Common Sense

The letters to the editor in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram daily newspaper speak volumes. How is it citizens can see the issues and the City Council cannot?

Baffling priorities

Thursday’s Star-Telegram had two articles next to each other that kinda puzzled me. One was about the budget cuts for city services, and the other was about the city paying $250,000 to locate a statue of JFK in a downtown park.

Now, I’m not the brightest guy in the world and I’ve got many dear friends who would testify to that in front of the pope and Billy Graham, but why in holy bronzed baby shoes are we paying $250,000 to put a statue in a park when we can’t even afford to mow the grass?

— Bill Gentry, Fort Worth

I attended the Sept. 8 Fort Worth City Council meeting and was extremely disappointed in the actions of the council and Mayor Moncrief.

We are in a tough economic climate, but in addition to the $1.04 billion budgeted for 2010, the city received $504.3 million in federal stimulus funds, so the issue is priorities.

What good is it to develop a small area of our city through the Trinity River Vision at the expense of the rest of the community? This is what happens when we reduce maintenance dollars for medians, graffiti abatement, illegal dumping and street and traffic operations. How much quality of life do we give up when we close the Day Labor Center, eliminate community service programs, close city pools, reduce after-school programs, eliminate summer youth programs and reduce funding for social services, arts and other nonprofits? How about some "community vision"?

Moncrief told residents pleading for their small community programs to go get the funds from charitable organizations or the business sector, yet who benefits the most from the Trinity River Vision and the $29 million in culture and tourism dollars but the business sector. Let the city get this money from it. Shame!

— Irene Kjornes, Fort Worth

Shame is right. Thanks to Bill and Irene for stating the obvious, now if only the oblivious would listen.