More Letters: Feb. 6

Three (3) weeks ago I filled up my gas tank; price was $183.9/gallon. Today, Sat. 01/30/21 filled up my gas tank; price was $231.9/gallon. How's your pocketbook working out under the "HIDEN BASEMENT BIDEN" Administration. This is just the beginning.

Walt Johnson

Foothills

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Arizona state legislators began the new legislative session by launching efforts focusing on voter suppression and subversion of election protocols. For example, requiring personal delivery of early ballots as sponsored by Representative Kelly Townsend in SB 1503, requiring notary certification of signatures on ballots as sponsored by Representative Kevin Payne in HB 2369, and increasing the hand count percentage of ballots as sponsored by J.D. Mesnard, such legislation creates deliberate obstacles for Arizona voters in the election process. Add to that Representative Shawnna Bolick’s recent HB 2720 that would allow the Arizona legislature to reverse presidential voting results even after certification as well as give the state legislature complete authority to decide state presidential electors. Rather than meddling with the our state’s existing fair voting practices, I encourage our Arizona legislators to begin discussion and presentation of bills to solve the many significant financial, environmental, racial, and most prominently, pandemic concerns of our state.

Roger Shanley

East side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

The Arizona Legislature and governor loves SaddleBrooke at tax time, election time, and as a jury pool for the state's court system. But, when it comes to getting virus vaccines delivered, not so much. With a total population of more than 9,000 and boasting the largest Republican club in the red state, this senior community is stuck with the short end of that proverbial stick.

We set up for vaccinations on a weekend in January, and no serum comes. Another weekend, 1000 doses are promised, and only 600 are received. Rightfully so, we are now scheduling the second round of shots for the sizable 75 and older population. The 74 and younger group will have to wait until late February or March for their first shot. Who's planning this stuff in Phoenix? If they had to make a living at it, they'd go broke.

So, to the boys and girls representing us in the Arizona Legislature, our dear governor, and his administration of bureaucrats, I say where's the love!

Jerry Wilkerson

SaddleBrooke

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Last week, the Biden administration paused a massive sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States. This laudable action affects Raytheon, Southern Arizona's largest employer, to the tune of 519 million dollars. In response, Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes addressed stockholders: "Look...peace is not going to break out in the Middle East anytime soon. I think it remains an area where we'll continue to see solid growth." Readers, what do you think about this naked admission of war profiteering? Should our community keep on supporting an enterprise which depends on neverending humanitarian crisis for its success?

Kim Mathews

East side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Arizona Voters should be outraged by Rep. Shawnna Bolick's attempt to disenfranchise us. While I'm confident that her proposal to throw out all votes and allow the legislature to choose presidential electors won't get a hearing, her name should be remembered if she runs for re-election.

Of course, she is not the only legislator trying to disenfranchise us. Several other Republicans are trying to make it harder for us to vote at this very moment.

I guess the happenings in Phoenix overshadowed the fact that Arizona congressme Gosar and Biggs have their names splashed all over the national news for possible involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. It seems that when Mr. Gosar spoke at a rally in Phoenix in November, saying they planned to "conquer the Hill" to return Mr. Trump to the presidency, it should be enough to merit an investigation into his involvement in the attempted overthrow of our government.

The survival of our democracy requires the vigilance of the people. Get involved.

Kathleen Dubbs

West side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Re: Rep. Shawnna Block, Mark Finchem and Democracy.

If you don’t trust people voting, then please step down from your elected positions.

John Seck

East side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Saturday's Star reports AZ legislators considering a bill that would permit them to overturn presidential election results. That it might become law isn't the issue. Chilling is the fact that some people seriously believe the peoples' will, expressed in a free and fair election can be negated by a group of state legislators. We need to closely see who supports such a move away from democracy and show them the peoples' will in the next state elections- say goodbye wanable dictators!

Norman Patten

Midtown

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

It seems republicans in the state legislature are mad the state went blue, so they are trying to brake something that has worked very well for Arizona for over 20 years; Mail in voting.

Since they can’t win legitimately, can’t win by lying to convince everyone the vote was rigged, or fraudulent, they resort to changing the law to better their chances. Like gerrymandering but different.

They want to require you to;

• Request mail in ballots each and every time instead of it being automatic.

• Return ballots in person to a polling place and not mail it back.

• Return it yourself. You could not return it for your parent who can’t drive any longer, they are out of luck.

• Have your mail in ballot notarized before you return it.

The same people who censured Cindy McCain, Doug Ducey and Jeff Flake want to censure you by gutting AZ’s mail in voting system. Where have the real Republicans gone?

T. Peterson

Northwest side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

A few years ago, a fact based report noted that the minorities in our country out numbered white people.

And a huge red light in the minds of the Republican Party went off. Those who vote mainly Democratic were statistically growing much faster than the white population.

The Republicans went to the Supreme Court and watered down the Voting Rights Act. And immediately, the Republican controlled states began passing laws to restrict voting. Enter the COVID situation and states approved vote by mail. And, last year, more people voted than ever before. Every state certified their votes and it was proclaimed the best run and accountable election ever held.

Now the Republican Party sees the hand-writing-on-the-wall. They can't continue winning without reducing the right to vote of the larger voting population.

Today our Arizona Republican legislature is considering a bill that would allow the the legislature to chose the candidates of their liking... so they can simply chose their candidate over the voters.

Roger Engels

Oro Valley

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Having read the Republican ideas for Election reforms in AZ, I can think of several additional ideas:

1- Any person on the ballot whose name begins with T and ends in P gets 10% more “bonus votes.”

2- Republicans always get 10% “bonus votes.” Because they’re always right.

3- Anyone in the Legislature who is a Republican can “make ballots go away.” This is simply fair.

4- The Legislature can decide who won without the messy, time-consuming and tedious job of allowing people to “vote.” This saves so much money.

5- If Democrats really want to “vote” they have to hop on one leg while reciting the Amendments to the Constitution. Republicans can vote if they can name 1 of the 3 branches of Government.

6- (For Republicans only) Judiciary, Executive, Legislative.

7- Democrats can use mail-in ballots only if postmarked from a different state.

Norman Epstein, MD

Midtown

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Sinema stands in the way of long hard won chance to help real people. She owes us an explanation why she is willing to jeopardize the legislative agenda of the democratic party by not getting rid of filibuster and supporting Covid 19 relief. She has been emailing me to send her money. I don't intend to until she does the right thing.

Remember that Sen Sinema voted to give Russian oligarch, Oleg Derapaska, his money that was blocked by the senate as the result of sanctions by the senate after interference in our elections. Even Martha McSally didn't support that. Sinema cut a deal with Mitch McConnel which was a despicable act of betrayal.

Don't send her a penny.

Barbara Moore

East side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

I have repeatedly stated that the primary goal of the modern GOP is to gain or maintain political power by any necessary means. The law proposed by Rep. Bolick is a continuation of this effort. Whenever a GOP-controlled legislature is unhappy with the state results of a presidential election, they can (and will) overrule that result--- period.

Arizona now will allow a jury to rule on the “legality” of a presidential election in AZ without having to consider the evidence presented (or not presented), negating well established trial procedure in this country and state--- evidence or legitimacy be damned.

Arizona voters need to consider why we keep electing a GOP majority to the state legislature. They no longer believe in or practice democracy. They used to practice authoritarianism while disguising themselves as supporters of democracy. They now have removed the disguise!

Craig Whaley

Northwest side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

Faced with the loss of a presidential election and loss of the Senate, republicans have chosen, not to make their policies more attractive to the majority, but to disenfranchise the majority instead. So we have Shawna Bolick trying very hard to make it easier for the state legislature to simply throw out the will of the people and replace it with the will of a small group of legislators. Today's republicans are clearly very afraid of democracy.

Marian Weaver

Sierra Vista

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

I urge the county and state to change eligibility for patients afflicted with cancer or other immune compromised diseases to receive the Covid 19 vaccine. Most other states have such exceptions for vaccination.

To be 69 years old and be immune compromised should meet eligibility requirements for vaccination. This policy needs to be changed to benefit immune compromised patients.

Andrew Cenedella

East side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

I applaud President Biden's goal to protect 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030. This could help address the serious climate and extinction crises. As the largest federal land management agency, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) could play a key role. Unfortunately, I worked for Arizona BLM from 2002 to 2017, and I know that BLM often fails to achieve already legally required protection. Many BLM national monuments, national conservation areas, and other supposedly protected lands continue to be harmed by commercial livestock grazing and other uses. BLM's managers tend to have a strong "multiple use" bias that sabotages true conservation in protected areas. To achieve his conservation goals, President Biden must fundamentally reform BLM's regressive dominant management culture.

Richard Spotts

Downtown

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.