Letters to the Editor - Juneteenth, Texas Legislature, bad character or racism, the Texas electric grid, White Rock cleanup

Texas faces the new Jim Crow

Juneteenth is more than symbolic. Texas African Americans gained the rights of citizens when Gen. Gordon Granger brought troops to Galveston. This year, we need to reevaluate what we have won and what we are in great danger of losing. If the governor carries out his threat and the Legislature doesn’t get a dose of humanity, we’re going into Jim Crow 2.0 in Texas!

Gene Lantz, Dallas/Oak Cliff

Navigating others’ shortcomings

Re: “Why going to a doctor can make me sick — Daily affronts chip away at the dignity of Black Americans,” by Joyce King, Wednesday Opinion.

Ms. King, your column on “Why going to a doctor can make me sick” is discouraging. All medical professionals should be helpful, pleasant and respectful. I too have had a similar experience. And I am white. Don’t blame it on color, but on the character of your medical team.

I have gone to the same blood lab for nearly 10 years. Every three weeks. The Black woman that checks me in is rude and has yet to remember my name. The other Black woman who sits next to her is the kindest human I’ve ever met to me and everyone (Black, white or purple). And she remembers my name. Before you blame “Navigating While Black,” you might consider “Navigating Bad Character.”

Bridget Ray, Little Elm

Lawmakers deny the truth

Re: “Teaching on bias to shift” and “Lawmakers hit ‘woke’ ideology,” Wednesday news stories and “Why going to a doctor can make me sick,” by Joyce King, Wednesday Opinion.

I am a former history teacher and have been following our Legislature’s debate on critical race theory with great concern. I share the fears expressed in the article by those professionals. These “reforms” will cripple honest discussion of issues that have factored into the course of our nation’s history and it is necessary that students, who will be responsible for its future, be fully “woke” to its past.

King’s searing description of the 50 minutes she spent in her doctor’s office vividly confirms the continued existence of the destructive bias that our lawmakers claim doesn’t exist.

Pat Evans, West Plano

Texans held hostage

Re: “The Grid Isn’t ‘Fixed’ — Electric reliability is still a problem in Texas, as we saw earlier this week,” Wednesday Editorials.

The state of Texas is letting all of us down. Twenty-five years of one-party rule and a system designed for the profit of oil and gas companies has left our state walking on the knife’s edge. Modern society is built on the premise that energy will be available and reliable, but our current leaders have proven they cannot guarantee this for its citizens.

This isn’t just about air conditioning (without which summers in Texas would be almost unlivable). This is about food, shelter, livelihoods and health. The lives of Texans are held hostage to a scheme created a generation ago — our elected leaders’ fealty to the bottom line of oil and gas companies. Until we throw off this guard of leaders we will continue to suffer the consequences.

Jay Mills, Dallas

Shortfalls mean profit

Texans remain under a real threat of electricity shortages. ERCOT only pays for energy sold into the grid and prices only increase when energy supply is short. With adequate supply, there is little chance the surplus capacity needed for emergencies makes any money and a strong chance ERCOT energy pricing will stay low.

This encourages generators to build only capacity they can sell and to treat any shortfalls as a profit opportunity. All risk is assumed by the public. Penalties are no help since you can’t winterize or fine capacity that does not exist.

ERCOT-like regulators in other parts of the U.S. address this by bidding guaranteed capacity. A fee is paid for this guarantee even if they do not sell any of it, but the capacity must be available on demand. So generators are guaranteed a return if they meet their contracts. Bidding the reserve capacity gets the best competitive cost. The public’s cost is slightly increased, but the risk is greatly reduced.

I suspect the out-of-state ERCOT board members knew this, but we got rid of them, and the new PUC members may be industry-vetted not to mention it.

Randy R. Irving, Denton

Awaiting rolling blackouts

While Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick fearlessly fight the social studies teachers of Texas, tell Texas women what they can and can’t do with their bodies and contemplate a special session to protect us all from the nonexistent threat of voter fraud, I sit in my loveseat nervously sweating, literally, the impending rolling blackouts threatened by ERCOT, setting my thermostat to 80, and pumping up my inflatable pool in which to soak inside when the grid collapses.

I truly appreciate their taking care of the matters most important to Texans this legislative session!

William Wesley Thorburn, Benbrook

Legislature panders to base

What a legislative session our state just completed. The priorities seem to have been restricting voting, passing permitless carry, for all purposes eliminating abortions and gagging educators’ ability to address critical race theory — but only paying lip service on our failing electrical grid.

Onward Texas goes, continuously pandering to its base. Does anyone think that businesses are viewing our Legislature’s work as a reason to move to Texas?

Parker McComas, Anna

Check out Luke

Re: “Bible and guns don’t mix,” by Thomas Kelly, Monday Letters.

Kelly wrote regarding a “God-given right” to own guns, and asked where in the Bible this right could be found.

Thomas, please check Luke Chapter 22, verse 36: “… and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”

William Rogers, Bartonville

Debris lingers on Lawther

The city of Dallas did a great job of clearing the trail of debris on Lawther Drive along White Rock Lake after the recent storms and we could walk there soon after. But the work is not finished. We look forward to seeing all those piles of debris picked up and taken away so our park can look its best again. Thanks again.

Rosemary S. Price, Dallas/Lake Highlands

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