Tucson Speaks Out: Nov. 2 letters of the day

President Joe Biden has jeopardized our national security. He hastily withdrew from Afghanistan leaving behind $7 billion in military equipment to the Taliban. The country is once again a haven and staging ground for terrorist groups such as ISIS. Since 2022, Biden has taken 180 million barrels from our nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Now at its lowest level since the 1980s. Biden is depleting our nation’s military weapons and ammunition stockpiles by sending billions worth of equipment to Ukraine and now to Israel. I doubt if the munitions have been backfilled. Communist China is watching all of this. Under Biden, our border is not secure, with over six million foreign nationals having crossed illegally since his inauguration as President. Many have been allowed to stay. We know nothing about them. Biden has coddled Iran and not enforced existing oil sanctions, providing them with billions to fund their terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah. Ask yourself, is America more safe and the world more stable under President Joe Biden?

Darrin Styles

Midtown

Thoughts and prayers

I have a hard time believing the sincerity of those who offer “thoughts and prayers” to families, victims and others affected by the growing number of mass shootings in our country. Prayers without action are useless and only make those praying feel better without actually taking action or responsibility. The far right political pundits who refuse to take action on common sense gun control and banning assault weapons — under the guise of protecting second amendment rights — only benefit from this type of rhetoric. If you want to pray, do so, but follow through with some positive action.

Jeanne Herstad

SaddleBrooke

Civil War

The Civil War happened. Taking down, melting a statue of one of the finest generals that ever lived is a sin. Robert E. Lee did his duty. He even helped end slavery after the war.

For the record, I am from Chicago, here in Tucson for most of the past fifty years.

Do not forget the past, please.

Allison Van Deinse

Midtown

Yes on Prop 413

As a former council person who understands the demands of the role and as a resident seeking optimal representation, I urge your support for Proposition 413. This is a full-time job, and our council hasn’t received a pay raise in 20 years. Unfortunately, many barriers discourage participation in our democracy at every turn. Here in Tucson, the low pay for council roles prevents many otherwise qualified people from running for these important positions. With an increase in pay, tied to the same level paid to members of the County Board of Supervisors, I believe we will see more qualified and diverse candidates emerge in the future to help lead our city through the challenges ahead. Tucsonans deserve an abundance of choices on the ballot and candidates who reflect the rich diversity of our city. It’s crucial that the salary for these positions is commensurate with the workload. Our city and its residents will benefit from the passage of Prop 413, and I ask you to join me in voting yes.

Karin Uhlich, Former Council Member Ward 3

Downtown

Chaos, comedy, Congress

The recent vote in Congress for the Speaker of the House was an exercise in total chaos that verged on comedy. The old Abbott and Costello sketch “Who’s on First” comes to mind with the House’s inability to select a Speaker who could get enough votes to prevail and get back to the work of the American people that was held up for more than three weeks.

Comedians make themselves look ridiculous to get a laugh — and they do it on purpose. With their continued loyalty to Donald Trump, the antics of these Republicans repeatedly rejecting one election denier after another show they had no self-awareness of how ridiculous they looked to their constituents and the nation. A lesson in every adult’s life is knowing we are judged on how we behave. The current crop of Republicans was too busy fighting among themselves and bringing down democracy to care.

We deserve statesmen, not jokers!

Lois Postil

Oro Valley

Future water demand?

Re: the Oct. 30 article “Proposed water rules promise new growth.”

I read Tony Davis’ insightful story of the proposed new rules for possible future growth in Arizona. I have concerns.

While these proposed new rules apply only to the supply side of the water equation, they seem really not to have any questions about the demand side. In the 22 years at Tucson Water, I found that people will nearly always add more water features to their home and not realize the difference in consumption for years. Since new housing has minimal landscaping and no pool, the baseline used for the proposed new rules doesn’t seem to have any flexibility for any new consumption in 100 years. No children, no new landscaping and no pools? Are all three banned under these proposed rules? And what of water-using ancillary development like stores and industry caused by new homebuilding?

There’s no “compromise” in water. You either have it or you don’t. And it’s disingenuous for developers to call their monies “investment” when really it’s all speculation unless the government says otherwise.

Matt Somers

Midtown

Vail incorporation

I never got the idea that folks moved to Vail for commercial development reasons. Consider the monied Catalina foothills. No way do they want to be annexed.

We were annexed by Oro Valley. Our taxes went up ... way up. A dangerous intersection, (Moore and La Cholla) was promised by Oro Valley, in 2012, to be fixed by 2015. We are still waiting.

Don’t do it, Vail folk. The commercially bent people will move on this and change everything. No one moved out there for parks. They already have the desert.

Christi Driggs

Northwest side

City election

The Tucson City election is an opportunity for voters to evaluate the performance of the current city administration. Among the most basic responsibilities of city government is providing for public safety and the maintenance of public roadways. Voters should ask themselves if there is sufficient traffic law enforcement to keep our streets safe, and whether the condition of our streets poses a danger to us and our vehicles. It seems that reckless driving has increased significantly in our city amid little police presence. Although bond money is available for the road repair, even small, obvious resurfacing projects, like the very rough surface of Tucson Blvd. just south of Speedway and a stretch of Grant Road between Columbus and Swan, remain unaddressed year after year. We can and should do better.

John Leonardo

Midtown

Vail incorporation

On Nov. 7th, Vail is making an important decision to incorporate or remain unincorporated, a choice between self-governance and being governed by those who don’t live in Vail.

The incorporation effort was formed to protect what we love about Vail and to shape it as we would like it to be for our children and grandchildren. Without being incorporated in 10-20 years there will be no Vail as we know it today or how we’d like it for tomorrow.

Currently Tucson is in negotiations to annex state land between Houghton and Colossal Cave Road north of I-10. They don’t want rooftops, they want retail, commercial, and industrial land which generates tax revenue in Vail but to be spent downtown. The residents have no standing or say in these decisions that could dramatically affect the town of Vail. That’s why Vail sovereignty is so important!

Vote yes on Proposition 402.

Pamela Kelty

Vail

Homeless problem

Re: the Oct. 29 article “Homeless problem demands attitude overhaul.”

Sunday’s op/ed piece shows why Brent Harold is my favorite columnist. He states, “... like poverty in general, homelessness is a systemic byproduct of our economy and the way of life based on it.” He refers to an article by Jennifer Egan in the New Yorker Magazine, wherein she talks about advantages that some of us grow up with and others don’t. I grew up in a solidly middle-class family. It wasn’t my doing. I simply give thanks that that was the hand life dealt me. As Harold states, we must stop thinking of the homeless as “they” versus our “we”, and stop thinking that their dire conditions are their fault because of laziness, etc. Instead, we must insist that our government help those whom the economic system has failed. Thanks, Mr. Harold, for this compassionate view!

Aston Bloom

East side