Letters to the Editor: Feb. 10

Our forests are on fire, the Colorado River and our groundwater supplies are drying up. We have a teacher shortage and an affordable housing crisis. We are desperately in need of solutions to homelessness and immigration. Yet the Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee, controlled by a slim GOP majority, is focused on drag shows? Their justification — protection of children — belies their legislative record and commitment to child welfare. The GOP’s misguided priorities and vacuous judgment never cease to amaze.

Sheldon Clark

Vail

Rational immigration policy

The code phrase used by open-border supporters is “our immigration system is broken.” This is an emotional response to the issue of immigration. The issue needs to be addressed scientifically and pragmatically using the following widely accepted data: 1. The U.S. needs between 300,000 and 500,000 documented immigrants yearly to fill manual and technical job openings; 2. Accepted job immigrants should have the necessary skills, knowledge, and background; 3. The U.S. accepts about 100,000 immigrants in the Asylum Program yearly; 4. The U.S. population is 325 million and about 150 million people work full-time; 5. Most immigrants are poor and need to be supported financially, culturally, and socially for many months; 6. Approximately 1 to 2 million immigrants are entering the U.S. illegally every year now; 7. Accepted immigrants should be directed to areas of the U.S. which have surplus water. The Southwest is very water deficient. Uncontrolled immigration should not exist in a country based upon law.

Gordon Marvik

Northeast side

Vouchers’ dirty secret

Re: the Feb. 6 article “Idaho needs to learn facts about school vouchers.”

The editorial citing statistics about Arizona’s school voucher system reveals the true intention of our Republican legislators: create a dual system of elite schools for wealthy citizens and over-crowded, under-resourced schools for poorer students.

School vouchers are touted as a means for low-income students and those in failing schools to access higher-quality private schools. Yet, only 3.5% of Arizona’s voucher applicants came from failing schools. Eighty percent did not attend a public school in the previous year. Vouchers are clearly subsidizing students who can already afford private school.

The modern school voucher system had its origin in Virginia in the 1950s. To avoid integrating schools, the Legislature closed its public schools and granted public education funds to individuals. All-white “segregation academies” quickly sprang up.

This system was dismantled in the 1960s, but the intent for “separate but un-equal schools” lives on in our Republican legislatures.

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Bring back Mesopotamians

Re: the Feb. 7 article “Plan to bring back extinct species attracts investors.”

Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas company, has raised $225 million dollars from a diverse group of investors including In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital firm which invests in technology, to bring back extinct species such as the Woolly Mammoth and the Dodo Bird.

In the last 50 years the world had lost two-thirds of its wildlife due to extinction. How bringing back extinct species will help to keep current species alive is beyond me. However, if those investors really want to make our world better, perhaps they should bring back the ancient Mesopotamians, who are credited with inventing the wheel about 4,000 B.C.

Obviously they figured out how to get along and work together for the collective good. Perhaps these ancient humans could run for politics, stop mass shootings and maybe even help our planet’s climate crises, because we modern ones can’t seem to get our priorities straight and work together. Let the dodos and woolly mammoths rest in peace.

Karen Papagapitos

Northwest side

Medicare Advantage is bad deal for patients, taxpayers

Re: the Feb. 7 article “Popular Plan.”

The article about the popularity of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans does not address the taxpayer subsidy to these plans. MA plans are allowed to retain 15% of premiums as profit and overhead, money that should be spent on patient medical care while Traditional Medicare (TM) has an overhead of 2-3%. MA plans cost 19% more per patient than TM but were touted as a way to control Medicare spending. MA plans practice “upcoding” to increase payment from the government, yet provide less care to the sickest patients. Between 2010-19 CMS overpaid MA plans $106 billion.

MA plans’ ubiquitous advertising during open enrollment should be a clue that the plans are making huge profits. Buyer beware. When you become sick (not if you get sick, everyone alas does eventually), MA plans’ shareholder-driven need for profit will supersede your need for care. Don’t be fooled by the “free” added benefits and the false advertising. When you need the care, TM is a much better choice.

Michael Hamant, MD

East side

Priorities

Priorities please! Seven Western states facing a drastic water crisis and no solution. We desperately need comprehensive immigration reform, which only Congress can do. We’ve got an international crisis in the Ukraine and a humanitarian catastrophe in Turkey/Syria. There are pressing needs to implement the infrastructure bill and to address climate change and its impact on lives. But the Republican House wants to investigate Hunter Biden’s laptop? It wants to sanction the president for his actions — re: the Chinese balloon even as it knows nothing about the why the U.S. reacted as it did! Please, let’s do your job and not just grab for headlines! If you must sanction, sanction yourself for not producing comprehensive immigration policy, for not addressing homelessness and need in our country, for not addressing climate change, for not reforming elections, for not passing the 13 appropriation bills on a timely basis, etc., etc. The list of sanctions to Congress is endless, as is the continued avoidance of doing its job!

Norman Patten

Midtown

Veterans need health care givers

Re: the Feb. 1 article “Veterans need more home care choices.”

I want to thank Becca Caneloz for the caregiving work she does for our veterans. There is such a great need for all caregivers and especially for veterans these days. You are doing a great service.

Lois Bowen

Southeast side