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,
    I am outraged by a trigger-happy police officer shooting a pet dog [“Cisco, R.I.P., “ News, April 20]. There should be an inquiry and the officer should be put on desk duty where he doesn't handle a gun, or he should be fired.

Dear Editor,
    If you asked most Americans what they think about Anders Breivik – right-wing extremist and murderer of 77 innocent people, mostly youth – they might tell you something like "he's crazy" or "he's evil.” Yet some of these same Americans listen to people like Ted Nugent – who spouts a rhetoric as extremist and violent as Breivik's – and think nothing of it. We even have a major presidential candidate accepting Mr. Nugent's endorsement without breaking so much as one bead of sweat. What is wrong with this picture? What makes us think of someone like Ted Nugent, an avowed gun fanatic, as somehow harmless, while considering a man like Breivik a monster, only because he acted on what are arguably similar beliefs? What is there to keep Mr. Nugent from doing the same? Breivik is not insane, he is an adherent of fascist, white supremacist doctrine and only took the step of killing in order to further his cause. When we as Americans agree with the cause in question, we call fighting for that cause a sacred duty (just as Southerners did during the Civil War). When the cause is something we do not agree with, we call it extremism. Seems to me our own versions of Breivik such as Mr. Nugent (who could easily be dismissed as a raving lunatic) might not be so harmless after all. When you oppose other people's extremism but are an extremist yourself; when you say you love America but hate other Americans, including the American president, then you are worse than a liar and a hypocrite: you are a threat to national security.

Dear Editor,
    The Travis County District Attorney [Rosemary Lehmberg] should immediately indict this police officer who shot and killed the dog Cisco for something! I mean, neither she nor her predecessors ever seem to have been able to indict any police officer for shooting and killing any Homo sapiens – especially the young brown or black male kinds. Maybe, since it is said that a DA can "indict a ham sandwich,” Lehmberg could get the grand jury to indict this police officer for killing Cisco. Or for being stupid, ignorant, and afraid. Or all of the above.

   [For more, see "Cisco, R.I.P.," News, April 20.]

Dear Editor,
    Michael King’s profile on the Lee Leffingwell vs. Brigid Shea campaign leads with the incumbent’s claims that he supported water conservation and the “expansion” of the Save Our Springs Ordinance to redevelopment projects in the Barton Springs Watershed [“It's Your City Council! Brigid Shea and Clay Dafoe vs. Lee Leffingwell,” News, April 13].
    As to the former, Leffingwell is correct to the extent that “support” can mean “did not completely abandon.” Under Leffingwell, the city has consistently underspent its meager conservation budget while blowing vast sums of our money on projects that are either not needed or should be paid for by new development. Besides the lawn-watering restrictions, the city’s water conservation programs remain dysfunctional and amateurish compared to those in other cities. (See “Leak No More: Paul Robbins on Austin Water” in the May 11 Chronicle.)
    Water saving gains belong to Austin citizens and businesses, not the incumbent. Lee’s “support” for conservation comes primarily in backing steep water rate hikes every single year in office – hikes that disproportionally land on residential rate-payers.
    Leffingwell’s failure to lead on water planning should be the top reason for voting against him. No matter where you stand on Water Treatment Plant No. 4 or city water rate hikes, Leffingwell has done nothing to bridge the 4-3 council split and similarly deep community divide on water issues. The mayor has done nothing to plan for our water's future for a simple reason: he actually thinks (and has argued) that the city’s water contract with the Lower Colorado River Authority will take care of us – regardless of prolonged drought and a changing, hotter, drier climate.
    As to Leffingwell’s SOS ordinance “fix,” it was opposed by the entire Austin environmental community because it allows for redevelopment of the worst kind – on top of caves, sinkholes, and steep slopes and within stream buffer zones. Only fierce lobbying kept it from being even worse.

Mr. King,
    In your assessment of the content contained within the various candidate questionnaires, you mention a statement I made about "artists decorating the city for free." ["Point Austin," April 13] The context of your piece makes it appear as if I think the city should expect artists to work for no charge. Perhaps it is my own fault for not being more clear in my writing – as candidates we are bombarded with questionnaires, some of which are extensively long – and perhaps I was lacking in stating my cause.
    What I was referring to when I talked about cutting spending on public art is the $400,000 "art wall" the city is building around the Seaholm Power Plant substation. I find it ridiculous that the city would afford this for the rich who will be buying residency in the upcoming condominium project adjacent the old power plant, and that the city would spend such sums to keep the wealthy from having to lay their delicate eyes upon the industrial site next to which they purchase property. The absurdity is compounded as this city is home to countless street artists and graffiti artists, who nightly donate their time and skill to the people of Austin, only to be treated as criminals. A concrete wall around Seaholm with a "have at it" invitation to these street artists would cost the city nothing, and be a canvas for the showcasing of talent. This would even likely include national and international talent, as Shepard Fairey and others are known to frequent Austin.
    Or we can get more expensive and puzzling work like the blue "warning panels" under the train bridge on Lamar, or the uvula sculpture at City Hall.

Dear Editor,
    As you all are aware, Traci [Lamar Hancock] has been "in the dance" of seeking healing and recovery from her second bout with ovarian cancer. So many of you have given so generously of your time, talents, money, and love during this time. Words fail in expressing our gratitude to each of you who are in this journey with Traci and her family.
    On March 29, Conni Hancock informed us that Traci is now seeking only alternative and supportive routes to healing. This decision was reached after great effort and expense in the traditional Western medicine approach to cancer. The traditional medicine avenues were very expensive and there is no insurance to provide a cushion. The alternative treatments are also very costly.
    Added to these costs is the necessity for Traci's family members to reduce or stop working in order to be of support and care to Traci.
    If you have ever been in a serious battle such as Traci's, you know these things to be true:
    1) Money is gobbled up in the blink of an eye.
    2) Family presence and support is vital.
    3) Medication for pain and supplements for healing are expensive.
    So, in short, we come to you again asking for your love and kindness to be expressed in the specific form of financial contributions.
    We invite all friends and fans of Traci and the Hancock family to join us in our goal to provide for Traci by gifting to the Traciforgrace.com site.

Dear Chronicle,
    What on earth is going on with your paper? This is the second week that your movie section has recommended a movie and then truncated the review with no apparent continuation. It just stops mid-sentence. I'm assuming the reviewer actually wrote it, and a complete one at that. It is a disservice to both your writer and your readers. Secondly, I had to re-read the Music column (if one can call it that, more of a memoir for the late '70s) to make sure it wasn't some sort of April Fools' joke [“One, Two, Tres, Cuatro,” Music, April 13]. If I am to recall correctly, Margaret Moser has decided to hand off the "music" column to a bong salesman that apparently has some sort of encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary music. Putting aside the fact that Moser apparently considers 1982 to be contemporary, I am at a loss for words when someone that has a gig in a head shop (no shame there) gets promoted to music columnist for the city's only quarter-decent newspaper based on a conversation over weed-ware. How insulting to anyone that has tried to write professionally. I guess they didn't have that dragon's-head bong in stock. What the fuck? You know, your paper used to actually have an edge. You had good, up-and-coming writers that studied their trade, and though they sometimes pissed a lot of people off (I'm looking at you, Corky), their columns were well-written, and … good. As it stands now, it is a shining example of why the newspaper in general is circling the drain. Two-thirds of your paper is advertising. OK, gotta pay the bills, make some money, I get it. Most of the rest of it is AP cut-and-paste syndicated columns and cartoons. What's left is local music, politics, movies, and current events. Is it too much to ask that you actually find someone that knows what the hell is going on and has actually put some time and effort into writing? A journalist I believe is what they were once called. Who knows, maybe head-shop guy will prove me wrong. I sure hope so. This town certainly deserves more than the weak sauce your paper has been serving for years now.

   [Editor's note: There was a proofreading error in last week's review of Bully in the Film Listings, which resulted in the final two words being omitted in the print edition. The recommended movie in the previous issue, The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, was not truncated. While we do run syndicated columns that are popular with our readers such as “News of the Weird” and “Free Will Astrology,” saying “Most of the rest of [the Chronicle] is AP cut-and-paste syndicated columns and cartoons” is not accurate. To read the inaugural column by resident bong salesman Kevin Curtin, see "Playback," Music, April 20.]

Dear Editor,
    Love the title of the article "It's Your Council!: Place 2: Fire and Rain" [News, April 13]. Fire scorches and destroys, rain renews and gives life. These are perfect analogies for our Place 2 race.
    To clarify, El Concilio Mexican-American Democrats and the Greater East Austin Neighborhoods Association have endorsed our campaign for City Council because Martinez has not kept his commitments to East Austin with regard to many issues including the distribution of $1 million of neighborhood and housing repair funds from the Holly Good Neighbor Project, etc. They know I'll represent East Austin and allocate those funds appropriately. Also, we would have preferred to have all of our endorsements listed in the article because we have such diverse multipolitical and nonpolitical endorsements which our opponent cannot even come close to receiving. These diverse endorsements are the result of widespread support that we are the better choice to take care of our environment, stop wasting tax dollars, stop raising taxes, and stop giving our money to a bunch of rich corporations that don't need it.
    What if subsidies were voted on by citizens similar to bond packages? Imagine on the ballot in November we could have the Apple subsidy package ($8.6 million), the Formula 1 subsidy package ($13.1 million), and the Marriott subsidy package ($4 million) and voters could decide to give away millions of our tax dollars. Fat chance.
    I'll represent Austinites and say "No" just like they are saying "No."

Dear Editor,
    I admit it: I left myself wide open for the editing slight, the titling of my last letter “Tolerating Atrocities Makes Americans Complicit” [“Postmarks,” April 6]. Without retracting the statement whole cloth, in all its orneriness, I would qualify it; if it is not a moot point because no one read a letter the title of which accused them of complicity in heinous acts of barbarism.
    While Americans may not be morally responsible per se for Abu Ghraib, those atrocities were committed in our name. America is hated because of this act of ruthless imperialism, and will be for decades, if not centuries to come. The consequences are not abstract. We now must absorb our service men and women returning – psychologically and physically shattered from multiple deployments several times exceeding the maximum considered advisable (many on psychotropic drugs) – to an economy robbed blind by the very crony “capitalists” who engineered the hostilities.
    Because I was immersed in conspiracy reality well before George W. Bush was “elected,” I knew that he was hell-bent on invading Iraq and that it would be a debacle exceeding Vietnam. 9/11 – whether a spectacular example of ineptitude by American intelligence or an inside job – was the event Bush/Cheney would exploit to rush American troops into Iraq, overstepping Congress and deceiving a shell-shocked citizenry with terror-baiting about nonexistent weapons of mass destruction. But Cheney opportunistically retained his profitable stocks in Halliburton throughout his tenure.
    I would also point out that Seymour Hersh, whose lecture in Austin last month incited this line of thought, was listed by the author of The Last Circle (intrigue, murder, government drug-smuggling) as one of the good guys. The title of the book is a reference to Dante’s ranking of traitors as inevitable inhabitants of the lowest level of hell.