We need facts

Re: “We need media that works — Cover Trump by going to work, not to war,” by William McKenzie, Sunday Opinion.

I hope your own and other media reporters read and take McKenzie’s advice to heart. I have unsubscribed to three major newspapers because their staff’s writing has not been reporting for years. It has been filed with their ideological opinions.

We need nutritious foods to live healthy lives. We need nutritious, honest and factual reports to let our own minds digest and evaluate the significance of those facts. Then, we can be informed citizens and do our job supporting those elected officials who we believe are doing right, telling them when we think that they are doing something wrong, casting our informed votes when we think they continue to do wrong by our citizens and replacing them with better suited elected officials.

I am tired of politicians. I want representative governments that care about our Constitution and our people.

Gary B. Lawson, Dallas

Working together discouraged

Re: “GOP sets speaker choice, but battle far from over — Losing candidate says he will win with bipartisan support,” Sunday news story.

So the Texas Republican Party’s response to a potential bipartisan House speaker is a resolution condemning “any effort by Republican Representatives to ally with Democrats to elect a Speaker.”

And we wonder why our country is so divided.

Russ Olivier, Dallas

Phelan a voice of reason

I‘m not surprised that Rep. Dade Phelan was forced from his position as speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. Just the fact that he is honest and not an extremist Republican was too much for Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Thank you, Rep. Phelan, for being a voice of reason in the Texas House of Representatives.

Linda Vaughn, Richardson

Speaker understood Texans

I’m very sorry to see Rep. Dan Phelan relinquish his bid for speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. His was one of the very few voices of sanity in an otherwise packed chamber of extreme ideologues.

Phelan always tried to represent the people, not just the special interest lobbies and not just the anti-American ideologies promoted by the extreme right. He understood that the huge majority of Texans are far more centrist in their beliefs and desires.

It looks like the Texas House is about to get more ideological and less representative. Sad.

Thank you for your excellent service as speaker, Mr. Phelan.

Olan Knight, Murphy

Free tuition a misnomer

Re: “Readers back free tuition — unlike some lawmakers,” Sunday Letters.

I agree higher education tuition is too expensive. But parents and students need “skin in the game” so some cost is necessary as long as it’s not crazy like it is now.

Those who argue college education is so beneficial that tuition should be cost-free could use the same illogical argument about food, housing and medical care. All of these items are more essential that a higher education, but should they be free based on their importance?

If college educators want to share their knowledge for free, that’s a good thing. Otherwise, who pays for a free college degree? Free is a misnomer.

Don Skaggs, Garland

All have stake in education

Re: “Refine Gift of Free UT Tuition — Students deserve a shot, but they need skin in the game, too,” Nov. 25 editorial.

So, The Dallas Morning News wants students who don’t have to pay tuition because they come from families making less than $100,000 to have some kind of stake in their education? OK, then have those students coming from families making more than $100,000 also have the same, meaning these wealthy kids have to serve the community or choose majors in areas the state needs workers in. That only seems fair and appropriate.

Darryl Smyers, Dallas

Move on, mayor

Re: “‘City Hall must listen’ — Johnson’s address comes after passage of charter propositions,” Friday news story.

“City Hall needs to listen” is such a rich quote from this Dallas mayor. I am happy to buy him a hearing aid so he can be the first in City Hall, or wherever he is, to actually listen. Or just move along to Washington and let someone who does listen become our mayor.

Jack Bunning, Old East Dallas

Stop ignoring homelessness

Clearly, we have a mayor (“a man of few words”) who is mostly looking forward to his future political career and who, I believe, has disappointed the majority of us who originally voted for him. It is interesting that his emphasis on four P’s — public safety, parks, potholes and property tax relief — did not include the fifth “P” — people.

By that I am referring to the outrageous homeless issues in the city. Is it me or is the visibility of the homeless still starkly apparent on so many streets, under bridges and in green spaces across Dallas?

And is it not obvious that so many of these individuals are handicapped, either physically or mentally, and need to be off the streets and in facilities that can provide comfort and attention?

And by the way, the trash and waste surrounding them is not in keeping with the welcoming city that Dallas would like to share with the anticipated thousands of visitors, much less with its own residents.

So many thoughtful organizations are trying to give relief to this issue, but it is going to take the city to end it. Yes, illegal immigration is an important political topic. Is homelessness not just as important?

Dan Littauer, Dallas

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