Five Democrats Leaning On Shovels

Regarding "Was pothole program just a show?" (Thursday Outlook), Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed in his opinion piece that there were "no games with this big initiative: We got it done."  He then goes on to describe his efforts to marshal resources from several city departments to: fill potholes.

My questions are: Did he do anything that was not already expected of city employees?  Is he serious taking a victory lap after but a few weeks?  And finally, does he regret the publicity photo taken when he launched the campaign?  It shows Mayor Turner and at least four other municipal employees around a pothole; Turner is the only one working.

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX

LTE: Major Detour

Regarding "Britons to decide whether to stay in the EU" (Sunday World), with the national referendum on June 23rd the question that Britons must answer is: Do they want a relationship with the mainland European countries based on self-determination and negotiation, or capitulation to a bunch of Eurocrats out of Brussels?  

To me, the issue is not whether Great Britain should leave the European Union, but why they ever joined in the first place, and PM David Cameron negotiating for a so-called “special status” in the 28-nation bloc reeks of the kind of cynical horse trading that made the EU a bad idea in the first place.

Here's hoping the "no" votes prevail.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Tuesday-letters-Houston-transit-Supreme-Court-6847665.php

Media Stalkers

Regarding "Manziel’s problems continue to mount" (Saturdays Sports), I was completely un-surprised to find that Johnny Manziel's travails were Page One news in the Chronicle.  Along with most of the sports talking heads on TV and radio, dirt on Johnny Manziel is the drug of choice for Chronicle sports writers, even during Super Bowl week.

The nonstop coverage is not only disturbing, it is pathological: The same few factoids recycled and rehashed each day; The endless moralizing, tongue clicking and finger wagging; And most disturbing to me, the outright mean-spirited tone of the narrative.  To listen to Brian Smith, David Barron and the rest, Johnny Football has no redeeming qualities at all, he is on the road to perdition, and every rumor that reflects badly on him is automatically reported as fact.

I can tolerate - barely - some overkill.  In the Twitter Era, it's what reporters do.  What I can't tolerate is the fish bowl they've put Manziel in, because they have absolutely no intention of ever letting him out.

If the Sports Paparazzi is really concerned about Johnny Manziel's well being, they should try giving the story a rest for a few weeks.  I know it will be painful, but it will at least let them get back to reporting on Sports, which is what they are paid to do.


Pete Smith
Cypress, TX