Birds of a feather...

Letters to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  YOU can make a difference.  VOTE in May.

Why Texas stands out

Gov. Rick Perry recently said that Texas is "still the envy of our nation" on a multitude of fronts despite a withering budget crunch that is threatening deep cuts in state services.

Yep, Texas is first in the number of uninsured, in the number of executions, in the number of teen pregnancies, in the amount of carbon dioxide emissions, in the amount of toxic chemicals released into our water and in the percentage of high school dropouts.

Texas sure is the envy of the nation all right; that is, the rest of the nation is extremely glad they are not like Texas.

-- Edward Lindsay, Fort Worth

A road to nowhere

Mayoral candidate Jim Lane's plans to solve Fort Worth's problems by appointing 12 task forces to study the issues is a familiar delaying tactic on the grandest scale. (See: "3 file on 1st day to run for Fort Worth mayor," Tuesday)

His shotgun approach is a smokescreen to let him avoid taking a stand on anything that might alienate voters.

The urgent issues that he would relegate to disparate committees beg for answers now. Passing the buck to faceless task forces gives Lane a free ride during the elections to defer questions about any original ideas he might possibly have.

The long history of these so-called blue-ribbon studies regularly commissioned by Washington, Austin and Fort Worth is clear -- read 'em, debate 'em, shelve 'em, forget 'em.

He hopes to lead us down 12 lanes of navel contemplation and procrastination that lead to nowhere.

-- Jim Pitts, Fort Worth