Letters to the Editor – SB 12 about lobbying, more on Ken Paxton editorial, techno-speak

Bill banning lobbyists on target

Re: “Lobby efforts face ban — Bill takes aim at lobbyists hired to represent school districts, local governments,” Sunday news story.

Taxpayer-funded lobbying by local governments undermines our representative democracy.

It might seem minor that Dallas spent $794,000 on lobbyists since 2023, but Texas local government payments to lobbyists totaled nearly $100 million in 2023, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Cities already have a voice in Austin — our elected state legislators. When cities hire lobbyists to represent them, cities aren’t speaking for citizens. They are competing in a race for influence that citizens did not consent to.

Hiring consultants to analyze legislation is reasonable and would remain possible. If local officials want to speak out, this doesn’t require lobbyists. Local officials can call state representatives, post on social media or write to The Dallas Morning News. Each of these actions are free.

If cities are pressured to lobby because others are doing so, we create a classic prisoner’s dilemma. A legal ban breaks this cycle, protecting taxpayers from an arms race between branches of government that should be serving, not lobbying.

Senate Bill 12 is not censorship, it’s restraint. Public money should fund public services, not political jockeying between local governments.

Wesley Donhauser, Dallas/Preston Hollow

Send Paxton home

Re: “Voters, Please Send Paxton Packing — Texas attorney general has no business instructing any of us on mortality or law,” Wednesday editorial.

I just read this editorial explaining why Ken Paxton isn’t fit to dictate morals, or to uphold the law as state attorney general.

It isn’t often I find myself in agreement with a Dallas Morning News editorial, yet, I’m in total agreement with this one. It is long past time to send him packing. He can even put out his own shingle as attorney at law, although I wonder how good of a lawyer he actually is, considering some of the things he has attempted.

Seriously, whether you are conservative, liberal, independent or plain just don’t care, you, as a Texan, deserve better than this. If someone in office, particularly a state attorney general, takes the moral high ground, then their personal morals need to match their public morals.

So, no, he doesn’t need to be in the U.S. Senate, and he doesn’t need to be our attorney general. He needs to be sent home, and as the commentary said, it doesn’t really matter which home — just pick one, go there and stay there.

Steven Ritchey, Richardson

GOP base clear on ethics

While I share your wish for Ken Paxton to go away, that last paragraph is wishful thinking. Paxton does reflect the “beliefs and standards” of the Republican base.

Paxton’s numerous failings, ethical and otherwise, have been thoroughly reported through the years, so the base had every opportunity to be fully aware of those failings when it reelected him in 2018 and 2022.

For that matter, President Donald Trump leaves Paxton in the dust when it comes to ethical failings. Trump hasn’t been a faithful husband to all three of his wives, was accused of defrauding over 5,000 people of $40 million at Trump University (he settled the case), and committed fraud and misappropriated funds at the Trump Foundation. And, of course, there are the many allegations of sexual assault. And yet the Republican base loves him.

So it is clear the Republican base is just fine with allegations of fraud and adultery against Paxton.

Tom Desmond, Plano

Credibility lacking

Re: “Why so down on Trump,” by Bruce Davidson, Tuesday Letters.

I almost spit out my coffee! Davidson writes, “So please save the Jan. 6 whining and keep in mind that one who can’t acknowledge his own side’s failures and opponent’s successes has no credibility at all.” Jan. 6 was exactly about not accepting failure by a man who, in my opinion, has no credibility at all.

Kimberly Farrar, Richardson

Letter writer misses

Donald Trump’s policies have not reduced inflation. Jerome Powell and other economists are warning about stagflation, the bond markets are teetering and grocery prices have risen. Effects of the ill-advised tariffs haven’t reached the consumer yet, so more high prices to come.

Trump’s immigration policies are huge constitutional violations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has become a plainclothes, masked domestic army used by this administration to arrest, detain and deport people without due process or regard for their legal status. U.S. citizens are in more danger today than in recent history.

We are now on the verge of conflicts in multiple spots around the world: China and Taiwan, Israel and Palestine, Russia and NATO with Russia eyeing the invasion of Moldova.

Under Trump’s vacillating isolationists policies, the world can no longer depend on America for leadership or support. He argues with and offends our allies and heaps praise on dictators and authoritarian leaders.

So, by his own standards, Davidson lacks credibility.

Linda Collins, East Dallas

No accountability

Re: “Audit: Lead removal a failure — $2.3 million program only serviced 4 homes despite 70 residents applying,” Tuesday news story.

An interesting page one article, and it led me to mentally add another item to the list of Dallas administrative failures. However, the final paragraph actually caused me to smile, recalling my days in the business world: “In the memorandum, [Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor] Tolbert said the Office of Budget and Management Services adopted a new financial system and its staff have been actively engaged in developing reports designed to enhance consistent monitoring across a diverse volume of grants and granting agencies.”

It’s a delightful example of bureaucrat techno-speak, wherein a bunch of great sounding words are put together to impressively say nothing. It’s usually seen when a corporation or government agency is involved in a serious accident resulting in death and its public relations department releases a memo saying, “Safety is our top priority and we continue to investigate ways to enhance that priority.”

Doesn’t really offer any information about accountability though, does it?

Dan Siculan, Royse City