Letters to the Editor -- America, Gov. Greg Abbott, Dallas Wings, libraries, death penalty

Readers say America should be better; worry about the millions spent to 'buy' Gov. Abbott; can't believe the Wings don't have a home yet; support libraries; and don't agree with the death penalty.

There is a growing vindictiveness in how our country is approaching immigration enforcement, and it should alarm Americans across the political spectrum. What we are witnessing feels less like the rule of law and more like political theater.

Democratic-led states are being loudly targeted, while statistics consistently show that the highest populations of undocumented immigrants reside in Republican-led states -- where entire industries depend on immigrant labor. If enforcement were truly about numbers or public safety, the approach would look very different. Instead, it feels selective and punitive.

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Even more disturbing is the language being used. Co-opting Maine's proud fishing heritage to coin the phrase "Catch of the Day" for the arrest of human beings is deeply dehumanizing. Many of those being targeted are hardworking people, paying taxes, raising families and actively navigating the long and complex path toward legal status. They are not trophies.

I grew up watching images of coups, death marches and racial persecution in other countries and feeling proud to be an American. We were supposed to be better than this.

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Regardless of political belief, we should all ask ourselves: how can we sleep at night knowing people are being treated this way in our name?

MaryBeth Shapiro, East Dallas and Scarborough, Maine

Greg Abbott's millions

Re: "Abbott awash in cash -- Campaign has amassed $105.7M, far more than anyone seeking state office," Jan. 17 Metro & Business story.

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This story reports that Gov. Greg Abbott has amassed more than $100 million for his reelection campaign. That staggering figure should concern every Texas voter, regardless of party.

This kind of money does not come from average Texans writing $25 or $50 checks. It comes largely from wealthy individuals, political action committees and industry interests that have very specific policy goals. When a candidate raises sums this large, it is fair to ask who really has a seat at the table in Austin -- everyday Texans or those with the deepest pockets?

Texas likes to boast about limited government and independence, yet our political system increasingly looks like one where access and influence are for sale. When one candidate can stockpile more money than all potential challengers combined, elections become less about ideas and accountability and more about financial dominance.

We may have low taxes and a strong economy, but we also appear to have the best state government money can buy. Texans deserve leaders who are accountable to voters first, not to the interests that can afford to bankroll a $100 million campaign.

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Jerry Lawson, Allen

No home yet for the Wings

Re: "Waiting for their new digs -- Team coming to Dallas, but move hits another snag," Jan. 18 SportsDay story.

Dallas taxpayers were once again reminded that City Hall cannot manage major projects, as highlighted by this Dallas Morning News reporting on the delayed Wings practice facility. What should have been a straightforward construction project devolved into missed deadlines, ballooning costs and ultimately an admission of failure.

City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert agreed to hand the project over to outside oversight -- paid for by taxpayers -- because the city could not competently manage its own build. That decision alone should alarm every resident.

When the city's solution to mismanagement is to spend more public money to compensate for that mismanagement, accountability has clearly broken down. This wasn't a weather issue or a supply chain anomaly -- it was a failure of planning, supervision and execution.

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Dallas residents deserve a city government capable of delivering basic infrastructure on time and on budget. The Wings facility is not an isolated mishap. It is a warning sign of deeper administrative dysfunction that the City Council and the public should not ignore.

Bonnie Maguire Brown, Dallas

Keep all Dallas libraries

The rollout of Dallas' new regional library model was not just poorly executed -- it was disrespectful to both residents and elected officials. Council members learned that libraries in their districts could close not through briefings from city staff, but through news reports.

That alone reflects a breakdown in basic governance. City staff, under the supervision of Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, failed to engage the very representatives accountable to the communities most affected. Council member Adam Bazaldua rightly described the proposal as a "PR boondoggle."

What makes this especially troubling is the city's spending priorities. Dallas routinely spends millions on outside consultants and grants generous tax abatements with little scrutiny, yet suddenly treats neighborhood libraries as expendable line items.

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Libraries are among the city's most efficient and equitable investments -- providing internet access, supporting civic participation, promoting literacy and offering safe community spaces.

Dallas residents deserve leadership that protects these vital institutions. Our libraries should be strengthened, not quietly sacrificed.

Natalie LeVeck, North Dallas

The death penalty as revenge

Re: "'I still miss my daddy' -- Innocent Black man, executed in 1956, exonerated in murder," Thursday news story.

While I've never been against the death penalty, I have to wonder if it actually is needed. I do believe that there are some monsters out there who deserve to die. But at what cost? Does it deter crime? I would say no.

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The true criminal doesn't take the punishment into account when committing the crime. There needs to be so many levels of accuracy and sureness in guilt to justify it. And then the penalty is absolute and final. No return.

It's bad enough to be wrongly convicted, but to be killed for it is not unacceptable. For the amount of times the death penalty has been applied, was it worth the cost?

In my opinion the death penalty is more of revenge or retribution disguised as justice.

Rich Rigsby, Wylie

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