Dialogue

HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW?

His Accidency Rick Perry’s rejectionist rhetoric (“The Governor’s Job Con,” April 17) lacks only an axe handle to complete his self-portrait as an anti-intellectual populist in the Lester Maddox mold. Perry has no ideas or practical solutions to offer-he appeals only to those who prefer to measure people by their cost instead of their values. Haven’t we had enough?

Earl DivokyFresno

Adios, Texas. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Austin VincentPosted at www.texasobserver.org

THE STRAIGHT DOPE

Thanks for damping down the hysteria (“Lights, Cameras, Mayhem!” April 17). As too often happens, the TV folks didn’t let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Paul SampsonPosted at www.texasobserver.org

Thank you very much for setting the record straight about events here. There have been only three homicides in El Paso so far this year. None of these three homicides involved the “drug cartels.”

I’ve lived in El Paso since 1961. Like most El Pasoans, I do not welcome the militarization of the border. The nation’s armed forces have other missions to accomplish.

One hopes Lou Dobbs and other know-nothings will keep their mouths shut about a situation of which they are completely ignorant.

Don KirkpatrickPosted at www.texasobserver.org

CONTRADICTING CLAIMS

“Dying for Nurses” (March 20) highlighted legislation that would mandate fixed nurse-to-patient ratios and relayed as fact more than once the supporting union group’s claim that “similar legislation enacted in California … improved the quality of care there.” That claim is incorrect and without basis. In fact, the two scientific studies examining patient outcomes before and after implementation of mandated fixed ratios failed to demonstrate any improvement. Also, there is no evidence that mandated fixed ratios reduce the number of wrongful death lawsuits or nurse turnover rates.

While “dozens” of nurses may have rallied at the Texas Capitol on March 4 to support mandated fixed nurse-to-patient ratios, more than 300 registered nurses from 17 different Texas nursing organizations were there the day before supporting the Hospital Safe Staffing Act (HB 591 & SB 476) filed by Reps. Donna Howard and Susan King and Sen. Jane Nelson. This legislation empowers nurses at individual hospitals to determine appropriate staffing levels for their patients and, according to their Web site, is now supported by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.

Rather than “Dying for Nurses,” the article should have been titled, “Dying for Balanced Reporting” since it appears the Observer didn’t check the facts.

Cindy Zolnierek, RNvia e-mail

MEAT IS MOCKERY

I’d like to thank Steven G. Kellman for letting me know right there in the first paragraph of “The Life You Can Save” (April 3) that I didn’t need to finish reading the review; it’s always irritating to get all the way through an article and find out only at the very end that the writer is a complete ninny whose opinion can be disregarded. Might I suggest Mr. Kellman take this courtesy one step further and wear a large name tag that says “HI! I am a Moral Vegetarian!” It would let everyone he meets in person know that he can be ignored.

Jason MeadorLuling