Letters to the Editor — Dallas Charter Plan, bail, immigrants, ERCOT, Texas Medical Board

Good take

Re: “Dallas Charter Plan Is a Progressive Mess — Proposed amendments have money for the council and division for the rest of us,” Wednesday editorial.

Bravo. What a refreshing change to read your outstanding opinion on amending the Dallas City Charter. I think I will keep my subscription.

Edward Walker, Dallas

Look at bail bond companies

Re: “Bail Charities Need Closer Scrutiny — State should confirm groups properly assess risks,” Monday editorial.

We agree with your recent editorial advocating for better pretrial data to inform policymaking. Transparency is essential for a fair and effective justice system. And we are pleased to see the Office of Court Administration taking steps toward this goal.

However, when it comes to charitable bail fund reporting in particular, there is a troubling double standard in the level of scrutiny applied compared to bail bond companies, which profit from struggling families without similar oversight.

To make a real difference, robust data collection must cover the entire pretrial landscape, including the bail bond industry’s practices as well as the effects of pretrial detention on those who cannot afford bail or bondsman’s fees.

Without quality data, policymakers rely on anecdotes, hindering effective, fair and informed decisions. Meaningful pretrial reform can enhance public safety while protecting the presumption of innocence and addressing racial and economic disparities in our justice system.

Systemwide data collection is indispensable for achieving this delicate balance. Only with consistent standards and transparency can we ensure that our pretrial practices are fair and effective.

Erin George, Philadelphia

national director of policy, The Bail Project

Undocumented values

Re: “Walking a thin line on border,” by Gromer Jeffers Jr., Monday Metro column.

I want to believe Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez’s statement that “Most Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that have worked and lived in our communities for years.” Over two decades, I have been a friend to such a family whose children (all American citizens) have grown up. Everyone worked and supported Texas the same way I did — through sales and property taxes. One child serves in the military.

While undocumented, the parents have not tried to vote, although I hope their children, who have been educated in Dallas ISD, will vote at the right age.

Also, it’s an insult to associate their status with the transport of fentanyl, which has been reported to be smuggled largely by U.S. citizens.

Paul Halebian, Dallas

State electric planning lacks

Re: “Lines aren’t ERCOT’s,” by Charles E. Jackson, Tuesday Letters.

I think that most of the Texas public really doesn’t care about the details of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the Public Utility Commission, the free market of generation or the Legislature’s action or nonaction. What they want is reliable electric power no matter what the source or how it gets to their home.

Unfortunately, the state of Texas does not have an overall integrated plan to accomplish that. Investors in supplying electricity I think are hesitant to invest hundreds of millions of dollars with the uncertainty of return on their money.

Recently, we have had an excess in wind turbine generation off the coast of South Texas without adequate lines to get the power where the demand is. The state of Texas continues to attract data centers and crypto mining firms, which use a lot of power, without an overall plan on power supply.

Some states, to avoid shorting home power demands, have made it mandatory for new high-power-demand firms to show a supply. Before homeowners can feel comfortable about reliable power in summer and winter, there is a lot more work to be done and it is not evident the state is leading the way in planning.

Robert A. Munroe, Dallas

Rethink abortion issue

Re: “Medical board tweaks rules — Abortion guidance clarifies practices for doctors, but Legislature holds power,” June 22 news story.

The “action” or lack thereof by the Texas Medical Board to clarify the existing abortion laws in Texas, while disappointing in its results, is not surprising. The board simply lacks the authority to rewrite, add to or eliminate the laws. Those laws were not only poorly thought out, but the long-term impacts on Texas women and doctors were simply not considered at all. The only consideration was saving fetuses.

These laws put women at risk of losing their lives or future fertility, and doctors at risk of extreme civil and criminal liabilities. In addition, many people of faith do not believe that life begins at inception.

Why is a woman’s right to life and religious freedom put below that of a fetus? Since the board was not able to provide meaningful guidance, it is now up to the state Legislature to modify the laws.

The legislators who support the ban do so because they say they want to protect life. Why is the life of a woman less important than any fetus she is carrying? I challenge the Texas Legislature to rethink this issue and make it safe for women in Texas to be pregnant again.

Marilee Hayden, Frisco

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