A DART SilverLine train pulls into Addison Station, May 2, 2026. A reader discusses how DART could work better and suggests more funding for it.
Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News
A deferred dream
Re: “DART must connect sports venues wherever they land – Transit is key to the region’s future,” by Randall Bryant, Monday Opinion.
Misplaced priorities reflected in a column by DART Chair Randall Bryan help explain why his agency flounders. It isn’t practical for transit planners laying tracks for the next century to play whack-a-mole chasing sports venues that relocate every 30 years. Rather, it’s the role of city planners to guide density.
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In 1988, debt-adverse voters in the DART service area rejected a bond proposal for the fast, high-capacity, largely underground systems chosen by voters in Atlanta, San Francisco and the District of Columbia. Instead, they opted for a slower, more modest, lower-capacity open light-rail network that could be built out at-grade. This is why our current system works well enough for daily commutes, yet can falter in mega-events like Texas-OU football.
Rather than devote scarce resources trying to corral the stations, DART should increase fare enforcement on the rail vehicles themselves. Doing so would have the added benefit of enhancing security.
Bryant’s vision of reviving D2 is laudable. But now that the agency has taken on debt for the Silver Line, this dream is deferred.
Voters should focus on electing legislators that will adequately fund a regional transit network.
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Ken Duble, Dallas/The Cedars
Maybe DEI works
Re: “Academic freedom already eroded,” by B. R. Allen, Tuesday Letters.
This response to John McCaa’s column shows that DEI policies need to be put to work in universities to ensure academic freedom. Diversity is desired in viewpoints. Equity means all points of view are treated the same. And inclusion means openness for all speakers.
Maybe DEI works after all? One doesn’t need a PhD to see it does in this example.
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Barbara Beasley, Dallas
Encourage reasoned debate
Freedom of speech is a right granted by our Constitution. Without it, all other rights become null and void. We expect our educators to support the rights of every student, but we also expect them to encourage reasoned debate.
Show respect for every speaker, disagree with ideas you think are wrong, when it’s your turn to speak. Search for areas of agreement – they usually exist, but sometimes they don’t.
Educators should encourage speakers with different views as a part of every event, demonstrate how that’s done in classrooms, and reward honest debates.
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Clean energy doesn’t cost more
Re: “This is not the time to give up on solar in Texas – Texas has proven that expanding sources leads to lower costs,” by Mario H. Lopez, Tuesday Opinion.
Red states are actually leading the nation in new solar deployment because competitive markets are choosing the lowest-cost, fastest-to-build resources. Texas’s solar dominance is a market-driven story, not a political one.
Energy analysts say the expansion is being driven by rising electricity demand tied in part to population growth and the increasing presence of power-hungry industries such as data centers.
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And notably, battery storage costs have fallen to roughly $117 per kilowatt-hour — less than a third of 2023 levels — making large solar-plus storage configurations economically viable.
I’m a Texas homeowner on an all-green electric plan, and month after month, my bill beats what neighbors on standard plans pay. The idea that clean energy costs more is outdated — at least here in Texas.
Andrea Christgau, Keller
Not a fan of Lance Rentzel
Re: “Rentzel dead at 82 – Infamous Cowboys receiver had a colorful life off the football field,” by Kevin Sherrington, Wednesday SportsDay column.
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Way too many words and plaudits written about the passing of Lance Rentzel. I always envisioned “colorful life” to be events you can reminisce about with family and friends, not twice being arrested for exposing yourself at school playgrounds. Next time SportsDay needs to fill space, try staying up late to get us scores the next day.
The weakness of the NCAA
Re: “Sorsby decision another bad bet – Allowing a gambling addict to play shows NCAA is toothless,” by Kevin Sherrington, Tuesday SportsDay column.
I think Sherrington’s take is pretty fair. The Sorsby case is one of many examples of problems in collegiate athletics, but Sherrington did not try to make Texas Tech the instigator or the poster child and pointed out the hypocrisy of other schools.
The real problem with Sorsby’s case is that it exposes the weakness of the NCAA and gives the green light to other schools that have other, perhaps worse, situations.
Sherrington’s reference to Pete Rose is a little off, though. Rose’s punishment was a product of a time with different standards of conduct for athletes, not the quality of his lawyers.
Just ask Southern Methodist University. The facts and circumstances that led to imposition of a NCAA death penalty for the SMU football program during the same era that saw Rose banned from baseball seem quaint now. Money plus controversial court decisions are a magnet for government intervention if college sports cannot figure this out.
And a word about Judge Ken Curry. I appeared in his Tarrant County Court as an advocate many times over the years and found him to be thoughtful and fair in his rulings. He knows that this case will be appealed, and his decision is only the opening act.
Clayton Devin, East Dallas
A moral compass matters
I condemn the recent legal decision allowing Brendan Sorsby to play for the Red Raiders this season. While we all possess sympathy for individuals battling addiction, allowing a player who admittedly wagered on his own team to take the field undermines the core integrity of college sports. This ruling threatens irreversible damage to Texas Tech University and our broader sports programs nationwide.
The university’s association with this lawsuit — and the resulting injunction — risks making Texas Tech a pariah in collegiate athletics. The integrity of competition is the foundation of our entire athletic department.
By circumventing NCAA gambling regulations in court, we are sending a dangerous message that our institution values wins on the gridiron over the fundamental ethics of fair play. This is already resulting in a severe public relations crisis for the university and the Big 12.
Instead of fostering a culture of accountability and recovery, this court-ordered mandate places an unfair and controversial spotlight on Sorsby while damaging our reputation as a respected institution of higher education. We cannot allow the pursuit of championships to erode our moral compass.