Letters — Dallas libraries, ICE, dark money, Big Bend

The past few weeks have brought a whirlwind of discussion about City Hall and downtown Dallas. Many ideas and opinions have been debated. 

Beyond that discussion, one important issue still remains unresolved: the future funding of the Dallas Public Library. 

As of today, four branch libraries still face possible closure this fall, and the proposed library budget still includes a $2.6 million reduction. Those cuts would mean fewer services for residents, reduced access to educational resources and the loss of jobs in our communities. 

I urge the city manager and City Council to take the library win. Formally commit to keeping every library branch open and restore the $2.6 million in funding for each year of the biennial budget. 

Because no matter where people stand on the future of City Hall, I hear broad agreement on one thing: Dallas should be a vibrant, competitive city that attracts investment, supports economic growth and offers a high quality of life for its residents. Investment in libraries makes that possible. 

Restoring the funding sends a clear message that Dallas invests in its residents, our quality of life and our economic future. That is a win for everyone. 

Denise McGovern, Dallas 

Executive director, Friends of the Dallas Public Library  

On April 29, 1962, President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy hosted a dinner at the White House honoring 49 Nobel Prize winners from the Western Hemisphere. Among the distinguished honorees in attendance were the acclaimed novelist Pearl S. Buck and renowned poet Robert Frost. 

On June 14, 2026, President Donald Trump hosted an event on the south lawn of the White House where invited guests were treated to an evening of adult men attempting to beat each other to a bloody pulp. 

Enough said. 

Alan Kazdoy, Far North Dallas 

Re: “ICE’s Wasteful Spending — Congress just gave the agency more money despite detention center problems,” Tuesday editorial. 

Thank you for your editorial highlighting the waste taking place in ICE detention facilities. In one sentence you mentioned “tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.”  

The key point seems to be that these are indeed taxpayer dollars that are being squandered, stolen or siphoned off. Our hard-earned tax dollars are being diverted into the coffers of for-profit businesses who are chummy with this administration. Meanwhile, regular taxpayers are struggling to put food on the table for their children and to put gas in the car for a family vacation. 

Why should our tax dollars be spent or wasted like this? In my book, this is the textbook definition of corruption. My tax dollars, your gain. 

Sharon Lathrop, Richardson 

This Fourth of July, Americans will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our beloved United States, a nation founded on freedoms and rights the likes of which the world had never seen.

Colonial patriots took action to overcome oppression and lack of representation in the ruling government. They risked everything on their quest for independence. 

Today, we face a new injustice. Money has corrupted our elections and government, diminishing the influence of average Americans. Money has become the defining factor in our democratic process. Dark Money, out-of-country antagonists and unregulated PACs have virtually eliminated the voices of ordinary citizens. 

A series of Supreme Court decisions, under the guise of protecting free speech, have stripped away our ability to regulate money in politics. Our beloved nation is in peril. 

Fortunately, there is a solution. The Constitutional Campaign Finance Reform Amendment was recently introduced in Congress to overturn these erroneous Supreme Court rulings and restore the authority of Congress and states to regulate campaign spending. I encourage readers to learn more and contact your representatives. 

Ben Johnson, Grapevine 

An NFL player might skip a training camp and incur a $93,085 fine because he is only making $27.3 million this season. A college football star with a confessed gambling history directly opposed to NCAA rules can transfer for millions of dollars, and it can be considered a gray area subject to interpretation dependent upon who it benefits.  

The Dallas Stars move to Plano and receive $700 million to build a new facility. The Dallas Mavericks move north, and we can only wonder how much we’ll spend to keep them even that close. 

Toll roads now use “dynamic pricing,” meaning you’ll pay more to go slower. The share of the U.S. wealth pie owned by the top 0.1% grew 59.6% from 1989 to 2024. The bottom 50% declined by 26.1%.  

About $21 billion was spent on 2024 elections. Americans spent $166.94 billion on sports betting in 2025 with revenue of $16.96 billion while only 3% of gamblers are successful over time.  

Stock market booms! Top 10% of wealthiest own 87% of all stocks and wealthiest 1% own more than half. So, I’m thinking the best short description for these times would be the quote from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire that states, “Show me the money!” 

Ted M. Moore, Dallas/Preston Hollow 

Gov. Greg Abbott has finally acknowledged the negative impact data centers have on his state. His current recommendations to address them are good, but they come several years too late. 

Texas taxpayers have already picked up the check for new power generation plants, water systems and the necessary infrastructure they need to operate. Because of tax abatements, favorable tax legislation and other financial incentives, these companies give back relatively little to the counties and cities where they operate. 

The governor is in campaign mode and thinks speaking out against Big Tech looks good to some voters. It’s all meaningless, of course. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and others have accepted staggering amounts of money from these people.  

I believe that no matter what they may say in public, they will continue to serve the wealthy and well-connected regardless of the negative impact on taxpayers. 

David Seay, Plano 

Re: “Big Bend National Park barrier draws fury,” June 15 Metro story. 

Writer Sarah Bahari describes how the Trump administration is planning to install miles of steel barriers through Big Bend National Park. The vast, 800,000-acre area is an ecologically diverse wilderness, and one of the largest public parks, not just in Texas, but in all of North America.  

I am hoping that Ms. Bahari will soon be able to write a follow-up article describing how Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will be holding a press conference announcing that Ken Paxton is going to file suit against the Trump administration for this planned gross desecration of a true Texas treasure. 

Tom Price, McKinney