Can the AZ-GOP learn from past?
Re: the May 20 article “Governor: New spending doable under tax-cut plan.”
It is curious to hear how awash in money the state of Arizona appears to be under Gov. Doug Ducey. The Arizona GOP is now motivated to slash taxes for well-to-do donors and move to a “Flat Tax” much like the one supplied by ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback that almost bankrupted the entire state.
I think it might be more prudent for the AZ-GOP legislature to reserve funds for a “Let’s Denigrate Arizona” fund that would accumulate money to provide legal defense of GOP Senate members, past sheriff/felons, slander suits from large corporations and new voting machines for the state.
Of course, this would be money from Arizona tax revenues we all contribute to, but I am sure there is plenty of “dark” money for the GOP to solicit from the “fraudit” ongoing to lessen the impact on our wallets.
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Alan Barreuther
Foothills
Unintended consequences
On Nov. 20, 2020, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors certified the results of the 2020 election after two audits. In April, the Arizona State Legislature obtained a court order to take possession of all ballots and tabulation machines to conduct their own recount. They contracted with a company, Cyber Ninjas, which had no auditing or election experience. They began by shining ultraviolet light on the ballots, and looking for bamboo fibers in the paper. The Legislature accused Maricopa County Election officials of deleting files to thwart recount efforts, later retracting the accusation.
Whatever the results, they will be suspect. At least three harms to our democracy have occurred: The voting machines may have been tampered with, the trust between state and county officials may have been permanently damaged, and the people’s trust in the election process may have been irrevocably lost.
This fiasco is brought to you by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Keep that in mind next year when we’ll have the chance to vote them out.
Leadawn Anderton
Southwest side
Sinema, end the filibuster!
The pretense by Arizona Republicans about the integrity of our elections is well-founded. However, the danger is because of the Big Lie. Arizona’s results were twice verified, were certified by our secretary of state and approved by our governor.
Republicans across America are not misguided naïve followers of Trump. They are calculating, well-funded and determined that never again shall a Democrat win the White House — or other legislature — if they can prevent it.
In Arizona, bills are making it harder to vote by mail, kicking people off the early voting rolls, shortening the early voting periods, disallowing any post-election correction of early ballot omissions, gerrymandering election districts, and more.
The antidote to this is for progressives to be as diligent and organized as those threatened by a broad-based electorate and to pass the For the People bill in Congress (HR 1). Republicans are vowing to use the filibuster to prevent its passage. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema: Please see that it is now time to end the filibuster.
Margaret Nichols
Oro Valley
Jonathan Hoffman on race
Re: the May 23 article “City Hall is preoccupied with race.”
I find it so ironic that Jonathan Hoffman, your “right wing” oped contributor, is weighing in on race. A white male who has never actually experienced being a person of color should be completely ignored. His critical race theory opinion is full of typical conservative tropes untethered to the reality of the Black and Hispanic experience in this country.
He then pulls another classic conservative move by praising MLK. A people held in bondage for centuries and then subjected to Jim Crow (this continues to this day: see voting rights in Republican-controlled states) is the reality, not that “we are all equal,” because we are not.
I am white, and I am ashamed when I read stuff like this.
Micheal Seibold
Downtown
Senators should be exposed
There is a tell in this whole dishonesty surrounding the Senate audit of the Maricopa County ballots. The tell is the $150,000 price tag. To most folks, me included, that’s a lot of money, but having spent 30 years in the business world coming across that number stopped me in my tracks.
I thought that can’t be the cost to audit 2.1 million ballots, the logistics alone would eat up $150,000. Now outside entities are supplying money to accomplish this farce and conducting fundraising involving millions of additional dollars. The Senate’s actions smack of collusion.
The Senate teed up the ball for very little money, misusing their legislative power knowing their accomplices will run with the ball. I truly don’t know how else to explain the enormous disparity. It seems to me the Republican senators’ actions amount to malfeasance in office, and they should be exposed in court and penalized.
William Bladt
Northeast side
Teacher pay and tax cuts
Re: the May 20 article “Governor: New spending doable under tax-cut plan.”
Arizona has some of the lowest teacher pay in the country. The state government also has surplus funds that the Legislature is thinking of using for tax cuts.
Arizona also has a persistent shortage of teachers. Arizona should use these funds to dramatically increase state support for our public schools so they could hire more highly qualified teachers and give schools the opportunity to dismiss underperforming teachers.
Bruce Billings
Midtown
Steller off-base
Re: the May 23 article “Airman’s travails were foreseeable.”
Steller’s lengthy diatribe against Matt Lohmeier was low even for him. Typical nowadays, you don’t agree with someone, find a little trash to attack them. Lohmeier questioned teachings in his faith years ago and now discredited for questioning Critical Race Theory.
Lohmeier is correct in stating the military has become too political. Being a military spouse for nearly 30 years, I know firsthand that even during Viet Nam we were not politically motivated in any way.
Young recruits now are subjected to indoctrination and equity training that weakens the fabric of the military. Lloyd Austin thinks there are not enough female pilots, well, maybe it is because fewer females want to be pilots.
I wish more teachers had Lohmeier’s guts in resisting Critical Race Theory in the classrooms. Its intent is to divide and make students ashamed of who they are and view others as adversaries, putting up roadblocks to friendship. No matter what color, teach them pride in themselves.
Maryam Wade
Northeast side
