Thanks for the Supreme Court, Donald Trump. Now you need to step away from the GOP
Isn’t helping the cause anymore
As usual, Bud Kennedy nailed it in his recent column “Donald Trump is still a fighter. But is he a winner?” (July 24, 1C) I agree with Kennedy that Trump’s voters haven’t moved on. However, I’m cautiously optimistic that most Republicans will eventually come around to what conservative talk radio hosts Mark Davis and Mike Gallagher are saying about Trump. Never letting go of the 2020 election results is not a winning formula for the GOP.
There is no evidence of any widespread voting fraud of an amount sufficient to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This has been the position of about 80 court decisions. Trump is living in his own misguided dream land.
- William Brown, Arlington
Passing along the price of ads
How much would drugs cost if pharmaceutical companies were not permitted to advertise directly to consumers? Why are they promoting drugs to the public? After all, only physicians can prescribe them.
Drug companies could save millions, reduce the price of drugs and serve the public better if they simply stopped spending money to advertise. The money they save would pay for any research needed.
- Annette Naish, Austin
Abbott not for the little guy
The July 24 letter writer questioning the source of Beto O’Rourke’s campaign donations needs to check his own house. (4C) Seven donors contributed $1 million or more to Greg Abbott’s campaign, all from commercial interests: oil and gas, construction, health care and real estate.
In the most recent quarterly fundraising data available, O’Rourke’s average contribution was $54, while Abbott’s was $220. Who’s being bought by whom?
- Bob Scott, Colleyville
The air that we all breathe
In April, a new report from the American Lung Association found that Dallas-Fort Worth ranks 16th nationally in ozone pollution. “State of the Air” highlights that much work remains to be done to protect the health of people here and throughout the country.
More than 137 million Americans — more than 4 in 10 — are still exposed to unhealthy air. While breathing in pollution is unhealthy for anyone, those with lung disease are at greater risk from the impacts of air pollution.
The American Lung Association in Dallas calls on the Biden administration to strengthen the national limits on both short-term and year-round particulate matter air pollution. Stronger standards would drive the cleanup of polluting sources in communities across the country and help protect those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- Brad Morgan, Board chairman, American Lung Association in Texas, Grapevine
Time to cut partial gas tax
Anyone with a vehicle has seen “fractional” gas prices such as $3.859. That added nine-tenths of a cent at the end may not seem like much, but it adds up. Furthermore, it is deceptive.
In 1932, the Revenue Tax Act placed a federal tax of $0.01 on each gallon of gasoline. Gas stations didn’t want to lose business by raising their prices that much. Instead, they increased the price by nine-tenths of a cent.
Two years later, Congress didn’t repeal the tax as it had intended. Today, the federal gasoline tax stands at 18.4 cents a gallon. Texas has its gas taxes, too. The nine-tenths of a cent shown on the pumps should be abolished.
Customers cannot split a penny in their wallets.
- James A. Marples, Longview
