Republican Angie Chen Button and Democrat Zach Herbert are running for the Texas House District 112 seat.
Dallas Morning News
He chooses Zach Herbert
Re: “We Recommend — Button for Texas House District 112,” Monday editorial.
For Texas House District 112, I am dismayed that you recommended Angie Chen Button, a candidate who is avoiding voters and not answering questions.
Article continues below this ad
Button has gotten out of touch with her constituents. I attended her roundtable meetings until she discontinued them several years ago. She does not hold town hall meetings.
Button refused to participate in the Texas House District 112 candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Zach Herbert, her opponent, agreed to participate.
Your editorial stated that some of your questions did not receive “a clear statement of what she would suggest moving forward. Voters deserve direct answers, particularly from experienced incumbents.” Exactly. You hit it right on the Button. Why is she hiding from her constituents and evading questions?
I encourage people to vote for Zach Herbert, whom you described as a thoughtful, well-prepared candidate. And Herbert does respond to questions.
Kirk Miller, Richardson
Article continues below this ad
Character matters
Re: “Paxton urges vote for estranged husband,” Monday Metro story.
I was disturbed that Angela Paxton stated (subtly) that people should vote for the husband she is divorcing. The reason is not that he might have the skills to be a good senator or might have a stellar character — he does not. It is only because of his party.
If he is not good enough to be her husband because of a bad character and bad deeds, then he is not good enough to be our senator.
Barbara Green Stone, Far North Dallas
Article continues below this ad
A way of living
Re: “Bo French uproar divides Texas GOP,” by Gromer Jeffers Jr., Monday Metro column.
In this column, Jeffers quotes former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley as saying Railroad Commission candidate Bo French is a racist, “and to him, the only people who should be in America are whites, particularly white Christians.”
I’m sure the former judge said that, and I know what he means, but I must take issue with that characterization of Christians.
I doubt French and his fellow racists truly wish to be surrounded by Christians, at least not the kind who actually follow Jesus. Following Jesus means loving every child of God, welcoming the strangers among us, feeding the hungry and showing the love of God to all.
Article continues below this ad
“Love God and love your neighbor” sums it up — a passage quoted frequently and powerfully by U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, who is not a member of French’s party.
That’s not just a political slogan; it’s a way of living and a philosophy of serving that would transform government at every level.
I’ve seen little evidence of it in most of the candidates who so loudly call themselves “Christians.”
Plano’s Prop A
I recently received a mailer from the city of Plano explaining Proposition A, the plan to pay for the new Dallas Stars arena at Willow Bend, and it left me with one major question: Why are we shouldering fans with the cost of this arena while subsidizing its owners?
Article continues below this ad
This project already makes the Stars much harder to physically get to compared to the American Airlines Center, while also focusing more on luxury suites than general admission seats. Both the Stars and the Mavs seem to care more about their rich fans than their regular fans.
Any new sports arena here should be built on the team’s and its owners’ own dimes, and any taxes we levy on them should go straight into the city’s general operating budgets.
If the team can’t afford to, they already have a perfectly functional arena they can stay in.
James Outlaw Urech, Plano
Texas appraisal loopholes
Re: “Presenting Casa de Ondas,” Sunday Arts & Live Abode section.
Article continues below this ad
Note that they’re asking $45 million for the mega-mansion at 5547 Walnut Hill Lane, but the property is on the tax rolls at only $15.5 million. That’s almost $30 million of taxable value that is not going into the coffers of the city, county, hospital district or community colleges.
And why? Because the state Legislature continues to suppress giving Texas a sales price disclosure law, and they keep the insidious equal and uniform appraisal loophole that lets commercial and mega-mansion property owners pay far less than their fair share of ad valorem taxes, shifting the burden onto residential homeowners.
Tim Dickey, Glendale, Colo.
Students and voting
Re: “Students rethink voting after polling site removal,” Monday news story.
After reading this story several times, I can’t decide whether it’s meant to be taken seriously or not. Nineteen- and 20-year-old students are complaining they have to take time out of their busy schedules to walk to a polling location 20 minutes away instead of five minutes because the on-campus site is being closed.
One interviewee said the closed site was convenient for students on their way to work out or play pickup basketball. I can see how hard it would be for her to squeeze in an hour to vote
And she only has 12 days during the early voting period to accomplish this onerous task.
Must have been a slow news day.