News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News

02/24/2010

Dick Polman: Death wishes join political debate
We have clearly crossed a line somehow, somewhere. Anger is a natural emotion; it can even be a healthy emotion if channeled properly. But millions now seem to assume that an Internet connection is a license to indulge their most sociopathic impulses.

Justin Keener: New taxes, old politics will not fix traffic
Texas' officials can continue to pass the buck by offering only new taxes and greater spending for pet projects that won't relieve congestion. Or they can reprioritize existing taxes and demand greater accountability and transparency in spending.

Carl Leubsdorf: Confident conservatives ignore their past
Amid the overheated rhetoric, few conceded the practical difficulties in achieving this agenda or its efficacy. Time has validated John Anderson's 1980 rejoinder that only "with mirrors" can one cut taxes, raise defense spending and balance the budget.

02/23/2010

Mark Davis: Hutchison may fall short, but keep an eye on 17th
One conversation, three issues, three home-run opinions guaranteed to endear Kay Bailey Hutchison to Republican primary voters. But if past is prologue, it won't do a lick of good in closing a double-digit gap with Gov. Rick Perry.

Newspapers grade latest Obama health plan

02/22/2010

William McKenzie: The fallacy of the Tea Party approach
The Tea Party movement has let Washington know there's a limit to how big the government can grow, yet there's also an illogic that flows from its pushback against government. You can see it playing out in several Texas races.

Gerald Britt: Baylor's South Dallas project can do so much
The joint commitment of Baylor Health Care System and the city of Dallas – to the tune of $15 million and $2 million, respectively – in a Diabetes and Wellness Institute at the Juanita Craft Recreation Center, is very good news indeed.

Weinstein and Gutow: Can a civility movement start in Dallas?
Rather than depend on party affiliation or talking points as we grapple with our issues, politicians and citizens alike have to find a new way of communicating, one worthy of our best American values. Together we must seek a true civility.

02/19/2010

Leonard Pitts: Facts are stubborn things, but they are still facts
I can remember a time when facts settled arguments. This is back before everything became a partisan shouting match, back before it was permissible to ignore or deride as "biased" anything that didn't support your worldview.

George Will: A change of climate
The global warming industry is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Actually, a bad three months, which began Nov. 19 with the publication of e-mails indicating attempts by scientists to massage data and suppress dissent.

Star Parker: It's time to stop wandering the wilderness
Black History Month 2010 is not a great time for a party. Unemployment at almost 10 percent, and well over 16 percent among blacks, doesn't make for much of a festive mood. But if the mood is not festive, shouldn't it be reflective?

Ruth Marcus: A GOP star is born
How big a deal was Marco Rubio's speech to CPAC on Thursday? If you are asking, as former President George W. Bush did jokingly the other day, "Who the hell is Marco Rubio?" you probably won't be for long.

John McWhorter: It's time to stop saying 'African-American'
Almost one in 10 black people are foreign-born; about one in 30 are from Africa. Which means that they are – you see where I'm going – African-American in the true sense. Certainly a truer sense than Tracy Morgan, Donna Brazile, Jesse Jackson or Mo'Nique.

Cord Jefferson: How illegal immigration hurts black America
Today, with national unemployment hovering around 10 percent and black male unemployment at a staggering 17.6 percent, it seems even less likely that immigrants are filling only those jobs that Americans won't deign to do. Just ask Delonta Spriggs.

Point Person: Our Q&A with pollster Mickey Blum
Skeptical about polls? Wonder how they could be accurate since they didn't poll anyone you know? Convinced that survey questions are skewed? We asked Mickey Blum of New York, long The Dallas Morning News' pollster, for her take.

Stephanie Mueller: The tax that keeps on taking
While Americans everywhere despise the annual process of filing income taxes, it has one positive: When it's done, it's done. Unfortunately, this isn't the reality of Texas' famed property tax system. This recurring tax haunts you long after the price is paid.

Michael Landauer: What's your favorite tax?
We have favorite colors, favorite movies, favorite bands. But does anyone have a favorite tax? I do. Mine is the motor fuels tax in Texas. Here's why.

Karen Kimball: Fine-arts teachers connect educational dots
First-year elementary school teachers must take a "generalist" exam to be in compliance with federal standards. The Texas Education Agency has successfully fought for a waiver that would exempt fine-arts teachers from the test. That's a big mistake.

Kathleen Krumnow: Being powerless helped me plug in
We all watched the weather and knew that snow had been predicted. What we didn't expect was exactly how much snow would fall ... and fall. What came as an even bigger surprise to me was the fact that I would learn something about myself.