GOP is guilty as charged
Republican state senators held a conference to “blast” critics of their bills intended to cull voter polls, requiring voters to re-register and impose additional identification requirements for mail-in ballots.
Opponents charge the bills target Democrats, resulting in voter suppression to the advantage of Republicans. The GOP senators argue they are being unfairly labeled as racist.
The senators are guilty of ignoring history and failing to understand the context of the bills. After emancipation some states embraced “Jim Crow” voter restrictions aimed at blocking Black voters.
That history links to the modern context: a Republican Party which embraces the Southern strategy and a losing Republican candidate mounting unfounded allegations of fraud.
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What is a party to do? It’s clear the GOP’s campaign is to lessen the number of Democratic voters. Nothing else makes sense in terms of the timing.
Jim Greene
Oro Valley
Council: Don’t overlook this
The Broadway expansion between Euclid Avenue and Country Club Road (known as the Sunshine Mile) has been in the works for over a year, adding bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks and landscaping.
The Sunshine Mile is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is an iconic gem of midtown. No doubt the improvements will enhance the businesses and flavor of the Sunshine Mile.
But one detail of the plan was not presented publicly until December 2020 when residents of the neighborhood BBVN, or Broadmoor Broadway Village Neighborhood, just south of Broadway, learned that developer Rio Nuevo had plans to build a six-story complex along Broadway, just west of Treat Avenue.
This building would butt up against the property of homeowners in BBVN and negatively impact the charm and integrity of our neighborhood. The city council, which will be voting on zoning changes, must seriously consider the detrimental effect this construction will have on BBVN, which recently was designated a historic site.
Linda Dugan
Midtown
Congress, close the tax gap
Most people pay their taxes. Some people don’t. That’s not fair.
Before we ask Congress to raise taxes, we need to arm the IRS with the ability to collect from those who owe.
Leaders from across the political spectrum and business community support this plan.
How to shrink the tax gap: fill the gap in income reported by third parties, upgrade technology to use all the information the IRS has, effectively focus and streamline auditing.
This information is supplied by the IRS. The IRS wants to work for the 90% of us who pay our taxes. Congress can make it happen so that the 10% who don’t pay face tougher penalties by funding the IRS.
Your vote for democracy counts.
Janet C. Pipes
Northwest side
Concept G makes sense
Would somebody please tell council member Steve Kozachik to shut up about the city’s reputation with contractors and fiscal responsibility. He is partially responsible for this mess and has no room to talk.
Zoo management (with the city’s help) decided they could take the best part of the best park in town for their own purposes. When they were called on it, the mayor and City Council wisely called a halt to reconsider.
Not Kozachik. He and Shane Burgess of the zoo must believe they are entitled and beyond reproach. I believe the zoo should not expand beyond its present boundaries. They have no right to steal precious green space in the desert from us.
The only option is “G”. We never voted to give them the park.
Robert McNeil, member of Save the Heart of Reid Park
Midtown
Opposing views are healthy
Re: the April 27 article “Two opposites can be true at the same time.”
This article hit the nail on the head. I agree that two seemingly opposing viewpoints can be held by an individual. At its core, it is an acknowledgement that extremism is the larger issue.
Typically, nuanced positions don’t make headlines. Compromise is treated as a total failure to support a specific population or belief rather than being seen as the ability to actually work with others to reach a consensus.
Social media algorithms, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, OAN, Newsmax, etc., tend to reinforce an existing opinion. Biased reporting does not encourage thoughtful dialog. But it does make money for those businesses.
It would be beneficial if more people would actually listen to and explore a variety of news sources. Most areas of life exist in the middle ground. That is where I feel the majority of the U.S. population lives.
Joann Vickroy
East side
Masking and mourning
Re: the April 11 article “Mask complainers in church need to extend some grace, get a grip.”
This article deserves an award for its honesty, clarity and exposure of attitudes within churchgoing congregations. As a member of the Oro Valley Writers’ Forum, our group is still mourning the loss of a fellow writer (also a fellow Catholic and only 65).
He succumbed to COVID-19 in mid-February, two days after his father, before his age group could access a vaccine. I think if everyone does their part, we will get through this.
I continue to wear a mask outside because it helps in controlling my allergies. Go figure. I will probably be harassed because I am wearing a mask for my health.
Now we have the anti-vaxers. Same thing. So sad that people’s individual preferences override the common good. I think we have lost the America I remember.
The old idea of pulling together and putting country first before self should be resurrected.
Paula Palotay
Marana
Why have kids?
If your wife is pregnant and going to have a badly genetically abnormal kid, the new law Gov. Doug Ducey just signed says you are going to have that fetus live and be a burden on you the rest of your life.
Will the state of Arizona, by law, help you with costs for this genetically abnormal baby? No.
They will just force you to have it and pay for it the rest of your life. What a great law.
Del Cain
Northwest side
Reid Park Zoo
As a lover of wildlife concerned about animal conservation, I’m excited for the expansion of Reid Park Zoo. The additional space will allow them to participate in the Species Survival Program for a number of animals including tigers and Asian fishing cats.
Accredited zoos, including Reid Park Zoo, are vital in the survival of animal species worldwide. By supporting our zoo, we are helping them support conservation programs including the Anteaters and Highways Project, Giant Armadillo Conservation Project, SAFE program and others.
Reid Park Zoo has been a part of our community for over 50 years and I am proud of the amazing place it has become. It has allowed us to connect with animals from around the world and learn how we can help protect them.
Pathways to Asia will be a wonderful addition to our zoo and it will provide its half million visitors an enjoyable and educational experience.
Bonnie Boelman
East side
Go solar to meet energy goals
Re: the April 28 article “Energy rules crucial to Arizona’s future.”
I was glad to see the recent article supporting the Corporation Commission’s proposed Energy Rules that are being considered on May 4. The writer hit the nail on the head!
ACC Chairwoman Lea Marquez Peterson is a Tucsonan and should remember that here in Tucson we take solar (and now battery storage) very seriously. The city of Tucson, TUSD and other school districts, Pima County and many homeowners have invested in solar to help TEP and TRICO meet energy loads, to help solve global warming and to save money.
But the utilities need this push to help people and businesses invest in energy efficiency and go solar. These rules would help all of us, especially those folks who haven’t yet gone solar.
They would put Arizona in line with neighboring states as far as planning for more renewables. And they would help keep Tucson a first-rate Solar American City! Tucson and Arizona need these rules.
Bruce Plenk
Northeast side
Why are the Dems so afraid?
America held a presidential election last November and my side lost. Here in Arizona, the GOP questioned whether voters’ choices had been accurately tallied and requested a recount, a usually routine procedure.
Watching the overzealous counterattack by the winning Democrats, I wonder why they would go to court to block a harmless recount, label the Republican inquiry in media as unfounded, false and the “Big Lie” without providing any evidence and discredit the competency and objectivity of the auditing company?
This Republican doesn’t know the results of an audit and neither do you, but we should all be leery of any Democratic cover-up and allow the process to proceed.
It is an opportunity to heal partisan wounds and help bring our highly polarized country together by providing helpful insight for future elections.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
AZ Republican hypocrisy
As a lifelong centrist/moderate, voting for both Republicans and Democrats, I don’t understand many of today’s Republicans. They reject well-founded government advocacy for masks and vaccinations, thereby risking misery and death for millions of Americans.
How can they claim to love America if they don’t love Americans enough to help us all be safe and healthy? On the other hand, they demand government intrusion into every woman’s personal reproductive health decisions. Isn’t this the definition of hypocrisy?
Moreover, our Arizona Republican lawmakers vehemently reject federal interference into our Arizona state laws, while they force excessive state interference with our own local laws, even for charter cities.
Examples include gun safety and voting. More hypocrisy?
Adrienne Kleiboemer
Foothills
Finchem has disgraced his office
I was dismayed to learn that our state legislator, Mark Finchem, participated in the insurrection at our Capitol in January. More recently, I was horrified to learn that he and his fellow Oath Keepers orchestrated the assault in order to drive our nation into a civil war.
By doing so, Finchem betrayed his oath of office and his country.
I vote because I believe in our system of government and I believe that my vote counts. I expect and accept that our legislators will vigorously disagree on many policies and issues, but I cannot accept nor condone anyone’s attempt to overthrow our system altogether.
I cannot support Mark Finchem. He has disgraced his office, and he has disgraced his party. He and all those like him need to be voted out of office.
I have already signed the petition to recall Finchem. I recommend that you do likewise.
Lorene Mclaughlin
Oro Valley
You’re right to be wrong
For those who have received or are planning to receive the COVID inoculations, it is the chance of a lifetime to have more time in their life.
For those who feel invincible to the virus’s effects or are just too plain ornery to get the shots, only time will tell how much of a lifetime they might have left.
I can always tell within a minute if someone has opted out of the opportunity to get the inoculation. They’ve already told me twice.
This is because it is some sort of badge of honor to take a stand for ignorance and idiocy. This is America after all. There is a First Amendment right to be a dope.
But if the virus sweeps back into our country as it has in India, perhaps those same defiant ones will scamper into the fold of the protected. The stand was only made of sand after all.
Ron Lancaster
North side
Steller wrong on Reid
It’s not Tim Steller’s money. So what’s $15 million to preserve a sentimental pile of dirt that nobody uses? Tim Steller played soccer next to Barnum Hill when he was younger. It’s worth any price to keep it. Apparently.
You could use $5 million of that money to reprogram all the traffic lights in Tucson. That would save drivers $2 million to $3 million a year in gas, plus a lot of time. You also could spend $5 million to install electric vehicle charging stations all around town.
And if you’re serious about open space, you could take the last $5 million to upgrade existing parks or build a brand new one. I don’t visit Reid Park much, usually just to watch the baseball. I don’t care about the zoo.
It does bug me, though, that Tucson’s intelligentsia believes Barnum Hill is the best return on investment $15 million can buy.
Walter Ramsley
East side
