Letters to the Editor — Progressive courts, I-345, housing, green plans, D3 schools

Safeguard Texas’ human capital

Re: “Progressive Courts Ship Enterprise Right here — Washington state funding agency prefers Plano to activist interpretation of the regulation,” Thursday editorial.

This editorial ballyhoos Texas’ business-friendly surroundings. It additionally highlights Fisher Investments’ resolution to flee Washington state and transfer its headquarters to Plano when its state Supreme Courtroom abruptly twisted longstanding tax legal guidelines. The editorial board says, “The folks of Washington will undergo as capital flows out of the state to locations the place it’s safer.”

Likewise, Texans will undergo if we fail to safeguard our personal human capital. LGBTQ individuals, their households and allies are carefully watching the Legislature because it considers rescinding longstanding rights. Many stand able to entry safety elsewhere.

If Texas legislators vote to supersede the discretion of oldsters and the approval of each main medical affiliation within the U.S. by banning gender-affirming care, households will go away. If Texas prohibits academics from acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ folks of their lecture rooms, in their very own households and amongst historic figures, academics will go away.

Earlier than we get too assured about attracting discontented companies to our state, we higher contemplate the exodus that would outcome from overreach by Texas legislators.

Ann Madonia Casey, Fairview

Odd place for housing mission

Re: “Contentious deal nearer to actuality — Vote by nonprofit clears approach for plan to deliver at the very least 100 items to space,” Wednesday Metro & Enterprise story.

The proposed Central Expressway location for a brand new housing mission is an odd and dysfunctional alternative. The west facet of Central has lengthy had condominium developments from LBJ Freeway to Walnut Hill Lane. The east facet has however one slim advanced north of Meadow Street.

On the east facet, buildings from Walnut Hill to LBJ are workplace towers, motels and medical amenities. Client retail is proscribed. It’s merely not residential pleasant. There’s no pedestrian infrastructure on both facet of Central from Forest Lane to Walnut Hill. The closest grocery retailer at Meadow Central Heart is a protracted hike alongside very busy entry roads with out sidewalks.

A homeless inhabitants persists alongside that complete hall and main cross streets. The issue has drifted east of Forest in direction of the DART rail station, retail and greenbelt areas. By means of that maze, youngsters could be anticipated to journey to highschool in Hamilton Park.

The few close by play areas for youngsters are at Royal Lane or north of Medical Metropolis, requiring journey on the White Rock hike-and-bike path. The path will quickly be busier with a bridge connecting the Northaven Path. Kids will naturally use the close by path, however speedy bike visitors will likely be an ongoing hazard.

Mark Fitzpatrick, Dallas/Vickery Meadow

Reroute I-45

Re: “TxDOT plan for I-345 leaves council divided — Some members wish to transfer now; others name for extra evaluation,” March 21 information story.

Whereas a lot has been manufactured from what to do with Interstate 345, two-thirds of the issue stays — what to do about Interstate 45 between I-345 and the Trinity River. Constructed within the Seventies, I-45 as we speak is a patched-up freeway that was a mistake from its starting. I-45 slashes diagonally via South Dallas, splitting aside established neighborhoods and their road community.

Freeways are gluttonous monsters of our personal creation that we now rely on, so prefer it or not they’re right here to remain. As a substitute of regularly feeding and rising these creatures, we should always put them on a freeway food regimen and do a greater job in inserting them round our communities in context to appropriate land makes use of.

For I-45, a viable resolution is rerouting it to attach with downtown’s mixmaster. The brand new I-45 would run parallel between Botham Jean Boulevard and the long run Trinity River levee extension. It will present a extra direct path to Interstate 35E and Dallas North Tollway, plus U.S. Freeway 75 could possibly be accessed by way of Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

As soon as accomplished, completely take away the prevailing parts of I-45 between the Trinity River and close to I-345, then restitch the road grid and neighborhood land makes use of to stabilize the South Dallas neighborhoods alongside its path.

Robert L. Prejean, Dallas/Oak Garden

Take inexperienced path ahead

Re: “Taking the trail ahead — Dallas can save Mountain Creek gem from Fairfield State Park’s destiny,” by Sharon Grigsby, Sunday Metro column.

This Grigsby column on saving the Massive Cedar Wilderness Space in southwest Dallas, alongside together with her latest column on the 5 Mile Creek Path, spotlight the necessity for preserving and selling the pure magnificence and sources of southern Dallas.

Let’s take it a step additional and tie this into addressing fairness in our metropolis. We will reshape southern Dallas by taking the inexperienced path ahead to fairness. Inexperienced infrastructure to protect its distinctive pure areas and open them as much as leisure alternatives with connecting path techniques, and inexperienced improvement requiring native plant landscaping for all new business and residential developments.

Turning vacant, uncared for land into inexperienced areas will entice the kind of improvement all of us hope for whereas preserving the pure magnificence we love. Inexperienced infrastructure and improvement are key for constructing a future with fairness.

Michael Connally, Dallas/Oak Cliff

Cheering for Division III protection

It was a pleasing shock to see the point out of the D2 and D3 ladies’s championships being performed this weekend in Dallas. As a Transylvania College alumna (Class of 1971), it is rather thrilling to have the ability to see the ladies’s workforce play for the nationwide title Saturday.

Why not deal with Division III athletics as a real instance of the concept of student-athletes? D3 awards no athletic scholarships. And for the reason that father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin, went to Transylvania (Class of 1810), what higher place to spotlight the connection?

Anne D. Blackford, Addison

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