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.
RECEIVED Wed., March 12, 2008
Dear Editor,
Well, I am going to put my head on the chopping block and say let's stop using our cell phones while driving: no text-messaging, no talking about your hot date last night, no talking about
American Idol, no talking about how drunk your friend got. I read that our fair City Council is thinking about banning hand-operated cell phones while driving in Austin. I am all for it; in fact, I am so for it, I just started:
www.bancellphoneswhiledriving.org, so check it out. I am just a guy with not much savvy, so any suggestions would be great. Thanks, have a great day, and don't run one another over out there!
Patrick Jones
RECEIVED Tue., March 11, 2008
Dear Louis,
Regarding your “
Page Two” article from the Feb. 29 issue, we appreciate your passionate feelings regarding SXSW and what it means to Austin. You'd have a lot more credibility though, if you hadn't betrayed everything you (supposedly) stand for by turning informant to governmental authorities last year.
Sincerely,
Kevin Gallaugher
RECEIVED Tue., March 11, 2008
Dear Editor,
The insurance industry in Texas basically owns our state government. In 2004 a state audit uncovered the insurance industry had overcharged Texas drivers and Texas homeowners more than $5.2 billion. Our then insurance commissioner, Gov. George W. Bush appointee Jose Montemayor, went to the insurance companies and basically told them: "We caught you, and now you are going to be punished. You can keep the money, but you have to promise to never do it again." Our current governor – who is owned by those companies – then got one of his cronies in the Legislature to introduce a bill exempting them from being audited. The bill failed to pass, but it shows the depth at which our governor is owned by this industry. Texas has one of the lowest ratios of payments to payouts in the country, and yet it has some of the highest insurance rates on homes and autos in the country. State law requires you to have auto insurance to drive. Mortgage companies require you to have insurance to buy a home. We need to make sure this industry is not setting their rates too high with the knowledge that we have to purchase their product. What they have done in the past is as close as we will ever see to being real organized crime. They own the politicians, and they have our police department and courts acting as organized-crime enforcers for their industry. Do we need insurance? Absolutely! Do we need strong governmental oversight of those insurance companies? Absolutely! I have been a Texas Watch member since 2002, and I hope you will join me in supporting them. I simply have my bank account set up for a small monthly donation each month. I live on Social Security, and I can't give much, but these are the only people I know willing to take on this industry Goliath and its political cronies. Please join me in joining Texas Watch and helping them to help us, the Texas drivers and/or homeowners.
Sincerely,
Delwin Goss
RECEIVED Mon., March 10, 2008
Dear Editor,
Another one of my favorite local businesses quietly closed down on Feb. 15 – Las Manos Magicas. Located at the corner of South First and Live Oak, this shop that sold Mexican folk art should and will be missed. The owner told me, on the last day it was open, that the house was going to be moved and a new shopping complex was going to be opened. The shop is going online (the URL is
www.talaveratilesonline.com), which is great but still sad to see another local business exit like this.
Alan Gaither
RECEIVED Mon., March 10, 2008
Dear Editor,
Does anyone think there is validity to the idea that Hillary Clinton won the Texas primary because Republicans crossed over to vote for her, because they believe she will be more easily defeated by John McCain? I'd heard this was their strategy.
I could see a ticket with both Hillary and Barack Obama being successful. Hillary as president with Obama as vice president would make more sense, in terms of seniority and experience; then Obama would be in a good position for the presidency in 2016.
Kenney C. Kennedy
RECEIVED Mon., March 10, 2008
Dear Editor,
We of the 999 Eyes Authentic Vaudevillian Freakshow were shocked when we found that the Austin Music Foundation is to hold its upcoming Music Industry Boot Camp at the Parish, a venue which does not have wheelchair access. We have been attending these informative seminars, which are free and open to the public, and as human anomalies, some of our members use wheelchairs.
Samantha X, member of the 999 Eyes, wrote a letter to the AMF to ask why the Parish was chosen to hold the event despite its inaccessibility. Alissa McCain, director of programs and operations, responded right away to assure us that in the future they will only hold their boot camp at accessible venues. The AMF is a small group that has been trying to accommodate their increasingly popular seminars, and finding a supportive venue that will donate space and sound equipment has been a challenge. We would like to thank the AMF for their willingness to make their event available to everyone, and we encourage accessible venues to team up with the AMF to support Austin's arts!
Heather Burns
Lobster Girl
999 Eyes Freakshow
RECEIVED Mon., March 10, 2008
Dear Editor,
I started volunteering for Hillary Clinton's presidential bid recently. I spent hours helping at her headquarters on the phones. I saw Bill Clinton's rally speech from four feet away, after the fire marshal kicked people out. It was great to see my old commander in chief in person. I was kinda crushed that when he shook hands with the crowd, he passed mine over. I went to the debate function later and reserved a spot for her Güero's speech. I wasn't allowed in due to another capacity crowd even though I had a reservation. I was even more frustrated. I was bound and determined to shake hands with those people that sent me to Cuba and Texas helping me meet Johanna [“
Postmarks,” March 7]. I went to the Zilker Park support picnic and sent another RSVP for Bill's UT speech. My name wasn't on the list, but I explained my volunteer status and was given a red ticket. This time I took a picture of myself from Cuba for him to autograph for validation. On the way out, I got to touch his hand this time. I handed up my photo to staff for his signature as they passed. Mr. Clinton signed books, tickets, a calendar, even an Obama binder a lady brought. I waited an extra hour and a half afterward as they called out names of the lucky ones. Mine wasn't called! I told a member of the staff about the photo that wasn't returned, and he went inside. When he moseyed back out he handed me my photo. He explained that it had fallen under a table and was not signed. When I got home, I watched the news to see other events of the evening. I noticed James Irby talking, and I was there in the background still waiting for the unautographed photo.
Congratulations on the popular vote win here, Hillary!
Mike Homa
RECEIVED Mon., March 10, 2008
Dear Editor,
A few days ago, C-SPAN broadcast Sen. John Cornyn’s speech on deficit spending, complaining bitterly about entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Agreed, these programs desperately need congressional oversight for fraud, abuse, and incompetence, which the senator and his colleagues have routinely failed to provide. In fact, Congress has enabled the insurance and pharmaceutical companies to line its pockets for decades, the primary cause of out-of-control health-care costs. Notably, Cornyn made no mention of bloated Pentagon so-called defense spending, the unexplained “loss” of tens of billions of taxpayers dollars by that five-sided rat maze which seems to be untouchable by our elected representatives. His office never responded to my letter (months back), and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s office responded with Iraq war cheerleading boilerplate, ignoring my question. Maybe Texas needs new blood in Congress, hopefully persons not in bed with defense contractors (aka war profiteers).
John Callaghan
RECEIVED Sun., March 9, 2008
Dear Editor,
Please extend my thanks to Katherine Gregor for her piece “
Developing Stories: Don’t Rush Seaholm East” [News, March 7]. Gregor draws a clear distinction between how Mueller’s development was handled, with community involvement and careful planning, and that of the Seaholm development, rushing for requests for proposal from profit-driven developers. I am concerned that without careful deliberation, what could be a spectacular and successful revitalization of Downtown will only further separate the classes into the haves and have-nots.
As a library employee and supporter, I am excited for the construction of the new library and what that means as Austin becomes more metropolitan. Reports on the sad state of the library’s lack of space have been integral in pushing for support for the new project. The library was built to service an Austin of 300,000, and the current location struggles with insufficient staff and materials to meet twice the demand. But the library is now, in addition to an information storehouse, a de facto shelter for the homeless.
Funding for social services, in my opinion, is insufficient to meet our city’s needs. Recently, United Way changed its mission and cut funding for the Salvation Army, prompting the City Council to ante up $108,000 to help with the deficit. If they had not, they would have hundreds more homeless roaming the streets of Austin. These homeless and mentally ill people hardly fit into the new revitalization plan for Downtown.
The ever-changing Austin we live in, with its mixed-use development, would hardly welcome the poor, the hungry, the homeless to sit and stay awhile. Gregor writes, “Seaholm East represents a tremendous and rare public resource for advancing community goals, aspirations, and values.” I dare to question whose values council has consulted? Developers’ values naturally prioritize profits. Cut to five years from now when Lady Bird Lake is bordered and shadowed by skyscrapers, office buildings, and yes, condos! Will the new central library still open its shiny new doors to its regular, albeit grimy, patrons? Will the likely Starbucks next door?
I wonder.
Christi Vitela
RECEIVED Sat., March 8, 2008
Dear Editor,
The real story you should be telling about SXSW is how all the great local blues bands (Alan Haynes, Joe Richardson, the Texcellorators) pack the clubs with blues fans from all over the world, keeping the clubs on Sixth Street open and solvent during the rest of the year, and then when the biggest music festival in the world comes to town, they are swept under the rug.
It wouldn't be quite so bad if any of the sound-alike/look-alike indie-rock bands could actually play something original or inspiring.
Rick Harvey
RECEIVED Sat., March 8, 2008
Dear Editor,
Congress and the Senate both passed a bill that would ban using torture on prisoners. A total of 517 elected officials from all over the country voted on the bill. George Bush, one semielected individual, vetoed the bill. He referred to the torture technique (water-boarding) as a "valuable tool.”
I could go on and on about why this is wrong. In a country where you get sent to prison for being cruel to a dog, we say it's OK to torture a human being.
Those of you that support Bush, next time you attend your church, ask the priest/pastor/minister if Jesus thinks torturing humans is OK.
Those of you who have kids in the military, can you even think about your sons and daughters being tortured if caught? Even if the enemy is doing that and worse, do you agree with them?
I … don't know what else to say. It makes me sick.
Steven McCloud
RECEIVED Sat., March 8, 2008
Dear Editor,
I have a confession to make, one that might irk some who I know are largely on the same page as me, all things considered: I’m a politically progressive-minded person who doesn’t have much faith or trust in the promises of Barack Obama. There, I said it.
Barack Obama has built around himself a cult of personality of monumental proportions, and I must say I too have been impressed. But unlike most of the people around me, whose admiration and awe have been centered on the iconographic symbolism of the man himself and his message, my admiration and awe are centered on the work of his campaign advisers. Never in my life have I seen such vague and unsubstantiated rhetoric capture the hearts and minds of so many Americans. The campaign of Barack Obama is nothing less than a public relations coup. So yes, I admire him but not for his promises.
The fallacy of Barack Obama’s promise of change is evident in two important areas: what his acolytes and believers profess and what his record and platform reveal. To the former point, you need look no further than an Obama rally. What you’ll find are hordes of captivated people, many young, enthusiastically chanting for “change,” or simply “Obama.” Obama’s “invention” of the concept of change is recycled cliché, and the chanting of his name is idol worship, not a call for ending the war or acquiring universal health care. Anyone who did the least bit of research (away from Obama’s official rhetoric) would discover his plans for getting out of Iraq are distant and incomplete, and his health-care proposals totally leave intact the travesty of for-profit health care. Though, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The military budget will not shrink under him, Israel’s illegal occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank (the linchpin of all problems in the Middle East) will not be challenged, and war with Iran, Pakistan, Venezuela, and others will all remain on the table. Of course, all of these issues relate to the economy as well.
So call me a crank, an armchair cynic. I can accept those labels. I would just ask this: When has the mass media ever so lovingly covered candidates, like Obama and Clinton, who ever really challenged the system? The answer is never, and it still remains true today.
Justin Finney
RECEIVED Sat., March 8, 2008
Dear Editor,
Every year, poor Louis has to write several editorials before and after SXSW defending it from all the complainers [“
Page Two,” March 7].
Do you think people would be so upset about a pickle-making convention that rolled into town every year and there weren't enough free pickles given out to the locals?
People keep mistaking SXSW for some kind of party/festival when it is a convention/conference. It just happens to be about the entertainment business. Any entertainment locals or outsiders get from it is a byproduct – the main purpose of SXSW is for musicians and filmmakers to network and make money.
Every year people get upset because it's so expensive to go or because their band didn't get in or whatever, but really, it's just a glossy plumbers' convention of hungry, mostly barely talented people trying to huckster their wares and egos to the industry. And a place for the industry to profess all the self-love it can, as well as see new gadgets, hear about what to do and what not to do to get rich and famous, and for those who actually love what they do for a living, to celebrate that love.
Only the fools go rushing to see a movie that will open next week in the theatres at SXSW or the band that's already had a hit.
This is not about the audience. It never has been. Stop thinking it is. It's about show business. Emphasis on business … without the business, there is no show, baby.
For example, from the
Wall Street Journal:
online.wsj.com/article/SB120492085441720169.html.
Ron Deutsch
RECEIVED Fri., March 7, 2008
Dear Editor,
As an eastern Travis County resident, I’m touched by Lee Leffingwell’s sudden concern for the ecologically fragile land under the former future Villa Muse site. As the self-appointed environmental watchdog of the rural east, perhaps he would like to encourage the city of Austin to withdraw their Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit application for a wastewater treatment plant on Gilleland Creek, which flows through the very same property. Even better, perhaps he would like to withdraw his sponsorship of the resolution to build a landfill, power plant, and wastewater treatment plant on the land adjacent to the site.
Thanks Leffingwell. It’s about time someone put a stop to the environmental atrocities perpetuated by filmmaker and musician types.
Sarah Jandle
RECEIVED Fri., March 7, 2008
Dear Editor,
Nicole Bradshaw's March 7 letter to the editor ("Straining the Code of Conduct") [“
Postmarks”] is a baseless smear on the reputation of Judge Jan Breland and should be retracted. While I no longer practice criminal law on a regular basis, I have appeared in Judge Breland's court on criminal and civil matters, dating back to her tenure as the justice of the peace in Precinct 2. I am not scared of Judge Breland because she is John Lipscombe's wife; I am not scared of Judge Breland because she is a county court-at-law judge; I am not scared of Judge Breland
at all. In my experience, Judge Breland is scrupulously fair, and I have no reason to believe she would show favoritism toward attorneys who supported her or her husband's political campaigns or retribution toward those who did not. I assume the hundreds of supporters (including numerous attorneys) whose names appear on Carlos Barrera's website feel the same way.
Ms. Bradshaw, you have libeled an honorable judge. It's time for you to display your commitment to ethics and apologize.
Michael M. Simpson
RECEIVED Fri., March 7, 2008
Dear Editor,
Jim Hightower's growth hormone point is important [“
The Hightower Report,” News, March 7] and one readers should know more about. Besides what genetically modified growth hormone does to cows, GM crops overall are dangerous for several reasons:
1) Food security: Seeds and thus food crops are now in the hands of a few large companies.
2) Food safety: There’s been a huge rise in food allergies since the introduction of GM foods; GM foods offer pesticides in every bite.
3) The environment: Why are bees dying in record numbers?; what happened to the monarch butterflies in GM fields?; and genetically modified soy crops required about 86% more herbicide than "conventional" soy crops by 2004.
4) Farmer benefits: Farmers can't use their own seeds from one year's crop to the next and are forced to purchase new seeds every year; earlier this year, farmers from India committed suicide because their GM crops caused such dire financial consequences.
5) Allergy increases: Research points to a possible GM foods/increased food allergy link!
In part, we don't know much about GM foods – including the growth hormone Mr. Hightower discusses – because they don't have to be labeled in this country.
Perhaps the lack of labeling results from Monsanto’s big political ties. Here are some Monsanto employment relations, past and present: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld – former president of Searle Pharmaceuticals, owned by Monsanto. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas – Monsanto in-house lawyer. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft reportedly got quite a bundle for his senatorial campaign from Monsanto. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman – on the board of directors of Calgene Pharmaceutical, a Monsanto-owned company. Linda Fisher, deputy director, EPA – former Monsanto vice president and chief lobbyist. John L. Henshaw, assistant secretary of labor for Occupational Safety and Health Administration – a 20-year veteran of Monsanto. Mitch Daniels – former director, Office of Management and Budget and was also a vice president at Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Co., the company that developed recombinant bovine growth hormone with Monsanto. Carol Tucker Foreman – assistant secretary of agriculture for Food & Consumer Services, United States Department of Agriculture (1977-81) and lobbyist for Monsanto.
Thanks, Jim Hightower, for bringing up such an important topic!
Kelly Corbet
CEO
www.smartfoodshealthykids.com
RECEIVED Fri., March 7, 2008
Dear sir,
Richard Whittaker’s recent review [
Books, March 7] of my new book,
Gusher of Lies, has me riled. Please allow me to address a few of his fallacious claims.
He claims the book has “a disturbing amorality, like telling readers to ‘adapt’ to global warming.” I’ve been called plenty of names during my two decades in journalism, but “amoral” is a humdinger. My book argues that we will have to adapt to a changing global climate regardless of the cause. The reasons for this are obvious, and I point them out, including the huge energy-demand growth in China and India. In 2006 alone, China added more than 100 gigawatts of new electric power plants, 90% of which are coal-fired. Only a handful of countries who have signed on to the Kyoto Protocol have even come close to meeting their carbon-dioxide reduction targets. On p.271, I point out that in 2004, Japan, the home of Kyoto, was exceeding its reduction targets by 19%. Spain was exceeding its target by 31%. So are the Chinese and Indians “amoral” for wanting electric power? Are Japan and Spain amoral for continuing to grow their economies and their energy use?
Whittaker claims I erroneously conflate energy use and wealth creation. Yet he doesn’t offer one counter example. Why? He can’t. Statistics from any reliable source show the correlation between energy consumption – and particularly electricity consumption – with higher living standards. His only counterargument is that the U.S. has a higher infant-mortality rate than it should. Gee, no kidding.
Whittaker excoriates me for daring to point out, in his words, that “the merits of any energy source seems to be price per watt.” Not to put too fine a point on it, but here goes: duh. Why are alternative-energy companies investing so much in new technologies? The answer: Energy prices are rising. The world – and particularly the developing world – will only quit using fossil fuels when other forms of energy are cheaper and/or more convenient. Google is getting into the solar-power business and claims that it wants to make solar-power cheaper than coal-fired power. Good for them. Last year, the best-performing U.S. stock – according to the
Wall Street Journal – was First Solar Inc., which rose by 795.2%. First Solar and the investors who bought its stock believe that price matters. It’s astounding that Whittaker doesn’t.
When discussing energy and global warming, it’s apparent that Whittaker prefers political correctness to reality. My book was written as a rebuke to the know-nothing rhetoric about energy being espoused by all of the presidential candidates, the left, the right, and far too many journalists. Rather than focus on my thesis – about the broad implications of America’s interdependence with the rest of the world on everything from energy and mineral commodities to carbon dioxide and global warming, Whittaker takes a bunch of cheap shots that ignore the myriad facts that I used to support my arguments. Whittaker’s review is a prime example of lazy thinking and lazy journalism.
Sincerely,
Robert Bryce
RECEIVED Fri., March 7, 2008
Dear Editor,
I just wanted to bring to your attention that this article [“
Ron Paul: Moses and handguns,” News, Feb. 29]
completely misrepresented the recent Ron Paul rally at UT's Main Mall. The author claims that there was “dismissive booing” and “obvious division in the crowd.” This is simply not true. There was a fair amount of booing, but the crowd was booing when Ron Paul mentioned things that both he and they disapprove of (warrantless wiretapping, PATRIOT Act, etc.). If you look at any pictures of the event, you will see nothing but a sea of supporters. There was no division whatsoever. I have to wonder if the author even attended the event, because if he did, there is no way he could have honestly drawn those conclusions.
Dustin Lange
[Richard Whittaker responds: Where I stood (at the top of the southern steps of the Main Mall, just up from the Liberty Bell and Ten Commandment trailer that accompanied the congressman), everyone cheered his anti-war/anti-War on Drugs stances – as I reported. But the people near me who supported his Second Amendment position were cheering, not booing, while others who were disenchanted heckled.]
RECEIVED Thu., March 6, 2008
Dear Editor,
I cannot fathom why the City Council voted “No” on the Villa Muse request. It is/was a win-win for Austin and, more importantly, for east Travis County. The only reason I can think of is that they would rather have a landfill near Webberville. What a trade-off, refuse vs. revenue – or trash vs. cash. I think the entire City Council and mayor should be put on a recall ballot for demonstrating gross incompetence, racism, and fiscal irresponsibility.
Douglas Edgar
Manor
RECEIVED Thu., March 6, 2008
Dear Editor,
Re: “
Naked City,” March 7 [News]:
The Austin Chronicle got the correct bottom line regarding the Americans for Prosperity lawsuit against the Texas Association of Counties: TAC has a constitutional right to lobby the Legislature regarding county issues, so long as dues money from counties is not used to lobby. The case is over, without Peggy Venable, Texas director of AFP, getting what she sought – which was to cut off communication between counties and legislators.
AFP is an anti-government organization that seeks to cut government services by having the Legislature take away the authority of locally elected officials to make budget and taxation decisions, thereby doing away with local control in our representative system of democracy. Ms. Venable is a registered lobbyist herself, lobbying against government regulations, such as smoking bans in public places. However, Ms. Venable does not want counties to have the same rights as she and her corporate sponsors do.
When Ms. Venable once again lobbies the Legislature in 2009 to take away local control, TAC will be there, lobbying on the other side of the issue – and against unfunded mandates that force local taxpayers to pay for programs the state should pay for if the state deems them so important. Perhaps Ms. Venable would like to join TAC in lobbying against those costly unfunded mandates.
Elna Christopher
Director of media relations
Texas Association of Counties
RECEIVED Thu., March 6, 2008
Dear Editor,
More than 2,500 workers made the Tuesday, March 4, election possible. Those hundreds of election workers represent our neighbors, our co-workers, and our family members who believe in making sure the democratic process is honest and fair. These hearty individuals, many of whom had never worked an election, went through an extensive training, worked long hours, processed thousands of exuberant voters, and delivered the election returns with few problems. And, we know they weren’t in it for the meager salary the state pays for working a primary election (we hope to change this during the next legislative session).
Travis County’s community spirit is unique in another way. Our political parties certainly have their differences, but when it comes to working in the polling places, those differences are put aside for the common purpose of ensuring everyone the right to vote. While other counties have party leaders who will not even talk to one another, our local Democratic and Republican Party representatives worked hand in hand to help provide staff at the polling places.
Thank you to the Chronicle for your election coverage, especially the explanation of the precinct convention process. I want to extend my warmest appreciation to the election workers, those often-unsung heroes of our community. I want to commend the political party workers for their cooperation and hard work. I want to thank the voters of Travis County for their participation, their patience in those long lines, and the kindness they showed our poll workers. I am so proud to have been a part of one of the most amazing elections this community has ever seen.
Dana DeBeauvoir
Travis County clerk
RECEIVED Thu., March 6, 2008
Dear Editor,
I am neither an Obamamaniac nor a Hillarite; I never thought either candidate was particularly viable. Liberals who support Ron Paul somehow do not understand that he is a conservative Republican (the country has just gone so far neo-right that he looks left). National elections are no place for idealism statements or personality (or voting for a woman because she is a woman, goddammit – read George Stephanopoulos' book). They are about electing a government. A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote for Ralph Nader. When the Republicans say they would prefer her as a candidate, that should tell you something.
Tim Pipe
RECEIVED Thu., March 6, 2008
Dear Editor,
I would like to bring attention to a new ordinance that was passed by Austin’s City Council on Thursday. Co-sponsored by City Council Members Jennifer Kim and Mike Martinez, this ordinance is good news for Austin’s companion animals. It requires stores and individuals that sell a high volume of puppies and kittens for profit to abide by the same guidelines that cash-strapped nonprofit and municipal shelters must follow – to spay, neuter, and microchip each animal before they go home. Those who choose not to follow this rule will have to pay a $50 fee to the city of Austin, which will be used to care for the thousands of homeless and unwanted animals of our community.
In the city of Austin, our tax dollars are still covering the cost of the expensive, inhumane, and ineffective practice of killing an average of 1,000 healthy, lovable cats and dogs each month. This ordinance may not do anything to reduce that number, but it will go a long way toward preventing that number from rising dramatically when a certain large, corporate pet store moves into our community and begins selling hundreds of unaltered puppies and kittens each month.
This is exactly the kind of ordinance a community that cares about animals needs. It won’t solve the problem, and more must certainly be done, but this is an outstanding step in the right direction, and I’m so proud of our City Council for taking that step now.
Amy Mills
Executive director
EmanciPET