Celebrity government
It seems to me that Americans are drawn to celebrity candidates in government. Millionaires, media stars and people that want to "fight" against the people that they blame for society's problems. These people are attention "junkies." They draw attention to themselves by blame and fear. The more attention you give them, the more hateful and outrageous their claims become. Just because they are constantly in front of a camera doesn't make them right. We need statesmen and stateswomen in government, not attention-seeking celebrities. We need compassionate and educated people who have the ability to understand issues, analyze possible solutions, debate the options, and compromise for resolution. We need intelligent people that solve problems for all of us. I don't want anyone to "fight" against people who don't think like me. I want people who will work together to resolve issues to some level of mutual satisfaction between people who think like me and people who don't think like me. Coexistence requires intelligent analysis and problem resolution, not fame.
People are also reading…
Richard Bechtold
West side
Insurrection
Is it not an insurrection when the present administration allows protestors to harass Supreme Court members at their very homes? Our Supreme Court is the final arbiter of our Constitution and is at the very heart of why our country is unique and the very model of the law being sacrosanct. Is it acceptable that the administration allows this to happen because they disagree with the decision? Our country may be in great peril, and this is the honorable Democratic Party. Is only one party allowed to make decisions on the path of the country? It appears the Democratic administration will do anything, including ignoring existing laws, to achieve their goals.
Loyal M. Johnson, Jr.
Oro Valley
Ducey's hypocrisy on preserving lives
This week Arizona surpassed 30,000 COVID deaths. Gov. Doug Ducey pontificated about protecting innocent lives of the pre-born. These last two years during the ongoing COVID epidemic Ducey eliminated most safeguards for preventing COVID; no mask mandate, no mandatory vaccine, no mandatory testing, reduced COVID testing and vaccine centers, signed the legislative bill limiting the power of the governor to declare emergencies for epidemics, allowed resumption of large gatherings. Which lives does Ducey want to protect? Only the pre-born; but not the thousands of people in Arizona who have contracted COVID or the 30,000 who died! It looks like playing politics and not actually caring about preserving lives.
John Kautz
Midtown
The vocal minority and abortion rights
Prior to the 2018 vote in Ireland to make abortion legal, polls showed “a close call” as to which side would prevail. As here, those against the freedom to choose (self-named “pro-life”) were vocal, loud, and utterly convinced that they had the right to tell others when they should have children, with an assumption that their personal religious philosophy should guide everyone. The vote ended up with 66.4% of the population voting to allow abortions, very close to a 2:1 majority, far more than the pre-election estimate.
I hope in our state and country the majority will prove that the vocal “pro-life” minority is just that — a minority. Complacency is our enemy, and the religious right unrelenting, but if those who wish to maintain our freedom to choose when (and if) to have children come out to vote we can turn our wishes and rights into political power again. For those who are opposed to abortion I say: don’t get one.
Norman Epstein, MD
Midtown
Electricity vs. lawns
I am not an alarmist, BUT ... I am 99.9% sure Arizonans would rather have electricity than green lawns. We live in a desert! We are in an extreme drought that even a good monsoon season will not correct, according to the experts.
Three of the states surrounding Arizona have already instituted rules/mandates regarding water conservation, and the removal of "non- functional turf. " Definition: lawns in housing developments, or that no one ever walks on or uses. Functional turf are recreational areas, athletic fields, golf courses, many of which use reclaimed water. Some cities and states are offering incentives/rebates to remove non-functional turf and install Xeriscaping.
We cannot allow continued unregulated irrigation in our state to place Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam in a perilous situation where electricity could not be generated.
Step up to the plate, Gov. Doug Ducey.
Protect our precious resource as a community, as a state.
Hope A. Forrest
Northwest side
Kids with disabilities
As a parent, I was excited to hear about AZ OnTrack. But after contacting multiple camps, I learned that my autistic child, despite being an Arizona resident, was not eligible for the AZ OnTrack camps in our area because of his disability. I know that it requires extra staff, training, and money to educate and care for a child like mine, who needs a lot of support. But why couldn't some portion of the $100 million dollars in federal money that Gov. Doug Ducey allocated to the AZ OnTrack program have gone to fund camp services for kids with disabilities? It seems unfair to completely exclude kids with severe disabilities, especially because extended school year programs in our district only run for a few hours each week, and aren't intended to help kids catch up or learn new skills. I worry that the AZ OnTrack program leaders assume that there is no "track" for kids like mine.
Angela Miller
East side
On behalf of women
So now it seems that the big Supreme Court "leak" is about plans to destroy "Roe v Wade." And it seems to me that since in many parts of the world, women are considered to be mere "brood stock," this is just one one added insult to womanhood. In the U.S., women still continue to make less than the hourly wages of men on average. Finally, we are just political objects of the coming election.
I have this continuing fantasy that all men in the world could be 14 years old, raped, pregnant, barefoot, and with no visible means of income or support. I dare to say that the whole world would change in a heartbeat.
Janice Campos
Foothills
Abortion law accountability
Re: the April 30 letter "Abortion laws."
This letter made the perfectly rational point that those who dictate what pregnancies must be carried to term should be held entirely responsible for those offspring. However, the proposed solution to deliver the children to the lawmakers is logistically flawed. Only by seizing all of the assets of these people and their political contributors will any chance of accountability ensue. If these Arizona Republican legislators ever get authority over these children, there is a 100% certainty that an even worse version of Johnathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" will be passed into law.
Gary Susko
Midtown
Solving America's 'killing problem'
Here's what I see as facts:
1. Most of the killing is done with guns.
2. The people doing the shooting have perceived grievances they think entitle them to kill innocent folks.
3. No laws on the books have stopped these shootings.
4. More laws on the books won't stop these shootings.
5. Law-abiding responsible gun owners shouldn't have to give up their guns to pay for the sins of others.
6. This has been happening for over 20 years now, and what I have observed are people with parent problems. Their parents are either absent, self-absorbed, or helicopter parents who won't let a child face the consequences of their own actions.
Solution: You. Pay attention to those who are hurting around you. Reach out, talk, or be there for the people you meet that need to know someone gives a damn.
Jesus said it best, "Love One Another" and "You are your brothers' keeper."
A naive solution to this problem? Maybe, got a better one?
Let's talk.
Peggy Betzer
West side
Reporting on Jan. 6 hearings
Journalism 101
Who? Trump
What? Lies
When? Always
Where? Everywhere
How? Through his teeth
Why? $$$$
A. Lawrence Glynn
East side
Trump knew he was lying
Rep. Zoe Lofgren and the Jan. 6 committee presented painstaking evidence that Donald Trump knew he lost the election. It was obvious from his stunned look in 2016 that he didn't expect to win then, and the same is true of 2020, which is why he started harping about fraud long before election day. Yet newspapers across the country, including the Arizona Daily Star, are blaring the headline that Bill Barr said Trump was detached from reality, a convenient defense from the conspiracy indictments he should face. In fact, Barr said, "If he really believed that, he's become detached from reality." Grifters and con artists like Trump know exactly what they are doing.
Christopher Wendel
Midtown
Bias?
To those who state that Fox News has a bias in its reporting, what would your take be about all the Sunday shows on CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC not reporting one word about the planned murder of conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh? Do you think if this planned murder were to be of Justice Sonia Sotomayor or Justice Elena Kagan, it would be completely ignored by them? Your decision might tell a lot about yourself.
Rosalie Wright
Oro Valley
I’m tired of Romancing the Gun
Last week, Congress announced a bipartisan deal on gun control legislation. I think the bill will placate those who are comfortable with the status quo while it gaslights the rest of us into believing action is being taken. Sure, there’s that red herring of a boyfriend loophole that might help. However, I think the average gun-loving American will still enjoy unfettered access to his beloved firearms. Our cowardly legislators will tout the illusion of having done something, albeit minuscule in effectiveness. The GOP can wash its hands of any real action for the immediate future. And mass killings can continue unabated.
Forget about root causes like the widespread availability of weapons of war — we’ve got bipartisan support for a weak-kneed gun control deal that doesn’t actually control guns. It’s a rehash of the same GOP talking points of mental health, school safety, and “too many doors.” Oddly enough, not every right winger is on board. Go figure!
Kim Miklofsky Bayne,
PCT239/LD18 precinct
committee member
Foothills
My new legislative district
I should have paid more attention to state redistricting. Driving down Houghton Road, I easily saw 50 giant red signs for state Sen. Vince Leach. So I looked at my new voter card and I am now in LD17, not LD10 as before. I have lived near Old Spanish Trail and Houghton Road for 44 years and it has been LD10 for at least 10 years.
The old LD10 was competitive, with both Republican and Democrats winning. LD17 now leans heavily Republican. Per Tucson.com, Sen. Leach, who lives in Saddlebrooke, Pinal County lobbied for Tucson’s far east side because of the high number of Republicans. LD17 encompasses three mountain ranges and north to Red Rock, Pinal County and Marana to the west. I seriously doubt that I have the same issues as voters in Saddlebrooke, Oro Valley or Dove Mountain.
Thank you, Arizona voters, for allowing the no shame and corrupt GOP to ruin our state.
Terry Gruenenfelder
East side
What really happened Jan. 6?
Americans have had the chance to review the information brought by the bipartisan investigatory committee on the Jan. 6 insurrection.
These rioters who attacked our Capitol must be held accountable. The riot itself was only one piece of the plot. One thing has become clear: This attempted coup was organized and plotted at the highest levels, for months.
These hearings should be a priority for us all and serve as a reminder that we all must work to keep our democracy. It is time to put all elected officials on record: Do you stand for the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy? We cannot allow an angry mob, should they succeed next time, to take down our government. We must make sure this can never happen again.
It's time to demand that the masterminds behind this — not just foot soldiers — are held accountable, no matter who they are.
Voncille Henry
East side
