Thank you, Bowers
I want to acknowledge the courage and conviction of Rusty Bowers with deep respect. After reading about him in The Week magazine, I realized I had just read about one of the few politicians in this country whose actions reflect their stated values, even when up for reelection.
As an agnostic, pro-choice, Independent who usually votes Democrat, I never thought I would be writing a letter praising an Arizona Republican politician.
What’s the big deal? He simply did the right thing: followed the law and upheld the Constitution. But I now realize what a big deal it was in the current political climate. He and his family were threatened by a “Trump train” of angry fanatics around Jan. 6 last year. Many attempts were made to coerce him “to overthrow the vote of the people of Arizona.” Had he been presented with any reasonable evidence of widespread election fraud, I believe his actions would have been commensurate with those facts. The truth mattered to him.
People are also reading…
Stella Miles
Southwest side
Berkman’s sour grapes
Re: the Aug. 28 guest opinion “Conover’s long delay eroded trust.”
David Berkman’s op-ed suggesting that Pima County Attorney Laura Conover should have rushed to indict the former officer who shot a man in a wheelchair at Lowe’s seems rich. As the former chief criminal deputy in the PCAO, Berkman didn’t take an officer to trial even once in six terms under Barbara LaWall. I’m not sure he’s qualified to weigh-in here. He even admits he didn’t have all the facts before writing his piece.
Berkman’s suggestion that justice was delayed for victims is shocking. He and his administration walked off the job at the start of COVID-19, stopping full operation of the homicide panel. The result: On the day Conover took office, the administration had to pick up 144 open homicide cases dating back to 2017.
Berkman supported Conover’s opponent. When his candidate failed to win, Berkman’s career ambitions were derailed. Berkman’s unhealthy obsession with the Conover administration reveals the real problem: sour grapes.
Alison Jones
Midtown
Department of un-justice
As a registered Independent, an octogenarian and a non-supporter of Donald Trump. I am angered and confused by the lack of fair play and justice in America.
The scales of justice are totally out of balance.
For example: The release of violent criminals without bail. The arrest of an 80-year-old man for defending himself. The refusal to prosecute Hillary Clinton for her destruction of 33,000 emails. The protesting of Supreme Court justices at their homes in violation of specific federal law. The destruction and arson (over 60 cases) of Catholic churches because of their anti-abortion position. The defunding of police departments as the crime rates escalate everywhere. The Hunter Biden coverup. The refusal of FBI Director Christopher Wray to prosecute federal crimes in order to keep his job. The raid of Trump’s home in Florida for the purpose of obtaining documents to embarrass his future run for the presidency. The political weaponizing of DOJ and the FBI.
These are only a few of the many injustices.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Good state leadership
Re: the Sept. 4 article “Candidates call for Saudi water leases investigation.”
As a former hydrologist, I read with interest this story on the Saudi alfalfa farm pumping free groundwater from State Trust land. A candidate running for attorney general, Kris Mayes, says the farm lease (at $25/acre) may violate the state’s constitution by giving free benefits. Fact is, for decades, state leaders have avoided charging any kind of fee for on-site use of water extracted from state lands. I think it took a lawsuit to get them to charge mineral royalties, despite Arizona’s “fiduciary” responsibility to use the leases to pay for K-12 education.
So bravo to Mayes for raising the issue, and let the debates begin. Good state leadership is central to solving the multiple crises (water, energy, land and funding) coming at us.
Julia Fonseca
Midtown
Is raising prime rate effective?
Re: the Sept. 3 article “Lower US job gains in August could aid Fed’s inflation fight.”
The Feds have been trying to reduce inflation by increasing the prime rate. This makes loans more expensive and consumers paying for it. No wonder inflation is still high.
I have a suggestion that promises to keep the economy strong, put more money in the treasury, reduce income disparity and help those who suffer most from inflation: a flat tax of 20% on personal income. It comes with a $40,000 deduction, so a couple, each of whom make $40,000/year, would pay zero taxes. By basically doing away with tax filing, this could put the IRS out of business.
What’s not to like? Well, until supply chain problems are worked out, inflation will likely hover around 9%, but that’s a lot better than the Feds leading us into financial disaster.
Walter Mann
Marana
For the record
As Aaron Judge (54 homers as of Sept. 7) approaches Roger Maris’ single-season home run record (61 in 1961), some clarification is warranted. Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa all have hit more than 61 homers in a single season. However, all three have been investigated and caught for steroid use and other PEDs. Ergo, Maris’ record of 61 homers should be the benchmark to a purist of the game. Records achieved on drugs should not count in baseball or any other sport. Sixty-one homers in a season is the record for people who still believe in the integrity of baseball. Go for it, Judge!
Richard Bechtold
West side
Climate change; anti-capitalism
I think many climate change activists are fundamentally anti-capitalists. They seek to use climate as a vehicle to radically transform economic and social structures of nations, correcting their perceived injustices. They seek greater central government control over the economy and people’s lives. In 2014, climate and social activist Naomi Klein wrote a book “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate.” In it she detailed a roadmap to the utopian leftist agenda using climate as a vehicle to achieve it. It included putting petroleum-producing companies out of business, attacks on corporations, open borders to migrants, expanding state-owned property and resources, redefining what constitutes GDP, new taxes, new public works programs, government guidelines on how often we drive and how large our homes are, etc. Biden and progressive Democrats are following Klein’s book to a T. You only need to listen to their climate change, social justice and inequality rhetoric and read their legislation, i.e., the Inflation Reduction Act, to understand this.
Alan Jeffords
Midtown
Florence prison tour
Wondering where our hearts in America/Americans are these days. Haven’t we all made mistakes in life? Do the people living in these conditions deserve to be treated like subhumans? Can we expect that they’ll come out as shining citizens living like that? There’re in cages. Solitary confinement is beyond brutal to the heart and soul. Only in extreme cases do our civilized neighbors in Europe use that as punishment. They made a mistake, help them. The cost, anywhere from $100 billion (nationwide) to some studies saying toward $1 trillion a year. Remember our former Mayor Jonathan Rothschild at the time was the only elected official out of 30 who accepted a prisoner’s invitation to speak to them about helping to prevent recidivism by creating job opportunities, etc., as the Daily Star reported. I wrote to him and thanked him for understanding what the word “dignity” means. As an acquaintance used to say “not my problem.” If that’s the attitude, then we as a culture are descending.
Bruce Yost
Northeast side
No monsoons in climate change?
Re: the Sept. 6 letter “Monsoons during climate change?”
My studies in environmental science took many college credits to fully understand the intricacies of the atmosphere. So, I have to ask what studies did the letter writer take that would make it difficult for them to understand why the monsoon would still occur with global energy increase, aka global warming or climate change. The atmosphere can “boil” just like a pot of water and right now it is the “early” stages of heating. So, yeah, there is still ice on the planet and some places are still experiencing “normal” weather. But by the time it would meet their criteria for admitting the climate change is real, 90% of the human race would be dead and the other 10% would be wishing they were. The frog probably thinks the water is cozy warm until it passes out.
Dan Pendergrass
West side
