Fair pay: I just saw on the news this weekend that police and firemen were disappointed in the mayor and city council for misleading people about the 17 percent pay raise they sought. Had it ever occurred to them that people are usually given raises for good performance? Since taxpayers had to shell out millions of dollars for Chief Bolton demoting his competition plus the whole Sheetrock drug scandal ("Dirty or Duped?" May 2), they should be happy with their 5-5-5 and move on.
Name withheld
Via e-mail
Sheetrock victims: Great job by Mr. Mark Donald in developing the truth about what happened there in Dallas! The story about Yvonne Gwyn reminds us that truth is stranger than fiction. She is one of the many thousands of innocent victims of the drug prohibition.
It's funny how things have been reversed--in the old days, one feared going south of the border because of the probability of being thrown in some local jail down there. Now, those coming here must fear being thrown in the U.S. gulag in the name of the drug war.
Richard Sinnott
Fort Pierce, Florida
Haste makes waste: Mark Donald's article "Dirty or Duped" points out an all-too-common problem in law enforcement today--and not just in Dallas. Police are trying a little too hard to make arrests, to the point of manufacturing evidence, hiring questionable informants and spending an unreasonable amount of money in doing so. The gypsum-as-cocaine scandal demonstrates that haste makes waste; they didn't even test the evidence! So now they've got to eat crow...too bad.
The so-called War on Drugs is a farce. It doesn't work; it never worked. Prohibition leads to street crime, not drugs. This is what we get for all our tax dollars. If anyone remembers, it was Richard Nixon who started this colossal boondoggle, and we all know what an honorable man he was. Things haven't changed after all these years.
Jerome A. Boulware
Grapevine
Free doesn't mean drug-free: Who's to blame for the fake-drug scandal rocking Dallas police? Virtually everyone--who allows the present drug policies to continue. As Mark Donald said, "The drug war muddies everything it touches."
Who would suffer the most by a change to drug regulation and treatment? The people involved in milking the black market, of course. Also, law enforcement and lawyers milk the system for all its worth in cash flow to their pockets or in asset seizures.
Who will benefit the most by such a change? Us, we the people, especially our children who have never tried drugs. It would kill the economic incentive to turn them into users. It would stop prohibition violence and corruption in law enforcement, just as it did with the end of alcohol prohibition.
Other countries are re-examining their policies on drugs and opting for regulation and treatment. We can have a justice system that flows with the milk of human kindness by adopting a policy that causes less harm than good. Don't be afraid! Be brave, it's the right thing to do. There is no such thing as both a free America and a drug-free America!
Colleen McCool
Stephenville
False Profits
Shame on the McGuires: Virginia McGuire and her gang of no-goods ("Sweetheart Deal," April 25) really are wolves in sheep's clothing. How dare they purport to help low-income folks find decent housing when it is obvious that all they are doing is lining their own pockets? And to do it under the protection of a nonprofit designation. Shame on them! They and others of their ilk who twist a good concept beyond recognition should be run out of town on a rail. I work for a nonprofit agency, and I greatly resent Ms. McGuire and her gang for tainting the work performed by legitimate nonprofit organizations.
Shelton Stogner
Richardson
Sack of Kittens
A little harsh: For the most part, I really respect Zac Crain's writing and taste, but I think he was a little hard on Shackleford Brown (Scene, Heard, May 2). I saw them play on top of Cool Beans in Denton, and frankly, I thought they rocked. It's obvious you're not a big rock-and-roll fan, but come on, there are still plenty of people who prefer it to so many of the whiny bands that headline in Dallas. Have you listened to their album? It has some really good songs on it.
Anyway, back to my Beatles and Tripping Daisy records...
Ryan Vaughn
Dallas
Toss My Cookies
Hilarious: I just thought I would send a quick note to tell you how hilarious I thought your article "Bill Due" (April 18) was. I was able to get some free time at lunch to read the Dallas Observer, and reading your article nearly made me laugh the food right out of my mouth (sorry for any mental images). Great job on the story. Keep up the good work!
Bo Asher
Dallas
