Tucson Speaks Out: May 19 letters of the day

Re: the April 14 article “EPA awards $177 million to environmental justice groups.”

According to EPA administrator, Michael Regan, we taxpayers have authorized one Bureaucracy Protection Agency to invest $177 million to create 17 centers to assist Bureaucratically Protection Justice Organizations in writing grants to navigate the “barriers” to “crucial Federal resources” needed to address our environmental protection solutions!

Can we assume these technical support centers will be built in a rammed earth method, run on wind generated computers and solar power lighting, with Child Care for the Federally trained staff and compost bins near the cafeterias?

What can go wrong?

Sharon irish

Green Valley

The real lesson Fox learned

Fox’s $787K capitulation to Dominion is being celebrated: “Fox News Learns Its Lesson.” But the lesson is not “you can’t lie repeatedly” but “tell lies that don’t harm entities with ‘standing’ and deep pockets.” Deep-pocketed Dominion can show economic damage and so has “standing.” But had Fox not involved Dominion or Smartmatic in the lie (instead blaming bamboo ballots, dead people voting, etc.) Fox couldn’t be touched. There would be no deep-pocket entity with ‘standing’, not poll workers (pockets too shallow) and certainly not opposition candidates (no standing).

Fox can remain in the mendacity business, just structure conspiracies so as not to involve financially robust entities qualified to file suit, an easy work-around when fabricating falsehoods. Take no comfort believing Fox “got religion” from their expensive blunder and will now vigorously pursue truth and accuracy in their reporting.

Frank Ribeiro, Retired

Investment Banker

Foothills

Our disabled veterans are grossly under compensated. Why?

Disabled veterans are grossly undercompensated. They have been asking Congress for fair pay since 1918. This injustice is causing enlistments to dry up.

In FY2023 a totally disabled veteran with no dependents is compensated at the ridiculous rate of $43,463.40 annually. The National Average Wage Index (NAWI) for 2021 was $60,575.07 per annum and the median income for 2021 was $70,784. The per capita GDP in 2021 was $69,288.

In my humble opinion the basic reason for their gross under compensation situation is because they are only compensated for projected loss of wages due to their disabilities. They are not compensated for their low quality of life so as to keep taxation low for the wealthy elites.

So the people that had their assets and overseas business interests protected the most by our broken former troops pay essentially nothing to support them in their brokenness.

Marta Antonio

South side

Dangerous and deceptive

Yet another guns on campus bill, HB2667 prohibits managing boards of our universities, colleges and community colleges from preventing “a person” with a concealed weapon permit from having their weapons on campus. Apart from the obvious risks of adding guns to our university campuses, this bill has two serious flaws.

It’s based on a carefully crafted but false depiction of what is required for a concealed weapon permit. Contrary to popular perception, there is neither a standardized curriculum nor a requirement for live fire training. And even if all concealed weapon permit holders were extensively trained, there is no way to enforce a measure like this without fencing every campus, installing metal detectors and security guards to ensure anyone carrying a firearm has a valid concealed weapon permit. Both dangerous and deceptive, this bill would effectively allow anyone to carry a gun on school grounds.

Meg Pradelt

Foothills

Maybe I need counseling

Re: the April 14 article “Graphic anti-abortion display draws the ire of several UA clubs, students.”

This article about an exhibition at the University of Arizona, which had pictures of aborted babies and Holocaust victims. This created a demonstration which the account said the demonstrators had racist language yelled at them. The following day I read another account which said the people running the exhibit had eggs thrown at them and had pictures of a person with egg on him.

However, both news outlets said 30 students needed to go to a counseling center at the university because of the pictures they had to see. That I find disturbing. These are students of higher education, they haven’t seen Holocaust pictures yet. They are pro abortion and they can’t stomach a picture of an aborted baby. These are people which I would hope would get married, have a family, be productive citizens in their communities — our future leaders. They needed counseling because of pictures? Good grief. Can’t say I’m having warm and fuzzy feelings about the future of this country.

Jan Wieberdink

Northwest side

Hyper-rich Democrats plot inflates prices

Re: the April 23 letter “Food and fuel hyperinflation.”

In his letter the writer pins the blame for increasing prices solely on President Biden and “hyper-rich Democrats.” His investigative efforts have proven to him that Biden turns up his dial controlling oil prices for no reason other than to protect the green policies of the hyper-rich Democrats. Unlike hyper-rich Republicans, these hyper-rich Democrats care nothing for tax breaks for the wealthy; their only goal is to “devastate” the poor and middle classes, who they care nothing about.

Meanwhile, in the past week I bought gas in Globe and Winkelman for $3.79 while gas in Tucson is currently $4.75. Is there something else going on here besides the efforts of the Democratic “overlords?”

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Debt ceiling lunacy

For years our adversaries have fostered international monetary standards with several currencies rather than a single currency, like the dollar. But the dollar has been too strong to allow them to succeed. Now the House plays into the hands of the Russians and Chinese by freezing the debt ceiling and risking default on our credit.

If Republicans threaten this default, even if they back off, what will it do to international trust in the dollar? Will foreign bankers bet that their economies are secure, and that this is just a one time aberration? Or will they move away from instability that may cause the value of our bonds to plummet? Imagine what would happens to interest rates and our economy if countries no longer buy trillions of dollars in our debt to back their currencies. No one should put the U.S. in this type of economic peril.

Thomas Walsh

Foothills

Corporations not people

Re: the May 12 article “TEP bill increase approved by ACC.”

In reading this article I was perhaps amazed, definitely not amused, by the decision of three Republican commissioners to approve a rate increase in the face of reasoned opposition from Tucson Republican Lea Marquez Peterson, Democratic commissioner, Anna Tovar and consumer advocates. Quoted in the article is this from commissioner Nick Myers: “a seventeen-dollar monthly surcharge ‘is working one hour extra at In-N-Out.’”

How far out of the world of the average TEP ratepayer is he? Or how far into a not quite parallel universe? Mr. Myers certainly seems to know who his constituents are, and they are neither our sisters and brothers or our grandkids trying to get by on minimum wage earnings, even with overtime. I’m not amused or amazed, just appalled.

Frank Bergen

North side

Climate change

Re: the May 13 letter “Pursuit of EVs is destructive.”

In this letter the author asks “Are we destroying the environment in pursuit of EVs?”

The author calls out the manganese mining plan of the Hermosa project for potential harm. The project planners claim “The Hermosa project sponsor proposes to construct a small-footprint, underground mining operation applying low-carbon design and best-in-class engineering principles.” The project will have a surface footprint of 600 acres.

Let’s ask how does this compare with coal mining? The annual extent of surface mining, which accounts for 70% of U.S. coal production, is 104,000 acres.

Then there are the costs of climate pollution on both health and from increasing climate impacts. Carbon pollution decreases U.S. life expectancy 1.8 years and costs annually over $600 billion in health care. The number of climate extremes costing over $1 billion, since the 1980s, has increased 5-9 times.

Jan Freed

Downtown

Eavesdropper?

A few years ago, I had a friend from Oro Valley meet with me at the Mercado San Agustin. A few short minutes into our conversation, my friend remarked that, “Oro Valley needs a place like this.”

Today’s Star relates that Don Bourn is transforming the Foothills Mall into just such a venue. Coincidence?

Rick Cohn

West side

Republican leaders want a dictatorship

In the name of “freedom,” the Republican leaders want the U.S. to be a one party dictatorship, never mind the Constitution. An example is Ron DeSantis, the wannabe dictator of Florida. They are using tactics used by such tyrants as Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, etc. These include: restricting the right to vote, banning books, TV shows, movies, etc. so that people would only be allowed access to “approved” items. Allowing only one religion controlling education so that students only learn “approved” items demonizing marginal groups, minorities, and opponents an “us versus them” siege mentality controlling every aspect of our lives dissent not allowed, those who dissent would suffer penalties.

Diversity is one of the strengths of the U.S. So please vote Democrat.

Flora Frederick

Midtown

Inflated gasoline prices in Tucson

Re: the May 14 article “Here’s why gas prices in Tucson and across AZ remain high.”

This news story did a little bit to help explain our artificially inflated gasoline prices here in Tucson. We are now finding that the major reason we are paying higher prices for gas here in Tucson and Phoenix is due to the oil companies throttling or shutting down refineries in Texas and New Mexico for maintenance or other dubious reasons. These refineries produce gasoline from oil. Also claims from the oil companies of gasoline pipeline capacity issues.

Now for one unanswered question. Why is the average price of gasoline currently about a $1 less a gallon in Sierra Vista and Benson? Since they get their gasoline from the same pipeline as Tucson does. This does not make sense. Something is still very fishy (or greasy) going on.

David Keating

Northeast side

TDS redefined

Re: the May 15 letter “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

The writer states that Democrats are experiencing Trump Derangement Syndrome, but I think that he is experiencing a worst case scenario of projection because TDS really should be defined as determining Trump to be morally acceptable.

In his infamous interview, Trump equated a woman’s unwilling surrender to his physical superiority to be her desire for him. In his videotaped deposition, he stated that his, now adjudicated, sexual abuse victim was not his “type,” thereby equating rape with romance.

Rick Cohn

West side

Using nuclear power wisely

Re: the May 16 letter “Dealing wisely with nuclear power?”

The letter writer of the Nuclear Resister Organization suggests that the solution to climate warming is to store energy overnight. But he does not say where it comes from. He states that nuclear power is reliable until it isn’t and cites Fukushima and Chernobyl. They were notable accidents, but only 31 died as a direct result of both. An earthquake caused Fukushima. It is certainly cheaper to refurbish a reactor than build it from scratch and it is cheaper to copy a design rather than start from scratch.

Sailors on these ships have been safe for years, and the alternate fuel is just a different ratio of U235 to U238. More than 200 ships powered by nuclear reactors have plied the seas since 1954 and no accidents have been reported. There are 439 worldwide Ditto. To paraphrase Mr. C-J, the wiser, cheaper and safer way to build our green future is the adaptation and use of the successful experiences of nuclear energy.

Wiliam Wolfe

Northeast side

EV vehicles significant savings

A recent letter downplayed the economic and environmental benefits of electric cars. My experience having driven one since 2017 is one of many thousands of dollars saved in never having to “fill up my tank.” I only use my EV as a “town car” and rarely take long distance trips. Further, having solar power for my home, I recharge at no cost. EVs can mean more money in the bank. More expensive upfront — yes, but considerable savings in the long run.

Dennis Winsten

Northeast side