Prop 412 premature
The ballot on Prop. 412 is premature. The City and TEP have more than two years to produce a document that is worthy of the times we face. Some concerns:
Why is TEP ready to bury power lines only in affluent areas paid for by all?
Why do ratepayers who convert to rooftop solar get so little return from TEP?
Who is behind YesOn412?
Why is there no ironclad agreement with TEP to transition to a less expensive carbon-free power inventory, which will give all living things in southern Arizona a chance for longer, healthier lives?
Why does investor-controlled TEP fail to involve ratepayers in decisions affecting us?
Will elected officials fight for not only a fair deal but one that our future existence demands?
People are also reading…
And finally, will the public be fully involved well before the M&C approves a just proposal?
For a better deal, vote NO on Prop 412.
Richard Kaiser
Midtown
President Robbins
Re: the April 19 articles “UA’s Robbins showed selfless leadership,” and “UA’s Robert Robbins needs to retire.”
I read with interest the two articles published addressing the leadership of Dr. Robert Robbins as president of the University of Arizona. The opinions expressed by the two authors were diametrically opposed. The article by Matt Somers dealt with questionable decisions made by Robbins during his tenure as president.
Somers’ points were supported by data. The article penned by Dr. Richard Carmona contained little factual information but was a “good-old-boy” letter using a generic name, “Bobby,” to address the president of the university. The usage of a generic name, in this case, is very inappropriate and demeaning to the office of the president. I come down on the side of Somers, whose data are convincing, and my opinion is that Dr. Robbins has not performed at a high level that is expected of a president of a major university.
Eldon Braun, PhD
Foothills
Gun culture
As a former Marine infantryman and Vietnam veteran, I know a lot about guns. And since, as a civilian, I was a competition trap shooter and pistol instructor. Yes, free and easy access to guns and unfettered civilian access to weapons of war is a big part of the problem. However, the cultural aspect plays an equal and perhaps a predominant cause of senseless gun violence. Video games in the hands of children in their most formative years normalize gun violence. They portray guns as the acceptable solution to every problem — they make killing fun. It is hard to find a video game where shooting is not the means to an end. TV and movies glamorize gun violence and portray both the protagonist and antagonist as gun-wielding normal people. Today’s rap music is filled with hate and gun violence. And we wonder why we have a problem.
Carl Foster
Green Valley
I followed the money
Re: the April 23 article “If you’re confused about Prop 412, follow the money.”
I’ve read with interest the Guest Opinions against and for Prop 412, and with no citizen or group pro or con statements on the ballot to decode the legalese of the Franchise Agreement, I’m heeding the advice of one of those Guest Opinions and following the money.
TEP apparently has what amounts to no “skin in the game.” TEP customers in the region have nothing but skin in the game. All the guest opinions share one thing in common: We have to expect more from our leaders to mitigate climate change. TEP has the money; the city doesn’t. TEP negotiates these franchise agreements all over the place, probably multiple times a year. The city does it once every 25 years. It just doesn’t pass the smell test.
Marian Fish
Oro Valley
Media vs. Weapons
If you want to reduce mass shootings, pass a law that forbids the media from giving any coverage to mass shootings. In most cases, the shooter is angry at someone and frustrated because no one will listen to them. So they act out. This will reduce the problem; the shooters do not get the attention they are craving, so why bother? Also, making laws against the media? The media would be up in arms (no pun intended) if someone tried to limit their rights. They might even get as mad about their rights being curtailed as the gun rights groups are when people talk about limiting their rights. How dumb is it to think passing more laws will make these shooters stand up and say, I can’t do that; it’s against the law. They have no moral compass.
RC Jazz
Northeast side
Broken promises
Representative Juan Ciscomani promised he would look out for CD-6. However, his votes and actions say otherwise.
From the start of his term, Ciscomani has protected wealthy and corporate taxpayers by voting to repeal essential IRS reforms that would improve their ability to identify the biggest cheaters and collect back taxes. He claimed that his vote was to protect “working families” from harassment by IRS agents.
Recently, he voted for the Lower Energy Cost Act, which he claimed would lower “energy costs for families” across the country. However, this act does nothing of the sort. Rather than lowering gas prices for Arizonans, it raises profits for Big Oil and Gas. Remember when Chevron, ExxonMobil, and BP made record profits while Arizonans struggled to pay for a gallon of gas? That’s what Representative Ciscomani voted for.
It frustrates me that my congressman is more interested in protecting the wealthy and big corporations rather than his constituents. It’s time for Ciscomani to keep his promises and stand up for us!
Judy J Gillies
Oro Valley
Freedom to read my chosen book
Re: The April 24 Editorial cartoon by John Deering.
A political cartoon caught my eye in the Arizona Daily Star showing two boys walking home, with one giving his library card to the other, saying, “I don’t want my parents to find it.” At one time, they probably would’ve been passing an early Playboy issue back and forth, but in today’s world, we see that a public library seems to contain greater evils than a 50’s Playboy magazine. The greatest evil is that while these “banned” books and articles have always been around and available, now a few political hacks and religious bigots are making a decision that will affect all of us, i.e., the freedom to read what we want and with the author of our choice — perhaps the librarians should wrap their books and magazines in plain brown paper to shield children from the world around them so eventually they can become as narrow-minded as some of our civic leaders.
Richard Rebl
East side
Arizona gas prices
I just contacted the Arizona Attorney General’s Office regarding the outrageous price of gasoline in Tucson. I spoke to someone and, of course, got shuffled off to ‘Weights and Measures’ part of Arizona government. Spending part of the year in Southwest Colorado, I have closely monitored gas prices between Tucson and Durango, Colorado; I have been doing this for 20-plus years. Historically, prices have been 40 to 50 cents per gallon cheaper here in Tucson every year for the past 20 years. Now, prices in Durango are about 15 cents a gallon cheaper than Tucson. We have some of the highest prices in the country; the gasoline wholesalers are sticking it big time to Tucson residents. Nobody seems to care. Pathetic!
Lawrence Meskill
Foothills
