Letters to the Editor: Feb. 28

The GOP-controlled Legislature sparked well deserved outrage when they exempted themselves from the public records act. So, too, has Gov. Hobbs fostered suspicion of her administration by failing to disclose the donors and sponsors of her inaugural gala. Comparison of Gov. Hobbs’ cabinet nominees against the financiers of her inaugural ball would help assuage suspicion of political patronage — assuming the lists are mutually exclusive.

“Secrecy is the linchpin of abuse of power...its enabling force. Transparency is the only real antidote.” — Glenn Greenwald

Sheldon Clark

Vail

Support Ukraine’s battle for freedom

Re: the Jan. 28 article “Tanks increase Ukraine entanglement.”

Luke Harding’s book, “Invasion,” quotes a Ukrainian on Putin’s nuclear threats: “It’s a problem for the whole world. Russia is like a monkey with a grenade.” If Putin prevails in Ukraine, the horrors Russia has committed will spread to Europe and the whole world. Putin’s genocidal war to destroy Ukraine’s Cossack-inspired, freedom-loving culture includes torture, murder, filtration (concentration) camps, kidnapping Ukrainian children and mass attacks on civilians.

This war is Putin’s evil dictatorship versus the more benign democratic values of the West. Putin also knows that he must wreck American democracy, if he is to prevail, which is the reason he assists his authoritarian tools like Donald Trump.

If we do not defeat the nuclear blackmailing monkey in Ukraine, his power will grow, and he may even demand the return of Alaska. Victory is the only exit strategy. Stand strong or risk becoming Putin’s slave.

Ronald Pelech

Midtown

What is the world coming to?

Several days ago, a 17-year-old female coming out of the shower at a California YMCA was exposed to a naked man identifying as a female. The young girl was mortified. The YMCA said this was OK. No! This is not OK. Why in the world do we allow a very small majority to trample our obvious personal rights. If I identify as a Mexican wolf, am I allowed to kill 20 deer per year? Of course not! Same rules should apply to current identification policies. Biologically, there are XX and XY chromosomes and these mean real physical differences where no manner of alteration of mind nor body can change that biology. This is the ultimate con where you can declare you are something else in spite of biology and trample the rights of others. It does not make sense to me.

Loyal M. Johnson Jr.

Oro Valley

Water thoughts

Any possible solutions to the water problem facing the Southwest, including Tucson, must be based in reality. Reality, however, is the one thing the people tend to avoid.

The foundational problem is that there are too many people all clamoring for a diminishing resource. And yet we see endless building going on all over town, with ever more people moving in. Why is “endless growth” considered so valuable, even when without water, literally nothing will grow? From there, we have swimming pools near many homes. Why? We plant flowers and trees that require lots of water, rather than remembering that we live in a desert and we should be encouraging drought-tolerant plants. Human beings cannot always have things their own way. In the end, like it or not, nature will win. Until we face reality, limit population growth, and learn to live with — not against — the desert, we will not solve our water problems. But given human nature and its dislike of inconvenient reality, my hopes are not high.

Kendra Gaines

Foothills

Black History Month

Yesterday, Feb. 23, I was listening to the radio when I heard a piece from Richard Davis, the son-in-law of Quincie Douglas, an African American woman who established a transportation system in Tucson for incapacitated individuals that later evolved into Van Tran. It was a fascinating piece of local history that I was totally unfamiliar with. Mrs. Douglas accomplishments working with the disabled and their transportation issues is just the sort of history that should be taught in the public school system. Sadly, it later occurred to me that is just the sort of thing that the Ron Desantis and Tom Horne political types will probably prohibit.

Richard Govern

Foothills

Disgraceful chairperson

Jake Hoffman must be removed immediately as chair of the state Legislature’s Director Nominations Committee.

He has no credibility as a man of integrity: he was one of the Arizona “fake electors” attempting to overthrow the 2020 election, and has refused to admit it or take any responsibility for his actions.

He seems unable to treat Gov. Hobbs’ nominees (and his fellow committee members) with any kind of respect, dignity or fairness.

Senate president Warren Petersen must remove Mr. Hoffman immediately and replace him with someone who will treat the office of chairperson with the integrity, courtesy and dignity it requires, and who will give the same to the nominees who come before the committee.

Mr. Hoffman is an utter disgrace to his position.

Jennifer Dawson

Midtown

Drug epidemic

It’s been over a half-century since Nixon declared a war on drugs, we’ve had Nancy Reagan saying simplistically “just say no to drugs.” It obviously isn’t working with 100,000 or so dying from drug overdoses annually. Now fentanyl is being responsible for almost all these, coming mostly through legal ports of entry. It’s time to decriminalize these drugs and hence reduce financial gain for these vendors. Spend money on treatment for these users instead of putting fingers in a dam that has way too many leaks.

Craig Miller

Northwest side

State of UA

Re: the Feb. 25 article “UA needs to focus on students, employees and public mission.”

I would like to extend huge kudos to UA Prof. Gary Rhoades and UA JD candidate Jeremy Bernick for their clarity, insight and opinion. They also are members of United Campus Workers, AZ.

The opinion letter they submitted was a master class in consequential rebuttal to Mr. Fred DuVal’s “take” on the status of our University of Arizona under the presidency of Dr. R. Robbins.

Fact after fact was listed and shows clear exposure of poor judgement and cloudy implementation. Point by point was clarified with definitive figures. I could continue to cite excellent points throughout the complete article. I applaud you both for teaching us the cold, hard facts about how our UA is being “handled.”

We should not be pleased.

Judy Mercer

Oro Valley

Loyalty

Re: the Feb. 26 article “Buzzer-beater loss bad for UA, good for rivalry.”

Growing up in Brooklyn, and bleeding Dodger Blue, I have hated the Yankees for what seems like a thousand years.

During that time, Arizona was just a place I flew over during frequent trips between NY and LA.

I have now lived in Tucson for many years and my feelings for that school in Tempe are on a par with the hated foe from the Bronx.

Greg Hansen’s comment about that school’s win at McKale being good for the sport is like asking Mrs. Lincoln how she liked the play.

Losing to your arch rival is never good for anything. Greg, I bet you like the Yankees also.

Mike Perlman

Foothills