Thank you for letter
Re: the April 27 letter “Don’t privatize the water supply.”
A sincere thank you to the contributor for this cogent analysis of the knee-jerk rationale behind the proposals in the April 3 letter that you referenced. Your thoughtful and clear-minded submission was most appreciated.
Gary Susko
Midtown
USA, Third-World country?
Watching the news unfold before our very eyes, I think it is undeniable that the current administration is deliberately destroying the USA. For eight years, President Biden was Barack Obama’s useful idiot in his quest to transition our country into a Third-World country. And, he was partially successful. Now, still serving as the useful idiot, Biden has accelerated that goal by many times over in less than two years. This cannot be gross stupidity. It must be deliberate. The folks pulling the strings in this administration should be tried for treason. They all swore to uphold the Constitution and all have betrayed their oath.
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Jerry Hutchison
Southeast side
Park safety
I went to Fort Lowell Park recently to take my little dog for a walk and about a few steps onto the grass I was attacked by a large dog. Screaming for my life, the owner finally pulled the dog off of me. And his only comment was have a nice day. My point is — there are signs all over stating all dogs must be on a leash and it states a law to that effect. I called the parks department about it but they never returned my call. I called 911 and no one came. No dog should be there without a leash. Some little kid is going to get really hurt someday. I served in the Marines and went through some pretty scary things but have never been that scared in my life. Please, let’s make our parks safe for all the kids playing there. There are dog parks for dogs, Fort Lowell is not one of them.
Thomas R. Crawford
Foothills
Employment agency at border
Companies and farmers are citing a need for labor help. I think immigration services should learn the skills of immigrants coming to the border and broadcast them nationwide so farmers and companies can hire them while they process through immigration.
Jim Dreis
East side
Dismantling Roe v. Wade
Why should any woman or child who survived rape or incest or finds herself pregnant without wanting to be a mother be forced to give birth? The new laws to end abortion make a woman go through birth and delivery even if the fetus has no chance of survival. Does this make any sense? When will a man step up and take a child from a female who is not willing, unable to, or was forced into pregnancy? Often, the one who helped create the pregnancy walks away, leaving the responsibility of raising a child to a woman/child who had no desire to be a mother. If abortion is so distasteful the impregnator should be forced to take the unwanted child into their lives. If this would happen, Row v. Wade would no longer be an argument. Why are women the only ones forced to have an unwanted baby?
Barbara Mongan
West side
Voting for character
Many years ago, my father taught me a valuable lesson. When I asked him how he could vote for both Barry Goldwater and Mo Udall he said “I vote for people of character.” The problem today is many people vote for the letter next to the candidate’s name rather than the character of the individual. If you can only vote for someone with a D next to their name or only vote for someone with an R next to their name, I think you’re what’s wrong with this country. You are why we get wingnuts in office. If you wouldn’t let a man date your daughter, why would you vote to have him president? If someone was at the Jan. 6 insurrection, or if a candidate is a white supremacist, why would you vote for them? This is why we have so many nutcases in office nationally, and especially in the state of Arizona. Vote for people of character, and if you think one party has them all, you are the problem.
Gary Jones
Northwest side
Replacement theory
Sadly, 10 Black members of the Buffalo community are dead and I think it is partly because of the Republican Party’s push of replacement theory.
It is a fact that many Republicans are promoting replacement theory information on their websites, in what I consider an attempt to groom young white men. This has resulted in the death of U.S. citizens who are Black, Brown, Jewish or Asian.
I think their purpose is to stop U.S. citizens who are members of minority communities from voting. It is a radical idea that if Republicans cannot terrorize or intimidate Black, Brown, Jewish, or Asian citizens and prevent them from voting, they are willing to groom a young white man to kill them.
Donna Johnson
Midtown
Sen. Rogers needs to be expelled
Re: the May 17 article “Arizona Senate to investigate Sen. Wendy Rogers.”
What exactly is there to investigate about this dreadful woman? She clearly opined that the 18-year-old shooter in Buffalo is part of a federal conspiracy or, as the nut-right likes to call it, a “false flag operation.” Is there no limit, are there no boundaries to the hate speech and lunatic conspiracy theories that Republicans will tolerate from their ranks? Have Republicans become so desensitized to hate speech that Rogers’ utterance prompts an “investigation,” rather than an expulsion? Sickening.
Steve Robinson
Oro Valley
Divisiveness has no place in AZ
Re: the May 17 article “Arizona Senate to investigate Sen. Wendy Rogers.”
Sen. Wendy Rogers got to go.
In March, our state Senate voted to censure her because of hateful comments. Now conspiracy theories about the hate crime in Buffalo. Truth, integrity and compassionate leadership are American values. Hate, divisiveness and extremists have no place in our state and especially not in our Senate. Time for Wendy Rogers to go. Let’s show America that Arizona is no place for racists and haters.
Saúl Ostroff
Midtown
Taxpayer funds
Re: the May 16 letter “Air Force One operation.”
While I was a bit dismayed at the reader informing us about how much that it costs to fly Air Force One every time President Biden takes a trip, I was surprised that the writer did not mention the millions of dollars in taxpayer funds that Donald Trump spent playing golf. While he refused his $400,000 salary per year, he more than made that up by swinging a club.
Jeanette Jackman
Southeast side
Choosing between good and evil
Where does faith fit into the horrible reality? Pray to God (however you define it) all you wish. In most cases, all you’ll get is a busy signal. God or the energy of “good” is within us. Our choices in life are all free will. People who have given up on receiving or giving love, end up turning to hate. Anger, deception and hatred will fill the void. It’s a natural polarity of choice.
Believe in the God or good within you. Act and live accordingly! But be aware that the ability to make negative, evil choices (the devil or however you define negativity) is within us as well. Free will, or the choice to choose “good” is our decision.
Live and let live and shut up. Don’t judge and hate anyone.
If the accused murderer in Buffalo is an example of so-called “White Supremacy,” I don’t want to be white anymore.
Kenneth Yourist
Southeast side
Tribalism leads to division
I think America’s crippling division is being caused by tribalism, a remnant instinct left over from our thousands of years as hunters on the African savannah. Tribes may have been necessary for survival then, but they’re actually divisive and destructive in this crowded modern world. Do we really believe that our tribe/race/country/party is always right and others are always wrong? Millions do. We demand total loyalty to our tribe, ostracizing as disloyal anyone who disagrees on anything. And tribalism is being fed by hotheads and media outlets who care more about their own egos and profit than they do our country.
The answer? Ignore conspiracy fantasies and self-serving troublemakers, practice moderation, make your own decisions, honor thy neighbor — and relax! We are still the UNITED States of America!
Bill Perry
Ajo
Restore sovereignty to people
Re: the May 19 article “Ballot measure would reverse many Arizona voting restrictions.”
State Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita said the proposed measure is an abuse of the initiative process because it would be an end-run around the lawmakers.
She’s right about the end-run part, but it’s not an abuse. It’s precisely why the initiative was included in the Arizona Constitution.
At the time Arizona became a state in 1912 many western and territorial legislatures were owned lock, stock and barrel by mining companies, especially copper mining companies. The purpose of the initiative is to restore sovereignty to the people when the legislature fails to represent their interest.
Roger Voelker
Southeast side
Rising rents in Tucson
Re: the May 13 article “Where does each dollar in rent go?”
I think Courtney Gilstrap Levinus’ defense of rising rents in the Tucson area presents an incomplete picture of landlord profits. She notes that “only” 9% of rental income is profit (quite a high profit margin in itself, generally about 3-5% for commercial real estate) but fails to note that residential property values in Tucson increased an average of 23% last year, yielding an effective profit rate of 32%.
Jan Jurnecka
West side
