MY QUESTION TONIGHT TO EACH OF MY TWO RESPECTIVE STATE LEGISLATORS FOR THE SECTION OF AUSTIN WHERE I LIVE: HOW CAN THE LEGISLATURE HELP RAISE THE LITERACY RATE IN TEXAS?

 

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From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: State Senator Sarah Eckhardt 2020 <sarah.eckhardt@senate.texas.gov>; Senator Sarah Eckhardt Constituent Assistance <district14.eckhardt@senate.texas.gov>; Senator Sarah Eckhardt Public Policy <andromeda.roberts@senate.texas.gov>; Senator Sarah Eckhardt Political Items <sarah@saraheckhardt.com>; Joe Biden <info@joebiden.com>; p139@traviscountydemocrats.org <p139@traviscountydemocrats.org>; press@txdemocrats.org <press@txdemocrats.org>; Rep. Sheryl Cole 2019 CentralTX <sheryl.cole@house.texas.gov>; Austin Mayor Steve Adler <steve.adler@austintexas.gov>; District 4 <district4@austintexas.gov>; Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen 2016 <district5@austintexas.gov>; District 7 <district7@austintexas.gov>; Austin Police Dept. Asst. 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Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 10:27:17 PM CST

Subject: 1-12-21 Urgent Question for Rep. Cole, Sen. Eckhardt: How to raise literacy rate in Texas?

"Texas has the fourth-lowest literacy rate of 81.0% with 19.0% of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills. Texas has the fourth-lowest number of libraries of 3.2 per 100,000 residents."

US Literacy Rates by State 2020 (worldpopulationreview.com)

January 12, 2021

Dear State Rep. Cole and State Senator Eckhardt and Policy Director Andromeda Roberts of Senator Eckhardt's legislative staff,

Best Wishes to each of you during the current Legislative Session here in Austin.

I was alarmed to read online tonight the above statement about the literacy rate in Texas being fourth-lowest in the nation and the number of libraries per capita in Texas being fourth-lowest in the nation. That fully up-to-date information at the above webpage apparently comes from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Do either of very distinguished state legislators who directly represent me in the Texas Legislature plan to offer a bill this session that is aimed at helping to raise the literacy rate and the number of public libraries per capita in Texas?

As a gainfully-employed white male self-identified victim of alleged continuous personal-injury-crimes in Austin, Texas, I am very hopeful that if our Texas Legislature can help raise the literacy rate throughout Central Texas and Texas, this might deter criminal activities and violations of our state's traffic laws.

If a Texas resident is illiterate, he is at increased risk of violating a state law or municipal ordinance that he is unaware of or does not understand the meaning of.  For instance, an illiterate resident of Texas who is driving a motor vehicle may have difficulty reading and understanding the text of traffic display signs at street intersections that state, "Left on Green Turn Signal Only" or some such phrasing.

I am reminded, incidentally, that possibly we may have a need for additional bilingual traffic sign displays on roadways in Texas. This might help more effectively communicate traffic laws in our state to Texan residents and visitors to our state for whom Spanish is their native language.

I would also like to point out that Texans who are illiterate are less likely to be able to support themselves financially. That can play a role in their being at increased risk of committing crimes such as theft of property or the sex crime of prostitution. 

These are just some of the many tangible ways in which widespread illiteracy in Texas can spawn all too many violations of our state's penal code that comprise a threat to the public safety of others.

Thank you in advance for your helpful reply letter to me on this.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

John Kevin McMillan, a law-abiding and law-enforcement-minded, gainfully-employed, always-sober, single Anglo male adult constituent of each of you. I am also the founder and only approved current member of the quality-of-life-minded and politely-non-Christian "Progressive Prohibitionist Religion" ---a factually-minded, implicitly-deistic new religion that has very stringent membership-eligibility requirements.

My home address: 8805 North Plaza Drive, Apt. 2418, Austin, TX 78753.

Home phone: (512) 342-2295.

John Kevin McMillan