Letters to the Editor: April 4

Kudos to Rep. Gail Griffin from Cochise County and dairy farmer Sen. Sine Kerr, who have single handedly stopped solar and wind power in its tracks, protected cattle grazing and the rural communities they serve—as Chairs of the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committees in the House and Senate. They’re both passionate about protecting everything farming and grazing in Arizona and have proven themselves time and again. But what about the rest of us, Rep. Griffin and Sen. Kerr? What about the people who don’t use 75% of all of Arizona’s water sources, who aren’t draining their aquifers to the point their land is subsiding?

What about the over 90% of Arizona’s population, over 5.5 million people, who don’t live in rural communities? Why are you shoving us under the bus? Protection is admirable, but protection at the expense of the health and well being of the vast, vast majority of people in the state? That’s not right.

Rick Rappaport

Oro Valley

Fox News

Re: the March 4 article "Blame liberal policies, not talk radio."

Reading about half way into it, I thought this must be satire. How can anyone with a straight face call Fox News “informative,” especially with its continuing claim that Trump won the ‘20 election even after numerous recounts and court decisions have discounted the election fraud claims? Even Rupert Murdoch admitted to that false claim. Some Fox hosts have left due to sexual harassment claims and others left because they no longer respected the network. It’s one thing to have a network to espouse conservative views as was their original purpose, but now they spew out unsupported, beyond far right views that defy reality. It started when Trump came on the scene and Fox decided to cater to his followers to increase their ratings and ad income. My departed husband and I used to watch some Fox hosts, but all have left. I tried to be open and began to watch one show recently, but I couldn’t stomach the misinformation.

Jean Barkley

East side

Show some dignity, Kari

William Ruckelshaus from my home state of Indiana ran for US Senate against incumbent Birch Bayh in 1968 and lost. I was a reporter at the time. The day after the election, he told me, "If you can't mentally handle losing a political campaign with dignity, you should never run for office."

Later in life, in October 1973, while serving as US Deputy Attorney General in what became known as the "Saturday Night Massacre," Ruckelshaus and Attorney General Elliot Richardson resigned from their offices. They chose not to obey the order of President Richard Nixon to fire the independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was investigating Nixon's role in the Watergate scandal.

Ruckelshause's record of accomplishments in public work over the years includes being the first Administrator of the EPA and acting FBI Director-a remarkable life's journey in service to America.

So praytell, where's Kari Lake's dignity?

Jerry Wilkerson

SaddleBrooke

Indictment of Trump

I find it MOST hypocritical of the GOP. They were quick to have the head of President Clinton after his affair with Monica Lewinsky. With absolutely no threat to our country. Yet, Trump has done just the opposite. It just floors me the the Republicans have taken on such a double standard. Well, maybe not. It has become the party of hypocrisy! They can...but you cannot!

Lisa Hawkins

Northwest side

Faith-based committee guidance?

Re: the April 1 article "Plan paused for TUSD faith-based committee."

It's absurd to think any "faith-based" advisory committee would offer any guidance to TUSD initiatives, programs, policies or projects without invoking their religious beliefs. This is just another attempt for the hypocritical, self-righteous, religious wackos to infiltrate a secular educational school district and slowly but surely pressure their religious fantasies on our children. Keep religion and these religious nuts out of public education. St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Catholic Jesuit order of priests, said it well: "Give me a boy at the age of seven and he will be mine forever."...and Catholic schools started their brain washing!

Ray Suttles

North side

A 'political' indictment?

If someone has been found by a Grand Jury to have probably committed a crime, the decision to indict that person cannot be “political.” The decision NOT to indict could be “political.” There may be some, like the previous president, for whom everything, including science and the law, is political. If they say something is “political,” it’s a meaningless accusation since for them, nothing isn’t.

John Warnock

Midtown

Faith Christian Church and UA

Re: the April 2 article "Tucson church amassing tax-free Mt. Lemmon Land for leaders' use."

Faith Christian Church’s presence on the UA campus is another example of the malevolence of religious organizations disguised as benign, pastoral outreach to vulnerable populations. Faith Christian is a small representation of the organized corruption, abuse and horrendous harm done by organized religions on a massive scale throughout history. The issue is not about an individual’s freedom to choose whatever spiritual beliefs they wish to follow. It is about the harmful and heinous methods of indoctrination and subjugation used by the agents of many different religions. Young people are vulnerable to proselytizing, especially when they are away from home for the first time. Additionally, religious tax exemptions rob states of billions of dollars annually. It is long past time for them to be repealed.

Dean of Students Washington White said, “We can’t tell them to leave unless they are hurting someone.” Harm comes in many forms and the UA failed to protect students from this cult. Dean White and others should resign.

Jessica Hamdan

West side

Solutions to the water crisis

The Daily Star has asked readers for solutions to Arizona's water crisis. Here's three:

Forget about building a desalinization plant in the Gulf of Mexico and building a pipeline to Arizona. Does anyone think that the Mexican government will be able to protect the pipeline from the Cartels who could use it as a terrorist threat? If desalinization is the solution, offer to assist California in the development of one in exchange for a portion of their Colorado River allotment or a pipeline to Arizona.

Since 70% of our water goes to farming, offer grants to farmers to install drip systems where suitable for the crops grown and prohibit the planting of any new crops that require the flooding of fields.

Cancel the contracts or force the sale of the Saudi Arabian owned farms that are growing hay that's shipped to the Middle East and wasting unlimited amounts of groundwater.

Dan Watson

Oracle