Calling it a unique deal in Arizona, voters in Tucson ill decide a franchise agreement with TEP in November that would include annual funding for local climate-change programs.
TEP fees WILL increase
I attended the three in-person public hearings offered in Tucson by the ACC in regard to the TEP requested rate hike of 14%. At the final one, Mr. Meyers, chairman for the ACC and the only ACC representative who attended two of the three meetings, after listening to all of the comments (all opposing the hike), spoke to us about what the ACC takes into account when making their decision. TEP representatives were present at this meeting. He acknowledged how hard the rate increase would be on us, but how much harder it would be to go without a reliable source of electricity, especially through the summer. It is their job to balance the needs of TEP to continue services and the expressed concerns of their clients/hostages. This told me that the ACC will approve a hike. I shudder to think for how much.
Christie Cummins
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Midtown
Executive branch
Compromise is not strictly necessary in the two-party system that dominates elections in America. The winning party simply forces its views on the members of the defeated party. This creates a four-year cycle of uncertainty with which the citizens of America and the nations of the world must contend, and which makes long-term planning impossible.
I suggest a change in the executive branch of the federal government by replacing the president and vice president with a panel of five co-presidents who make decisions by a simple majority, with no tie votes unless one or more co-members abstain from voting on an issue.
The five members of the reorganized executive branch serve a staggered five-year term with one position elected annually. Policy shifts occur gradually as the membership slowly rotates. Thus, the domestic and international affairs of the United States would run more smoothly.
We would need to rewrite the Constitution.
Charles Coffey
Southeast side
Comedy skit?
Recently, Trump hosted young student-athletes to herald the return of the Presidential Fitness Test in schools. RFK stood in the background. The group included elementary kids and some young teens, no doubt awed by meeting the president. One student said he aspires to be a power-lifter. The president used this opportunity to launch a long-winded story about an unsuccessful power-lifter, explaining when he "decided to go the opposite direction" and became transgender, he beat female competitors with ease. "Do you think that's fair?" he asked, adding "So, I don't think we have to worry about you," reassuringly patting the boy on the shoulder. The kids stood silent, not knowing how to react to this incredible display of highly inappropriate idiocy. Donald claimed he could do 50 push-ups on the Oval Office table. What were the students' coaches and chaperones thinking? The full transcript is a must-read if you didn’t see this unbelievable display of frightening imbecility. Trump fans, not yet concerned? You should be.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Which is it? Indeed
An LTE (April 14) asked "Which is it?" regarding Iran. Our King claimed "we've won this war" (March 24) and the next day announced deployment of the 82nd Airborne. General Eisenhower didn't declare that we won WWII in Europe before deploying the 82nd Airborne the night before D-Day. We won after months of horrific fighting. The Dear Leader then claimed "the war with Iran was ending soon" and "close to over" (April 15) and "We’ve already won" (May 1). Which is it?
On April 1, the King announced that "America doesn’t need the Strait of Hormuz." We were blockading it on April 17, then it was claimed to be open on April 19, yet closed on April 20. I've lost track of the flip-flops since. Which is it? This confusion is no surprise with an administration of sycophants led by a president who lies more easily and more often than most of us breathe.
Vance Holliday
Foothills
Professional horse racing
Re: Mr. Mansmith’s letter on horse racing, I would agree with the notable events of this year. However, and with all due respect, I must disagree with his thoughts on horse racing. As a long-time Kentucky resident myself and friend of the late Ruken Jelks, founder of Rillito Downs racetrack, it is my opinion that professional horse racing in its current form should be banned.
More than 1,400 racehorse fatalities occur annually in the U.S. due to fatal injuries. Dope is injected to mask pain and allow horses to run on injured limbs. Horses are often confined to small stalls for over 20 hours a day. “Unprofitable” horses are often simply slaughtered. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Unless some major changes are made, horse racing can never be the humane and beautiful sport it could easily be.
Dan Davis
Oro Valley
This rings true today
I recently found a quote from H. L. Mencken that is more apt today than it was many years ago. "As democracy is perfected the office of the president represents more and more closely the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Corruption in the White House
The repair of the fountains in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., under President Biden was estimated to be $3.3 million. Trump just agreed to a no-bid contract for $17.4 million for the same work. This was after a 27% increase for inflation and another 24% increase for inflation. The debris from the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, including hazardous material, was dumped on a public golf course. No citizen would be allowed to dump their trash on a public golf course. This is the typical lack of respect this administration has for our tax dollars. What happened to waste, fraud, and abuse?
Don and Lin Ries
Southeast side
DOJ
Has anyone else noticed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been turned into a "toady" for the current administration? It seems that they are investigating any and all of the man in office revenge subjects (most, if not all, Democrats). I can only suspect that this will continue until this administration has been replaced by a more reasonable and levelheaded group (we can only hope).
Fred Thompson
East side
Right to life
The Declaration promised us equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as rights protected by government under the powers derived from the consent of those governed.
To sustain life from day to day, people need air, water, food, shelter, sanitation, and safety. AWFSSS. Each need must itself be sanitary, clean, unpolluted, in sufficient supply and protected from those who would deny access. The basic necessities are food, housing, and health care. Room, board, and health care (RBHC) when young or incapacitated and again when old.
To help themselves, people gather as families, meet as neighbors, and join together in local and social communities. We create agreements to form and utilize the government to provide laws that service and protect the people.
First, we work to protect the equal right to life for all. Then we can work toward liberty and happiness.
It is up to "we the people" to choose and support competent leaders.
Jerry Moser
Oro Valley
A war against the sun?
By requiring performance-based ratemaking, some states have declared war against high electric bills. But Arizona's Republican Legislature and Corporation Commission (ACC) have declared war against our cheapest, most price-stable, abundant energy source to make it harder to develop solar and wind and easier for investor-owned utilities to build nuclear, coal, and gas plants that all cost more to operate and take years to build (compared with months for solar).
Arizona solar-generated electricity and battery storage is less than half the cost of electricity from gas and coal. Yet Republican state Reps. Marshall and Heap have pushed numerous bills, like House Bill 2331, requiring 85% of utility power to come from sources other than solar and wind.
Even in Republican stronghold Texas, last year 40.2% of electricity generated was from solar and wind. Yet Marshall and Heap would limit Arizona’s use of these to only 15%. Seriously?
Lee Stanfield
East side
Democratic Party identity
Mr. Dowdall has concluded that demonstrations in the streets are advocating communism and the destruction of America. I'm in agreement with standing up for the Constitution and the rule of law.
The Republican Party leadership in Congress has given away its constitutional responsibility as a branch of government to Trump. Trump has given Putin more than any other U.S. president. Putin is the big winner with the Iran War, and also helping Iran to target our troops. He is helping Putin by trashing NATO and taking troops out of Germany. Trump sent both Secretary of State Rubio and Vice President Vance to Hungary to give glowing support to Viktor Orbán, a communist dictator. Bernie Sanders and AOC advocate for the people of the United States. The Republican Party is supporting communist dictators. I would appreciate Mr. Dowdall explaining that.
Barbara Moore
East side
Are Trump and the Republican Party any better?
Given all of the ills that Mr. Dowdall assigns to the Democratic Party, I look forward to his next LTE in which he mentions all the great things that Trump and his administration are doing for our country.
In that LTE, all of the items he mentions must be factual. Secondly, might I suggest that he uses the excellent opinion piece authored by Frank Thompson as a good reference.
Given the direction that Trump, the current Republican Party, conservatives (as defined by Trump), and the MAGA movement have taken the country thus far, it may be too late for America to move in the direction advocated by Mr. Thompson.
That is unfortunate for all of us.
Craig Whaley
Oro Valley
An administration of chaos
The current president has no clear idea of how to get us out of the war with Iran. He is again talking about forcing a regime change in Cuba. Republicans in Congress need to evaluate how long they can blindly support a president who stays up all night making outrageous, incoherent, nonsensical posts on social media. Dozing Donnie then falls asleep at Cabinet meetings. The American people deserve better.
Neither the president, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense or the Speaker of the House can give the American people the same evaluation of how the war in Iran is going. The midterms can't come soon enough.
Fred DiNoto
Northwest side
Build-to-rent-to-own?
I've heard rumors (at least in my head) that home builders are building "homes to rent" that customers can then rent to own as a loophole around the rule or law that they need to assure a 100-year supply of water. Does anyone know if that is true?
Robert Brabham
Northwest side
'Thuggies'
Listening to the bullying language of our president, our border official Tom Homan, and others, it often feels like we are dealing with babies refusing to grow up, insisting on getting their way or throwing tantrums. Perhaps we could call them Thugs in Huggies, or "Thuggies."
Carolyn Ancell
Oro Valley
Empowerment Scholarship Account funding
A common comment about the Arizona voucher program is that “money moves with the student.” This is only partially correct. If a student moves from the public system to a private school, the voucher allocation is based on the amount the state pays for a charter school student, which is higher than the rate for a student in a regular public school. Vouchers for students from public schools in wealthy districts that don’t receive state aid are a new cost for the state.
Many students in the program — 52% in 2024 — have been homeschooled or have always been in private schools. Therefore, the state has not been allocating money for its education in the past. Although the program was sold as a way to reduce costs, the vouchers for these students are, in fact, another cost for the state.
In 2024, 53% of new education expenditures in Ariz. went to the ESA program, although 92% of Ariz. students are in public schools.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
Banning Chinese imports
Just as I was writing up my opinion, the Chicago Tribune's editorial on Friday stole my mojo about low-cost cars.
A bipartisan statement says Chinese vehicles are a serious threat to American national security and Michigan economic security.
A flimsy rationale states these "cars" are surveillance packages on wheels and goes on to say, rightly, that millions of American jobs are at risk. The Trump administration dismisses the notion that it would jeopardize national security. So which is it?
There are many wealthy people who can afford a second luxury car, and making cars for the bottom 40% of the American income bracket isn't worth it. The bipartisan proposal doesn't mention that.
Even used car lots are turning purchases into a "debt" sentence. Critics say opening the U.S. market to new, cheaper EVs would cripple our auto industry. I have two simple words, which have guided American capitalism for centuries but never dominated it. "laissez-faire." Let it happen. Robotics equals competitiveness.
Thomas J. Plesniak
Midtown
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