Letters to the Editor – Dallas government, GOP, fires, radiation, screens, Loop Plaza

The interview that Dallas Morning News reporters conducted Sunday on NBC5’s “Lone Star Politics” with former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller was a first-class discussion of the governance woes of our city. The change from city-wide voting for council members to single-member districts has really blossomed into poor governance. 

I think the regional election of council members can work if a strong mayor system were instituted. Dallas has been poorly served by several city managers who are not answerable to the mayor. I hope Miller will lead the effort to change the city charter promptly. 

Marvin Noble, West Dallas 

Re: Editorial cartoon by Bill Bramhall, Monday Opinion. 

The continued excellent political cartoons hit the mark Monday with the GOP in need of help rescued by socialist candidates and a ridiculous agenda. 

Our great nation wants no part of erasing our time-tested institutions such as the Senate, ICE, police and packing the Supreme Court. I read where the murder rates have dropped significantly — just wondering whether deporting criminals has anything to do with that.  

I think the Republicans have got to improve the messaging and put these socialist Democrats to rest in the trash heap of history like all the previous world attempts at controlling people’s thoughts and their money. 

Anton Skell, Plano 

I see the news about the fires in Spain, France and western America with both grief and guilt. How can humanity continue to ravage the Earth and survive? 

FIFA expressed concern about the carbon footprint of the World Cup, but nothing but revenue was ever reported. Data centers threaten our power grids and water supplies.  

Until the fires are burning down the houses of those in power or those with wealth, it would seem that no one will be held accountable for the demise of a livable environment. Will people wake up when it is too hot to play a game or hold a concert outdoors or when taps run dry?  

The time for change is now, not 10 years from now. 

Cynthia Stock, Garland 

Re: “Power regulators seek to end radiation safety practice,” Monday news story. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has decided to end some of its safety standards on nuclear power and radiation exposure. “The dose limits are not changing,” but somehow without changing them, the standards will be graded to facilitate the building of more power plants. Why? 

“It’s more expensive and time-consuming to work in areas with higher radiation because access must be restricted.” Of course it is. Of course it should be monitored according to current science-based standards. The unnamed panel says that “people mistakenly believe radiation exposure should be as low as possible no matter the cost.”  

It’s not a mistake. We are not stupid. How much risk should workers take? A little? A lot? What about the rest of us? Getting creative with nuclear standards will become a slippery slope and eventually endanger the public if these changes don’t do it already.  

I suggest that all of the panel members be required to move their families into a house that’s next to a nuclear reactor. Then and only then will they be qualified to express an opinion. 

Carol A. Stephenson, Mesquite 

As a parent in Richardson Independent School District and a Texas public school speech-language pathologist, I believe children learn best when they hold books, write with pencils and get meaningful instruction from their teachers.  

Screens have their place, especially for students with disabilities and those with individualized education plan accommodations, but screens should support instruction, not replace it. 

Because the STAAR test is required to be given electronically, classrooms have shifted more instruction to screens. That means less time reading physical books and writing by hand, the very skills we want students to master. 

Gov. Greg Abbott has spent years prioritizing testing and vouchers while our public schools struggle with budget cuts, larger class sizes, teacher shortages and rising costs. Our students need fully funded schools, excellent curriculum, experienced teachers who stay in the profession and the time to meet students where they are instead of teaching to a test. 

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has committed to ending STAAR, fully funding public schools and putting teachers and students back at the center of Texas education. That’s what I want for my child and for every Texas student. 

Emily Nava, Far North Dallas 

Re: “A More Walkable Dallas,” June 25 Editorials. 

Thank you, Editorial Board, for highlighting the Loop Plaza. By turning a 12-foot concrete retaining wall at Victory Avenue and Houston Street into an elevated pedestrian bridge, the Loop Plaza is creating value from a forgotten space, similar to New York’s High Line.  

It captures the energy of the Katy Trail’s 4 million annual users and extends it into the Design District’s Hi Line Connector — uniting Victory Park, the Design District, West Dallas and the Trinity Strand Trail into one vibrant, connected trail. 

This milestone proves the power of public-private partnerships.  

Building this infrastructure is only half the work. Our focus now must shift toward long-term civic accountability. To honor the contract made with voters and philanthropic donors, the city of Dallas must prioritize the unglamorous but essential work of daily stewardship by fully funding maintenance and operations. 

A well-maintained trail is a safer, active trail. Let’s invest in the foundations that keep Dallas safely moving. 

Jeff Ellerman, Dallas

Founder and board chairman of The Loop Dallas