I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up at the elementary school I attended as a child in Alamo Heights.

I think it is true that when we see upsetting things in the news, it feels very remote to us.

But on the very route I walked, just blocks from my childhood home, a brother, sister and stepmother, all legally ensconced in this neighborhood, were snatched from their lives and now reside in the detention center in Dilley.

We should all be horrified.

I am not opposed to the proposed rate increase. What concerns me is there is no mention of customer conservation practices beyond outdoor watering restrictions. Even the Community Conservation Committee does not advocate for personal conservation practices.

I am happy there is a plan to expand the purple pipe recycled water system. Perhaps the city could require data centers and other large water consumers to use recycled water or have a recycling system of their own.

At some point, even the San Antonio Water System will experience a water shortage. It seems prudent for SAWS to implement plans now for decreasing personal water consumption, and increasing aquifer and groundwater recharge.

If you vote absentee in Texas, be prepared for your ballot not to arrive or be counted.

I mailed my ballot on April 22 for the May 2 runoff election in San Antonio from a military post office in Germany.

I paid extra for priority mail with tracking. The ballot arrived in Fort Worth on April 24 but somehow got rerouted to Chicago, where it sat for 10 days.

It arrived back in Dallas on May 4, and tracking says it was delivered on May 6. Fortunately, I had my ballot for the May 26 runoff in the same priority mail envelope, so that should be counted.

This does not bode well for anyone voting by mail in November.

I agree with the writer that it is time for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn to leave, but it is also time for Texas Attorney Ken Paxton to leave.

Maybe Paxton should spend less time worrying about posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom in San Antonio and grab a couple of copies for his office and bedroom.