Letters to the Editor — Luka Doncic, AI regulation, the pope, Bill Gates, neighbors
Readers comment on the Luka Doncic trade; support AI regulation in Texas; appreciate the good news about the pope and Bill Gates giving away his fortune; and agree with the column on helping your neighbors.
Keep trade in the news
Re: “Luka trade going to hurt for a long time — Absentee ownership and failed management damaged Dallas and the Mavs,” by Tom Leppert, Friday Opinion.
Thanks to The Dallas Morning News for publishing this op-ed from our former mayor, Tom Leppert. He hit the nail on the head on every point, especially how the Luka Doncic trade affects the city of Dallas.
It will be interesting to hopefully see 10,000 or more empty seats at the American Airlines Center next fall. I do not wish failure for the Mavs, rather complete failure for Nico Harrison.
The shameless National Basketball Association should be forced to investigate this “back room trade” and The News sportswriters and editors should be relentless in their efforts to run Harrison out of this town before our NBA franchise collapses.
Great job to Leppert for his insight and valid points.
Clarence Woosley, Duncanville
Move on, Mavs fans
People, get a grip! I am a Mavs fan and season ticket holder, and I am most definitely not a fan of the Adelson family and their plans to bring casino gambling to North Texas on the coattails of basketball.
However, all the articles and letters about the Luka Doncic trade are repetitive, and now former Mayor Tom Leppert’s Opinion piece is officially over the top.
Trades, even bad ones, are part of pro sports, and they are not what destroy cities. Dallas has some real problems that need to be addressed ranging from schools to housing to building permits to traffic and parking enforcement.
As a former mayor, Leppert should be well aware that the solutions have nothing to do with Nico Harrison‘s personnel moves. Let’s wish Luka well, and enjoy welcoming him back when he is in town. But let’s also root for the new lineup and hope for a Mavs championship. It’s time to move on!
Mary Barnes, Dallas
More on Doncic
Thank you, Tom Leppert! Your opinion on the Luka Doncic trade is the most comprehensive and accurate of any that I have seen published — including national and local publications.
Mike Stephens, North Dallas
Rethink recommendation
Re: “Leader posts apology — Council member who is running for reelection says she regrets taped remarks,” Friday Metro & Business story.
Frisco City Council member Tammy Meinershagen’s comments about the Indian community and gays shocked me. I voted for her. I won’t do it again in her runoff against Burt Thakur. One of her campaign signs is at the bottom of my trash can.
The Dallas Morning News recommended Meinershagen’s candidacy. We both erred. I fixed it on my end. Fix it on your end.
Alan E. Mesches, Frisco
Don’t forget AI
Re: “Regulation Creep May Create ‘Texafornia’ — Legislature is trying to grab power it denied to municipalities, picking winners and losers,” May 5 editorial.
Your editorial on Austin’s regulation creep was music to my ears; you just forgot to mention artificial intelligence.
What is happening in Austin today is hauntingly similar to what we have seen from states like California, which seeks overregulation instead of supporting a free market system. Only in California could a bill be vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom because it did not overregulate enough.
Something a Californian and Texan can agree on is that we do need regulations to help protect consumers from those who seek to use AI to harm consumers. Rather than create bureaucratic red tape like California, Texas needs policies that foster an environment where AI startups thrive and do what they do best — innovate.
The reason is that AI innovates faster than public policy. By the time a bill is written, voted on and signed into law, it has already been outpaced by AI. Whack-a-mole policies never succeed. They only stifle innovation and will cause Texas to fall behind the AI race.
Texas has a chance to lead the race, allow free markets to prevail and remain the best state for startups that are working to protect consumers and their data privacy.
Nicholas King, Austin
Stop insulting veterans
My father and father-in-law served in World War II. My husband is retired Army and served in Vietnam. A dear friend of ours was killed in the first Gulf War.
Now our president is suggesting that we should not honor these men. Veterans Day should not be for them. I guess he considers them not worthy.
I am disgusted, angry and saddened that this is even a suggestion. I see no end to these insults. I weep for this country.
Pamela Thompson, Frisco
A good day for America
Thursday, May 8, was a good day for America. First, the Catholic cardinals elected an American who cares about the poor, the needy and the marginalized. Then, Bill Gates showed that an American billionaire does care about starving children and fighting disease in poor countries.
I hope there will be more good days to come.
Elizabeth C. Knoop, Frisco
Mother’s message inspires
Re: “North Texans need to hear Mother’s message — She didn’t care who got your vote, just whether you loved your neighbor,” by Ronell Smith, Sunday Opinion.
I have Ruth Smith in me! When some neighbors were disparaging the Dallas Police, I went home and wrote a check and a note to The Assist the Officer Foundation of Dallas.
When I hear a tragic story in the news about human or animal abuse, I make a point to be kind at that very moment.
We can’t prevent something that has occurred, but we can do something now that may prevent something awful from happening in the future.
Ruth Smith knows this well. I look to her example as the way I also want to live.
Laura Bigi, Far North Dallas