Commentary | Hill Country News

Commentary: Texas Legislators attacking public transparency yet again

To anyone who says, “Newspapers are dead,” I say, “Sit at my desk the Monday after the post office sends a bundle of newspapers to Fort Worth by mistake.” I say, … more

By Austin Lewter, Director, Texas Center for Community Journalism | 4/2/25

Commentary: Take Pride in who we are as a community

The hard work of seeing beyond our past and embracing a diverse, inclusive future is never done. Whether it's two steps forward and one step back – or lately one step forward and two steps … more

By Mike Eddleman, Guest Columnist | 3/18/25

Commentary: Fond memories of our Fourth of July gatherings

I miss watching the spectacular fireworks display at Eddie G’s house every Fourth of July. Eddie G. was my grandmother’s longtime companion. For the last 20 years of her life, Eddie … more

By Tom Purcell, Guest Columnist | 7/4/24

Commentary: Let the 4th Inspire You

Happy 4th of July to my fellow Texans! This week, as we light up our barbecue pits to grill, and the sky with our fireworks to celebrate, it is also a time to reflect on how we have the liberty and … more

By Shane R. Saum, Guest Columnist | 7/3/24

Commentary: This is the stuff some want to whitewash

If you’re bored by the pablum that passes for conversation on sports broadcasts – if, like me, you’re long past fed up with all the cliches and predictable jock jocularity – I … more

By Dick Polman, Guest Columnist | 7/2/24

Commentary: It's time to put Americans' health decisions back in our own hands

We all deserve the right to make informed decisions about our own health. That right has been in danger for years — and since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it’s under siege. … more

By Kelsea McLain, Guest Columnist | 6/27/24

Commentary: Crypto scams are rampant. The industry needs regulation.

A recent bill passed by the House of Representatives claims to regulate the cryptocurrency industry and protect consumers. But the bill is a Trojan horse designed by an industry flush with cash … more

By Brian Carss, Guest Columnist | 6/27/24

Commentary: Hunter Biden was found guilty. Guess what didn't happen?

Hunter Biden, the president's son, was found guilty of illegally buying a gun while using narcotics. While he stood trial, you may have noticed the quietude outside the federal courthouse and on the … more

By Dick Polman, Guest Columnist | 6/19/24

Commentary: Biden can't fix our immigration system by banning asylum

President Biden once pledged to adopt more humane immigration policies than his predecessor. But in practice, as immigrant rights advocates have documented, his administration has escalated the … more

By Farrah Hassen, Guest Columnist | 6/19/24

Commentary: Texas could face long-term water supply deficit

Texas is facing a reckoning on water that we must address if the state wants to secure its future prosperity. The State Water Plan prepared by the Texas Water Development Board projects that Texas … more

By Jeremy B. Mazur, Guest Columnist | 6/13/24

Commentary: Father’s Day — A 1974 Plumbing Disaster

In 1974, when I was 11, I flushed an apple core down the toilet. You see, my father had remodeled our basement into a family room with a powder room. Always looking ... more

By Tom Purcell, Guest Columnist | 6/13/24

Commentary: An open letter to Gov. Abbott on behalf of Texas public schools

Governor Abbott, In your recent response to Representative Rosenthal, you rejected his plea for a special session to address school funding, asserting that the responsibility for budget … more

6/6/24

Commentary: We need housing, not handcuffs

As the cost of housing has exploded, so has the number of people experiencing homelessness. And unfortunately, instead of trying to house people, more states and cities are criminalizing people … more

By Farrah Hassen, Guest Columnist | 5/30/24

Commentary: The importance of home ownership

Home sales remain sluggish thanks to high interest rates and a shortage of homes for sale, and that is really bad for America. Because as more Americans become life-long renters, they will never … more

By Tom Purcell, Guest Columnist | 5/30/24

Commentary: For Memorial Day, honoring family members of those who serve

Ida Ayres never served a day in the armed forces, but at 95, she knows plenty about the sacrifices of war. “Through six wars, I have been the daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother … more

By Tom Purcell, Guest Columnist | 5/24/24

Commentary: Don't let privatizers kill our postal service

Before there was a United States of America — before our Constitution was adopted, and even before our 1776 Declaration of Independence — one of America’s best democratic … more

By Jim Hightower, Guest Columnist | 5/23/24

Commentary: Is it nice to fool Mother Nature?

Yes, I was hunkered down paying rapt attention to the weather report on May 8 when an EF-3 tornado rampaged through a neighboring county. Understandably, I was intrigued by a May 11 “New … more

By Danny Tyree, Guest Columnist | 5/23/24

Commentary: Lawmakers should spend a night in a homeless shelter

If there’s one thing I could tell lawmakers, it would be to bring back the expanded, monthly, fully refundable Child Tax Credit. Those monthly payments of up to $300 per child cut child … more

By Tiffany Tagbo, Guest Columnist | 5/16/24

Commentary: This graduation season, debt relief still feels out of reach for young borrowers

College is expensive — and for most Americans, higher education is still largely unaffordable. The cost of college continues to rise at rates that salaries and income aren’t keeping … more

By Candace Milner, Guest Columnist | 5/16/24

Commentary: Yearning for random thoughts about Mother’s Day?

Believe it or not, Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” makes me think of Mother’s Day. Remember the scene where Allen’s character Alvy was stuck in line at the movies, … more

By Danny Tyree, Guest Columnist | 5/9/24

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