Letters – John Cornyn, public schools, Voting Rights Act

Re: “Cornyn pitches Trump interstate,” Thursday news story. 

Isn’t it rich? (It will cost $24.5 billion to upgrade to interstate.) 
Aren’t we a pair? (Along with Ted Cruz, I, John Cornyn, am one of two of President Donald Trump’s most trusted minions from Texas.) 
Me here at last on the ground. (I am fighting for his endorsement.) 
You in mid-air. (Cruz, you are not up for re-election this cycle.) 
Send in the clowns. (My supporters will follow anything I do.) 
Where are the clowns? (Wait, maybe they will not fall for this.) 
Don’t bother; they’re here. (We know you are, Cornyn and Cruz.) 

Jodi Lynn Slabaugh, Denton 

I’m seriously trying to understand why, after President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, debacle, every Republican politician in our country distanced themselves from him during election time in order to be reelected. 

Now, since he is our president again, they have conveniently jumped back on his bandwagon for the sole purpose of being reelected. Back in my day, we called this kissing butt.  

As a senior citizen and registered Republican, I have zero confidence in the party I once supported. No integrity, accountability and honesty anymore. Not getting my vote! 

Lynne Harmon, Fort Worth 

Re: “Texas public school enrollment falls — Declines came despite population growth; expert warns they could accelerate,” Tuesday news story.  

The problem that I have with the declines predicted in this story is that the state demographer’s latest report states that the under-18-year-old population will continue to grow until 2040, when it peaks at about 7.9 million. 

We currently have about 5.5 million in the public school system. We clearly do not actually have a situation where the school age population is shrinking. The real truth lies elsewhere. 

Where the student families are really going is to other districts, charters, private schools, home schools and just home — primarily because they are dissatisfied with their currently available options and want to try something that might be better. 

And so, the Mike Morath strategy of implementing cost-cutting measures to adapt to declining enrollments is the wrong solution for a different problem. 

The correct strategy would be for the state to implement a set of well-focused investments into improving those schools which are unsatisfactory (e.g. below average) in terms of academic outcomes as measured by the Nation’s Report Card. 

When parents realize that Texas is interested in improving public education outcomes for the sake of their children, they will come back. 

Herb Krasner, Spicewood 

Re: “Decision weakens Voting Rights Act — Ruling claims Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District relied too heavily on race,” April 30 news story. 

So much for the so-called “New South,” a region that supposedly had turned away from its racist past to embrace integration and accept Black citizens’ full equality as U.S. citizens entitled to representation in Congress. 

The U.S. Supreme Court decision to gut the Voting Rights Act cleared the way for the Old (racist) South to reemerge. Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana already want to or have redrawn congressional district lines to boot Black representatives out of Congress, even when primary voting was already underway in some cases. 

And Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — not to be outdone in congressional racial redistricting — has continued his jingoistic campaign against immigration and Muslims, even though immigrants and people of color have been key factors in his so-called Texas Miracle of economic growth because of their willingness to do the jobs that most Texans don’t want to do at lower wage rates. 

We need a Texas government that represents all the people, not just the extremists of the party in power, and one that celebrates our American ideals. 

Bernard Diemer, Saginaw 

Re: “Gateway Church, Morris move pay fight from court — Pastor resigned in 2024 after accusations of child abuse,” Thursday Metro & Business story. 

Here’s a man, a pastor, who was convicted of child sexual abuse for four ongoing years — but only served six months of a 10-year suspended sentence. And now thinks he’s owed back pay and retirement funds? Such greed and lack of remorse are unreal. It takes a lifetime for a victim to recover. 

Morris must have used Ken Paxton’s attorneys. 

Judy Webster, Plano 

If President Donald Trump truly wants to lower gas prices at the pump, why does he not ask domestic energy suppliers to lower the price per barrel to $80 for United States consumption instead of selling at world market prices?  

He has made similar requests from other manufacturers. Why not ask domestic oil and gas industry to lower their prices? 

Michael Brennan, Plano 

I read a lot. I love fiction books, even science fiction. But I don’t think that a fiction writer anywhere could invent stories that are as mind-blowing and unbelievable as Robert Wilonsky’s columns, which are decidedly nonfiction.  

And to think, these crazy, unbelievable events happen right here in North Texas (and especially in Dallas). How fortunate we are to be unwilling participants in these horror stories.  

Daniel Siculan, Royse City 

Re: “Morton, Landry and the QB shuffle,” by Kevin Sherrington, Thursday SportsDay column. 

Sherrington’s piece on Craig Morton called up many memories. One which I never forgave Tom Landry for was the year that Roger Staubach was hurt in pre-season 

Morton took us to the west championship game when Staubach performed his two-minute miracle that put us in the Super Bowl. But Landry did not dance with who brought us. He started Staubach, who quickly showed how rusty he was.  

Landry waited too long to insert Morton, who got us back in the game. But time ran out, and we had no trophy. 

Warren M. Lynn, Fort Worth