LTE - Amazon Tax

Regarding "Trump rips a favorite target — Amazon — again" (Saturday Nation|World Pg A15), AP reporter Joseph Pisani states that President Trump "has accused (Amazon) of failing to pay 'internet taxes,' though it’s never been made clear by the White House what the president means by that."  

I'm not sure why Pisani is confused about Trump's meaning.  The President has been complaining for years about Amazon and other on line retailers failing to collect local and state sales taxes - as all other retailers are required to do - thus giving Amazon a huge competitive advantage.  Amazon claims they started to do so in 2012, and states that they now collect these taxes for all 45 states that have a sales tax, but this is simply not true.  I reviewed my 24 Amazon purchases in 2017 and found sales taxes on only four transactions, and only two of those were for the full Texas state sales tax of 8.25%.

Amazon doesn't collect sales taxes on behalf of 3rd party vendors, but they represent less than 20% of Amazon's sales, so that hardly explains the discrepancy.

Pisani could have relieved his own confusion and shed light on the subject with a cursory web search, but he didn't.  Was this due to laziness, a bias against Trump, or both?

Pete Smith 

Cypress, TX 

NFL Priorities

Regarding "Lynch fined $24K for shouting at official" (Saturday Pg C2), Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch was fined exactly $24,309 for yelling at a referee last Sunday.  The article also told of four other players - including the Texan's Johnathan Joseph - fined $18,231 for penalties like roughing the passer and horse collar tackles.  

So to all appearances, dirty hits that might cause injury are less offensive to the NFL than saying hurtful things to referees.  Don't get me wrong: Bullying in the workplace is a serious problem that must be addressed, but they need to penalize actual physical assault a little more vigorously than mere words.

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX

Trump simplifies taxes

Regarding "GOP tax adds pressure on IRS" (Wednesday Business Pg B3), NY Times columnist Patricia Cohen and former IRS commissioner John Koskinen fret that the new tax plan will overwhelm the IRS because the agency is being given so much more to do, and less resources with which to do it.  The problem with their analysis is that apparently, neither one bothered to account for the fact that with the reforms, up to 90% of all taxpayers can now avoid long form and file their claims on the proverbial post card.

Bottom line, the IRS is going to have a LOT less to do for tax year 2018, so instead of worrying about the impact of the reforms on 80,000 IRS employees, the New York Times should celebrate the liberation of more than 100 million taxpayers.

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX 

The usual rhetoric

Regarding "Tax bill cuts perks to owners of homes" (Saturday Front Page), it's no surprise that this article comes from a reporter of the New York Times.  Columnist Conor Dougherty flogs the classic liberal argument that deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes are blessings that the federal government bestow upon home owners, and implies that those benefits are not only undeserved, but represent unacceptable "social engineering."

He inevitably quotes a Harvard economist who declares that there should be a "limit in the federal government’s willingness to subsidize ownership".  Well, as a taxpayer, there is also a limit to my willingness to tolerate an overbearing federal government that thinks my money is theirs, and that they will decide how much of it I get to keep.  

Voters made that abundantly clear in 2016, giving Republicans both houses of congress and the presidency, which lead to the aforementioned tax reform.  Dougherty ought to ponder the import of the People's will, instead of recycling liberal think tank arguments that were claptrap fifty years ago, and are claptrap today.

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX

The Pope and the Lord's Prayer

Regarding "Catholics ponder Lord's Prayer tweak" (Monday City|State Pg A6), I must admit that I've never had much use for Francis. He's trendy, materialistic, and in his short tenure as Pope has spent a lot of time upsetting apple carts strictly for the sake of doing it.

That said, I was pleased to find that he has finally focused on a spiritual matter, and for once, his lack of reverence for tradition has finally served a purpose. The word change is long overdue.  Discriminating Catholics should be pleased.

Pete Smith 

Cypress, TX

LTE - Angry protestors

Regarding "Angry worshippers lash out against Trump" (Saturday Pg A15), "worshippers" is a curious word to use to describe the people protesting President Trump's decision to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. There's nothing inherently worshipful about throwing rocks, destroying property or setting flags on fire, unless the author's intent was to besmirch the faith of the protesters, who were overwhelmingly Muslim.

It's fair to debate whether their behavior was justified, but no devout Muslim would ever confuse those actions with worship.

Pete Smith 

Cypress, TX

Intent to injure

Regarding "Savage concussion getting closer look" (Tuesday Pg C2), lost in the current conversation about how badly Texan's quarterback Tom Savage was injured was how he was injured.  Savage had thrown the ball before 49ers defensive end Elvis Dumervil reached him, but instead of simply making the tackle, Dumervil used his body to piledrive Savage into the ground.

We see this type of tackle constantly in the NFL, and this type of player.  Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr used the same technique against Packer QB Aaron Rodgers in October, breaking Rodger's collarbone.  This happens all the time, but not everybody does this.  Jadeveon Clowney had at least two opportunities to piledrive 49ers QB Jimmy Garapalo, but instead simply took him cleanly to the ground.   

This type of tackle is designed to injure, pure and simple.  The NFL needs to outlaw it immediately.

Pete Smith 

Cypress, TX

Well written article

Regarding "Conservatism will not emerge unscathed from Trump’s presidency" (Thursday City|State), compliments to Erica Grieder for her insightful article about the impact of  Donald Trump not just on conservatism, but the Republican Party as well.  It's a complex subject, and I'll admit that to fully understand her argument, I had to do several web searches on the columnists she quoted.

That said, a little homework is a small price to pay to appreciate the subject.  There's rarely been a populist candidate who shook up the political status quo as thoroughly as Donald Trump has in the past two years; Theodore Roosevelt is the last who comes to mind.  So, I look forward to some follow up articles on the subject from Ms Grieder, and expect that they will be as well written as this one.

Pete Smith 

Cypress, TX

LTE: Anti-hero

Regarding “Unsung hero during uproar has been O’Brien’s leadership” (Page C14, Wednesday), columnist John McClain compliments Texans’ coach Bill O’Brien for his unqualified support for his players after they protested owner Bob McNair’s comments about “inmates running the prison” during a meeting of NFL owners and player representatives

The problem is that McNair categorically denied that his comments were directed at players and that has been corroborated by various people in the meeting, including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

By supporting a phony narrative, O’Brien let his players put the stink of racism on an honorable man. That’s not the definition of a hero to me.

Pete Smith, Cypress

Done in the voice of Dan O'Shaughnessy

Houston came, Houston saw, Houston conquered: And all Boston sports fans could do was cry into an alcoholic drink of choice salted by tears, indifferently chilled, and downed with breakfast, as per Boston tradition.

The Boston Red Sox were on the receiving end of a four game beat-down so massive, so complete and so emasculating that their players may well be joining the lines that I imagine must form every Friday afternoon at pharmacies across Beantown, men hopeful for a refill on their erectile dysfunction medicine of choice, their wives and girlfriends even more so.

It is not that Boston baseball fans care too much, it is that - without professional sports - there is little else to care about.  A hotbed of corruption, Boston is surrounded by a like-minded state - Massachusetts, and a like-minded region - New England, devoted to the dole, featherbedding, labor unions, cronyism and every institution devoted to stifling initiative or self-determination, which is why in Boston, fandom has little to do with an appreciation of athletic endeavor and the close attention to statistics that characterizes fans in most other cities, and everything to do with a ritualistic denial of the hopelessness of everyday life as a Bostonian.

And the despair of sports fans does not end with the humiliations inflicted on the common man by Boston's polity.  The Boston area itself, which features small islands of modern buildings that are pleasing to the eye, functional and well built, is otherwise surrounded by a dreary mass of "historical" buildings that stretch to the horizon in every direction from Beacon Hill.  And while every tenth building has been gilded in some manner in a never-ending effort to mask the decay, the whole sad jumble descends every day under the weight of a centuries-old accumulation of grime, not to mention a foundation mortally compromised by that insult to engineering and fiscal responsibility: The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 

Note to the city fathers of Detroit, my childhood home: Designate every crumbling eyesore as "historical".  It works for Boston.

About the actual series between the Sox and the Houston Astros, perhaps the less that is said, the better.  I will only observe that I've not seen such a thoroughly predictable outcome since, well, last year, when the Sox were swept by the Cleveland Indians.  The young Astros - a veritable melting pot of talent and seething vitality - used the Boston Red Sox in a most unseemly manner, the petrified corridors of Fenway bearing witness not just to a changing of the guard, but a dreary pattern of failure likely to define the team for years, if not decades to come.

Meanwhile, down in Foxborough, Tom Brady is over 40, and there aren't enough under-inflated footballs, sabotaged intercom systems, stolen signals, pilfered playbooks or other creative criminality to compensate for the decrepitude, lack of talent and dearth of character that defines the Patriots' defense.

It's enough to make a sports fan look forward to hockey. 

LTE: Cruz soldiers on

LTE - Session's blunders

Sessions' blunders

Regarding "Senator says he fears dismissal would be a prelude to firing Mueller, shutting down Russia investigation" (Page A10, Wednesday), Republican Sen. Tom Cole of Oklahoma was critical of President Trump's criticisms of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, stating "I don't think it helps to throw your own people under the bus."

Seriously? The failure of Sessions to tell Trump he intended to recuse himself on the Russia investigation, his failure to pursue the orgy of government leaks on the matter, and his unwillingness to question any aspect of the Democratic-driven Trump investigation constitutes a pretty definitive instance of throwing one under the bus.

Trump said that Session's actions - and inactions - were "very unfair to the president." He was referring to the duties a cabinet officer has to the presidency, not to himself. Take Trump out of the equation, and Session's behavior is still inexplicable and inexcusable.

He either needs to start doing his job or resign.

Pete Smith, Cypress

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Thursday-Letters-Bathroom-bill-property-11438854.php

Name Calling Democrats

Regarding "WILL THE DEMOCRATS EVER WIN AGAIN?" (Sunday Outlook Pg A27), in addressing what ails his party, Kevin Nix starts out strong, stating "We keep losing elections because voters aren’t buying what we’re selling.....Our nation has had enough of 'us vs. them'."

Unfortunately, after that Nix contradicts himself by declaring that the problem is that "Progressives tend to be obsessed — obsessed — with making logical, fact-driven, even haughty, arguments around five-point policy proposals. But that isn’t the stuff of winning an election. Big-brand concepts and simple storytelling do."

History does not support this argument, because for 40 years, the Democrat Party has progressively redefined every policy issue as "us vs. them", and their simple storytelling is to simply describe people who disagree with them in the most pejorative of terms. It started in the 60s, when they called Republicans "racists" and "bigots."  In the 70s, Democrats added "homophobe", "sexist" and "ageist" to their arsenal.  More recently, Republicans are now "transphobic" and "Islamophobic."  The list is ever-growing and never-ending.

Nix is right that Democrats have a messaging problem, but it's not because they have failed to communicate to the electorate how awesome they are with their logical, fact-driven policy proposals.  Democrats have a messaging problem because they have largely abandoned arguing issues on their merits, and replaced it with vile name calling.

The hate speech is what voters aren't buying, and until Democrats come to that realization, they may in fact never win again.


Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

LTE: Skepticism

Regarding "Amazon to buy Whole Foods for $13.7B" (Page A1, Saturday), I'm surprised that this deal was announced without a word of protest from the federal government. Conventional brick and mortar stores of all descriptions have been decimated by Amazon in the past 20 years, and as the article documents, major grocery chains across the country stand to be similarly decimated by Amazon's foray into store-front retail.

The anti-trust implications are clear: the definition of a vertical monopoly is a company that dominates a particular sector, much as Amazon dominates online commerce. The definition of a horizontal monopoly is a company that dominates various sectors, such as distribution and retail, which Amazon is now attempting to do, leveraging their monopoly in online commerce.

Consumers are inevitably the victims when monopolies are allowed to flourish unchecked. It's time for the federal government to do its job, and investigate this acquisition.

Pete Smith, Cypress

Hyperbole In Sports

Regarding "Tiger takes another tumble in fall from grace" (Monday Front Page), after reading this article, I am more convinced than ever that modern celebrity worship is a wretched and pointless exercise, designed to demean not only the object of public affection and their fans, but the reporters that cover them as well.

Take this piece written by Jenny Dial Creech, for instance.  There used to be only two subjects absolutely guaranteed to cause otherwise sensible Houston sports reporters to take complete leave of their senses and then wallow in endless rhetorical excess: Johnny Manziel and Brock Osweiler.  We can now add to that list Tiger Woods.

Notwithstanding the relative insignificance of his DUI in Florida, Tiger Woods and Chronicle readers were subjected to world class hyperbole.  The story was a tragedy of epic proportions, at least in Creech's telling, fraught with psychoanalysis, blame, judgment, regret, speculation and concern for the sport of Golf.

Jenny, it's a game.  It's participants are entertainers.  Time to chill and dial it back about four notches.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

LTE - Predators Lurk

Regarding "Legislature beyond bounds of reason on bathrooms, vouchers", Lisa Falkenberg excoriates Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and legislators for passing a bill that would restrict persons of one sex from using the bathrooms of the opposite sex in public schools, stating "I gather Patrick is concerned that a male sexual predator would put on a dress to enter a women’s bathroom — even though doing so is already illegal if that predator attacks or even bothers somebody in that bathroom."

This is the same false logic that she and other opponents to the legislation have used time and again to define this issue.  First off, there is no dress code for sexual predators or anybody else entering a public restroom.  As to the second part of her argument, it's small comfort to the chickens that it's illegal for a fox be in the hen-house with ill intent.

That is why sexual predators, like the fox, must be denied access.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Muslims and Latinos

Regarding "Houston mosque embraces Latinos into family of Islam" (Page A17), I found it curious that article referred to "the deep connections between the Latino and Islamic cultures" including "a shared history, which dates back to the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula."

That "shared history" was the invasion of Europe by Islamists that subjugated most of modern day Spain and Portugal for nearly 7 centuries before being driven out.

Latinos might reflect on that and all of the modern day wars waged in the name of Islam before concluding they have so very much in common.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Public Safety or Profit?

Regarding "Cell ban nearing penalty phase" (Sunday Page A3), the reporter bends over backwards to portray Sugarland's $500 fine for any use of a cell phone while driving as all being done in the interest of public safety.  The article also suggests that most of the people likely to be ticketed would be Sugarland residents.

Both of these premises are likely false.  The Southwest Freeway, Highway 6 and Route 90 all run through Sugarland, making it an ideal location for a ticket trap.  That explains not only the outrageous fine, but the draconian ban on any cell phone use at all.

This is a money grab, pure and simple.  A measly 10 tickets a day nets Sugarland almost $2 Million in fines per year, and unlike their ticket trap red light cameras, payment is mandatory and they don't need to share the proceeds.

It will be interesting to see what other driver behavior Sugarland next conjures up as being a threat to public safety that needs to be fined.  At this rate, we shouldn't have to wait long.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Arnold As Role Model

Regarding "Schwarzenegger: ‘Self-made’ a myth" (Friday City | State), the actor and former governor proclaimed at the U of H commencement that "the whole concept of the self-made man or woman is a myth.  I just didn’t materialize like the Terminator in a fireball on the streets of Los Angeles."

That is more true in Schwarzenegger's case than you could possibly imagine, but not because of the "takes a village" message he was promoting, unless by village you mean the drug dealers who provided the massive doses of steroids that he injected into his body to become Mr. Universe and a movie icon, or the former Nanny whom he impregnated.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as a moral icon qualified to preach to students about self awareness is a joke. Just ask his ex-wife Maria Shriver.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Liberal Logic Gets People Killed

Regarding "House delays discussion on knife bill days after stabbing" Sunday (Page A6), reacting once again to political correctness, lawmakers are refraining from proposing legislation to permit the carry of larger knives in Texas due to a concern that such liberties might appear insensitive to the victims of the recent and horrific knife assault by a college student on the UT Austin campus.

What's lost in the argument is the fact that the assailant in the knife attacks - Kendrex J. White - murdered one and injured three others with a "large hunting knife" that is already illegal to carry in the State of Texas.  Without a hint of irony, UT President Greg Fenves criticized the legislation and promoted the "Safe Space" culture that infects UT by declaring that "allowing knives on campus is a bad idea.”

He should be forced to explain how depriving law abiding students from having weapons accomplishes anything other than ensuring that there will be plenty of lambs on campus for the next Kendrex White to slaughter.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Art Acevedo Advocates For Cop Killers

Regarding "‘Sanctuary cities’ ban advances" (Friday Front Page), Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo complains about the state law being proposed and says "“We don’t have the resources.....nor the desire to be ICE agents. If I wanted to work for ICE, I would’ve applied for ICE.”

Officers of the law don't get to pick which laws they want to enforce, but if Chief Acevedo doesn't have the "desire" to enforce state and federal laws, perhaps he desires to prevent the murder of Houston cops.

Four of Houston's finest have been murdered by illegal immigrants since 1994.  Before he makes any more hasty pronouncements, Acevedo should ask the families of Officers Kevin Scott Will, Henry Canales, Rodney Johnson and Guy P. Gaddis what they feel he should do.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Dime A Dozen

Regarding "100 tremendous days in the White House" (Thursday Outlook Pg A15), Garrison Keillor has really taken to his new career as a satirist since he retired from Prairie Home Companion, writing his umpteenth column gigging President Trump.  The problem is, that's all he writes about.

Keillor clearly suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome, which means we can only expect more of the same.  The Chronicle may want to reconsider enabling yet another Republican hater.  We already have Paul Krugman.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Let Houston Handle Their Own Pensions

Regarding "Houston should be able to handle own pensions" (Wednesday Outlook Pg. A19), former Mayor Bill White revisits the entire sad saga of Houston's pension crisis, but surprisingly spends very little time on the cause, and no time at all on the only realistic solution.  White's only nod to reality in the entire article is one of his opening sentences: "Houston’s pension problems arose from benefit increases adopted in 2001 and based on flawed projections."

Talk about an understatement.  What really happened was that in a proverbial smoke-filled back room and out of the public eye, former Mayor Lee Brown approved a massive, unilateral and completely arbitrary increase in pension benefits for all municipal workers, despite the fact that they had not been promised the increase as a condition of employment, and did not deserve it.

In hindsight, it's clear that this multi-billion dollar fraud should have resulted in criminal convictions and prison time for the perpetrators.  Sadly that's not going to happen. What should happen now, however, is that this phony benefit should be taken away from the retirees now receiving it and denied to all future retirees as well. Houston's pension crisis would be solved.

Nobody can create wealth with the stroke of a pen.  Debt on the other hand - as the culpable Mayor Brown proved - can be created in endless quantities.  That was the premise for this boondoggle in 2001, and it is a fundamental element of Mayor Sylvester Turner's proposed bailout in 2017.

Houston's retirees and current employees need to surrender their ill-gotten gains.  If they refuse, let Houston alone suffer the consequences, as Mayor White suggests. That's the only way to prevent such fraud from being perpetrated again, and the only way to protect the millions of Texas taxpayers outside of Houston that will otherwise get stuck with the tab.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

LTE - Muslim Faith

Regarding “Local Muslims reach out to share faith” (Page A4, Sunday), the story tells of a nationwide outreach to dispel misconceptions about Islam and engage the public.

One conception I have about the Muslim faith is that it does not afford women and girls the same rights as men and boys. That was certainly not dispelled by this article, since the program Saturday was performed exclusively by Muslim men and boys.

The public face of worldwide Islam is male, and men are not hidden from the public, nor required to wear a veil, hijab or burka. On the matter of admirable outreach efforts like these, I recommend a national do-over that involves as many Muslim girls and women, and an honest conversation about equality of place within Islam.

Pete Smith, Cypress

LTE - Unfair Advantage

Cancel That Green Card

Regarding "Surgeon cancels life-saving trip to Iran" (Friday Front Page), after the Trump administration implemented a travel ban against seven countries coming into the U.S.,
Dr. Alireza Shamshirsaz of Texas Children’s Hospital and some associates have refused to travel to Iran to perform a life saving operation on two unborn children due to their uncertainty at being allowed to return.  They are all as green card holders born in Iran.

Put aside for the moment the daily stories of green card holders successfully leaving the United States and returning; There is no version of the Hippocratic Oath that begins "First, I will put my own well-being above that of my patients."  There's also no version that allows one to sacrifice their patients' well being so as to preserve residency status in America.

Dr. Shamshirsaz and those other medical professionals should go to Iran, save those childrens' lives, and take their chances on return, regardless of how negligible the risk.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

LTE: Glaring flaws

Regarding “Two deaths, days apart, put spotlight on MetroRail” (Page A1, Tuesday), the chart that accompanies the article shows collisions with people per mile of track compared to other cities. For major lines, Houston’s is by far the worst. We have 18 times as many accidents as Boston per track mile, for example.

Houston Metro’s manic pursuit of street-grade rail has yielded the worst of all systems, not just deadly to pedestrians and cyclists but a noisome eyesore as well, and its design flaws are well-documented: the high number of intersections with streets, the inability of a heavy ballistic train to stop quickly compared to a car, and worst of all, trains that travel parallel tracks where no natural right-of-way is observed. Simply put, cross traffic must look left and right for every track, all the time.

For all of these reasons, it’s unlikely that tweaking traffic signals will solve the problem. The system is fundamentally flawed, and needs to be scrapped.

Pete Smith, Cypress

LTE: ‘America First’ policy

Regarding “Trump’s revolution imperils U.S., allies” (Page A15, Friday) Charles Krauthammer claims “our new president’s ‘America First’ foreign policy abandons all that makes America exceptional.”

What a crock. In matters of foreign policy, America has become the world’s patsy. On trade agreements, America always gives away the store. On immigration, every other nation on Earth is allowed to control their borders except America. On military cooperation, Uncle Sam picks up 90 percent of the tab and suffers 90 percent of the casualties. And despite all that, since the end of World War II, diplomatic relations begin and end with America walking on eggshells and constantly apologizing for being America.

It’s one thing to be constantly taken advantage of by others; it’s something else entirely for people like Krauthammer to portray it as some higher calling. The simple fact is that by coddling our allies, we have made them all soft, weak and ripe for exploitation. Trump’s “America First” policy will force them all to again stand on their own two feet. And that is exceptional.

Pete Smith, Cypress

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Sunday-letters-Astrodome-Mexico-America-First-10890225.php

Let The Punishment Fit The Crime

Regarding "ASTROS DATA BREACH" (Sunday Sports A19), the article recounts the story of former St. Louis Cardinals executive Chris Correa, convicted for hacking of the Astros’ email and player evaluation database.  It also states that Major League Baseball sanctions against the Cardinals are expected this week.

Whatever the sanctions, here's hoping that MLB doesn't once again let team executives and owners get off with a hand slap, as they did with the steroid scandal. As with steroid cheating, Correa's cyber-theft didn't happen in a vacuum.  Other Cardinals' Execs were briefed about the intel for years; it is reasonable to assume by the nature of the information that some of them knew where it was coming from.

The same was true of players' use of performance enhancing drugs throughout the 90s and beyond.

If I was MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, it seems fair that the Cards should sacrifice their next three first round draft picks to the Astros.  The' Stros would be compensated for the damage done, but most importantly, that penalty would ensure that such hacking would likely never occur again.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Voter Fraud: Nothing Going On Here Folks

Regarding "Let's be honest", (Thursday Editorial), the Editors go on and on about the alleged lies and mistruths perpetuated by President Trump and his aides in the opening days of his presidency.  The editorial in particular takes umbrage at Trump's "ridiculous claim about vote fraud."

Ridiculous?  Let's review major stories in the past five years:

- The Michigan recount of the 2016 election results which found several Detroit precincts with more votes than registered voters.

- The fact that recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania all resulted in more Republican votes being counted.

- Credible accounts from California and from other states of Republican voters electronic ballots being switched to Democrat candidates.

- The criminal investigation of Democrat support group ACORN for voter fraud in six states for manufacturing tens of thousands of phony voter registrations, resulting in dozens of convictions.

- An article on the time honored practice of "ballot harvesting" votes at retirement homes and homeless shelters in the Rio Grande Valley, frequently with a bribe.

- A report from Arizona by an electoral official of a "harvester" carrying thousands of ballots into a voting station.

- Decades of electoral fraud in Chicago, most recently documented in a sting video that went viral concerning two party officials expounding on the best voter fraud techniques.

The thing they all had in common?  Overwhelmingly, the apparent fraud was perpetuated by Democrats on behalf of Democrat candidates.  This has been the trend for decades: evidence of Democrat voter fraud, followed by the media pooh-poohing the claims, then encouraging everybody to move on.

Reasonable people looking at this evidence could not fail but to see that there is real voter fraud, and that it virtually always leads back to the Democrats.  The question would then be: how much more would naysayers such as yourselves need to see before you put on your gumshoes, pulled out the notepad and the tape recorder, and started rooting out the story?

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Piling On Manziel

Regarding "Manziel pledges changes for new year" (Friday A2), Brent Zwerneman spends an entire article showing his contempt for former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel's recent Tweets admitting to alcohol problems.  He finishes the article with this doozy: "Meanwhile, plenty of fans will consider Manziel’s Thursday tweets some of the dumbest things they’ve ever read, until he acts on his pledges."

Millions of Twelve Steppers would heartily disagree.  Admitting you have a problem is the First Step.  Johnny Manziel is publicly addressing his demons.  Brent Zwerneman could stand to do the same.


Pete Smith
Cypress, TX