No ‘Texas miracle’ in my skyrocketing electric bill — but the billionaires are happy

On the hook for winter storm

My electricity provider just notified me that beginning on my July 1 invoice, I will see a new line item for a “non-bypassable uplift” charge. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is assessing this charge on retail electric suppliers to pay for “certain extraordinary costs … related to Winter Storm Uri.” It was “authorized by the Texas Legislature to stabilize the market.”

Of course, the suppliers are passing the charge through to their customers. In other words, billionaires like Kelcy Warren got richer because of the storm; Gov. Greg Abbott claimed he fixed the grid; and the “Texas miracle” of squeezing everyone but the rich continues.

This is the governor’s fault. He should not pass these fees on to us. He wasted enough of our money with that publicity stunt he pulled at the border.

- Andrew Lundberg, Mansfield

Fort Worth impressed

My wife and I just returned from a three-day stay in downtown Fort Worth for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Your public improvement district is to be commended for the cleanliness of your downtown. We never saw even a piece of paper.

In 1996, I was involved in the establishment of El Paso’s improvement district, so I’m familiar with the challenges of keeping a downtown clean. We are native Texans and travel the state frequently. You certainly have the cleanest downtown of any major city in Texas.

- Tommy Cox, Horseshoe Bay

History is fundamental

Hooray for the Juneteenth museum coming to Fort Worth. (June 16, 1A, “Designs unveiled for Historic Southside’s Juneteenth museum”) But this museum devoted to slaves learning that they had become free seems to conflict with Republicans’ desire to avoid teaching about the legacy of slavery in education programs.

- Douglas Harman, Fort Worth

How about some hazard pay?

It has been suggested that one answer to gun violence in schools would be to arm teachers. Let’s explore that: Both cops and teachers must have college degrees and certification. If I was a teacher and this was proposed, I’d reply: “Sure, I’ll do that. But you’ll have to pay me what a teacher makes and what a police officer makes.” Right?

- Owen Daniel, Fort Worth

Read the Bible more closely

Dillon Awes, a preacher at the anti-gay Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga, has selected a single prohibition from Leviticus — verse 20:13 — and declared that LGBTQ people “should be lined up against a wall and shot in the back of the head.” (June 15, 1A, “Mayor: Nothing Watauga can do about anti-gay church”)

There are many other laws in the Bible requiring capital punishment that most people today find do not fit with our modern understanding of justice. If Awes wants to take this one law literally, he should parse through the rest of Leviticus and make sure none of the other laws apply to any of his flock — or to himself.

- Connie Lefler, Fort Worth

Deep pockets just get deeper

The recent Saudi golf maneuver is just the latest example of greed gone wild in the world. (June 10, 2B, “PGA Tour says Saudi-paid players no longer eligible for tour”) Business executives make obscene salaries and golden parachutes. Pro athletes make millions for barely playing. College players are paid for endorsements, and now high school players want the same. What’s next, a toddler wanting extra cookies for eating a certain cereal?

Explain this to a mother in India or Africa who adds dirt to her child’s meager once-a-day meal so the child feels somewhat full.

- Thomas Fenimore, Hurst

Oil mess is Biden’s fault

Regarding the story Thursday, “Biden tells oil producers: Produce more gas, fewer profits” (5A): So, President Joe Biden runs a campaign saying he wants to transition away from fossil fuels and enacts policies while he’s in office to make it harder for oil and gas companies to do business, then demands they produce more to bail him out of the mess he’s created.

It doesn’t work like that, Joe. You made the mess. You fix it.

- Steve Himes, Fort Worth

Police not for the individual

As we saw in Uvalde, when seconds count, law enforcement is only minutes away. Do police have a duty to protect individuals? No, generally not.

- Billy Pirkle, Willow Park