Letters are posted as we receive them during the week, and before they are printed in the paper, so check back frequently to see new letters. If you'd like to send a letter to the editor, use this postmarks submission form, or email your letter directly to mail@austinchronicle.com. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
    Judge Jim Coronado's opponent [Karyl Anderson Krug] is trying to get free publicity by claiming he is not really a judge [“Looking for 'Real' Democrats,” News, Jan. 25]. Judge Coronado’s current position clearly meets the definition of “judge” in Chapter 33 of the Texas Government Code. In fact, he has been a judge for 19 years, including more than 16 years as the judge of the Travis County criminal magistrate court. Judge Coronado was unanimously appointed judge of this court by the Travis County criminal district judges. For many years, everyone has been accurately referring to Jim Coronado as "judge" – including this newspaper and the people who appear in his court. Judge Jim Coronado's credentials make him the obvious choice for the 427th District Court. This, of course, is why his opponent wants to focus on something other than Judge Coronado’s exceptional qualifications.

Dear Editor,
    I thought I had clarified the use of doublespeak for Louis awhile ago, but after his last editorial [“Page Two,” Jan. 25], I guess I was wrong. Here in the United States of Soviet Republicans, the Reds are well-known for saying one thing and meaning something completely different. For example, when Comrade Cheney says we're fighting for the freedom of Iraq, he means we're fighting so that Halliburton will have a free flow of money to its coffers. When Chairman Bush says he wants to help the economy, he means that he wants to make sure that the CEOs of his base constituents are not harmed by a sinking economy. When Information Minister Rove writes a speech stating that the Reds support the little people, he means he wants even the short corporate lobbyists to have a fair shot at the public trough. And of course, when the Reds say they want to protect the United States/environment/people/or (fill in appropriate term), they mean they want to preserve their power to do whatever they want. I hope this clears things up for the editor, but if not, have him refer to J. Edgar Hoover's Masters of Deceit: The Story of Communism in America and How to Fight It. Of course, he needs to replace any reference to communist with conservative.

Dear Editor,
    I am the president of ACC/AFT Union 6249. I was the union representative at the Austin Community College meeting held on Dec. 17 before the Chronicle published its article on Room 221 at the Rio Grande campus on Dec. 21 [“Return to ACC's Room 221,” News]. I did not know some of the information that was in the article. However, the union officers have been provided with the pictures taken of Room 221 during fall 2007 and the lab test samples taken in 2007. One of our members has filed a First Amendment rights violation lawsuit against the college regarding his right to speak about the mercury issues at the Rio Grande campus, and another union member with potential mercury-related health problems is expected to return to work in that room.
    Due to the history of Room 221, we still have doubts about the remodeling project. See the letter to the editor entitled “More to the Story” dated Jan. 4 [“Postmarks”] for some of the specific details and long-term reasons for our ongoing safety concerns.
    We will continue to monitor the project. Union officers and others have visited the site throughout the past few months.

Dear Editor,
    A friend just informed me that an old post to your Sports blog [The Score, July 23, 2007] identified Paul Feinstein, who has just been arrested for the KOOP fire, as a host for the KOOP show Up on the Download. Although Mr. Feinstein was at one time an apprentice on the show, he has never been an official host, and considering that I am one of the hosts of this show and that my first name is Paul and that I go by the on-air name Pint-Size Pauly, I ask that you publish a correction showing that Mr. Feinstein was at that time (July 2007) host of the show Jazz a la Bohemia. I would not like to be confused with the alleged arsonist just because we have the same first name.

Dear Chronicle,
    Thanks for your subtle commentary on Ron Paul's hopeful presidential candidacy.
    On p.16 in the Jan. 25 issue, your juxtaposition of Nancy Robbins' ad ("Austin Loves Ron Paul") and the ad from the Austin Women's Health Center ("Dedicated Care. Real Choices. Private Abortion Care.") perfectly highlighted the huge reason why Paul's rhetoric about restoring civil liberties and Americans' rights should be ignored – because of his vow to overturn Roe v. Wade: "Legislatively, we should focus our efforts on building support to overturn Roe v. Wade." (Found on www.ronpaul2008.com.)
    I can't think of a bigger civil liberty than my right to choose what happens inside my own body, so I'm not sure whose civil liberties Paul wants to restore. Maybe he should re-examine the meaning of this statement, also found on his website: "The biggest threat to your privacy is the government."

Dear Editor,
    I can’t help but be a little upset at Toni Price’s comments [“Off the Record,” Music, Jan. 25] saying the reason she left Austin is because of all the condominiums. I personally live in one of the new condo projects going up around Austin, and I would like to think I’m not part of the problem Austin is facing. I moved to Austin because I wanted to be in the heart of a large, hip, progressive city, and that’s what Austin still is, even with all the condominiums. I lived in the outskirts of town for two years when I moved here, because all the condominiums weren’t yet available, and I’m glad they are now, because if people like Ms. Price would check, they aren’t really that expensive compared to the old, energy-devouring, sometimes decaying houses going for sky-high prices in other parts of town. I now get to live in the heart of our hip city, in a newly built, green (as in ecologically friendly) home, and isn’t that what “hippies” like Ms. Price want all of us to do? And, if people like Ms. Price would also check, there are a lot of people in the neighborhood of these condominium projects that are glad they’re being built. People here in South Austin at all our quirky shops and restaurants are thrilled when I tell them I live in the neighborhood condo building, because they have new costumers moving in and new friends moving in, as well. Imagine the ecological impact of building 200 new homes on Barton Springs (goodbye, Zilker Park!). I certainly hope there was more to Ms. Price’s reason for leaving Austin than all the condominiums, because this condo dweller can’t wait to get out and enjoy a city I still think has a lot of local music, theatre, food, and art to enjoy.

Dear Editor,
    Jan. 20, 2008, came and went like any other day. Jan. 20, 2009, will be something altogether different: BLDIO (pronounced bee-EL-dee-o). Bush's last day in office.
    I have this dream of people across the entire nation, indeed the world, celebrating this man’s departure with singing, dancing, cheering, imbibing, and speechifying. I can envision tens of millions of joyous people in the streets. For no matter who gets elected to replace him, it will be a vast change for the better. No longer will this fool Bush be able to inflict damage on the monstrous scale he has, and we can focus on undoing the terrible mess he has made.
    We could gather on Lady Bird Lake shores; get politicians to speak; have booths with people selling food and drinks, bumper stickers and posters, and whatnots; have jugglers, magicians, and comedians. I am certain any number of excellent bands would love to play at such a worthwhile and momentous celebration. Bush’s leaving office will represent such an improvement on a cosmic scale – like the transition from the Age of Ignorance into the Age of Aquarius – that this could even turn into an annual event. A hundred years from now, people may look at Bush’s departure as the seminal event representing the death knell of political ideology based upon ignorance, hate, greed, fear, and deceit. (Perhaps I overreach. But perhaps not.)
    Organizing something like this is a bigger job than I can take on. But the Chronicle could do it. You have experience running huge music and art events, and you have a publication to get the word out to thousands of interested and activist readers. I also suspect you have contacts with other local free-press publications across the nation who would likewise be in a position to organize a celebration in their cities. An idea like this could catch on quickly, and you, the Chronicle, could gain fame on a national scale even greater than you have now.
    What do you say? At least put out the word to your readers. Please, do it!

Dear Editor,
    I began reading Teighlor Darr's letter [“Postmarks”] in the Jan. 25 edition with interest because it began quite well, accurately describing the situation we currently face in America. While I agree that those who support Dubya's insane policies are destroying our country from within more completely than any enemy could do from the outside, I strongly disagree with Darr's assertion that the problems are caused by generational differences. I have heard a great many young Americans espousing the same ignorant nonsense as Bush. The "old-timers,” as Darr calls them, are no more responsible for the neocon idiocy than is Darr, so I strongly suggest that the task of identifying our country's enemies should be given to someone other than Darr. Turning necessary allies into adversaries in a vain attempt to seem intelligent is precisely the same kind of mistake that Bush and the neocon morons have repeatedly made.

Dear Editor,
    As a member of the poverty-fighting movement called ONE, I’m a voter who cares about the battle against extreme poverty and global disease. It’s a fight that involves both the emergency raging now in the poorest parts of the world and the tremendous opportunity America has to beat it back, secure a more stable world, and set a shining example of America’s purpose and principles.
    In this presidential election, which is ramping up with the usual charged rhetoric and coverage of polls and political strategies, ONE members across America, including myself, have been working to secure concrete commitments from the candidates on the issues surrounding extreme poverty.
    Today, in the most vulnerable corners of the world, a child dies every three seconds because they don’t have enough food, they can’t get to clean water, or they have been stricken with an entirely preventable and treatable disease like diarrhea or malaria. In these same corners of the world, millions of children never attend school because they don’t have enough money. Instead of an education, they are left to fend for themselves against teachings of hate and extremism.
    I know every candidate will say they want to change these conditions. But ONE members want more than vague talk. So we’ve challenged the candidates to go “On the Record,” and we’ve gotten presidential contenders from Hillary Clinton to John McCain to go on camera and describe in detail their commitments on such issues as erasing malaria, increasing access to clean water, and getting AIDS drugs to those who need them. I urge all voters to view the results at www.onevote08.org/ontherecord.
    There will be a lot of noise out of the presidential candidates this election, but some things are too important to be drowned out. Break through the noise, and add your voice to the call for a better world at www.one.org.

Dear Editor,
    Just because a nation adheres to democratic principles does not necessarily mean an equitable distribution of political power. White voters determine who wins political offices in Texas, Travis County, and Austin. Sometimes a democracy is not fair even when it plays by the rules. The state of Texas, Travis County, and Austin realized the political process had evolved into a pseudo-democracy that disallowed political accessibility to African-Americans and Hispanics.
    As a result, Austin’s racially diverse leadership and white voters during the Seventies allowed Hispanics and African-Americans to run for political office and win. That agreement was unofficially called the gentlemen’s agreement. These inclusions of African-Americans, as well as others, to political offices have been a necessary component for the betterment of Austin, Travis County, and Texas.
    Lee Nichols wrote an excellent article, “Tax Assessor-Collector Race Gets Dirty” [News, Dec. 15, 2007], highlighting incumbent Nelda Wells Spears and Glen Maxey, who are running for Travis County tax assessor-collector. Glen Maxey, who is white and openly gay, is trying to eliminate another minority from political office. Obviously, gay politicians perceive African-American officeholders as vulnerable.
    Is it a coincidence that three openly gay politicians have tried or are trying to unseat African-American officeholders? Celia Israel is an openly gay politician who teamed up with Glen Maxey to remove one of Travis County's most productive commissioners, Ron Davis, from office in 2004. Brian Thompson is challenging incumbent state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, who is doing an excellent job in a Republican-controlled House. Moreover, Glen Maxey has his sights set on removing Tax Assessor-Collector Nelda Wells Spears, from office. Nelda’s performance during her long tenure as Travis County tax assessor-collector is outstanding. The African-Americans have a problem.

Dear Editor,
    P.T. Barnum would love Louis’ current “Page Two” [Jan. 25]. Indeed, anyone with an IQ of room temperature and above who believes anything he says is buried by unadulterated intellectual denial and moral ignorance.
    The truth is that in America today, race and gender, in fact, do not matter regarding a person’s meritorious abilities and efforts to succeed. When in the past they did matter, it was America that led the way to overcome that millennia-old social pathology while the world followed. The results are black and women judges, legislators, diplomats, and professionals, as well as an expanding prosperous race- and gender-blind society. And “human rights and universal suffrage” have enlarged exponentially.
    But this means nothing to Louis. No, for his terrible ultimate goal is the cultural enshrinement of envy. His shameful attempt to “recast” social justice, equality, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence champions envy by advocating legal theft from producers, large and small, eternal dignity destroying government dependence for those receiving such ill-gained largesse and servitude of all to the ultimate envy monster–raw political power by fiat. His is the real insidious untruthful manipulation of language that so-called progressives have employed from Marx to this day.
    Moreover, the sad irony is that Louis’ accusations about how horrible Republicans have “managed to recast much of the long-established language of the progressive agenda to mean its almost exact opposite” is once again exactly what he is doing in his lame defense of the sacred Democrat “progressive agenda.” Louis revels in abject hypocrisy, blatantly fooling himself and others.
    While Louis and his hallowed Democratic Party insist on this disturbing, freedom-killing, neo-left agenda, they must never be believed. Resistance must be vigorous and unceasing.

Dear Editor,
    Our mornings usually start off the typical American way. Shut off the alarm, drag out of bed, and get that coffee down.
    Not so on Tuesday, Jan. 22.
    At about 6am, we awoke to an explosion. We heard three more booms, each accompanied by flashes of light bright as the sun.
    ”Gun shots!! Hit the floor!!”
    My boyfriend called 911 as I crawled to the hallway away from the windows.
    He looked out the front door and said: “The SWAT team’s at Canada’s house! They’re finally gonna get the bastard!”
    We went together outside to witness what the Montopolis neighborhood has been praying for: shutting down the most active crack dealer in town! The armored SWAT tank was there, the fully geared officers, and an EMS truck was on standby. The house was totally lit up inside, and officers were searching the perimeter. As we watched, a SWAT commander was headed our way. I could hear him on the phone reporting to headquarters that a bust was just executed using flash grenades and to expect calls reporting shots fired.
    The commander introduced himself and explained to us what was going on. As we listened, I noticed he was wearing a wedding ring! As the commander walked away to return to the scene, we thanked him multiple times for what he was doing.
    I know this brave officer has a wife at home, and possibly children, praying for his safe return each day. Most likely the majority of our brave Austin Police officers, who put their lives on the line for us each day, have spouses and children. So, on behalf of all concerned citizens, I wish to thank the brave APD officers who help make our streets safer.
    Our prayers and appreciation are with you always!

Dear Editor,
    I am writing in regard to the candidacy of Ray McMurrey (D) for the U.S. Senate. Conventional wisdom would indicate that McMurrey is not qualified for the Senate: no Ivy League pedigree, no family legacy, and a campaign account comparable to that of a high school student running for class president. But having had the privilege of being a former pupil, I can say the one indelible mark that Mr. McMurrey has left on me is that if you fail to act on your own impulses, you miss an opportunity to do something extraordinary. Fast-forward to today, and I can’t help but feel satisfied with Mr. McMurrey’s decision to run for Senate, a man from common ranks who sees that there is something wrong in today’s government (along with the other 100 million or so others like him). The odds are no doubt stacked against him, but for some reason I can’t help but like his chances. So, citizens of Texas, I say to hell with conventional wisdom. In fact to hell with conventional anything (I mean, come on, who really likes conventions anyway). Instead, don’t hesitate to act on your own impulses, because everybody should have the opportunity to do something great.

Dear Editor,
    Every day, another politician claims that victory in Iraq is impossible. This would shock the soldiers. They know better.
    We must reassure our troops that they aren’t fighting alone.
    Exactly one year ago, when “experts” began seeking an “honorable exit,” Vets for Victory, a pro-troop and pro-mission organization I head, began working with state lawmakers who were as frustrated as their constituents. The result was a legislative proclamation telling the troops, “We will not abandon you.”
    Last February, more than a thousand average Oklahomans assembled outside the state Capitol building while a group of bipartisan lawmakers read the state’s pledge not to abandon the troops.
    Last year, Vermont gave its own proclamation, Florida’s Hillsborough County of 6 million people became the first nonstate government to pass it, and Massachusetts followed with a strong variant. Florida will consider its own this spring.
    The soldiers and their families think these resolutions matter, and state legislators know they have to go home to their voters when the legislative session ends. That’s why it’s time to act. National media and political groups have allowed opponents of the war a steady say. When the surge began to bear fruit, they began attacking those who serve in uniform or as contractors.
    First, soldiers and Marines were subjected to despicable political statements asserting instant guilt regarding alleged war crimes, with no apologies upon acquittal. In the celebrated Blackwater case, the media circled vulturelike to declare all contractors out-of-control criminals.
    So ask your local lawmakers to sponsor a resolution declaring that your state will not abandon the troops. This tells them that their sacrifice will not be in vain and goes a long way toward raising their morale instead of our enemies’.