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,
    In regards to your "Proof of Nothing" article [News, June 24], it should be abundantly clear to everyone living, working, and driving in Austin that this city is a police state. And, as the article makes clear, this is particularly pronounced and apparent to those who venture downtown to the Sixth Street district. In fact, one could argue that the most emblematic feature of this city isn't so much live music or its fabled "weirdness" but rather the ominous, mostly despised, and ubiquitous presence of cops. The ambiguity and lack of a standard operating procedure for public intoxication is clearly meant to garner more money for the city since it is such a "cash cow" for the municipality. However, what should be of graver concern is the militaristic "us" vs. "them" mentality the cops have taken regarding their attitude toward the very citizens they're supposed to protect.

Dear Editor,
    In a move that will have little if any effect on the economy, the Obama administration is drawing down 30 million barrels of oil from our strategic reserves. It is analogous to spitting in the ocean. In some 30 months of experimentation, the president and his advisers have managed to slow the economy to the point where complete chaos is only a matter of time. The problem no one wants to tackle is the debt, the debt and only the debt. It hangs like an 800-pound gorilla around every American's neck. In addition, we have tens of thousands of gambling jackals siphoning billions of dollars out of the economy daily. It should be realized that the days of a traditional economy are over; we can no longer support generations of professional loafers and the entitlement laws have to be toughened up. Until that time, this country will wallow in economic quicksand.

Dear Editor,
    It is with great sadness that I say goodbye to a true Austin gem – TC's Lounge. TC's was where I discovered the blues. It was where college kids, blues fanatics, swing dancers, and the occasional tourist would pack onto the dance floor on Monday night and swing, roll, and sweat to the sounds of the Little Elmore Reed Blues Band. It was where Baby Girl would know the regulars, where T.C. and his friends would hang out back, and where wine would be shared among strangers. The Christmas lights, old posters, spotty air-conditioning, and old jukebox might make it seem like other dive bars in Austin, but TC's was different, it had a vibe, it had soul. It is sad for me to see TC's change hands, as it was one of the last spots in Austin that remained resistant to change for 33 years. I wish T.C. and his family and friends best of luck on their next endeavor, and if there is one thing TC's (and the blues) taught me, it's you gotta let the good times roll.

Dear Editor,
    Why does Formula One racing need to be subsidized by taxpayers? The idea is perverse.
    Elected representatives have a fiduciary responsibility to invest taxpayer funds prudently. Building schools, hiring teachers, and repairing roads are examples of where tax dollars should be invested. Both Texas' and Austin's budgets are stretched thin and we are no longer able to fund these basic needs. Consequently, road repairs are delayed, potholes get deeper, toll roads get built, and teachers are laid off while elected officials vote to allocate $250 million tax dollars to Formula One racing. Where is the voter outrage? I don't buy their economic impact studies either. If it’s such a good idea, why don’t investment bankers build race tracks?
    Unfortunately, the noise and air pollution generated by auto racing is considerable and has not been addressed. Is it fair to impose a noise ordinance on music events but not on racing? What about ozone action days? I cherish breathing clean air, how will racing impact our air quality?
    One council member has suggested paving bike lanes to the track and installing showers at the track so bikers can shower before and after races in a pitiful attempt to brand this a “green project.” Call me a skeptic, but I contend most bikers have no interest in auto racing and while some may use the proposed bike lanes, their ultimate destination will not be the race track. Why not let bikers argue where they want bike lanes? Why let Austin City Council members hijack their interests for their political benefit and economic benefit of F1 racing? The idea of funding F1 racing with taxpayer funds makes me question whether elected officials have taxpayers' best interests either in mind or heart. Vote no.

Dear Editor,
    I moved to Austin in 1993. I have never understood why Austin continues to accept the horrendous houseguests called the Lege. They come to our city, partake in our cities wondrous culture, at least the bars and prostitutes, and then they go out of their way to hurt Austin. I have had enough. I say we cut off their utilities for summer special session. I heard that the city used to go out of its way to tow legislators cars. Good. We must unite around "no taxation without representation." My mother taught me to be a good houseguest. The members of the Lege need to be taught that lesson. Perhaps local businesses could refuse to serve legislators. I'm sure Mr. Joaquín Castro will be an excellent legislator, and Mr. Lloyd Doggett has done so much good already. This would leave Austin unrepresented however, and we should make life miserable for the Republican legislators to express how this situation will not do. Perhaps Austin needs to declare itself a free city like some medieval Dutch cities. We do not need the rest of Texas politically. Whatever we do, accepting this situation is beneath the dignity of proud Austin. We must fight.

Dear Editor,
    Re: Fun Fun Fun Fest's extra day: It was only an afterthought in Wells Dunbar's column [“City Hall Hustle,” News, June 24], but it is a little more than that for those that remember.
    Arbitrary: determined by whim or caprice. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
    Arbitrary is the word Mr. Dunbar applies to the city’s event limits on Auditorium Shores. Had he done a little research, he might have discovered that those limits were the result of an extensive public process that involved citizens, event promoters, and the Parks and Recreation Department.
    The group was brought together to try to remedy a problem. The problem was that one entity had a stranglehold on the Shores. In fact, they had the park fenced off most of the summer. The public was unable to even enter the park for nearly two months out of every summer unless they paid admission.
    Park users thought this was unfair as did other event promoters. As a result, the Special Events Policy was created to give everyone a little better access to the public park.
    A tweak here and there to accommodate an occasional extra day is OK, but the limit was put in place for a reason. It was certainly not arbitrary.

Dear Editor,
    The only way that police abuses [“Proof of Nothing,” News, June 24] in the USA will be reduced is to introduce a proper system of accountability. Police officers are human and fallible like anyone else and placing them in a position of power over the public with no oversight ensures that abuses are not merely without consequence but inevitable.
    Had a civilian treated Ms. Milan Luna the way Austin Police Department officers did, they would be charged with unlawful detention, assault and battery, and perhaps perjury. Yet, no one is surprised to learn they were not held accountable in any way – police abuse of authority is so intrinsic to American culture that it is rarely questioned.
    The Citizen Review Panel has an admirable and important mission, and its approach comes across as both objective and diplomatic. But its authority apparently does not extend beyond sending APD a strongly worded letter, which they are clearly free to brush off with platitudes, making the whole exercise moot.
    Civil lawsuits are ineffective, as they punish taxpayers not the officers at fault.
    Police officers should be held accountable to the same standard as everyone else for crimes committed on duty.