Media bias?
In reference to the recent letters complaining about liberal media bias: A supporter once yelled “Give ‘em (his critics) hell, Harry” to President Truman, to which he famously responded, “I just tell the truth, and they think it’s hell.” Harry Truman’s language seems both sufficient and perfectly on-point to address your ranting about a left-leaning slant in the mainstream media — Perhaps PBS, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, The New York Times, The AZ Daily Star, etc. are merely telling the truth and you just THINK it’s liberal bias. Those outlets certainly come closer to unvarnished news reporting than FOX, OAN and Newsmax.
Jim Christ
East side
Child tax credit stalled in Senate
I urge all Arizonans to write to Senators Kelly and Sinema to urge them to push for a vote on the child tax credit bill on the Senate floor. During the pandemic, the child tax credit kept 3 million children out of poverty, and while this bill is not estimated to be as effective, it will still have a major impact. Per usual, it is Republicans who are blocking the bill from reaching the floor for a vote. While I believe both our Senators are in favor, they need to push harder for a vote so that those opposed are held accountable should the vote not reach the floor, or fail, and those most impacted, including thousands of poor and low-wage workers in Arizona, remain in poverty.
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Nancy Atherton
Foothills
Climate change discussion
Re: the May 3 letter “Climate change.”
I thank the letter writer for his letter in response to my recent opinion piece.
I appreciate that he read my article and raised additional points for discussion. Having discussions or other communications about climate change is an important first step toward finding climate solutions.
All Arizonans, from rural farmers and ranchers to urban Phoenicians, are impacted by climate change, an issue that should be nonpartisan. Although the politicians recently actively addressing climate change have mostly been Democrats, we should welcome serious climate change solutions from Republicans or Democrats and vote accordingly.
The current atmospheric level of long-lasting carbon dioxide (CO2), primarily from fossil fuels combustion, is the highest it’s ever been in human history. We must stop atmospheric greenhouse gas pollution from rising yet even higher, otherwise climate change will only relentlessly worsen, leading to a much hotter, dryer, and less sustainable Tucson.
Mark Peterson, MD
Foothills
Ciscomani to back bill allowing Rosemont mine
I am a lifelong Republican, businesswoman, former CPA and attorney. Juan Ciscomani is voting for the “Mining Clarity Act” which would allow Hudbay to go forward with the Rosemont Mine and dump tailings on federal land. This law addresses exactly what the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said Hudbay couldn’t do. Pima County, the City of Tucson, and citizens other than mining interests and the Chamber of Commerce oppose this mine. We have been fighting it for over a decade.
Juan Ciscomani has taken donations from the mining industry and Hudbay. He is not representing the people of Pima County, who are concerned over the excessive water that Hudbay will use on both the Copper World and the Rosemont Mine sites. Those two mines will devastate the water in Pima County, pollute our water and air, and leave us with two toxic messes. The copper will go directly to China and Korea.
What will Pima County and Tucson be like with little water? Ciscomani has failed Pima County.
Mary Jo Sheldon-DiVito
Foothills
Semantics are important
Re: the May 3 article “UA student encampment merits support.”
First and foremost, I agree 100% with the entire opinion piece. But what I want to remark on in the article is the ending … her words that we need to “work together towards a less-bordered world.” And then the description of her belief in “border abolition.” I too, abhor the entirety of issues regarding “borders in this world.” For years, I have expressed my opinion that I, too, don’t believe in “borders.” I believe that “the intelligent designer” of this universe ... you perhaps call him God ... didn’t call them borders. He (or she) called them rivers and coastlines. To me, this world has become too small for borders. It seems to me that only selfish humans call them “borders.”
Sue Thompson, M.D.
SaddleBrooke
Support for student encampments
Re: the May 3 article “UA student encampment merits support.”
I read this op-ed with interest based on current student unrest. The author qualifies her comments by stating her academic expertise about the Israeli occupation of Palestine and adds to that her moral authority stemming from her Jewish culture. I read her piece several times; she supports “Student Intifada,” listing the atrocities. But something was missing from her content.
Did you see it, too?
Where was the lamentation for the original victims of this incident? I didn’t read any expressions of regret, condolence, or empathy for the families of the 1,200 innocent Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 attack. Recent BBC reports note the attack by Hamas terrorists included the murder, rape and kidnapping of women and children. She only conveys one side, her views are myopic. As a ploy, she overstates her political slant against Israel and understates the ongoing threat to the people of Israel. Her great care for others is what I call a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Richard Harper
Northeast side
Increase Tucson Police budget now
Not too late for Mayor Romero and Council to adjust their 2024-25 budget priorities to increase the allocation for their most basic service: maintaining the health and safety of the community. That may not match their current top priorities, social equity and climate change, but Police Chief Chad Kasmar needs help.
We need sufficient officers to take back our streets. What Tucson driver has not come close to being killed by a red-light runner, just as one of his officers recently was? Who is fortunate to live where they do not hear road racing at night?
And whose fault is it that Miramonte neighbors were calling 911, pleading for officers to break up a chaotic party (perhaps more than 100 attendees) last weekend prior to the drive-by mass shooting? Available officers were answering higher-priority calls.
We, as concerned citizens, must insist that our elected officials comb through the limited general funds to redirect more allocations to their most fundamental responsibility: to provide SAFE streets and neighborhoods.
Ruth Beeker
Midtown
Donald Trump
Re: the May 5 letter “Hate Trump club.”
The author of the letter apparently has a poor grasp of cause and effect. Trump was the beneficiary of a recovering, growing and increasingly healthy economy from President Obama, who had inherited an economy on the brink of financial ruin from G.W. Bush. Likewise, President Biden inherited a disastrous situation, which had been predicted by economists, due to Trump’s inept handling of the pandemic. If Trump had dealt with it immediately, in a science-based, non-partisan way, he’d have been re-elected. Instead, he politicized masks and vaccines and ignored all the warnings issued by the CDC and Dr. Fauci. In addition to mishandling this dire moment in America, he became the first president in history to refuse to accept the outcome of a free and fair election. Personally, I prefer my presidents to NOT be whiny sore losers who incite insurrection and create chaos, doubt and division just to assuage his little hurt feelings.
Anne Lane
Northeast side
Trumpanomics
I began this beautiful Tucson morning with another letter in your paper touting the strong economics of the Trump years. Then I watched “Meet the Press” and “Face the Nation” to hear Republicans boast about the grand Trump years. Does anyone remember his final year of Presidency when we were hit by the COVID pandemic, which initially he denied and said he would have under control right away, then later recommended drinking Clorox to recover and fired all the experts who were critical of him. Meanwhile, we had hundreds of thousands of deaths, stores and restaurants were closing, massive numbers of employees were losing their jobs, people were hoarding toilet paper, and our children were denied 1½ years of school from which they are still suffering. Our economy was on the verge of depression which was barely saved by Bidenomics of 2021. This is a reminder that people who constantly brag about themselves are not always telling the whole story.
Craig Wunderlich
West side
Our great university
The University of Arizona, despite financial challenges, continues to be a top-notch educational institution that is critical to the health of Tucson and the surrounding area.
These days, you don’t read about the UA Lovejoy Center for Bridging Biodiversity, Conservation Science and Policy, or the Adaptive Athletics endowment, or the Compton Lab for Discovery and Innovation, or the research in cancer, Alzheimer’s arthritis and more. We can’t forget the OSIRIS-Rex mission or the Tree Ring Lab.
Within the College of Agriculture, a study concluded that the economic impact of Arizona Athletics generated about $265 million for the state in 2023
Space limitations only allow a handful of examples of what UA is doing and what it is providing the community. While the University must get its financial house in order, UA faculty, staff, donors and students deserve the support and the admiration of the Tucson community.
Nancy Peterson
Oro Valley
Amateur sports
I remember when young folks went to college for an education to further their lives and get better employment and if you had the ability, you could play sports. Then in 1950, the NCAA started the Athletic Scholarship Program, and this was furthered by Title IX for all sports male and female. From there, college became a business for athletics and no one has spoken against it.
It doesn’t matter that many of the athletes can’t read or don’t finish their degrees if they perform in sports. It’s big business for colleges, and there are no amateur athletes after high school if they have a scholarship. They’re being paid to play.
The transfer portal is nothing more than free agency. I remember the story of Jim Thorp losing his Olympic medals because he played semi-pro ball to help finance his college education. Now, professional athletes participate in the Olympics. It’s time to return college athletes into college students again and make the Olympics what they were meant to be.
Charles Hammond
Marana
Protests against Israel
Protests against Israel are misguided because of false information. The truth, as I see it is that the Hamas killing of Israelis was basically unprovoked. The Hamas have used women and children to shield themselves during a counterattack. In reality, it seems that most of the Hamas and Palestinians are Muslims who follow the Koran desiring to eliminate all Jewish people. The Koran tells Muslims to kill all Jewish people and to take over the world in whatever way possible. I urge local and national writers and news people to face facts and give out the truth so that misguided protestors learn that Jewish people should be supported rather than belittled. News people are supporting protestors’ by keeping quiet, rather than doing the moral and correct act of pointing out facts. Most people would be vengeful in the same situation. After all, it was the killers that made the first evil step in Israel. Many Americans believe that the fall of Israel would lead to our fall.
Doug Morris
Northwest side
Left turns at intersections
Recently, Tucson changed the left-turn signals at major intersections from blinking yellow to red. This change has prompted multiple letters complaining of the resultant delays for drivers. The intersections in question are those with high numbers of crashes, which resulted in injuries or fatalities. Since January 2017, 115 (19%) of the 600 fatalities within Tucson City limits occurred due to left turns at intersection. State Law ARS 28-672A — Causing Serious Physical Injury or Death by a Moving Violation (not yielding right-of-way), a class 1 misdemeanor. The misdemeanor charge could result in a jail sentence of up to six months and a $2,500 fine, along with a term of probation. The law requires a suspension of driving privileges on conviction, and provides for up to $100,000 in court-ordered restitution. Risking a hurried left turn so as to save time can result in a life change for both you and the person you killed or maimed.
Randy Garmon
North side
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