Chron Readers

I am constantly pointing out how bad a paper the Chron is. But maybe it's simply catering to its readers. Here's a series of letters from today's edition:

Mayor Lee Brown's failure to improve the infrastruture of Houston's roadways has saved taxpayers many dollars and much grief from traffic snarls by our failed bid for the 2012 Olympics.

[Could someone translate that to English? -klw]

Bill Hamrick, Houston

* * *

Houston was rejected for the 2012 Olympics because it did not bribe the decision-makers as much as the other cities did. Bribery at the Olympics is well-documented.

[Yes, I'm sure that's it. I can't believe I didn't think of that. -klw]

Perry Jefferies, Galveston

* * *

Regarding Houston's loss of its 2012 Olympic bid, which some have attributed to our poor image: The city's image is not created in a vacuum -- it is the product of the social, political and cultural values it presents.

[huh? -klw]

Ironically, on the day the U.S. Olympics Committee eliminated Houston from contention, two prominent stories in the Chronicle noted that funding for Texas prisons is increasing faster than funding for education, and that Texas' math and verbal SAT scores continue to rank among the nation's worst. Those headlines say a lot about Texas, and, therefore, about Houston.

[Isn't a lot where people park their cars? -klw]

Steve Roman, Richmond

* * *

For the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, I was an engineer at the building that hosted the hockey matches. I was on the Salt Lake organizing committee and also on the International Olympic Committee. Unseen in the greed of acquisition are the tremendous costs connected with handling the throngs of people who attend these events.

[Also unseen would be any sense of rhetorical style. -klw]

Houston should be very glad it was passed over by the dark shadow of the Olympics.

[I prefer lighter shadows myself. -klw]

Jamie Cryer, Houston

Dear gawd. That was painful. And these are the people who actually can write well enough to be published in the gawdawful Chron. *sigh*

[Posted at 20:09 CST on 09/01/02] [Link]