Voter ID law supported
Recently there have been several rulings by judges that Texas’ voter ID law was disenfranchising some voters. In the summer of 2008, some Progreso citizens called the OWLS (Objective Watchers of the Legal System) asking for help with their elections. They thought these elections were neither honest or fair. Some said they knew of several times they had observed people vote with registration cards that were not their own. The OWLS learned of an upcoming committee hearing in the Texas House of Representatives and they told the people of Progreso about the hearings. More than 30 people traveled all night to get to Austin in time for the hearing. But when they got there they were not allowed to testify. The OWLS tried hard to testify for them but it was obvious that half of the committee was not interested to hear about it. The whole experience in Austin was a huge disappointment for all of us. Is this the way our elected representatives treat people who are asking for help to have honest elections? When you want food stamps in Texas you need a photo ID but if you want a photo ID to vote, then that is too hard?
Walk across the bridge to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, and find you cannot vote without having a National ID of Mexico, which is required of all Mexicans over the age of 18. It is a free government-issued ID card given out by The National Electoral Institute and used as an official ID for banking and traveling, etc. If Mexico can do it then why can’t we?
Virginia Townsend, Mission
Why won’t Trump stay in the White House?
In 2015, Donald Trump said if he was elected president that he would “rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done.” Now, he is golfing and visiting a Trump-branded property every few days!
I’m deeply concerned with Trump’s taxpayer funded trips to his properties like Mar-a-Lago in Florida. I believe Trump is putting taxpayer dollars directly in his pocket by visiting his properties so frequently. The Secret Service has spent tens of thousands of dollars on golf carts alone at Mar-a-Lago!
While Trump spends our tax dollars at Mar-a-Lago, he’s also hosting high-profile meetings with foreign heads-of-state there, like the prime minister of Japan. Talk about a photo op for his own property!
After Election Day, Mar-a-Lago doubled its membership initiation fee to $200,000. That’s a lot of money in Trump’s pocket!
Nobody should be allowed to profit from the presidency. I’ve had enough. It’s time for our representatives in Congress to stand up to Trump’s abuse of power and waste of taxpayer funds.
Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago have already cost $25 million — enough to pay for over 2 million meals through Meals on Wheels!
If Congress continues to sit on its hands then our representatives should be held accountable for their complicity. I’ll remember their inactions the next time I step into the voting booth.
Debra Tietz, Mission
Automated vehicle safety
Business-friendly Texas has long embraced technology innovation to drive economic growth. That’s why we’re encouraged to see progress in the 85th Legislature on enabling the development of breakthrough self-driving vehicle technology. General Motors supports Committee Substitute for SB 2205, a thoughtful proposal that provides a safe path — for automakers, tech companies, and others — to test and deploy automated vehicles.
Safety is the No. 1 reason to support self-driving vehicles. In 2016, serious injury crashes in Texas increased by 7 percent, with more than 3,700 traffic-related fatalities. The vast majority — more 90 percent — were caused by human error or behavior. Because they will never drive drunk, distracted, or too fast, autonomous vehicles could significantly reduce crashes, while bringing other benefits like eased traffic congestion, reduced pollution and enhanced mobility for the elderly and disabled. Texans from all walks of life have much to gain from the brighter, safer future these vehicles will bring. That’s why it’s so important for Texas to have the right policy for self-driving vehicles.
Paul Hemmersbaugh, chief counsel and public policy director, General Motors
Kindness recognized
What a great column by The Washington Post’s Ruben Navarrette Jr., which ran on April 12 in The Monitor, “School fails test of kindness.” The parents of that boy obviously raised him with great values. The kindness shown by the Eufaula Country Club proves that kindness and love still prevail in our country.
As for the school administrator, well he/she just proved we still have over-educated idiots.
Vi Greenwald, Mission
‘Small town’ paper
The May 1 Monitor certainly proved you are a small town newspaper. The headline “Jeff Ross roasts immigration.” What? It looks like a commercial to me! Don’t you think Ride for Hope would have made a better banner?
Robert Knowles, Mission
