Fort Worth

Bike lanes nothing big

Mayor Betsy Price, at the delayed opening of the first of three bridges over dry land associated with the Panther Island project, proclaimed them to be transformative for the city. I agree. Those three bridges, along with the profligate and misguided spending sponsored by our mayor to create miles and miles of unused bicycle lanes, makes us the laughingstock among Texas cities. We are not Amsterdam or Singapore, and simply carving out empty bicycle lanes from those used for autos will not change that.

Cleveland, a city I admire, is called by some the “Mistake on the Lake.” At least it does not boast that three bridges over dirt are transformative. We will be known as the “Obscenity on the Trinity.”

- Roy Browning, Fort Worth

Where to focus cuts, spending

I agree with Tracy C. Miller’s June 1 suggestion to reduce spending and cut taxes instead of raising them. (9A, “The futility of Biden’s tax hikes, and why cuts could help”) Focus government spending on defense, health care (Medicare and Medicaid) and the needs of the poor. Use tax cuts to push private companies to spend on green programs, research and development, child care and other needs.

- Deana Glenn, Fort Worth