Why Sinema did it?
Re: the Aug. 7 article “Immoderate Sinema wields power to shield wealthy.”
Tim Steller’s article on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s protection of super-rich Wall Street executives’ tax loophole highlights the interesting question of why she did it. I think she did so for the same reason that Willie Sutton robbed banks — that is where the money is.
In today’s political world, only a handful of politicians are rich enough to finance their own campaigns, and few are able to crowd-fund as does AOC, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Others require a rich political patron.
Political novice Blake Masters, for example, has billionaire Peter Thiel who is putting $15 million into his campaign to unseat Mark Kelly. Sen. Sinema has the pharmaceutical industry and Wall Street. While her patrons do little for Arizona, they do much for Sen. Sinema. She seems to reciprocate by how she votes.
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If we don’t want such quid pro quo voting by members of Congress, we need a different way to finance their campaigns.
Pat Choate
Midtown
Anti-abortion, GOP theology
The radical reactionary GOP has pushed a dangerous religious dogma to control women/girls to recreate a patriarchal society. Consider the following:
1. One out of four women will have an abortion in their lifetimes.
2. At least 80% of Americans support abortion for cases of rape and incest or to save the life of the mother.
3. Forced childbirth of girls aged 10 to 14 results in greater chances of death or serious lifelong complications.
4. The cost of raising a child from birth to high school graduation can be as much as $270,000.
5. Women make up nearly 14.5% of our active duty force and about 18% of Guard/Reserve soldiers. Our all-volunteer force would collapse without women in the military services.
6. It is estimated at least one out of six women will suffer rape, incest or sexual assault.
Women/girls are equal human beings. Please vote Democratic to stop radical dangerous GOP theocracy.
Kyle Stoutenburg
Sierra Vista
Not a Christian Country
A Christian country is one in which Christianity is established in some manner under law. In England, you had to be Anglican to work for the government. In Spain you had to be Roman Catholic. Most European countries have, or have had, a national church. In contrast, the United States was settled and established by refugees from such places, often religious nonconformists who came here to escape persecution by the national church. We are not allowed, by our Constitution, to have any national church or national religion. All faiths, including atheism, have equal standing and equal protection, and no religious test may be applied. Every sect calling for this to be a Christian country is a minority sect. Many of the signatories to the Constitution were not Christians at the time. Some had never been.
David P. Vernon
East side
Where are all liberated women?
I came of age during the 60s and 70s, a time of many changes and challenges and hippies, Vietnam, sex drugs and rock and roll, and women’s lib.
Now, I sadly look out and see all those women who gained so many privileges during that time withering on the vine. The bra burners and outspoken heroines of that era are now silent.
What next? Returning to scold’s bridals, chastity belts, the pillory, public flogging for ill-behaved wives and burning at the stake.
Come on, women, stand up again. Stop letting men make decisions for women.
Gaye Bruni
Northeast side
A subtle and deadly
cancer
Benito’s strategies were: Surround yourself with loyalists (henchmen), recruit elite industrialists, control various forms of communication, perpetuate propaganda, use violence through nationalist paramilitary groups. Exactly 100 years ago, Mussolini was immortalized as the Father of Fascism when in 1922 he led the March on Rome to take control in a coup d’etat.
Does any of this feel familiar today? One hundred years later neo-fascist groups composed of Italian Nationalists are active in Italy. Like a cancer, fascist ideology can spread silently yet quickly and manifest itself when it’s too late.
We are in peril of losing our democracy by remaining ambivalent toward those who seek power at any cost, and endeavor to rule by any means. Please open your mind and pay attention to the signals of fascism. Vote for no one who is endorsed by, or endorses Trump and his ideology; nor anyone who endorses the Jan. 6 insurrection. Listen to your heart and vote for decency and humanity. We will make it.
Ernest T. Saccani
Foothills
Election fraud a fraud
Wow, just wow. It appears that Arizona has let three “election deniers” go through to the November general election. Blake Masters, Mark Finchem and Kari Lake all repeat the same nonsense the former president continues to spout: The “Big Lie” — that there was ‘‘widespread election fraud” and that Trump really won in 2020. But there is absolutely no proof to back their allegations, and court case after court case has been thrown out for lack of evidence. So, either Masters, Finchem and Lake are incredibly ignorant of the facts, or they are willfully lying about them.
Stupidity or mendacity. Either way, none of them are fit to hold office.
Karen Micallef
Oro Valley
Election irony
Does anyone else find it ironic that the “Big Lie,” Trump cultists and insurrection deniers who voted for or won this primary obviously think it was a fair and safe election process? Just sayin’. Vote, vote, vote Democrat and save our democracy.
Sharon Winderl
Midtown
Distorted beliefs
Based on recent events, I believe Republicans can be divided into two teams, Team Normal and Team Not So Normal. Team NSN consists of those who uphold the following beliefs: the stolen election, the pedophilic cabal, the great replacement theory, and whatever weekly conspiracy Alex Jones is promoting.
Unfortunately, Team NSN currently dominates the GOP. The insurrection of Jan. 6 was a direct result of distorted beliefs, which have not been moderated. Team Normal, Republicans Rep. Cheney, state Rep. Bowers have been censored and cast aside because they chose truth and duty.
Locally, we used to look up to respected statesmen such as Sen. McCain and Rep. Kolbe. Now they’ve been replaced by NSN advocates, Mark Finchem and Kelli Ward. As a result, my life has been complicated. I don’t know what team my Republican family members and acquaintances are aligned with. Frankly, I am very afraid of the answer. Instead, I find myself avoiding anyone that leans right, but I’m not totally comfortable in my approach.
Ed Espinoza
Southwest side
Primary elections
The “art” of brainwashing is in again. To put it charitably, the primaries in Arizona were a charade, successfully orchestrated by the high priest of anarchic disorder, Donald Trump. They also symbolize the breakdown of institutional cohesion and the continuing disintegration of the traditional Republican Party.
Unless the opposition is able to engineer a miracle by November, the results of the primaries will be authenticated at the midterms and Trump’s lackeys installed in January 2023.
It is difficult to accept that we live in a world where falsehood and misrepresentation have become the strange new form. It is simply incomprehensible that a bunch of liars, “Oathtaker” members and Jan. 6 insurrectionists or their sympathizers can be elected to major political leadership positions by landslides, while those who believe in the truth and loyalty to the Constitution are first censured and then dramatically disposed of. Purists and pragmatists are out, and allegiance to Trump has become the new measuring stick for political success.
It is hard to imagine an optimistic future.
Frederick Leinfest
Oro Valley
Mail-in voting, disabled people
Disabled people and those who love them should be very afraid if Kari Lake, Mark Finchem and like-minded Trump Republicans win in November.
If these people take control of Arizona government, I worry vote-by-mail and early voting will be stopped.
If so, how will bed-bound people be able to vote? How will severely disabled people or sick people be able to vote? I know of wheelchair users who can hardly get to their doctors because of their heart-rending difficulties of getting into and out of cars and vans. Yet they will be expected to show up in person and wait in line for who knows how long.
If you cannot bring yourself to vote for Democrats in November, then simply skip voting for Kari Lake, Mark Finchem and all the others who want to tear down what isn’t broken.
May I suggest that you donate your time and money to candidates who will not cruelly punish the disabled among us.
One day it may be you.
Peter Bakke
SaddleBrooke
High gas prices and inflation
I think oil company profits drive inflation. We have had little relief from exorbitant gas prices. This while four major oil and gas companies have record profits.
Where did all those dollars go? Since October, oil companies bought back billions of dollars worth of their shares. Buybacks and dividends drive share prices up, to the benefit of wealthy investors and stockholders.
During the same time, inflation has affected millions of Americans. Higher gas and diesel prices are a contributing factor. Trucks deliver the products we buy. So inflated fuel prices impact virtually everything. Increased fuel cost at the pump digs into everyone’s wallet, but for low-income families it takes money away from necessities.
We need to reduce our gas consumption by walking, bicycling or taking rapid transit instead of driving. This would have the greatest impact on oil company profits while at the same time reducing our carbon footprint.
Edward Weil
North side
Green Valley h
ospital closure
Re: the Aug. 7 article “Employees of closed hospital left without pay.”
Having worked in and around hospital/health care administration for over 50 years, I was appalled to read the article on the front page of Sunday’s edition. The item refers to the recent closure of the former Green Valley Hospital, more recently renamed the Santa Cruz Valley Hospital. As reported, the closure was triggered by gross mismanagement by the facility’s administrative team.
Due to a series of blatant miscommunications by the former CEO Stephen Harris, roughly 300 employees were abruptly fired and denied large sums of promised payment for services previously rendered. Speaking as a former health care administrator, it appears that responsible oversight by the state to prevent this malfeasance was evidently lacking. I hope that a local nonprofit sets up a mechanism to provide financial assistance for the mistreated employees. When that occurs I will happily make my first donation.
John Newport, Ph.D.
Northwest side
Mark Finchem is not qualified
As new voters and residents in the state of Arizona, my husband and I find it appalling that Rep. Mark Finchem would even be considered as a valid candidate for the position of secretary of state. Facts: Finchem is a Trump “Lie” supporter and pushed to have Biden’s win in Arizona overturned. Finchem would set back voting rights and is currently involved in a lawsuit to block the use of vote counting machines in state elections. Finchem was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in support of the insurrection and Trump. Voters should do everything in their power to have Finchem disqualified from the secretary of state election category.
Laura Hill
South Tucson
Consignment stores
Re: the July 28 article “Time to get thrifty.”
I really appreciated your article in the July 28 edition regarding thrift stores. There were many that I did not know about. I would love another similar article regarding consignment shops since so many have gone out of business because of the pandemic, especially in the northwest. Many people have items that they would like to consign rather than donate. I think you would be doing a great service to the community to research consignment stores.
Judy Krausser
Oro Valley
WNBA star Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner should have known about the rules in Russia. If she did not, then the WNBA should have told her. Let them deal with it. Let her pay the price.
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
