Regarding “Editorial: 'Who the f— is Greg?' and other questions for Texas doctors weighing abortions,” (July 28): Why bother to license medical professionals if we are going to let unlicensed and ignorant legislators dictate medical care? A Texas obstetrician can choose, on one hand, management which risks morbidity and death of the mother (and might be considered malpractice), but at least will be approved by the hospital lawyer and covered by the doctor’s medical liability policy. On the other hand, management based on best medical practice which causes the death of an unborn child risks criminal prosecution and multiple civil suits in multiple state venues for which the doctor will be personally responsible. These misguided and misaligned incentives favor risking injury or death to the woman in exchange for a remote chance to save the pregnancy. We should not have to wait for women to die to fix this. Treatment to save the mother from severe injury or disability (physical or mental), or possibly death, which could or will result in the death of an unborn child, as determined by qualified medical professionals, should be excluded from the legal definition of abortion.
Regarding “Opinion: Houston can solve our crime problem if we come together. Here’s how.,” I’ve been in public service for the better part of my life. I’ve served as a police officer, member of Houston City Council, sheriff, and now, I serve in Harris County government. After reading this op-ed, I thought it important to respond. I respect the three authors of the piece. However, some of the “facts” need correcting.
The Harris County Commissioners Court’s most direct role is making budget decisions with the resources available, so as someone at the table when those decisions have been made, I want to share what we’ve done to keep the public safe. The piece insinuates that public safety funding is not “our highest funding priority” — the fact is, public safety funding consumes around two-thirds of our current fiscal year county budget, totaling approximately $1.3 billion in spending. It also states that we have “only granted temporary and insufficient increases” to the district attorney. The truth is in the last budget cycle, that office was given increases from temporary COVID funds as well as permanent funding to pay for the largest starting salaries in Texas, based on research we’ve done.
We have considered night and weekend courts and found them to be promising. However, we need all stakeholders in the criminal justice system to be willing to work together to make such an idea a reality.
My fellow members of Commissioners Court and I all want to do everything we can to keep the public safe. While we may have different ideas of how to go about it, I’d welcome all to the table to work as a team and come together to make Harris County the safest county in the nation.
Adrian Garcia, Harris County Commissioner for Precinct 2
Regarding “‘Living in hell’: A Houston monkeypox victim on his battle against the disease,” (July 28): So monkeypox is evidently now a national health emergency. I’m confused. The disease is fatal in only the rarest of cases and normally resolves on its own within a few weeks. The virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact or by contact with clothing or other materials that have contacted open lesions of an infected individual so mask mandates are not indicated, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see that happen. Virtually all cases are contracted by men who regularly have sex with other men and I prefer not to think deeply about why this is so. I’m already doing my part by not having sex with other men — what more should I be doing? The World Health Organization has published a request asking men to have sex with fewer male partners until the spread of monkeypox subsides, which seems prudent. What does declaring this disease to be a national health emergency do to help stop the spread?
Regarding “Opinion: Busing migrants to score political points is reprehensible,” (July 27): This writer was way off-base when they stated, “I witnessed firsthand the tragedy of busing thousands of immigrants to Washington,” the reason being they “arrive at Union Station with little or no family.”
The financial burden really falls on the state where the immigrants arrive, not the federal government. The federal government refusing to deal with the border is costing the states untold financial issues. The current administration is the one using the “vulnerable people, including many small children” as political pawns in order to garner votes among the misguided liberals they are courting.
Regarding “Two arrested after alleged road rage shooting in north Harris County, sheriff says,” (July 26): I am glad that the woman and man who allegedly attacked a man out of road rage were caught. How brazen of the man to come out shooting to kill whoever was in the other car. These disgusting, pathetic people should be charged with all that the law allows. They are a threat to society and should be sentenced to life in prison. In this society, it seems, these shooters are seldom caught; how lucky of the police. Now hopefully they don’t get a bleeding heart judge to release them.
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Before the world knew Brittney Griner as the WNBA star at the center of an international scandal, Houston knew her as a local basketball phenom.