Colorado River shouldn't be needed
Desalinization of sea water is proven technology. Israel has created a Garden of Eden in their country. We have a plant in San Diego that provides drinking water for 400,000 people. The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. All we have to do is build more plants along the coast to provide as much water as we will ever need.
Sucking the Colorado River dry is insanity. How many experts are making a good living by studying the river and finding ways to divvy it up. The Southwest has become attractive for people to move here. I say, let them come. Quit wasting time and resources and take the salt out of the ocean. The federal government should pay for it, not a few states. This is a national issue. They could divert funds from any of the four trillion-dollar programs already approved.
Jack Walters
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Northeast side
Getting the big tax cheaters
Re: the Aug. 20 letter "Inflation Reduction Act."
The letter writer tries to scare us by claiming that the Inflation Reduction Act could mean over a million audits. But the IRS processed more than 261 million tax returns and supplemental documents in FY 2021. So, we’re talking about one-fourth of one percent of tax returns being audited. You needn’t get nervous if you wrote off some office supplies you gave to your kids. Quite the opposite. Because of limited resources, the IRS has been disproportionately targeting lower-income Americans. These new funds make it possible for the IRS to go after the wealthy cheaters whose tax returns can run to hundreds of pages.
It’s about time all Americans pay their fair share of taxes.
Walter Mann
Marana
I'm confused
As I understand it crossing illegally into Mexico is a felony. So why doesn't the Mexican government stop and deport all those border crossers instead of letting them traverse their country to our border?
Mark Moral
East side
School vouchers far from progressive
Re: the Aug. 24 letter "Vouchers explained."
The letter writer labels the universal school voucher law "progressive" because poor families will now have "choices and are no longer economically locked into underperforming government schools." That would be true, if private school tuition in Arizona did not average $9,818 for elementary school and $15,056 for high school. Poor families would have to come up with between $3,300-$8,500 per child per year to educate their children. Privately while wealthy people who already send their kids to private schools would get a $6,500 tax rebate for doing so. Make no mistake, this program is in no way "progressive." It undermines the education of poor and working-class students and is a windfall for the wealthy.
We can stop this latest assault on public education! You can sign the referendum petition to place this on the ballot every Saturday at the Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation 3235 W. Orange Grove Road 8 a.m.–noon, or go to teamsosarizona.com for additional signing opportunities.
Merrill Eisenberg
Midtown
Vouchers destroy public education
Vouchers are a tool to eliminate public education. Tax dollars are given to private schools. As a private school, they are able to cherry-pick the best students and refuse difficult ones. Public schools are then left with “problem students” or children with behavioral issues or learning difficulties. In other words, public schools are required to take the students that private schools don’t want. Not surprisingly, private schools boast high test scores and we’re told that public schools are failing. Of course they are.
Elliot Glicksman
Midtown
Student debt forgiveness is beyond an outrage
President Biden's vote-buying executive action to forgive up to $20K in student debt is beyond an outrage and is a gross affront to those who have paid their debts, never borrowed, and certainly to those who never went to college but chose to work instead. The unfairness is beyond glaring and is unforgivable.
In order to right this grievous wrong all Americans need a $20K gift from the government. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, get busy and get legislation going to give the same $20K gift to all Americans. The cost be damned!
Rick Cunnington
Oro Valley
IRS staff increase
There are those who see the large increase in IRS staffing as intrusive, overreach, and yes, fascist ... all of which are patently false. Over $600 billion would not be collected this year without more oversight. Knee-jerk objections help the narrow-minded and uninformed feel better that they spoke out, but obviously not everyone is a right-minded American willing to contribute what is due for the politicians we all elected to allocate as necessary or lobbied.
Mark Zajicek
Foothills
Do your part
I have read many articles on climate change during my studies in international relations at the University of Arizona. Climate change was a major topic in many of my classes. For the most part, they all say the same thing. Climate change mitigation must happen now and each individual must do their part. All of that is true. It is a tricky subject. The U.S. can take great strides in reducing our carbon footprint. But without the largest countries like China and India taking greater measures, the 1.7-degree Celsius goal will never be achieved. The developed world is making great strides while others are severely lacking in their efforts. If others don't follow suit, what exactly would be the motivation for individuals to comply? Personally, it gives me great satisfaction to know that I am doing my part.
Michael Foglietta
Northwest side
This is my country
The difference between me and Donald Trump is that, when I say, "This is my country," what I mean is that it's mine because I am a part of it. But it seems to me that when Trump says, "This is my country," what he means is that it's his because he owns it. Big difference, and it explains a lot.
Elizabeth Horning
Sierra Vista
Bribing a nation
This administration plans to help people when it's to their advantage. Passing stimulus just before the midterm election may cause people to vote to keep them in office. They have prolonged the financial hardships of the average American, but they want people to remember who sent them the stimulus check and they want it fresh on the mind of the voter. What they're doing is bribing the voters to elect them. Of course they don't consider it a bribe, but "if you do this, then I will do that" sounds like a bribe to me. They're trying to buy votes and they're hoping people will forget their past hardships and focus only on the stimulus they might have just received when they vote. They all need to be replaced by someone who has to pump their own gas in an old car they can't afford to replace due to inflation.
Thomas Fletcher
Southwest side
Post-Roe differences in GOP
Not having any guidance from the Supreme Court, it is very understandable that the Republicans are suddenly forced to think on their own about what ethical standards regarding abortion they want to assume. If the Supreme Court allows each state to establish its own laws, why would we hence need the Supreme Court? But poor Republicans, this is now getting tough, appealing to the extreme right-wings in your party and sounding reasonable for those in the middle at the same time. I have a few simple suggestions of how to overcome their obvious hypocrisy and to demonstrate moral superiority. Instead of banning abortions under virtually any circumstance, why not fight against sex itself? Ban all sexual activities except when a married (!) couple wants to create a child as the medieval Church taught us. Ban all companies producing birth-control pills, condoms, etc. Destroy the sex industry, especially porn movies, and force women to stay home. The new theocratic USA!
Albrecht Classen
Midtown
