Letters for July 23, 2010
Letters to the Editor published in The Daily News:
The Galveston Chamber of Commerce is polling its members for opinions about casino gambling.
Column On Gambling Missed The Mark
In response to the guest column “Gambling a no-win game for Galveston” by Norman Pappous (The Daily News, July 19): Had he not given his title, I would have labeled it as an uninformed opinion, not based on facts for legalized-regulated casino gambling.
I believe Galveston and Galveston County are a little more sophisticated in management style than that of Central City, Colo., the model Pappous proposes we consider in deciding to accept localized casino gambling.
Since he referenced BP in the Gulf of Mexico, as an economist, would he not want to take a look at our competitors to the east, namely Louisiana and Mississippi, in developing support for his argument to “say no to gambling”?
There are about 43 states with some form of legalized gambling. Not all are successful. Coastal states enjoy the most success. Galveston and Galveston County have the potential of attracting more tax revenue than the states of Washington and California combined.
For those who can remember, in the late ’30s, ’40s and early ’50s, Galveston’s nonregulated gambling attracted stars from Los Angeles, entertainment from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and beyond. Galvestonians were happy and working.
Nathaniel Wilson
Galveston
Bipartisan Action Accomplishes Much
On page one of Friday’s local newspapers, I read where legislation co-authored by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson to stabilize the NASA work force had passed out of Senate committee. First, I want to commend Sen. Hutchinson for her support for legislation that is very important to our community.
Now, I want to provide more information based on U.S. Senate records on the status of this legislation and its probable future. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is the principal author of this legislation. Becoming a co-author in any legislative body requires the approval of its principal author.
Sen. Nelson, a former astronaut, also serves as chair of the committee. Passage was 100 percent bipartisan. It passed by voice vote, which means every committee member in both parties voted in the affirmative.
The Obama administration also is expected to support the bill. On Wednesday, an administration official said the measure “appears to contain the critical elements necessary for achieving the president’s vision of NASA.”
Organized labor interests led by the Association of Machinists worked with Sen. Nelson and the committee in support of the legislation. The House has not yet acted on the bill, but with bipartisan Senate backing and the administration’s support, the legislation is likely to pass. U.S. Reps. Gene Green and Al Green of Houston, will be leaders in securing passage in the House of Representatives.
This NASA legislation provides an example of what can be accomplished when elected officials meet their responsibilities and work together for the common good. When they work together, everyone wins. When extremism, hate speech, deception and obstructionism are employed by politicians on both national and local levels, the victims are the people who they were elected to represent.
Lloyd Criss, Chair
Galveston County Democratic Party
Thanks For Sharing With Exchange Students
The SHARE! High School Exchange Program would like to thank the host families for sharing their hearts and homes with three international exchange students at the end of their time in Texas.
Pam and Ernie Bivens hosted Hoi-Leung from Hong Kong. Melanie and Riley Morgan hosted Isabelle from Germany. Johnnie and Matthew Schaper hosted Valentin from France.
Without these families, our students would not have been able to experience our rich American culture. Since 1980, SHARE! has worked to help the people of the world get acquainted through a cross-cultural experience. Hosting a student is a great way for the citizens of Texas City to learn about other cultures and languages without leaving home.
My thanks to the host families, the teachers and Texas City High School for extending such a warm welcome to these exchange students who chose to travel thousands of miles from home. The students always will remember the welcome they received from the people in Texas City.
SHARE! is looking for host families for the 2010-11 school year to host exchange students between the ages of 15 and 18 who will attend local high schools for a semester or the whole year.
For information, call 800-941-3738, or visit sharesouthwest.org.
Yvette Coffman
Dallas
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