A reader disagrees with a column written by U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Willow Park, that said Texas leads America’s manufacturing comeback.
Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer
All hat, no cattle
Re: “Thanks to Trump, Texas leads America’s manufacturing comeback — President is flipping the script on building at home instead of overseas,” by Roger Williams, Wednesday Opinion.
As of August 2026, the net U.S. manufacturing employment change since President Donald Trump took office for his second term is approximately 35,000 jobs lost.
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For Texas using the same Bureau of Labor Statistics manufacturing employment measure and the same period (January 2025 thru August 2026), the net change is 4,300 manufacturing jobs lost.
Conclusion: Roger Williams is all hat, no cattle.
Jerrold Sklar, Grapevine
A lawless situation?
Re: “The Pentagon shouldn’t finance itself — Venezuela deal threatens civilian control of the military,” by Matthew J. DeSarno, Sept. 20 Opinion.
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I’m pretty sure if you read The Dallas Morning News every day cover to cover you will be a well-informed person about world events. I am astonished at a transaction I learned from DeSarno’s Sept. 20 column.
He describes a company named North American Blue Energy Partners, which is a privately held Venezuelan company with rights to operate in the oil fields. Our Defense Department has gained a 35% stake in the company at no cost. All proceeds will go directly to them, bypassing the Treasury.
Through an easy Google search, I have learned more about NABEP. This company recently removed the previous owner. They have a total of 17 contracts, five of which were previously operated by China, one by Russia. The U.S. has preferential access to 20% of the production at cost, and first right of refusal for the remaining 80%. The U.S. has veto power over the board of directors and required that half must be U.S. citizens.
It’s fair to ask whether President Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio also have a personal share in this company. Personal profit is everything with these guys. So is lawlessness.
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Blatant bigotry
I was interested to see so many opinions lamenting the loss of traditional Republican values. Who would have thought that long-time Republican strategist Karl Rove would be the person vocally standing up for those values?
He recently stated, “My party is being infiltrated by these people [bigots] and we need to get rid of them.”
I thought about this as I listened to Jace Yarbrough’s video posted on his campaign website. He is the candidate for District 32, one of the five redrawn Republican shoo-in districts requested by President Donald Trump.
I was shocked to hear him openly say, “Our country is being taken over from within by those who do not share our values, speak our language or have any desire to be a part of our history, our heritage or the values we are dedicated to.”
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In a talk show online, he said, “I believe we’re in a cold civil war with the left. They want to destroy us and our way of life. And if you’re not behaving with that understanding in mind, then you don’t know what time it is.”
For those who look, the bigotry has become blatant. We need traditional Republicans to continue to speak out against this poison that has infected their party. The question is — will they?
Robin Smith, North Dallas
Cut working hours
Re: “Legislation would lower overtime threshold to 32 hours,” Tuesday news story.
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Congratulations to you and to reporter Maria Salette Ontiveros for revealing the simple solution to all the fuss about artificial intelligence and automation. When productivity rises, the bosses’ solution is often excruciating layoffs. The real solution, right here in this story, is to cut the working hours. Another approach that would also solve the problem is making earlier retirement possible.
Gene Lantz, downtown Dallas
ERCOT CEO’s salary
Re: “ERCOT CEO’s $6.5M contract paused — Board’s move comes after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick objected to the compensation,” Sept. 17 Metro & Business story.
Reading the story about the potential new contract of $6.5 million for the ERCOT CEO felt like a sucker-punch instead of a news story. Having just that day paid the biggest power bill I have ever paid all the years of living in Texas pushed the astonishment over into disbelief.
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Surely some of that money could be redirected into utility infrastructure or reductions in rates for the consumers instead of the huge executive salary.
V. C. Patterson, Carrollton
Compassionate enforcement
Re: “City’s AI cameras identify violations — Garbage trucks capture still images; council reviewing privacy, cost and impact,” Sept. 17 news story.
AI-powered cameras on garbage trucks identifying property code violations raised questions from Dallas council member Chad West on possible disproportionate actions in the southern sector. As a former Urban Rehabilitation Standards Board member, I (and other members), personally visited code violations and made binding judgments on actions needed, timeline and potential penalties.
None that I recall were for minor issues such as peeling paint. We stepped over used drug needles and filthy mattresses in abandoned houses, peeked into half-boarded up burned buildings, skirted mounds of discarded personal property and more. We judged on condition, not location.
Responding to a northern Dallas resident’s complaint about a neighbor’s convertible left in the driveway with dead tree limbs on the torn roof, four flat tires and a layer of dirt, I notified Code Enforcement. The less-than-diligent inspector couldn’t find anything wrong. AI garbage trucks would have remedied that.
True social justice weighs justice and compassion. We took into account problems, budgets, time needed and owner history (slumlords.) Enforcing laws with compassion where appropriate is the essence of social justice.
Concerns about extreme heat
The Dallas Morning News recently reported that climate change is likely a major driver of rising heat-related ER visits across North Texas. It’s a trend backed by research from Dallas area hospitals showing sharp increases in heat illness over the past decade. This isn’t an abstract statistic to me.
As a North Texas resident, I’ve watched my morning walks become harder each year, not because of the midday heat, but because our overnight lows and humidity keep rising. Mornings that used to offer relief now feel almost as oppressive as afternoons. I’ve genuinely started considering whether I can keep living in the South long term.
If people who simply want to walk outside in the early morning are struggling, I worry about our elderly neighbors, outdoor workers and children. This is a public health crisis, not a future problem.
I urge our elected representatives to treat extreme heat with the urgency it deserves — with real investment in climate resilience. Our summers, and now our mornings, are no longer what they used to be. Please act before more of us end up in the ER — or leave altogether.
Andrea Christgau, Keller