Tucson Speaks Out: July 26

Slow death

GOP gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs launched a quizzically distorted attack against Governor Katie Hobbs in his opening campaign salvo. Biggs accused Hobbs of not addressing homelessness in the state because she enforced Arizona law. In Arizona, no developer can legally build a development unless he/she guarantees 100-year access to water. Apparently, Biggs thinks that the only viable way to address homelessness is to allow his developer buddies to draw down our water table to zero. Biggs and his cronies are seemingly unaware that we live in a desert in the midst of a protracted Drought.

Arizona Republicans believe that rapacious businesses should be allowed to make quick profits by devouring natural resources and despoiling the environment. Left free to pursue their agenda, the GOP would turn Arizona into a lifeless desert devoid of water, and facing relentlessly increasing heat waves due to climate change. This is typical for Arizona’s GOP, the party of slow death.

Jon Dorschner

Midtown

Worth defending

Downtown enjoys the benefit of additional off-duty police officers, courtesy of Rio Nuevo, in addition to the active-duty officers who are also assigned to patrol there.

So why aren’t our neighborhoods also worth defending?

Two years ago, a young University student lost her life on 5th Street when she was gunned down outside of a home where an out-of-control party was taking place. Despite the numerous 911 calls residents made prior to the shooting, no officers responded. That young woman might still be alive today had our mayor and council regarded our neighborhoods and our residents as equally important as defunding the police.

Now, in spite of what just happened in an area saturated with bars, this mayor and council are preparing to undercut neighborhoods by eviscerating our zoning code, including allowing alcoholic beverage service in Office Zones, because nothing says “we don’t care” better than drunken patrons roaming our neighborhood streets and “solving” their differences with guns.

Colette Altaffer

Midtown

Wake up America

Weekly, there appear to be conversations about candidates for our next Presidency. May I recommend to you an opinion by Gerald Farrington. Ref. Wednesday, July 22, Opinion page. Please read it. The topic = humility should define the presidency. Hopefully, this will help you in the decision-making process for that person.

I concur with Gerald Farrington suggesting Mark Kelly as a presidential candidate. This man fits the bill, and as a running mate for Mark Kelly, an unknown political figure, yet known by nearly everyone, Steve Kerr. Yes, that STEEEEVE KERRRR.

Think about it.

Kelly/Kerr

Dennis Sabol

Northwest side