OPINION

The Texas Supreme Court needs Judge Debra Lehrmann in Place 3. She has more than 22 years experience, almost more than twice any of her opponents. She is an exceptionally well-qualified jurist who has consistently served the people of Texas with fairness and integrity, and she is a proven conservative.

She is currently the district judge of the 360th Judicial District in Fort Worth and the only candidate with family law and child protective services experience, which is needed on the court. She also has authored two legal treatises that are updated yearly.

Re: "Toyota struggles for answers -- In emotional hearing, U.S. exec says electronics may be faulty," Wednesday news story.

Now that the snow is melting in D.C., Congress can go back to normal activities, such as ignoring the country's real priorities and returning to the practice of self-righteous grandstanding.

This time, the "suits" have Toyota squarely in their sights, subpoena in hand and a level of rage comparable to a woman scorned.

At least, this subject is more valid than steroids in baseball and tainted spinach; although the Chinese lead in children's toys were able to somehow get a pass from congressional wrath.

Would Congress treat Toyota differently if it was populated by members of the United Auto Workers? No one can say.

But I'd bet the rest of my meager retirement nest egg that there would have been a gentlemen's understanding rather than a crucifixion.

In less than a week, a short-term Medicare physician payment freeze will expire and a 21.2 percent cut to Medicare reimbursement rates will take effect.

Most physician practices here and across the nation are small businesses. Those physicians who still care for Medicare patients will be faced with a severe financial strain. They will also have to choose whether or not they can still see Medicare patients. Medicare patients will have even greater difficulty finding a doctor.

Congress must cease the short-term "fixes" and address the actual problem: the flawed sustainable growth rate formula. If Congress had fixed this problem in 2005, when physicians faced a cut of about 3.3 percent, the cost of permanent reform would have been $49 billion. Now, this year's projected 21.2 percent cut yields a $210 billion price tag for reform.

Another short-term fix only slightly delays the inevitable problem and makes it extremely difficult for physicians to continue their care for seniors and military families.

It's time to repeal the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula, replacing it with a system that ensures payments keep pace with rising costs associated with care for our patients.

Re: "Social conservative in tough race -- GOP voters will help set panel's direction before key textbook decisions," Tuesday news story.

This article has incomplete information that makes Thomas Ratliff look pretty good compared to Don McLeroy.

The State Board of Education is duly elected. In January, they listened to constituents until late in the evening. They did what they were elected to do. The poorly written 1998 squishy history-challenged TEKS was made worse by the "professional educators," and the SBOE just made a few changes to make it not as bad.

The changes that were made by the SBOE would allow teachers to give children real facts and reasons to believe that we are a country worth preserving. If we don't teach them history and that we are worth preserving, what will happen?

Do we really want to do that to our children?

Ratliff is a professional lobbyist accustomed to being beholden to the highest bidder and now the brazen teacher unions that refuse to allow parents the right to school choice are supporting him.

Re: "Balancing on a Stool -- Start with these 3 legs to make state budget fit," Tuesday Editorials.

We appreciate the focus on spending the Rainy Day Fund and closing tax loopholes as a means of helping balance the budget.

However, continuing to cut from state services that are already under-resourced will only take away from Texans at a time when they are already vulnerable due to the economy, without creating enough savings to fix the problem.

Relying on cuts does nothing to stimulate our state economy and is a method that has already failed us. We have some of the worst outcomes for children and families in the country. We support looking at alternative means to balance the budget.

Our services have already taken as much cutting as they can.

Re: "Where to make services cuts," by Dennis Borel, Saturday Letters.

Borel repeats a destructive logic that decries proposed budget cuts by the state Department of Health and Human Services, but advocates closure of our state schools. It is not possible to demonstrate how tearing down an entire system and building a new network with the same funds is cost-effective.

A peer-reviewed cost-comparison study was updated in 2009 by Voice of the Retarded, a respected national advocacy organization. It shows that costs for all related services remain consistent whether services are provided in a single state facility or across multiple providers within a community model.

The state schools provide vital care for individuals who are profoundly disabled, medically fragile or have severe behavioral complications that render them unsuitable or unlikely to benefit from community-based residences.

The state system continues to require firm oversight and effective management, but those requirements are already in place. The schools, their residents and the families who want the facilities kept open do not deserve to be vilified or made into bargaining chips for budgetary advantage, especially not by persons or groups that purport to represent the disabled population.

Re: "Choking warning labels urged for food -- Pediatricians group is recommending sweeping changes," Monday news story.

Yes, choking is a serious risk for young children, but no little red sticker can take the place of proper parenting.

Cut meats up, don't horse around and stay with young children while they're eating. No food can be made choke-proof, and government regulation won't change that. Be an attentive parent; don't make that the FDA's job.

Now, I'm going to go enjoy a hot dog, while I still can.

In response to Stephanie Mueller's piece and as a belated comment on a previous article concerning lost tax revenue due to freezing property tax rates for residents 65 and older, I figured out my tax burden.

Though I'm close to retirement age, it's not an option I can consider for a number of reasons, including current income, estimated retirement income and losses in retirement funding.

My tax burden is also a contributing factor. It was a whopping 38.7 percent of my income this year, and I did not include sales taxes, service taxes or taxes enumerated on my telephone bill. Perhaps an additional 1 percent would be a conservative estimate.

There is definitely unfairness in tax burden distribution. The over-reliance on homeowner property taxes needs to be fixed. Forcing residents out of their homes because their incomes cannot sustain ever-increasing property taxes should not be an acceptable practice in tax revenue collection.

Texans are deluded in thinking that they live in a low-tax environment. The taxes are being paid but in a totally inequitable fashion. And we give seniors a discount simply for achieving a certain age. (Think Ross Perot.) Who makes up the difference? Many homeowners are paying more in property taxes than they are in federal income taxes.

As a native Californian who came to Texas as an adult, I find this situation bizarre. Our neighbors, originally from "Taxachusetts," calculate that their local tax burden is 25 percent higher here.

Let's abolish the property tax and replace it with an income tax, the only equitable form of taxation. When people make money, they pay tax; when they don't make money, they don't pay tax. Using property tax as the sole form of taxation for individuals is unfair.

Perhaps we need a Tea Party revolution for the Texas property tax system.

Re: "An unfair squeeze -- Our property tax is the levy that keeps on taking, laments Stephanie Mueller," Saturday Viewpoints.

Despite whether we like it, property taxes are the foundation of the financing system for local governments and schools in the U.S. No one likes taxes, but we need them unless we return to an agrarian economic system like we had in the 1700s.

Property taxes do have a progressive nature, in that people take on the tax load they can afford. Would an income tax or a value-added tax be better? Perhaps, but that's not the system we have. It is up to the Legislature, elected by us, to change it.

In Texas, properties are required by state law to be assessed at market. The assessment districts are professionally staffed and run. People have the legal right to protest their assessments, if necessary, via peer panels and, later, the courts. Anyone who silently accepts an above-market assessment causes his or her own complaint.

Re: "Colleges prepare for 5% cuts," last Wednesday news story.

Gov. Rick Perry has asked the Dallas County Community College District to cut its budget by $10 million. The current reduction plan means cutting back on multiple needs, including hiring part-time professors like me, despite the record enrollment.

Richland College is currently 12 percent over last year's enrollment numbers, but many students will be turned away and professors will go without their usual classes. Since my primary income is teaching, I'm worried about how my family is going to eat come next fall.

Good thing Perry refused federal money so he could posture for voters.

I am pleased to join The Dallas Morning News in supporting Thomas Ratliff for District 9 on the State Board of Education. He will bring a reasoned, non-biased voice to a board that has been far too ideological and politically biased.

The recent board deliberations on social studies textbook content provide an excellent example. Ratliff's opponent and current board member Don McLeroy recently introduced amendment after amendment that distorted American history.

His belief that the separation of church and state is a myth is a challenge to the First Amendment of our Constitution. The founders of our nation were very clear that the government should not dictate religion.

Having served on the Richardson ISD school board for 15 years, I have worked with these issues frequently. Our schoolchildren deserve the most accurate and unbiased textbooks possible that do not promote a particular religion or political ideology.

Steve Blow is correct that illegal migrants work hard and usually don't cause trouble, but he lost me when he told us this man has been here seven years and can't speak English. The immigrant doesn't care about America. He only wants to make money -- no problem there -- but he sends it home.

We need these people, but we need them to come legally. We need people who will learn the language and will care about this country.

Steve Blow's insight on this issue is clear as a wake-up whistle. I'm recommending it to the Mexican consulate, so they can enrich their arguments to find the most functional and constructive accommodation for these valuable people for the benefit of their own lives and everyone else of the U.S. who is involved.

Re: "Migrants are best of both worlds," by Steve Blow, Sunday Metro column.

I fail to understand why illegal immigrants who exhibit dedication and determination in breaking our laws deserve the reward of legalization when it takes just as much dedication and determination to come here legally.

Those who take the latter path demonstrate a higher moral character and are therefore much more welcome in America.

Blow is not only selfish but also shameful in his belief that rewarding illegal immigration is what is best for his country. My country was not built with the labor of scofflaws, and it's unacceptable in my country to reward those who break the law to come here.

Re: "Deficit panel may stress toll to come -- Obama's commission will discuss unpopular solutions to crisis," Friday news story.
This article reports on the new National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform which President Barack Obama created with much fanfare.
The purported goal of the commission is to find ways to reduce our national debt. At the same time I had CNN on the television and was watching Obama make a campaign speech in Las Vegas on behalf of Harry Reid, in which he announced an additional $1.5 billion in federal spending from the financial industry bailout program to support people with troubled mortgages.
He actually made the announcement with a straight face and was rewarded with applause from the audience.
With leaders like this, is there any hope left for our country?

Re: "Legitimate grievances," by Bret McCormick, Monday Letters.
According to McCormick, when people resort to so-called terrorist acts, they have legitimate grievances that have not been addressed in a just manner.
This is a frightening concept, as it is exactly what Osama bin Laden, Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski used as their cowardly excuses to murder innocent people.
Who among us makes the decision as to which grievance is legitimate enough to kill others over? McCormick's letter sent a shiver up my spine.
We are a nation of laws. Please don't let the terrorists win.

Every day in The Dallas Morning News, we are fed a steady diet of Rick Perry vs. Kay Bailey Hutchison vs. Debra Medina.
Can't The News give just a little coverage to the Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Bill White and Farouk Shami? This is how the media get a bad name.
White will give any of the three Republicans a good fight, and I hope he wins. We have had enough of the "perfection" of Republicans, including their perfect lies and distortions used to make people think all is well with the state. It isn't. Gov. Rick Perry has been a scam.
Be fair. Give equal coverage to the Democrats.

Re: "Trains as part of the equation," by Dian and Don Malouf, Thursday Letters.
I do agree that we need a good national and regional rail network but to force-fit it is not the way. The freight railroads own the tracks they run on, and that makes them private property. Amtrak is more of a guest than a renter on those tracks.
Be careful, my friends, any thing you do to clear the way for Amtrak over the railroads' property also opens doors for them to clear the way for anything across yours.

Re: "Losing power helped me plug in to simpler life -- Just think back to how people used to live, says Kathleen Krumnow," Saturday Viewpoints.
Sorry, but I'm perfectly capable of turning off the TV or computer and reading a book, working a crossword puzzle or taking a nap without the electricity being out.
Pioneer women may have had it tough, but they also had fireplaces, wood or coal-burning stoves and kerosene lanterns. I don't. It's hard for me to find anything to be happy about doing when it is 46 degrees and dark in the house for two days.

Re: "Calls still urging votes for Hodge -- Disgraced incumbent has exited race, but Ragsdale says public needs choices," Saturday news story.
I thought and hoped that Diane Ragsdale had left town. But I was wrong. This story reports that she is urging people in Terri Hodge's district to vote for her. Hodge is an admitted felon.
We have enough crooks in office now. I know she cannot be elected, but why would you want to vote for a cheat? Ragsdale needs to keep her opinions to herself.

Flaws in climate story
Re: "Inconvenient untruths -- A series of missteps by scientists threatens the entire body of work on climate change," Sunday news story.
It's strange how "scientists" like Roger Pielke Jr. keep using words like "belief" and "infallible" when they talk about how worried they are about the "denialists" converting, uh, I mean "convincing" the public.
Denialists? Pielke is a political scientist and environmental studies professor. I normally wouldn't have laughed out loud, but I was still turning those two phrases over in my mind when I hit the part where they are studying glaciers at the University of Arizona. Found any?

Decline in fact-based debate ...
Re: "A change of climate for 'science' -- Questionable global warming industry is justifiably under fire, says George Will," and "Remove your fact filters -- We've got a problem when proof has no meaning or weight, says Leonard Pitts," Monday Viewpoints.
I can't stop laughing. Side by side, I found Will's mishmash of bad information and irrelevant information to support his conclusion that global warming is a hoax and Pitt's discussion of the sad decline of the relevance of facts to the conclusions people draw.
I miss the time when facts and data were considered part of any reasonable debate, and when people could be persuaded by new information.

... proves to be widespread
I was glad that Leonard Pitts used the pronoun "we" when he stated, "we are a people estranged from critical thinking, divorced from logic, alienated from even objective truth. We admit no ideas that do not confirm us, hear no voices that do not echo us, sift out all information that does not validate what we wish to believe."
When skeptics who "sift" through all of the information that calls into question the claims of the effects of anthropogenic-caused warming, including willful manipulation of data, are simply dismissed with the phrase: "the science is settled," one is forced to agree with Pitts that "we are a people estranged from critical thinking."

Three Cheers is a weekly collection of upbeat letters that inspire readers to think and act positively. Share your own timely story or observation by sending it
to "Three Cheers" at letters@dallasnews.com.

1. Young black males and Black History Month
It takes a young black male to know a young black male, so the young black males who are progressive, professional and educated must show other young black males who have a distorted perception of reality that they can get an education and still get respect -- and build wealth using brains instead of illegitimate means and brawn.
The members of Executive Capital Assembly and I are in the business of training, developing and exposing young black males to become more well-rounded and enlightened individuals -- while still maintaining a sense of responsibility to their community. The model for attracting and developing young black males is to show them that they can still be sophisticated, educated and a positive asset to their community while navigating through any environment and achieving their goals.
During Black History Month, it's time for those who have achieved their goals and have successfully navigated through those environments to come back and uplift the community. Show us how to get jobs and build networks. Teach us how to save and start a business with only $1,000. Help us stay focused and achieve goals to revitalize and redevelop the 'hood.
Let me guess. You don't have time, and "us" is really not your responsibility, right?

2. Dallas Cowboys staff member reaches out
My grandson's flag football team won its division game at the Oakland Raiders facility and thus won a trip back to the Pro Bowl.
On the return flight, there was a mixup in seat assignments, so the team of boys could not all sit together. My grandson, Caleb, was sitting between some adult strangers. My grandson took out his journal to write -- for school. The man sitting next to him asked what he was doing.
Caleb told him about his school journal. The man then said, "Well, I can give you something to write about." Turns out this man was also on his way back from the Pro Bowl and is the director of coaching video for the Dallas Cowboys.
He asked Caleb if he would like to try on his Super Bowl ring. He took pictures of Caleb with the ring on. The man gave Caleb his card, told him to tell his parents to e-mail him and he would send the pictures to them. This man has sent these pictures to Caleb, and that 11-year-old boy is ecstatic.
So, thank you, Robert Blackwell, for your kindness to an 11-year-old boy. He will never forget that encounter with you.

3. Like pages out of a novel
With snow softly coming down and the tree branches bowing a couple of weeks ago, many people lost power, including my children.
Later, running to our front door with bags in hand, they were welcomed by a roaring fire in the fireplace and favorite comfort foods galore -- pancakes and bacon, mac and cheese, chili, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, popcorn, chocolate pie and fudge.
We spent the next three days and evenings by the fire, watching the Olympics, dozing, reading the paper and other material, listening to music. My grandsons were playing games, hanging out and just enjoying each other's company.
The best part for me was sitting by the fire and reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women to my 9-year-old granddaughter. My grandchildren call me Marmee, as in the story, so that made it even more special. It was indeed as if we were in Concord back in the 19th century.
Sunday afternoon, it all came to an end with the dedicated, hard work of Oncor, resulting in the return of power. Soon after, everyone packed up and rather reluctantly went home -- but the lasting memories of such a magical weekend linger with us all and shall for a long time.

Re: "Why do so many young people feel so blue? We must halt this wave of depression and self-injury, says Viviana Cruz of Carrollton," last Sunday Student Voices column.
It appears this columnist is saying that it is teachers' and the media's fault that our teens are more depressed. I do not know this teenager and do not point to her being a culprit with any of these observations.
You do not need your teacher to be your buddy; you need a teacher to teach. And for the "million and one other activities" -- stop it. We all cannot be great at everything. Keeping a kid on the third string and frustrated so as not to hurt his self-esteem is nonsense.
You want the media to report more positive events. Super! As the great consumer, you have a lot of influence, and the marketing gurus want to sell to your generation. So if you want more positive images, show them.
And finally, teens have the most influence over other teens. Bring your own optimism to the ones around you. God, family and friends -- in that order.

I receive a barrage of mail, electronic phone calls and personal phone calls during each election. Mail is generally good. I can study it at my convenience, and it helps me to make a decision on whom I will vote for. But politicians have to say something.
It is fine to tell me where they went to school, how long they have lived here and what church they go to. Frankly, that is frequently a bunch of fluff.
I want to know is how they stand on various positions that the office they seek would control. What are your experiences? More information is good.
If politicians call me, I will not vote for them. There are exceptions to every rule, but they shouldn't take a chance if they want my vote.
What sort of inconsiderate person thinks that I am going to drop whatever I am doing to answer or listen to a call? If politicians are willing to do that to me, what are they willing to do when they get into the office?
I have had six calls in one day alone. Six votes were lost. I hope I have someone left to vote for by the time the election arrives.

Re: "Texas sues EPA -- State attacks 'tainted' greenhouse gas data that may lead to new limits," Wednesday news story.
I just don't get it. The state of Texas spews out one-third of the greenhouse gases emitted by the entire U.S., many of our rivers are so polluted that we are warned not to eat the fish from them, there are numerous documented pollution "hot spots" where people are sick and dying at alarming rates and there are huge brown toxic clouds hanging over the entire Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.
Gov. Rick Perry and his lobbying business cohorts would have us believe that all of the above is all in our paranoid minds and that there is a conspiracy among the majority of scientists who want to "violate freedom of information laws, exclude scientific research and manipulate temperature data."
What do all of these numerous and highly educated scientists have to gain from so-called distortions of the truth?
We all know what Perry and his lobbyist business associates have to gain.
And although it is the correct color -- green -- I do not believe they have the best interests of the people of Texas at heart.

Re: "Did game pay off for area?" by Michael Greenberg, Wednesday Letters.
Greenberg's assertions on the economic impact of the NBA All-Star game, citing the unfortunates who were crowded out of their favorite restaurants, are ill-conceived at best, inaccurate at worst.
He was referring to the upper crust restaurants, the ones that require a reservation. These are abundant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I hope he included the enormous increase in airfare, taxi fare, limo fare, tip fare to limo, taxi and waiter.
I almost forgot the hotel, motel and convenience store industry.
One might even almost hope that charities in our fair part of the world received a tad bit more in their coffers.

Re: "Bogus gear is seized -- Raid nets $200,000 worth of sports items, many substandard," Tuesday news story.
A total of $200,000 worth of unlicensed merchandise was seized by agencies of Homeland Security during the NBA All-Star weekend.
I feel so much safer now knowing that Homeland Security is hard at work protecting us from such dangers.

Re: "Stimulus lifts Dallas-area transit plans -- Downtown-Oak Cliff streetcar, NTTA to get federal grants," Thursday news story.
For the past three months, Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison have railed against the stimulus plan in print, in appearances and in TV ads.
Now the city of Dallas and the North Texas area gets stimulus funds for a much-desired trolley system in Oak Cliff and a big contribution to the DFW Connector project.
I wonder just who is really looking after the needs of North Texas?

Re: "A Mystery in Denton -- Taxpayers deserve to know why Bataille quit at UNT," Thursday editorials.
If there was a reason to discharge Gretchen Bataille, the taxpayers, students, faculty and the state's leaders are entitled to know.
It is unfair to expect the taxpayers and students to underwrite the ever spiraling cost of higher education and be kept completely in the dark about such major decisions and their associated expense.

Rage is understandable
By no means am I endorsing what happened in Austin on Thursday. But how many of us have a certain amount of rage built up over dealing with the IRS? Our tax system is just wrong, and unfortunately a nut in an airplane was the one to make the latest statement against it. Maybe now, Washington will see that our system doesn't work.
We elect people who promise tax reform and never hear about it again. The only solution, vote 'em all out

IRS not to blame
The latest incident involving an "enraged engineer" is just one more example of something that is wrong in our society: The Blame Game carried to the extreme.
Whatever happened to people taking the blame for their own problems? It's always somebody else's fault, or the government's fault. That's not the America I grew up in or proudly served in the military for.

Legitimate grievances
The desperate attack by Joe Stack on the IRS facility in Austin is an indication that government in the U.S. has gotten too heavy-handed and repressive.
When people resort to so-called terrorist acts, it is almost certainly because they have legitimate grievances that have not been addressed in a just manner.
Given the current economic and political climate in the U.S. and the tendency of extremists on the far right and far left to whip people into a frenzy, I think we can expect more terrorist attacks from people like Joe Stack.
Freedom of speech is essential to the American experiment. And in the words of Pope Paul VI, "If you want peace, work for justice."

Patriots must condemn attack
Call the Austin IRS attack what it is: a terrorist attack, no different from 9/11 or the Oklahoma City bombing. How can any patriotic citizen do anything but condemn this attack on the U.S. just because you don't like paying taxes? Wow.

Re: "Activists criticize search for new superintendent -- Hispanics are among top 6 candidates, trustees say in defending their process," Wednesday news story.
Manuel Benavidez is critical of the Irving ISD's search for a new superintendent. My question is whether he has ever volunteered in a bilingual classroom in the Irving school district? I taught for 25 years in the IISD, along with being a substitute teacher for the past seven years.
Whenever possible, I choose a bilingual class to teach so I can take part in the superior education that the Hispanic students are receiving in this district.
Another way to see these children in action is to volunteer, as I do, at the Destination Imagination Tournament and see the many achievements that Hispanic students have acquired from the district's bilingual programs.
Please join me in volunteering in the Irving ISD. You will be pleased at how well our system serves the Hispanic community.

Re: "With the Olympics, less is more -- We need the shared experience of the Games, but what do we share if everything's on-demand? asks Michael Landauer," last Saturday Viewpoints.
Thanks to Landauer for sharing his sentiments regarding the Olympics coverage and especially his own golden moments. I got chills reading his recollection of the Dan Jansen story and was equally moved by his life-affirming experiences. I agree that we don't need the network manipulating the emotional impact of every event, but I, too, absolutely love the Olympics and relish every moment of every event, every clang of every cowbell.
I like to think the Games bring out the best in all of us and that our hearts are a little bit bigger during this time when spirits soar. In 1994, my husband and I had a particularly weak moment, as our viewing of Bonnie Blair's big night was interrupted by a crying tortoiseshell kitten outside.
We found her surrounded by a gang of marauding raccoons. At these Olympic Games, we're celebrating 16 years of life with Bonnie, the wonderful cat.

Re: "Feds to hail DFW Connector as largest stimulus (highway) project in U.S.," transportationblog.dallasnews.com.
For years, people have been asking why we still have toll lanes on roads that have been paid for. The excuse that the Texas Department of Transportation has given us is that our tax dollars aren't enough to create new roads.
Today, we have been given a new excuse -- toll lanes allow managed traffic flow. The more traffic there is, the more money you will pay not to sit in it.
So the next time you are sitting in traffic on the State Highway 121 north service roads and glance over your shoulder to see six lanes of road barely being used, think about where your tax dollars are going.

Re: "Medicaid fees may be reduced -- $304 million in proposed cuts could undo progress, advocates for needy say," Feb. 11 news story.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commissions unveiled their draft plan to cut 5 percent of their budget. While many of the cuts come from reducing administrative costs and hiring freezes, the state is proposing to finance many of these cuts on the backs of kids with disabilities, people with mental illness, seniors and Texas families.
State leaders should heed the advice of HHSC Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs, who voiced his reluctance to cutting cost-effective community services. Community services cost considerably less than institutional care, yet Texas maintains a hugely expensive network of state-supported living centers, formerly state schools, for individuals with disabilities. These centers have been protected since the '90s, although far fewer residents are served, and the entire system is being monitoring by the U.S. Department of Justice for abuse, neglect and exploitation of its residents.
The Texas of 2010 has no room for sacred cows, and the time has come to rebalance our system. Texas should consolidate institutions and redirect funds into delivering less costly community services so that taxpayer dollars can be saved without denying necessary care to Texans with disabilities.

Re: "Evolution, design: both right?" by Chris Hill, Wednesday Letters.
Hill's statement that "there is significantly more science to bolster the theory of creationism than the theory of evolution" doesn't belong in any Texas newspaper considering the State Board of Education's current mission to water down evolution as it pushes for "creative design" in our children's textbooks. It's one thing to have diversity of opinion; it's another thing to print falsehoods that highlight the backwardness of our state.

Re: "School's president pick is raising alarms, hopes -- Non-Baptist's outsider status, political role questioned by some," Wednesday news story.
Kenneth Starr earned the admiration and respect of many of us when he kept his cool during the interview when Diane Sawyer tried hard to embarrass and humiliate him. No doubt he is an excellent choice to be president of Baylor University. The only question is -- is he too conservative for Baylor?

I won't be voting for Rick Perry because of the consistently horrid service his administration provides.
Last year at a driver's license office in Dallas, I received a ticket that estimated the wait at 15 minutes. I spent an hour and forty-five minutes there. In Colorado, I renewed my driver's license at a kiosk in a shopping mall and left in about 10 minutes with an actual license rather the temporary paper license that Texas issues.
When I applied for unemployment after getting laid off, I received a Chase Bank debit card this past January. I was unable to access the Chase Web site to track my debit card.
After speaking to nine Chase representatives and four Texas Workforce Commission representatives and complaining to my state senator, the problem was resolved five weeks later. Two of the TWC agents told me that I would just have to deal with Chase myself.

Re: "Bataille's surprise exit forces UNT to pay big -- Deal gives president $723,000 for contract, option to work in Denton," Saturday news story.

University of North Texas President Gretchen Bataille resigns because she apparently can't get along with the administration, but receives $723,000 for the remainder of her contract and has the opportunity to collect $289,000 more in the 2010-11 school year for research and teaching.

No wonder UNT needs to raise tuition.

I'm a little nonplussed about the newest version of Alice in Wonderland; Tim Burton is not known for kiddy fare. Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter looks like Ronald McDonald on acid.

The problem is that Mad Hatter's disease was a real workplace safety issue during the 19th century. While miners got black lung disease from prolonged exposure to coal dust and millers got white lung disease from flour, hat makers got Mad Hatters from prolonged exposure to mercury, used to turn fur into felt. This heavy metal would build up in their systems, causing trembling, loss of coordination, slurred speech, loosening of teeth, memory loss, depression, irritability and anxiety.

What will kiddy fantasy stories use next: characters with PTSD?

Texas has traffic laws ranging from prohibitions for driving while intoxicated to driving without automobile insurance, and these laws should be obeyed. If they were, no one would face fines and surcharges for infractions.

However, people do violate the law, often causing serious accidents that harm innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hospitals receive the injured and strive to not only save lives, but restore health to injured people.

Since 2003, when the Legislature created the Driver Responsibility Program to provide funds to offset uncompensated trauma care, some 60 Texas hospitals have become designated trauma centers. The program collects about $125 million per year, while designated trauma facilities reported $200 million in uncompensated trauma care in 2008.

If everyone who owes fines and surcharges paid, and if the Legislature appropriated the total amount collected in the Trauma and EMS accounts, trauma capacity would increase to keep pace with the growing population, and prevention efforts could increase.

Eliminating the Driver Responsibility Program would be a mistake. If modifications to the current system are warranted, let's collaboratively implement the changes rather than scrap the Drive Responsibility Program.

Texas needs a stable source of funding to support the statewide trauma system. If not this program, then what?

The pretty and unexpected snowfall Friday turned quickly into a nightmare. Oncor makes millions of dollars from its customers but can't find a way to communicate the most basic information, leaving thousands of us in the dark, literally and figuratively. If, after hours of dialing and waiting, a human being actually took the call, that person took rudeness to a new level. We, fortunately, had friends who took us in, but I now resent the exorbitant bills from Oncor more than ever. And they have the nerve to blame homeowners who don't want their trees trimmed.

And I had an epiphany -- if we were that miserable after three days of no heat, what about all the people who are living that way because they can't afford to pay their bills? No one should have to live like that, but I'm afraid there are thousands who do.

I applaud the generosity of the American people who open their wallets time and time again for disasters in other countries, but I'm wondering if there isn't a way to take care of our own.

Re: "Down with the people -- Don't blame politicians for political, economic crises, says Jacob Weisberg," Sunday Points.

One year ago, 59 percent of the American public liked the stimulus plan, according to Gallup. A few months later, with the economy still deeply mired in recession, a majority said President Barack Obama was spending too much money on it.

The true political views of the public can't be measured with a poll. It requires more than a yes or no, fill-in-the-bubble or 30-second answer.

Much has been made of Sarah Palin's lack of understanding of world affairs and government policy. She is a genius compared to the average man on the street. Yet he is supposed to lead to correct policies based on polls of how he feels. The once-informed public read newspapers, watched the evening news, and discussed politics.

Today, they can't tell who is the secretary of defense or state. But they can name the most recent American Idol and who "danced with the stars" with ease.

Re: "Medina slips up with remark -- Campaign takes a hit when 9/11 conspiracy not instantly rejected," last Friday news story.

I can't see how Debra Medina's answer to Glenn Beck could be construed as a slipup.

Asked if the American government had any involvement in the destruction of the World Trade Center, she answered, "I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard," and, "I've not taken a position."

That's probably as good an answer as I would have given, since I believe that every informed citizen should question everything that the government does, be it local, state or national.

Debra Medina is the only candidate who is truly informed on the issues facing us Texans, and the only one talking about those issues instead of slinging mud.

If people will just listen to what all of these candidates are saying, and compare them to their own values, Debra Medina will be the next governor.

... but rivals will vie for votes

Debra Medina's nomination chances just crashed and burned. When Glenn Beck starts distancing himself from your comments, you are really out there.

Next, Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison scramble for Medina's lost votes.

As a Dallasite who makes my living in the hospitality industry, I was happy for the business that the NBA brought to Dallas this past week.

But the NBA needs to put these guys through a class on some basics. Some of the behavior was appalling, and let's not even talk about the gratuities. Some of these guys are making seven-figure incomes and don't know how to read a menu, order, act in a restaurant or tip. And could they please leave the prostitutes at home next time?

Re: "Texas' looming traffic woes -- State leaders must deal with bad transportation situation, say Sens. John Carona and Kirk Watson," Wednesday Viewpoints.

Carona and Watson appropriately point out that our state is "doing nothing" about transportation. While we agree, we wonder why there is no mention of passenger trains. Amtrak continues to be underused and underfunded. Freight trains dominate and have priority on the tracks, slowing Amtrak trains to a crawl.

However, if we cleared the way for passenger trains on existing tracks, we could be going to Austin, for example, for relaxed, convenient business day trips at a speed that approximates that of the nightmarish drive down Interstate 35. This is something we could be enjoying in a very short time.

Re: "Hidden costs of ticket surcharges," by Hugh Lucas, Feb. 10 Letters.

Thank you for your coverage of the Driver Responsibility Program. I have great concerns about the program and would like to clarify comments found in the resulting letters to the editor.

The program has been plagued with problems, most notably compliance issues. The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security, which I chair, has been studying the program and looking for ways to fix it.

In the committee's 2008 interim report to the 81st Legislature, we recommended that the indigent program be evaluated, and if compliance levels had not increased, we recommended eliminating the program.

I co-authored Senate Bill 896 by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh. The bill as filed would have eliminated the program, but it was met by strong opposition from the hospital, trauma and EMS community that pointed to a possible loss of $84 million from EMS/trauma funds. The trauma and EMS community also have to bear the burden of uninsured and reckless drivers.

We altered the language to modify the program, and while it passed the Senate, it never got a hearing in the House.

Our committee has once again been charged with studying the DRP during the 81st interim. This program is clearly not working as is. If we cannot find a way to make the DRP a solution to the problem of uninsured and reckless drivers, rather than a problem in itself, we need to eliminate it. We do not need an extra problem.

Over the last several months, The Dallas Morning News has published several articles concerning the Dallas County constables and the Dallas County government.

When will the citizens of Dallas County get enough of this mess and vote in new officials in the county? One of the taxpayers' concerns is the Dallas County constables' continuing expansion of their duties in taking on more traditional police work. They are now encroaching upon territory that is normally under the control of local police forces.

This, among other factors, creates friction between them and the police forces in those cities. There is little oversight to their activities. This has turned into a money-making racket for the county. It is time to do away with the office of constable and turn their duties over to the sheriff's department. This would certainly save the county money.

Re: "We Recommend -- Simmons in GOP bid for Supreme Court, Place 3," Monday Editorials.

The Dallas Morning News' recommendation of Rebecca Simmons may be well-meaning, but the reasons given ring hollow. The News cites as evidence of the writing skills needed Simmons' law review writings and "hundreds of opinions" at the appellate court, yet you overlook Dallas Court of Appeals Justice Jim Moseley, who has written more appellate positions (well over 1,000) and has more appellate judicial experience than all the other candidates combined.

He has a scholarly pedigree, including membership in the prestigious American Law Institute, and his numerous writing credits include a recurring column for lawyers and judges on improving writing skills.

As far as your reasons that she "would come to this bench with the mind-set a strong jurist needs," I read both Moseley's and Simmons' responses to the editorial board's questions, and I was more impressed by Moseley's firm adherence to a philosophy of judicial restraint. Unlike his opponents, Moseley has been an appellate judge since 1996.

As a practicing attorney and voter, I want our Supreme Court to be comprised of the best, most experienced judges who will refrain from "legislating from the bench." Moseley fits that description perfectly, and that's why he gets my vote.

Is it the Texas State Board of Education's purview to claim ours is a Christian nation by altering social studies and adding doubt to the science TEKS based on young-earth creationism? What would Catholics say about this? Isn't it fair to say that because Christians are so diverse, it would be impossible to create an ecumenical public education? At the least, it would require a conversation in the open among countless denominations.

Centuries ago, two people in Europe made invaluable contributions to the way modern people think and act: Galileo Galilei and René Descartes. Through their endeavors of mind, they gave us the means to look for ourselves and search for truth outside those claiming moral authority.

If they had buckled, perhaps there would be no trips to the moon nor the passage in the Declaration of Independence about self-evident truths. The more important history to teach our children is that this struggle between faith and logic is very old. And it is fought anew with each awakening mind.

Morality, on the other hand, can be fought with very little clarity and very little real consensus -- and often has the effect of extinguishing the embers of a curious mind.

We lost our power at 9 a.m. Thursday until noon. Then, over four hours, we lost it two more times. Then, at about 9 p.m. Thursday, it went out yet again until 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The burning question for all of us was when we could expect our power to come back on. Isn't there an app for that?

Re: "Examining evolution," by Vincent P. Cirillo, Friday Letters.

Cirillo believes that the "theory" of evolution should be taught in the science classroom because it is based on scientific fact. He claims creationism has no scientific basis.

He should understand there is significantly more science to bolster the theory of creationism than the theory of evolution. I would recommend The Wonder of the World by Roy Abraham Varghese to those who don't believe there is hard science to support this theory.

On the other hand, some believe they evolved from a lower form of life, while others believe they were created by a higher form of life.

Can't both be right? It would explain everything.

Re: "The great slob-down of America -- We've been casualized, and it's not a pretty sight, bemoans Froma Harrop," Saturday Viewpoints.

I thought that I was the only one who wanted to send President Barack Obama a tie. Harrop was on target citing George Washington's Rules Of Civility & Behavior in Company and Conversation. It does start at the top.

Let's restore some dignity to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I hope her column will be read there, and Obama will wear the tie I am going to buy at the mall and mail to him.

Along with the estimated three billion people watching the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, I learned of the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian luger. I was saddened as I heard about his rising talent, the impact on his teammates and the Olympic community, and his age (21).

After 9/11, The New York Times ran 200-word profiles on every single one of the World Trade Center victims. After reading just one, I couldn't face reading a second.

In Haiti, every single earthquake victim had dreams, friends, family, a story and a name. We'll never hear about them.

But it's worth pausing to imagine the tragedy of Kumaritashvili times 230,000 and counting. I can't get my head around that kind of number. I can't get my heart around it either.

All of the people who complained about Oncor's tree trimming probably wish the company had done a better job in their now-out-of-power neighborhoods.

As long as I can remember, mail has always been delivered, and I am 75 years old.

When I was a little girl living in a rural Texas town, and winter weather was much more severe than now, the mail was always delivered. I now live in DeSoto, and when the big 2010 snow hit, we did not receive mail for two days.

Yet, on a recent evening, I saw a television news clip about a florist who had made extraordinary efforts to get Valentine's flowers sent. Roses can be delivered, but our U.S. Postal Service can't deliver the mail.

What's wrong with this country?

Re: "Don't flash pricey jewelry," by Tye Thomas, Sunday Letters.

I pondered for a bit on the insistence that the lady who was robbed of her lovely ring had it coming for wearing such a bauble to the store -- or anywhere at all, one assumes.

How dare we have possessions, items that might be coveted by another, homes that we can pay for, a car that someone else may desire. To wear jewelry or nice clothes is insensitive in the extreme, and such a person has no right to peace or safety.

It would be interesting to know if the gentleman feels the same way about his own belongings or those of his family.

Apparently the 100,000 fans who came to Dallas-Fort Worth for the All-Star game this weekend must not know that we are in a recession. They had lots of money to spend.

Another thought. When all is said and done, what will the game's carbon footprint have been?

Re: "Snow or no, NBA event means buckets of money -- Weather's damper on estimated $152 million bonanza not clear yet," Saturday news story.

Time and time again, professional sporting events are purported to contribute millions of dollars to a local economy. This story quotes Mavericks president Terdema Ussery, who states that the All-Star game in Dallas will have a great effect because "it has to." The argument that an event simply has to have a great economic effect is not evidence that it will.

According to authors Robert Baade and Victor Matheson, the primary shortcoming of economic impact analysis is not with the spending information for those in Dallas this weekend, but with the lack of information on the spending behavior of those local residents who are crowded out of their favorite activities.

As a test, did you try to get a reservation at your favorite restaurant this weekend? I wonder if a visitor to the Dallas area got your seat. If the visitor can go to a favorite restaurant, but not the local resident who otherwise would, how can one claim any additional economic impact?

As a Ph.D. student at UTD, I wrote a dissertation, "A Game of Millions: Professional Sports Facilities and the Media's Influence on the Agenda Setting Process," which addresses the media's position as a supplier of incomplete economic information.

1 Now I love Big D -- My attitude was all wrong when I moved to the area to live. It created bad vibes, although I tried to put up a good front. Then, reading The Dallas Morning News, I found my problems insignificant in comparison to many not so blessed as I.

Having been a motivational speaker, I decided to use my own advice: change my attitude, make constructive choices and live with what I couldn't change.

I hated the impersonal relationship with my new doctor, so I wrote her a letter, telling her I would have my questions ready so we'd have time to fully understand my problems. At the church, I volunteered to work and was soon involved, thereby integrating into the church family.

I made a concerted effort to communicate pleasantly with business people, especially those with ethnic accents whom I didn't always understand. Last, I spoke pleasantly to neighbors. Soon we became more friendly.

In other words, I took responsibility for my actions, and it has paid off big time. People respond well to kindness.

The metroplex, in its diversity, is a fabulous place to call home. I truly love it here now.

2 French Club spearheads drive for Haiti -- Re: "Students at Plano East: Donating for Haiti," Feb. 1 Three Cheers.

The paragraph about Plano East's French Club, Le Cercle Français, reported that the group raised $130 in two days for the Haitian disaster.

Well, I'm proud to say that Le Cercle made it up to nearly $600 within the next two days, thanks to the generous help of French Club members and the general student body alike; we received donations from the students ranging from a handful or two of pennies to $20 bills. Our funds ending up being sent to Médicines Sans Frontiéres, Doctors Without Borders, an organization chosen through an online poll for the benefactors, with a small side donation made to UNICEF. Tuesday, the French Club has plans to start a month-long toy drive to send stuffed animals to ill children in the hospital.

One of the most important things to Le Cercle Français is learning about French culture through first-hand experience. We know that Europeans are a lot closer to one another geographically than Americans are to anyone else, and that makes international crises harder for them to ignore. Therefore, the French Club tries to be aware of not only what's going on here in our own school but with people in our community, as well as in our whole world.

3 A soldier's heart -- Flying with a little baby girl (she's 11 months now!) is a whole new experience. It's challenging, and you never know how the flight is going to go.

We recently flew from Dallas to California, and it was going to be a three-hour trip. However, as we boarded, something happened that made me relax. While standing in first class, waiting to file on through the plane, we paused near a soldier sitting in the first row.

While waiting, he smiled and talked to my little girl, and she laughed at him. I thanked him for everything he is doing for our country and for making me a proud American.

His response brought tears to my eyes. He looked right at my daughter and said, "Everything we do, we do it for you." Something to think about -- they are fighting for our children's future.

It was truly a wonderful moment.

If we do not act now while health care reform is on the agenda, we soon will have to make a choice between paying our increasing premiums or paying for food, clothing and shelter.

Small companies can no longer afford to offer insurance to their employees, because the premiums are way too high. Not everyone can work for large companies that get better rates from insurance companies. Individual insurance is expensive, especially for individuals between 40 and 64 years old.

Insurance companies should not be able to take advantage with pre-existing conditions and less coverage for individuals at outrageous prices. Taxpayers are paying for all the emergency room visits by citizens who do not have health coverage. The system is broken for the insured but really paying off for the insurance companies.

Care worth the cost

As a board-certified hospital chaplain married to a breast cancer surgeon, I would like to encourage our congressional leaders to stop sniping at one another and begin to roll up their sleeves and work together to accomplish substantial health care reform now.

I have witnessed numerous times medical and financial situations that would and should be preventable -- but for a lack of insurance.

I strongly encourage those who fear change to look at who stands to gain and who stands to lose with that change. My best assessment is that 30 million more people can gain access to insurance for chronic conditions, which will save lives. This seems worth the cost to me -- especially in a time of fiscal recession.

Not about health or care

Re: "We need one Republican," by AliceAnne Ebinger, last Sunday letters.

President Barack Obama, a Democrat, has had a Congress controlled by Democrats since the day he was sworn in.

Republicans could do nothing to stop health care or any other legislation. The Dems had to bribe Democratic senators from Louisiana and Nebraska to try to get the votes they needed to pass health care.

What does Ebinger mean when she says that we need one more Republican to demonstrate compassion to pass health care reform? Get a grip, it ain't about health, and it ain't about care.

All this hyperventilating about Wall Street bonuses is bogus populism aimed at the appearance of being concerned about wasting taxpayer dollars.

If anyone is really concerned about wasting our money, Wall Street is a smoke screen intended to hide what Washington is doing to us and our future. The Wall Street "waste" is a pimple on the behind compared to what our politicians are doing.

Ad distorts Obama plan

I saw a new ad by the Committee for Truth in Politics and thought for a minute that I had been transported to DC Comics' Bizarro World, where up is down and black is white.

The commercial seems to attack President Barack Obama's plan to rein in the big banks, end abusive practices by the credit card and mortgage industry and ensure that taxpayers will never again have to bail out Wall Street.

But that is not the impression the ad gives, and because reforming our financial system can get technical, it's also ripe for distortion. It is too easy to make false claims about what's actually in the legislation. That's why it's so important to separate what the reforms will really do from the upside-down claims protecting the interests of the industry the legislation is designed to regulate.

Real financial reform will protect working families and small business by reining in the greedy, reckless behavior of big banks on Wall Street. Reform will crack down on the abuses by credit card companies and mortgage lenders. Financial reform will hold Wall Street accountable and prevent another financial crisis like this one, which has led to millions of Americans losing their jobs. And that's the truth in the politics of financial reform.

Our debt is a millstone

The ongoing hearings in the House grilling Ben Bernanke and Timothy Geithner have not addressed a key fact in the financial crisis. We are a huge debtor nation.

Our creditors, including China, Japan and OPEC, have a major stake in our economy. I would like to know how much influence they exerted in having the taxpayers back up the banking system in September 2008. Had the system been allowed to fail, we would likely be cut off from access to Chinese goods and OPEC oil.

This debt is a direct threat to our sovereignty. The sooner we take back our country and become a creditor nation, the better off we'll be.

Blame the rule-makers

Limiting executive bonuses to punish banks for the poor state of the economy is like giving an aspirin to a cancer and expecting the patient to heal.

We can't blame the bankers for our economy, because they were only playing by the rules of a free-market economy. Instead, I blame the lawmakers who set the rules.

Regrettably, the conservative Supreme Court recently ruled that there should be no limit to the amount that Wall Street fat cats can donate to the campaigns of conservative politicians who are supposedly seeking to curb the excesses of Wall Street. The irony should be obvious.

Republicans like to call for fiscal conservatism and free markets, but this fiscal conservative thinks that W's free markets were actually more akin to a lawless black market.

I would tell politicians the same thing I tell my children: Rules make the game fair and fun for everyone, even the losers.

Small business tax breaks

To fix the economy, we need specific answers, not rhetoric. We need to reduce the costs the government imposes on businesses and simplify the process of reinvesting capital.

The government can help by giving businesses tax breaks and incentives to stimulate capital equipment purchases. The tax breaks make it easier for businesses to acquire equipment. When small businesses can immediately write off percentages of capital expenditures, they generate capital through reduced costs.

Businesses with increased capital stimulate the economy and create job growth. Both sellers and buyers of capital equipment can inject life into a sluggish manufacturing sector. And the nation can begin to regain a powerful competitive position in the global market. We can return to being producers, not just consumers.

Tax incentives have been talked about recently, but nothing substantial has been done. Too often, incentive programs expire before we see results. When we make our tax system simpler on small businesses, we make competition a focal point. Let's put America back to work.

Re: "Perry's Achilles heel," by Hugh T. Lefler Jr., Monday Letters.

Does Lefler really not know what position God has on abortion? Is he unaware of deaths from "safe, legal abortions"?

And last, I guess I have totally missed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's 17-year effort "to make abortions unnecessary."

Abortion is the deliberate destruction of a living human and has no place in a civilized society. Period. Pregnant women in crisis need our love and support. They deserve better than abortion.

I support right to choose

I was really mad that the ad featuring Tim Tebow's mother would be on TV Super Bowl Sunday. I feel strongly about freedom of choice.

My aunt, whom I loved deeply, had chosen to have an abortion in 1934 -- I learned later -- and almost died. She should have had the right to medical assistance then, as well as every woman today, to have the freedom if she chooses such a decision. I am pro-choice and stand up for the woman's right to any choice.

Put priorities in order

Let's be real honest here. All this rhetoric about the Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad is beyond confusing. All of the naysayers are telling us that we do not need to view such controversial ads during a fun time like the Super Bowl.

So let's bring on the Clydesdales and partially clad women and say to our children: "America is about booze and sex, but whatever you do, don't you dare talk about preserving life."

Detractors should apologize

Every journalist, columnist and blogger who published negative comments directed toward Tim Tebow, Pam Tebow, Focus on the Family and CBS should apologize for his or her statements.

The airing of the commercial that was preemptively assumed to be controversial has proved all of the inflammatory language and criticism to be unfounded.

Likewise, all those involved in the production and airing of the commercial should be acknowledged as having been honest in their representation of the commercial before it aired.

I am so sick of the constant criticism of the president's handling of the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's case. The Republicans accuse the president of appearing weak to the terrorists, when what makes us appear weak is the constant whining and divisive behavior of the Republicans.

We must present a united front to fight terrorism. Sarah Palin, in her criticism of President Barack Obama's handling of the Christmas Day bomber, also criticizes her own party, who dealt with Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, in the criminal courts, where he was read his Miranda rights.

What empowers the terrorists is stupidity and ignorance and divisiveness, and Palin has revealed those qualities to us all, in the palm of her hand.

Re: Photo with "Palin pulls in crowd for Perry -- 8,000 turn out and cheer former VP candidate's anti-Washington message," Monday news story.

The picture of Gov. Rick Perry and Sarah Palin was what you might call priceless, or maybe "a picture worth a thousand words." Words, indeed.

The notes you see on Palin's left hand used to be called "crib notes" when I was in grade school, and if I were caught, I would be accused of cheating. But then I wasn't trying to impress the elite tea party pols, was I?

Medina is a clear choice

Even though I always leave many spots blank on the ballot, I've typically had to hold my nose when I vote. There just haven't been that many solid-thinking, ideologically grounded people throwing their hats into the political ring.

But the more I hear from Debra Medina, the more I'm certain that I'll be proud to vote for her and glad that I did. Any self-professed "conservative" who votes for anybody else has some "'splainin'." to do.

Why does the half-term governor of Alaska keep talking and actually saying nothing? Perhaps because she is not past her high-school mentality of writing a cheat sheet on the palm of her hand, not knowing it is worse than using a TeleprompTer. She criticized the president for aiding himself with that device.

At least he is tech-savvy. Students know if they do palm cheating, they have to keep their fist closed -- as well as their mouths.

Will tea party help Democrats?

Re: "Defining tea parties -- Mark Davis takes a moment and sets the record straight on what this movement is -- and what it isn't," Wednesday Viewpoints.

Davis' column said almost nothing. In trying to define what the tea party is, he spent lots of time telling us what it is not, and then managed to say almost nothing about what it is.

According to Davis, tea party members are not a small third party composed of extremists, anti-taxers or social conservative lunatics with delusions of becoming a major party. He has already cast them as a major splinter party of freedom-loving Americans dedicated to a strong and limited government.

Pardon me, but is that not what the Libertarian Party generally stands for? The tea party movement has yet to establish itself and is still struggling to find its way.

Yet without some sort of charismatic leader pushing a coherent message, the most the new tea party can hope for is to ensure that Democrats will win the next election by spitting the Republican vote.

Tea partiers frighten me

Re: "Defining tea parties -- While this movement is flaring up it needs an agenda, otherwise it runs the risk of flaming out, says Dick Polman," and, "Mark Davis takes a moment and sets the record straight on what this movement is -- and what it isn't," and, "Tea parties just the latest in the high cost of freedom -- Americans have always had a distrust for government, authority, says Gregory Rodriguez," Wednesday Viewpoints.

I have to agree with much of Polman's and Rodriquez's points of view on the tea party movement. But Davis' column was typical Mark Davis rhetoric. I'm afraid I must disagree totally with his vision of a group of genteel, Kum-Ba-Ya singing advocates of anti-extremists.

After viewing firsthand a large contingent of tea partiers in Washington, D.C., I have to say these people were nothing if not frightening. They were so loud and disruptive that the Capitol was shut down to visitors temporarily; therefore depriving my 13-year-old granddaughter of a much-anticipated visit. Their signs were vicious, their chants angry and very frightening.

When a large group descended to the Metro as I was coming up to street level, I felt extreme unease. These people don't represent me and certainly not anything I believe in.

Let's hope that sanity soon regains control, and people will remember that in our country we can disagree, and it's all right. Extremists of all kinds are the ones to be feared and mistrusted, and their behavior was extremist.

Medina's lesser funding a plus

Not a single vote has been cast in the Republican primary. No matter -- corporate media keep telling us that Debra Medina can't compete because, unlike her wealthy opponents, she doesn't have a multimillion-dollar campaign war chest.

I disagree. I see this as a good thing for Medina. When our governor is not in the pockets of the political elite and other special interest groups, we Texans win.

When words become political

My 50-year-old sister is an acondroplastic dwarf, and I learned relatively early in life that deriding friends, acquaintances, business associates, strangers for their innocent and unknowing use of the word "midget," a derogatory term used in describing persons of short stature, caused only unnecessary embarrassment for my friends, me and my sister.

Sarah Palin is new in the realm of "family of the handicapped," but it appears she has a few things to learn. Palin's attempt to use her handicapped child for political gain is far more egregious than those that inadvertently spoke of a "retard."

Re: "But one of honor," by Jerry E. Deal, Wednesday Letters.

In Deal's letter regarding "don't ask,don't tell," he attacked Adm. Mike Mullen's honor and explained the tight quarters of Navy ships.

Deal left it for the reader to imagine the supposed horrors of gay sailors in those quarters.

This fear of serving with gays is not honor. It's ignorance and exactly the sort of ignorance pandered to by this bankrupt law for too many years. I guarantee Mr. Deal served with gay sailors every day of his career.

I served as an Army officer and was one of countless gay service members who left voluntarily, because I could not live with the integrity compromises required of the gay ban.

I can't think of a better argument for repeal than Deal's letter.

I have worked in public education 43 years. It has been fulfilling and rewarding, although I have not earned much money.

Being in the autumn of my years, I was looking forward to some degree of peace. I have been a productive citizen, lived by the rules and paid taxes.

Now, I have two worries: Will Gov. Rick Perry get his hands on my retirement money, and will I have to go to Hooters for a breast exam and to Rotor Rooter for my next colonoscopy?

These are the questions that I ponder.

Re: "Medina slips up with remark -- Campaign takes a hit when 9/11 conspiracy not instantly rejected," Friday news story.

Debra Medina didn't immediately dismiss a theory that the Bush administration played a role in the 9/11 attacks.

Maybe this will help Medina in the polls. Just who out there really trusts our government? They lied to us in the Warren Report, they lied to us about the reason to go to Vietnam and, more recently, they lied to us about having to go into Iraq to find weapons.

Is the possibility that we had a role in 9/11 to go to war for oil a possibility? It's at the very least, possible. Maybe people will be more open to this in 20 years.

Re: "Palin's populist pitch -- Her message -- and delivery -- are spot on and reminiscent of successful past campaigns, says David Broder," Thursday Viewpoints.

I do not believe Sarah Palin will be the Republican nominee for president in 2012. Her enemies are numerous and well-organized. But she continues to play an important role in carrying the message of the common people. We need her and her unrestrained voice.

President Barack Obama's supporters are having great fun ridiculing her for writing reminder words on her palm when speaking at the recent tea party convention. At her next speech opportunity, she should write the same words on her palm, then hold it up to the audience and say, "See. Here is my TeleprompTer, and I wrote it myself, instead of having a scriptwriter do it for me."

I've lived in Lake Highlands for more than 30 years and have followed all of the many changing rules regarding trash pickup. My alley has easy access for garbage pickup, but now I have to figure out a way to get it to the front.

Our garages have easy access in back for everyone on this alley, making it easy to get the garbage cans out on pickup day. My elderly neighbor across from me will not be able to manage the incline to get her can to the front, so I will help her. When did taxpaying homeowners lose our right to put out the trash in the back where it belongs?

I'm proud to support grassroots candidates like Cathy Penn. I have always found her to be a person of integrity and common sense. These attributes, in combination with her education and experience, make her uniquely qualified for the position of justice of the peace.

She would perform the duties of this position with clarity, conviction and adherence to the highest standards. Trust that she is more interested in doing what's right instead of "playing politics."

Read on for readers' letters about candidates in Collin County.

About a half a mile from the dog park near White Rock Lake, a police officer was giving two tickets to people who were out with their dogs. The dogs were being allowed to run free without a leash.

Why would someone so close to the dog park allow their dogs to run about without a leash when they could go just a short way and let their dogs run in over an acre of fenced-in turf?

And those prominently posted signs at the lake saying "Dogs Must be on a Leash," well, aren't they more of a suggestion? And if a dog chooses to not return home after being allowed to run free, it could find a nice open field to run about, chasing rabbits, searching for food, drinking puddle water and avoiding those pesky annual vaccinations at the vet's or taking those monthly heartworm pills.

The dog probably doesn't even like to get a shot. I know I don't.

And if the dog does run away, it just allows the humans the opportunity to get another dog and give it a home.

So pay those fines with pride and a bit of chin-up defiance, letting everyone know you are just showing your pioneer spirit when dogs could run free, loving the great outdoors.

And don't even get me started on those Bob Barker-Drew Carey types calling for spaying and neutering pets.

Remember, those excess kittens and pups from unplanned litters help keep our animal shelters in business.

Do we as voters in House District 105 need any evidence other than the fundraising of the three candidates to clearly see who the people's choice ought to be in this race?

I have long fought for single-member districts in Irving city elections for this reason: Elections should not be about who has the most money. Elections should be about who has the best ideas, is the most ferverent about the needs of the people whom he or she will represent while in office and who will serve the people honestly and with integrity.

In this race, it is clear that Kim Limberg is the people's candidate. She does not have a lot of money, but she cares the most and will serve our district with the most passion and sincerity.

In a choice between Linda Harper-Brown, Loretta Haldenwang and Kim Limberg, give me Limberg any day.

Re: "Video shows North Dallas mugging, theft of $90,000 ring," dallasnews.com.

Two years ago, I was robbed at gunpoint and the assailant took my jewelry and wallet. In retrospect, I could have avoided that incident if I would have practiced some simple habits: don't wear expensive (or expensive-looking) jewelry and don't flash large amounts of cash.

If you exceed the speed limit, expect to get a citation. If you eat foods high in fat, expect to gain weight. And if you wear a $90,000 diamond ring to the grocery store, expect that someone will commit violence to take it.

During the past decade, conservative Don McLeroy's leadership has influenced the Texas State Board of Education.

In January, Education Week issued its annual "Quality Counts" report. Texas received a perfect score of 100 for curriculum development. This recognition elevates the Texas SBOE to the top six curriculum developers among U. S. states.

For SBOE conservatives, this recognition has not come easily. In developing curriculum for every subject, they overcame the shrill opposition of education establishment leftists and lobbyists.

They rejected educators' demands to frighten children with myths of an environmental holocaust. They prevented censorship of discussion that challenges evolution theory. They rejected bad ideas: Reformed math, whole-language reading and Planned Parenthood's anything-goes sex education curriculum.

In U.S. history, they support teaching America's heritage rather than social manipulation of our kids' basic values.

A principled McLeroy has led the charge in these efforts. By contrast, his primary opponent lacks passion to fight against the left's culture war.

Rather, lobbyist Thomas Ratliff favors a go-along-to-get-along approach, even with educators who have political agendas that conflict with Texas' mainstream values.

Re: "Ups, downs of snow business -- Federal shutdown is costing you a cool $100 million a day," Thursday news story.

I worked for the federal government for 22 years in and near Washington, D.C. Nearly every time we had a "snow day" or two, someone would write an article saying that the government was losing millions of dollars.

The Office of Personnel Management should know better than to perpetuate this fiction. Except for a few items of relatively small impact, such as missed contract dates, late delivery penalties, and overtime or special pay for essential employees who work extra time to cover for colleagues who simply cannot get to work, federal employees make up all their work by working faster, coming in early, skipping breaks, shortening lunch periods, and staying late, all without additional pay.

Anyone who thinks otherwise should see for themselves by visiting a few of the thousands of federal offices, where dedicated people "work the job, not the clock."

... but I see some humor here

Productivity in Washington, D.C. Now there's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one.

Re: "Fundraising deal raises questions -- Chief defends his work for group, but former director knew of none," Feb. 6 news story.

Raymund Paredes, commissioner of Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, has done the Lord's work at one of the most difficult positions in Texas.

In addition to his work with the board, he is being fairly and legally compensated by a nonprofit group whose goal is to enroll more students in college and provide scholarships to students who show academic promise. The business community depends on the education community to prepare students to become productive members of society and enter the workforce.

To date, Paredes' work on these issues has been above reproach, and inferences to the contrary, direct or indirect, are inaccurate and mean-spirited.

Re: "Medicaid fees may be trimmed to help balance Texas budget," dallasnews.com.

Stephanie Goodman, a spokeswoman for the Health and Human Services Commission, said of her boss' plan: "It spreads the pain over a much broader area." This is the saddest statement on the priorities of this state.

What are the corporations and the big money men giving up? It should shame and embarrass every Texan to know that the land that was fought for at the Alamo has such little respect for its citizens.

Re: "Medicaid fees may be reduced -- $304 million in proposed cuts could undo progress, advocates for needy say," Thursday news story.

This story is a grim reminder to facility, front-line care staffer and patient alike that the combination of federal Medicare cuts made in 2009 -- and state Medicaid cuts now being considered -- will have a direct, negative impact on resident care and the local job base.

We believe that before we engage in discussions about cutting Texas seniors' key Medicaid-financed programs, we must absolutely look first at the fact facilities are already dealing with a state and federal funding environment that squeezes their collective ability to recruit and retain high-quality direct-care staff.

Ultimately, that affects ongoing quality improvement efforts and patient care itself. A full 80 to 85 percent of Texas' nursing home residents are dependent upon federal and state programs that have already been cut -- or are now being examined for cuts in Austin. This double whammy on facilities and their residents is a truly ominous policy development that merits enormous scrutiny from federal, state and local officeholder alike. The very livelihoods of our state's most vulnerable citizens are on the line.

Re: "Charlie Wilson -- Congressman was a colorful, consequential leader," Friday Editorials.

Thank you for your comments on Rep. Charlie Wilson. He loved America, Texas and people in general. Unlike the "PC generation" of today, he was special. We need more Charlie Wilsons.

Re: "The pain of a 'false positive' -- When considering tests, don't discount listening to your body, says Jennifer Nagorka," Monday Viewpoints.

If my wife or any of the other women in my family has a suspicious spot in her breast, I want her to know about it. I want her to get it checked. And if it is cancer, I want her to get it treated.

Re: "We recommend -- Muns in GOP primary for Collin County judge," Thursday Editorials.

Collin County Judge Keith Self has basically made the county's checkbook available for citizens to see the county budget, providing accountability and transparency.

The Dallas Morning News, however, did not recommend Self because it feels that Self does not shy away from publicly taking unpopular positions. This is exactly what voters expected: a principled leader who would work to ensure that no tax dollars are wasted.

During these times of reduced tax receipts, it is crucial that our elected officials do not shy away from working to ensure that tax dollars are only spent on essential projects. I want a representative who will be frugal and not shrink from difficult choices.

I do not mind that Self "butts heads" with people who disagree with him when he is working in the best interest of Collin County citizens. The News' recommendation for Muns states that "he would hold the line on taxes and spending." The question is: Would he hold the line when it is unpopular with representatives in Austin or with his own constituents?

Judge Self has proved himself to be willing to speak the truth in difficult circumstances, and Collin County needs his principled and realistic fiscal leadership.

Re: "We need 'don't ask, don't tell'," by Richard E. Carey, Thursday Letters.

I have a question for retired Marine Carey: What do you do about heterosexual men who are sexually aggressive? This is a problem the military has yet to confront.

I experienced problems years ago as a teenage dependent living in Japan. Later there was the "tailhook" scandal. Currently, rape and harassment of females by their male compatriots is a major problem, so that many women don't even bother reporting incidents, knowing there will be no justice for them.

Surely, heterosexual men cause far more problems then homosexual men. Let's not discriminate.

Everyone is looking to make some big money when the Super Bowl rolls into the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Meanwhile, expect the FFA and 4-H kids for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

All school districts that take FFA 4-H exhibitors who will be showing are going to dig a lot deeper into their pockets to pay for hotel rooms that have doubled in price since the 2010 stock show.

The Super Bowl is a one-time thing; the stock show familes are regulars every year. Every school district that has livestock exhibitors from 75 miles to 350 miles away will need hotel rooms.

I just wish some hotel chain or chains would step up and say, We am not raising our prices -- the stock show familes are regulars. They don't tear up rooms, they leave early from the rooms and come back late, and they take care of their business.

But I forgot. Who would help out FFA or 4-H kids, so they do not have to dig so deep into their pockets.

Re: "A case for space-based solar power -- Pamela James wants more attention on this novel approach to energy crisis," last Saturday Viewpoints.

James may be a science teacher, but I don't think it is helpful (or accurate) to use phrases such as "littering our landscape with nuclear runoff," or "barrels of radioactive waste stored in their back yard" (that would be a ridiculous waste of a valuable resource, among other considerations).

Nuclear power plants store used fuel rods in cooling ponds at the plant until such time as they can be reprocessed to near full power. This is a technique used around the world. Lumping emission-free nuclear power with oil and gas is also misleading.

I assume she is implying the use of powerful solar-powered geo-synchronous microwave generators focused on Earth. Implicit there is a means of keeping airliners from flying into the beams. Perhaps controlling the frequencies used would remove the danger of damage, but that could be tricky considering the power levels involved.

Quibbles aside, I agree that finding a way to use solar power from space would be a valuable contribution to our society.

Re: "Hidden costs of ticket surcharges," by Hugh Lucas, Wednesday Letters.

Lucas doesn't mention what traffic offenses he is referring to in his letter, but most likely, many are driving without insurance or even with DWIs.

Maybe this is a little old-fashioned, but here's a novel idea: How about keeping auto insurance in force and not drinking and driving? Problem solved.

As we look at the world today, Greece is bankrupt, Europe is in financial trouble and America is heading for deep financial trouble

The Medicare and Social Security "entitlement" programs make up a substantial portion of the annual budget. The interest on the national debt, $383 billion in fiscal 2009, will grow when interest rates go back to normal.

At this time, America needs a government that can do "tough things." Congress must not try to buy its reelection with another "entitlement" program. It needs to reduce spending and step up to solving the insolvency of Social Security and Medicare.

Re: "Hidden costs of ticket surcharges," by Hugh Lucas, Wednesday Letters.
The Dallas Morning News has reported that drivers owe the Texas Driver Responsibility Program a billon dollars.
I wrote to state Sen. John Carona asking for a rebate for the people who paid their fines in full. He assured me that this program is a good, fair one.
It's a bad law, and the people of this state need to act to get it repealed. If it was designed to raise revenue, it failed. If it was designed to make our roads safer, it really failed.

Re: "A win for science -- Cutting manned space is actually a boon for NASA's potential discoveries, says Steven Weinberg," Monday Viewpoints.
With humans, you have a greater chance of obtaining scientific information:

• If Apollo 11 had been unmanned, it would have crashed into West crater and history would be without the first moon walk and two of the greatest quotes of all time.


• If Apollo 15 had been unmanned, a rover probably would not have been able to discover the Genesis rock, a piece of the original lunar crust.


• If the Mars polar lander had had an astronaut on board, he would have not allowed the computer to shut down the engine early, thus avoiding the crash.

Re: "Two discouraging snapshots of society," by Steve Blow, Sunday Metro column.
We used to live in a very disciplined society. No more. We now live in a society that values feel-good, quick fixes for everything. Parents do not spend enough time with their children, children do not spend enough time on homework, and teachers and coaches are not given the right to reprimand students.
Children and their parents spend time in front of screens all day rather than with books. Little time is spent in physical activity. Junk food and other unhealthy foods are eaten, rather than small-portioned nutritious meals. Americans jump into marriages carelessly and get out of those marriages in an equally careless manner.
All of this is worse in America than in Europe and Asia. It is worse in the Southwest than in the Northeast, where "old school" approaches still prevail for the most part.

Re: "We Recommend -- Friedman in Dem primary for ag commissioner," Tuesday Editorials.
This endorsement reflects the editorial board's empathy for all the calves born each year in Texas.
I was convinced of Kinky's credentials for this position some weeks ago while reading another issue of The Dallas Morning News. That story shared with us Kinky's agricultural program of "No Cow Left Behind." Having some exposure to agriculture, I found this was the hook.
Step back from the pasture and see the unfair eventualities for those calves. We see steers that are pampered by dieticians, beauty operators, and loving and committed ranchers.
The time and money that is spent bathing, brushing and blow-drying those steers in preparation for a parade at the Will Rogers Coliseum is over the top.
Contrast that to the little heifer surviving on mesquite twigs on some unfertile hill somewhere on the frontier west of Fort Worth. That little heifer with burrs on her legs and flies buzzing about will struggle to grow up, much less meet her potential.
With Kinky at the reins, this gap will be closed. How could any person out there not hitch up for this Texan, this rancher, this man?

Re: "Reconsider evolution position," by Charles Luedeker, Sunday Letters.
Opponents of evolution use one of two tactics: reduce evolution to a religion or elevate religion to a science.
Luedeker uses the former approach. Declaring evolution is not science, he equates it with creationism, which is clearly religion. By that argument, neither should be taught in the science classroom, not both.
However, acknowledging that religious theories do not belong in the science classroom advances the debate about what does belong in the science classroom.
The decision of whether evolution should be taught as science, therefore, depends on a distinction between science and religious dogma.
Evolutionists invoke the natural processes of natural selection and genetic drift as the major mechanisms of evolution; creationists invoke supernatural selection and divine intervention.
One is science; the other is religious dogma. One belongs in the science classroom; the other does not.
This is, and has always been, the distinction between evolution and creationism: There is no need for reconsideration of the position of evolution.

Re: "Texas' looming traffic woes -- State leaders must deal with bad transportation situation, say Sens. John Carona and Kirk Watson," Wednesday Viewpoints.
It is refreshing to see this op-ed about our traffic dilemma and the failure of our elected leaders to begin grappling with the problem.
Tolling every new traffic lane in Texas is not a solution.
Reorganizing the highway bureaucracy and/or ending gas tax diversions will only bring marginal relief compared to the funds needed.
If Texans want to address our increasing traffic gridlock, they must start listening to statesmen like Carona and Watson -- leaders who are telling it like it is -- rather than buying the simplistic solutions being put forward by those leaders who are not willing to honestly address our growing gridlock crisis.

Re: "I blame scare tactic, unions," by Karen Barth, Sunday Letters.

The problems with the faulty Toyota accelerator were known worldwide before President Barack Obama took office. But in their hatred, many blame him.

Even the head of Toyota took blame for not responding sooner, but not before Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood took Toyota to task for allowing people to drive unsafe cars -- even though Toyota knew the cars had problems. Toyota corrected the problem on later models but did not bother with cars that people had already purchased.

Toyota's first reaction was to tell owners to take their front mat out. You may be fine with paying full price for and driving faulty cars as long as they are Japanese and not American, but if you are behind me and your accelerator sticks, you will be involving my family and me in your decision. You may be willing to lose your life over a faulty accelerator, but we are not.

The presidential initiative to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gays in the military is a moronic step taken for political gain only.

Those top officials in the military chain who are appointed at the will of the president should not be classed as the "military authorities" endorsing repeal as heralded by the ultra-liberal media. Congress should seek the advice of battle-tested troops and commanders.

In my 38-year military career, I had the opportunity to command nine major units. Not all were combat units, and there were probably some closet gays performing admirably. However, in those cases where gay individuals became openly aggressive in their sexual desires, the action to rid, replace and discharge was required, even demanded, by their fellow Marines and commanders in order to maintain peace and unit integrity.

The premise that excluding openly gay people from enlisting will have a deleterious effect on our hard-pressed military is unfounded, even trite. Our recruiters have responded and are making their goals, and there is no shortage of volunteers.

If Washington feels our military is too hard-pressed, the solution is to expand the numbers as necessary. But let's not fix something that isn't broken.

Re: "Move to enrich uranium angers West -- Leader sows confusion by also indicating acceptance of U.N. nuclear fuel plan," Monday news story.

The West's anger at Iran's nuclear program is irrational and hypocritical. Iran has consistently said its nuclear program is for non-military purposes, such as electric power generation and medical treatment.

The West has not produced any credible evidence to contradict Iran's stated purpose, so the West's fear that Iran is developing nuclear weapons is irrational.

Even if Iran were to be developing nuclear weapons, it would be hypocritical of the West to oppose that, because the West has thousands of nuclear warheads and one of the Western powers is the only country that has, in the past, used nuclear weapons in war.

Iran shouldn't have to forfeit its inalienable right to develop and use nuclear technology simply because of the West's paranoia.

I am eagerly anticipating what old dude, has-been halftime show the NFL has planned for the next Super Bowl.

They've done the Stones, McCartney, Springstein and the Who. Maybe Rod Stewart can jam with the Bee Gees in 2011.

Re: "What is choice really about?" by Anita Goodspeed, Friday Letters.

What Goodspeed misses completely is that CBS went against its own policy by allowing the Focus on the Family ad. It was a kind of hypocrisy.

In 2004, CBS rejected a United Church of Christ ad for the Super Bowl. CBS gave no reason other than it wouldn't air "advocacy ads." It was thought that it was because this church is for equality for all Americans, i.e., gay marriage.

The content of these ads will be argued until we all die -- and then some. But the real point here is, and I am not a football fan, that the Super Bowl is supposed to be a time when people can forget the problems of life and just have three or four hours of good times.

It is not a time to air such controversial subjects -- unless we want something like Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction every year.

... and not a political decision

The objection to the CBS decision to run the Tebow story to a Super Bowl audience is not about Ms. Tebow's choice, but about the ad encouraging women to go against the medical advice of trained doctors.

Ms. Tebow apparently dodged a bullet in this case, but, knowing the odds, based on the right information, is part of making an important medical choice by the patient -- and not by some politician.

Nobody wants to lay any portion of blame on drivers of runaway Toyotas. However, how many of the crashes and resulting deaths might have been prevented had the drivers of these cars simply pushed the gear shift one notch up into neutral?

Stories I've read and heard about drivers standing on the brakes, unable to stop, make me crazy. Simply putting the car into neutral will disengage the drive wheels and return control of the car to the driver.

Re: "Remember Audi was cleared," by Roy Jenkins, Sunday Letters.

Jenkins complained that a 2009 Chevrolet has needed much service, and the dealership wasn't accommodating about the repairs.

I own a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu with about 31,000 miles on it. I would guess that the 2009 Chevy might have less than 15,000 miles. My Malibu has never been in the shop except for scheduled maintenance. It handles like a dream and gets good gas mileage.

I have owned a Cadillac and a Datsun Z, but this is the best car I have ever had. The service has been excellent.