Tucson Speaks Out: July 3 letters of the day

Folks, please give us a break from stories about Joe Biden’s age and about former prosecutor Mike Jette’s ill-advised campaign. I’m voting for Biden-Harris and for Laura Conover. And that’s that!

Alison Hughes

Midtown

Jette’s actions speak louder than words

Candidate Mike Jette says one thing but does another. He says he believes in democratic values, but his contributions to Trump, Ciscomani, and Lake say otherwise. In his recent full-page ad in the Daily Star, Jette painted himself as a pro-choice candidate but his contributions to the “It Goes Too Far” group who actively oppose the Arizona for Abortion Access Act scream otherwise.

A “Democrat” in name only, Jette’s actions speak louder than his duplicitous words. Which begs the question: what else is he lying about?

I am voting for the candidate who is upright and honest about who she is and what she stands for. I am voting for Laura Conover for Pima County Attorney.

Dr. JB Marshall

Oro Valley

We need a new County Attorney

The rate of domestic violence in Arizona is 45% above the national average. Pima County’s rate of intimate partner domestic violence homicides is even higher than Maricopa County’s. Meanwhile, County Attorney Laura Conover has dismantled the system that had been working to reduce domestic violence homicides. Conover withdrew the county attorney’s office from leading a multi-agency domestic violence task force. She withdrew from implementation of sophisticated evidence-based domestic violence protocols. She stopped sending victim advocate staff and volunteers to every domestic violence crime scene to provide crisis advocacy and connect victims with immediate services, such as safe housing. She stopped having a risk assessment performed for all intimate partner domestic violence victims. She declined to prosecute serious physical violence committed against intimate partners as felony crimes, allowing plea agreements to misdemeanors where there is not sufficient supervision on probation. We need a new county attorney to address the scourge of domestic violence. My vote is for Mike Jette.

Carl Zimmerman

Downtown

There’s so much more to Jette

Mike Jette is running for Pima County Attorney. As I’ve gotten to know him, he’s become a hero to me, not just for his football skills but for his great heart.

Mike isn’t one to boast, but he donated a kidney to his brother and was accepted to the Peace Corps with his wife.

He has been a Special Olympics coach, Mock Trial coach, member of the Tucson Museum of Art Board, and President of Tucson Clean and Beautiful. He also served as a crisis advocate for sexual assault victims.

Mike is a solid blue Democrat, just like Gabby Giffords, Mark Kelly and Kris Mayes, who have each had dalliances with the Republican party at one time or another. Mike’s was 12 years ago for a few months. A “nothingburger”.

Mike’s heart, values, dedication and leadership make him an outstanding candidate for Pima County Attorney.

Charles Wantman

Foothills

Conover — no mas

Daily, we read letters telling us how much one side or the other is the better candidate for Pima County Attorney. In one very damming letter, the family tells us that the murderers of their son were let off with probation instead of first- or second-degree murder charges. This cannot be allowed. The PCA office has been reduced by 60% of prosecuting attorneys. They left because of Laura Conover.

There have been other unpardonable transgressions of a similar nature. Simply stated, Ms. Conover must go. Crime in Tucson is an ever-growing problem. We need a prosecutor who takes crime seriously and not one who allows felons to walk our streets with a slap on the wrist. You can be sure they will commit again.

Anyone who has a child knows that such a loss takes an egregious toll on the parents, family and community. Ms. Conover will not fix the problem. Only we can by electing the best candidate, Mike Jette.

Jerry Schuchardt

Foothills

Fireworks, PTSD and pets

On June 30, it started again. Locals blowing off fireworks/firecrackers in our east side neighborhood. It happens EVERY year before the Fourth of July. You are not only upsetting Veterans of Foreign wars, who may be suffering from PTSD, but also upsetting our pets, mostly dogs, I guess.

Our blind, adopted sweetie from PAAC has very good hearing, so thunder, which also bothers him, cannot be controlled by us. BUT, Tucson citizens, the young and the old can and should stop blowing off noise-makers in Tucson and Arizona. Leave that to the professionals!

Saturday night, our dog came and slept with me, and he was shaking and panting for over one hour.

I guess he finally went to sleep. Is this going to happen every night? This ruckus that disturbs the peace? It shouldn’t, but it probably will. Aren’t there laws about this?

Kenneth Unwin

East side

Re-elect Supervisor Scott

Rex Scott has been an outstanding Pima County Supervisor and should be re-elected for the benefit of our community. Supervisor Scott has all the qualities we should look for in elected leaders. He is honest, ethical, intelligent, thoughtful, caring, mature, respectful, professional, prepared, dedicated and productive. He has championed creation of Pima Early Education Program scholarships, promoted more funding to repair and maintain roads, supported The Prosperity Initiative, facilitated enhancements to the economic development strategic plan, promoted common sense gun reform, introduced the measure that resulted in creating the Transition Center outside the jail to facilitate re-entry, and voted to support better wages for county employees. I have found Supervisor Scott to be accessible, friendly to suggestions about ways to improve our county, hard-working, sensible, responsible and proactive. He cares about improving all of Pima County, not just his district. He is the real deal. Give him your vote.

Amelia Cramer

Downtown

Yes! Scott the District 1 Supervisor

Voters in District 1 have the opportunity to re-elect Rex Scott as our supervisor. Rex epitomizes what it means to be a public servant. My experience with Supervisor Scott and his very capable staff has always been positive. He is well-versed on all issues of concern to residents of District 1, and is responsive and timely when matters are brought to his attention. At a time when there is too much hyperbole, lack of respect and honesty in elected officials, Rex is respectful, honest and ethical. As an example, when he announced his intention to run for re-election he conducted all those efforts totally separate from District 1 business. Residents of District 1 will be well served if they vote to re-elect Rex Scott to represent us.

Norie Nelson

Foothills

Conover, the people’s attorney

Three-and-a-half years ago, when Pima County Attorney Laura Conover took office, she inherited the highest homicide rates in Tucson history and a massive backlog of cases stretching back to 2017. After two years of hard work, dedication, and collaboration with law enforcement, she cleared the backlog.

Currently, homicide rates in Pima County are down 36% and armed robbery down 39% from record highs when she took office, outperforming much of the nation.

Conover re-established a fraud and consumer protection unit that has recovered more than $1 million in restitution for Pima County victims.

Also noteworthy, Conover sued to protect women’s abortion rights, promoted humane sentencing for juveniles, created community outreach programs, and brought new attorneys and veteran litigators into the office, and increased efficiency.

Laura Conover has a proven record of bringing justice, safety, and equity to the Pima County Attorney’s office. She deserves your vote.

Jacolyn Marshall

Oro Valley

Supreme Court

So now that crazy has been normalized by SCOTUS, the most powerful court in the world in the most powerful democracy in the world it only seems natural that President Biden should immediately order the United States Department of Justice to incarcerate Mr. Trump for treasonous crimes against the nation. Or for no reason at all. It don’t matter. Heck, let’s just skip the arrest, the trial, the jury deliberations, the sentencing, and the rule of law and ship the Donald to the Tower of London. The President, any president will be immune, immune, immune. Or maybe we implore Mr. President to arrest anyone for flying a flag upside down in support of the insurrection or to annoy your neighbor and jail them. The madness ends with a vote for democracy and a vote for President Biden.

John (Jay) Van Echo, PE

West side

Democracy

Now that the Presidential debate has passed and we’ve seen how President Biden is, it should be clear to everyone that he is not the one calling the shots. In reality, he is not our president. So, I ask, if the man America elected as president is not the president, then who is? And if the man people voted for is not the real president, how can we call that Democracy?

Mateo Garcia

Northwest side

My vote’s for Laura

You know you have pissed off your “betters” when they primary you. The powers that used to be, supported Laura Conover in her first campaign. Now they all support prosecutor Mike Jette. I’m concerned that Jette, and his supporters align more with Arizona’s extreme conservative politics and favor laws originating from the 1800s.

Mike’s ad on Sunday promotes policies similar to Laura, but from a prosecutor’s point of view, backed by right-wing money?

The Supreme Court’s decision regarding homelessness and incarcerating them, for not having a home, leads me to believe we need to keep Laura as county attorney. I believe she would push for alternatives to locking up the homeless. It bothers me to think of our antiquated prisons and jails become more overcrowded just to house homeless at a much higher cost to taxpayers.

I’m going to stick with Laura Conover. She’s a fighter and defender of the people. Under her watch, violent crime has dropped. Four more years!

Larry Robinson

Northwest side

Conover and cash bail

Re: the June 27 article “Conover and cash bail reform” and the June 22 article “Honesty, integrity among elected officials.”

To Rep. Alma Hernandez, now that your attacks on Pima County Attorney Laura Conover and cash bail have been shown to be completely false. I am wondering if you will actually live up to the title of your opinion and issue a public apology to Ms. Conover. Since you are supporting her opponent, I’m not betting on it, but it if you truly believe in “honesty and integrity,” it would be the right thing to do.

Miranda Lopez

Midtown

Party values

With a sad heart, I have concluded that this election will be about party values rather than candidates. Would you rather empower a party that believes in public service, civility, and liberty with responsibility; or one that will deprive some of their freedoms and relieve others of their obligations to the greater good, so that they may wield power over everyone? No one party is 100% perfect. Some on both sides of the aisle are self-serving, but one party obliges itself to continually cleanse government of corrupt servants. The other applauds and rewards it. One party struggles to bring widely disparate views to the polls in loose unity, while the other fights to suppress diversity of thought, conscience, and heritage. Regardless of the specific candidates, the values their parties represent, and that which will replace them should they not make it through their terms, whether voluntarily or otherwise, are vital.

Hollace Lyon

SaddleBrooke

Santa Cruz riverbed trash

This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of riding my bicycle on the Loop alongside the Santa Cruz riverbed. However, what I saw was distressing. The riverbed was strewn with trash. Almost every bush and tree had caught some of the garbage heading downstream. Some of the trash will be biodegradable, but most of it won’t.

I noticed an overabundance of expanded polystyrene drinking cups provided by convenience stores. These cups take around 500 years to degrade in a landfill (longer if buried), but more importantly, can flow out to the ocean, then breakdown into microplastics. Microplastics are harmful to marine life and will take decades or even centuries to breakdown.

My idea for ridding the riverbed of trash is to enlist the help of the people experiencing homelessness. We would need to find those that would like to help, then organize them into teams to collect trash under supervision. Workers would be paid and perhaps move up on waitlist for available housing.

Edward Weil

North side