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 [email protected]. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
    The demonstrators are sweating, they’ve worked up a thirst
   Hoping everything will be open by, at the latest, May 1st.
    They’re not wearing masks and they stand close and cozy
   They wanna go back to when things seemed all rosy.
    Let’s have restaurants open, oh, and bars too
   Let’s party and do what we all used to do.
    They want an end to the rules to shelter in place,
   Wash their hands all the time, and not touch their face.
    Some watch the briefings, hope the worst has now passed
   It can’t be much longer that this thing will last.
    They’re tired of suffering, being scared, and the pain
   But relaxing too soon could start it all over again.
    It’s hard to know when to reopen, but on this you can bet
   The time to do that hasn’t gotten here yet.

Dear Mr. Smarty Pants,
    Dude! We've met and are Facebook friends and all, but I am SORELY disappointed with your Dagmar mix up ["Mr. Smarty Pants Knows," April 17]. I am attaching an article from a hot rod site.
    Dagmars in hot rod slang are rounded and conical, a lot like breasts. They go on the bumpers. Usually the front. Fins are flattened and pointy, and even in profile don't really look like breasts.
    This would have taken less than a minute to verify. Now I am going to start doubting EVERYTHING in Mr. Smarty Pants. As our fearless leader would say:  SAD. ((emoticon!))

Dear Editor,
    I've really enjoyed the "Austin Craft Brewers vs COVID-19" series of articles so far. Are you planning on hitting some of the smaller breweries around Austin? You should check out Orf! Chris Orf is an awesome guy and makes some great beer. He's been working on his small brewery and doing beer-to-go during this time. Give him a look if you get a chance!

Dear Editor
    I applaud Nick Bloom's editorial in the April 17 issue of the Chronicle, entitled "U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's Comments Scapegoat, Endanger, and Distract.” He calls on Senator Cornyn to put aside specious racist finger-pointing and act to address the actual problem of medical supply shortages. I would go even further and demand that Sen. Cornyn and other Texas politicians step up and re-assert American leadership during the pandemic. The isolationism and suspicion of other world powers espoused by the president and his supporters have clearly failed to protect us from global threats. We need to change course and engage with other world powers. I call on Senators Cornyn and Cruz to encourage President Trump to continue to fund the WHO, to work to ease crippling sanctions against Iran, and to divert some of the DoD's [Department of Defense] astronomic budget toward supporting our communities during the real crisis that confronts us. That's the leadership we need, not pathetic attempts to shift blame.

Dear Editor,
    On April 21 at 7:30pm, Austin Housing Finance Corporation is having a community meeting to discuss an affordable housing project on Tillery Street. The seven acres in question are mostly grassland, and the site of a historic stone house and well, which was demolished by the city last year without permit. Also located on this land are two acres referred to locally as the Tillery Street Pecan Grove. It is Govalle Neighborhood Association's position that this area, which is home to some pecan trees which are 70 years old, and many others that are 50 years old, should be preserved for present and future generations. The entire area is currently zoned as single family, and we would like to support higher density zoning, even up to MF-3, to support as many affordable housing opportunities as possible, while preserving this green space.
    Barred owls, red-tailed hawks, blue birds live in these trees. Whistling ducks often rest in this area, in addition to lots of other winged visitors. Pecan pickers come to the area every season and have for generations. Flood and sound mitigation, air quality, and preservation of Austin's tree canopy, is also important, as this area lies between Airport Boulevard and Tillery Street. The area usually has a lot of traffic and is the location of one of the highest rate of population increases in the city.
    Please consider advocating for affordable housing at the same time as quality of life for current residents of the area and preservation of the environment.
    The expensive housing market, low wages, and income inequality in Austin may be ameliorated over time, but once these trees are cut down, it can never be undone. These pecan trees are historic landmarks of the Eastside and should be protected.
    With increased density and community support for the future housing project, this can be a win-win situation for everyone involved.
    More information and opportunity for community input can be found at this website: https://gardnerdevelopmentatx.com/tillery-street/?fbclid=IwAR1d3K2OypTSM2p-BVZGvMFTJvXJ1KTla_kCiSllUtyx16UZ4STrJeFXhw0

Dear Editor,
    Why would disparate physical access to health care be a shock? Capital Metro's "planning department” was practically giddy at the prospect of deleting the 240 and halving the 392, which had serviced the North Central CommUnityCare clinic that had been strategically placed at the intersection of both public transit routes so people with limited and/or no English proficiency or income could then readily access health care services. Removing health care and social services from transit dependent populations was the premise of remap. The transit agency did not even run "pickup" during New Years, which was supposedly a “high volume” pre-pandemic night!! If all people do have ready access to health care, we might actually have a functional, liveable city.