Family deserves answers, not excuses
in the murder of a chained Hayes County prisoner
Re: Jan 4 article ‘I Won’t Surrender’: Family Seeks Answers to Detention Killing of Joshua Wright, Requests Security Video.”
The death of Hayes County inmate Joshua Wright – a man with ankle shackles when he was killed – raises a number of troubling questions.
The camera video of the shooting was not reviewed by the victim’s mother’s lawyers, despite the fact that several weeks had passed since the incident.
That in itself begs the question: why is the Hayes County Sheriff’s Office refusing to release this video?
The corresponding frames last no more than a few minutes, if not seconds.
It can be studied, viewed and reviewed dozens of times in one day. Why does it take weeks for this to be released? What is yet to be learned? What law enforcement purpose does it serve? The delay in justice means the denial of justice.
The Wright family deserves answers, not excuses.
Joe Pastusek, Pflugerville
Paxton’s lawsuit is a brazen attempt
bankrupt Planned Parenthood
Re: January 11 article “Paxton struggles with family planning.”
In Wednesday’s Stateman, you may have seen an article about Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Planned Parenthood. Paxton is a “statesman” who is serving as our state’s attorney general, the state’s chief legal entity, while facing investment fraud charges.
He is suing Planned Parenthood for a fee they collected between 2017 and 2021 for services provided to Medicaid patients. It includes over $1 billion in fines because they had the audacity to continue providing medical care to patients while the state of Texas was trying to revoke their Medicaid provider status, an attempt that finally succeeded in 2021. It’s not about crime. , is a brazen attempt to bankrupt Planned Parenthood. Another example of the position of the Republican Party of Texas (along with the United States) towards women. As a retired family doctor, I call Ken Paxton for what he is: disgusting.
Al Lindsey, Austin
On the eve of the new session, state deputies
should make funding education a priority
During this new session, the legislature should make public education funding in Texas a priority.
On Monday, Comptroller Glenn Hegar released a biennium revenue estimate that showed the state is projected to have a record $188.2 billion in revenue available for general spending during this upcoming biennium. At the 88th session there will be many discussions about these funds.
There is enough money to provide a good education and nutrition for all children while they are in school. Our state can put our children on the right track by making education available to all families in Texas.
Rachel Benke, Leander
Before welfare cuts, members
Congress could strip them of their own pensions
Members of the Republican House want to cut Social Security. How about they start with their own house before messing with ours?
Members are currently eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have served five years or more. Those of us who live in the real world have seen pensions go the way of the Dodo bird.
The latest report from the Congressional Research Service on this topic, dated August 2019, states that 617 members of Congress were receiving federal pensions as of October 2018. Members elected prior to 1984 are covered by the Public Service Pension Plan and receive an average annual pension of $75,528. The rest of the federal employees’ pension system received an average of $41,208.
Let’s see how they end up with retirement before they pass legislation that cuts benefits to future Social Security recipients and allows representatives to make 401(k) contributions. Citizens choose Congress to represent the people, not to govern the proletariat.
John Percy, Austin
Swarm does not reflect will
man, nor those who voted for Biden
Far-right Texas Rep. Chip Roy spoke to reporters on Friday, feeling the need to comment on the embarrassing fiasco Republicans pulled off this week by simply electing the House Speaker.
Referring to the spattering of far-right positions on House committees, any number of those who directly or indirectly supported the January 6, 2020 uprising, Roy said:
“It is imperative that the rules committee reflect the body and reflect the will of the people.”
I am writing to assure Roy and everyone who voted for him that he in no way represents the will of “these people” nor the 80+ million who voted for Joe Biden and, in the medium term, the incumbent House and Senate .
Randal McChesney, Bellevue
The voters who re-elected Abbott, Patrick,
and Paxton are also responsible
Re: Letters to the editor dated January 1st.
The writers of the January 1 letter pointed to the blatant hypocrisy of our state’s self-proclaimed “Christian” leaders regarding their treatment of migrants. I especially noted the authors who correctly identified the primary source of this evil: the majority of Texas voters who re-elected (intentionally or unknowingly) Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton despite their well-documented behavior in the past.
So to those who agree with the writers: take your anger out on the Texans or consider leaving the state like I did.
Ron Braveneck, Austin
How to send a letter to the editor
Submit letters of no more than 150 words by Thursday noon using our online form at https://bit.ly/3Crmkcf or send an email to [email protected]
We welcome your letters on all topics. Enter your name and city of residence; we do not publish anonymous emails.
Correction
The title on the Friday’s Opinion page has rearranged the words. He should have said, “We can’t forget the women in Afghanistan.”
