Election reform
Re: the March 8 article “We should reform our elections, not let others do it.”
I just read Tim Steller’s column about how state Sen. Wadsack is trying to change how Tucson votes for their local council members. She believes that the present system helps Democrats stay in power. I can’t help thinking that Sen. Wadsack was elected because of a gerrymandered district (LD17) to keep Republicans in place. Why doesn’t she also try and correct the way our statewide districts have been gerrymandered? If she is so upset with Tucson, why not try and fix the rest of the state? Since she benefited from this system, I doubt she is too concerned and might even try to expand the gerrymandered districts to benefit her party.
Neil Norton
Oro Valley
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TUSD split
Re: the March 6 article “Voters should be asked to split up TUSD, lawmakers say”
The latest local issue, and not a new one, is to divide TUSD into smaller more manageable districts. While TUSD is one of the largest in Arizona, if the enrollment continues to shrink, the need to diminish its size will become a moot point. With the board of TUSD trying to understand why enrollment continues to dwindle, those of us with one molecule of cognition still functioning know full well that if our children are not being educated, we will seek a better school district and/or private school.
If dividing the district will yield a better education, go for it. However, the guarantee of that outcome will never be forthcoming. Will more money in the teachers’ salaries garner a more educated student? Doubtful! Please show us how any action will bring better preparation for our students and we will all be in favor. As parents, we only want a good education for our children and not little more than 12 years of daycare.
Jerry Schuchardt,
father of four
Foothills
A candidate’s worth
Re: the Feb. 26 article “Democracy is threatened by the gullible.”
Brent Harold’s accurate statement, “Democracy is threatened by demagogues, braggarts and liars. It is also threatened by gullible citizens” prompted me to write.
Constitutionally, we separate church from state, but we cannot part religion and politics, because they are personal, for candidates and voters alike. By “religion” I mean the guiding principles for living one’s life. From a Christian perspective, I submit six questions to decide any candidate’s worth. (I use “he”, the shorter one.)
Does he admit mistakes and make amends?
Is he for a budget that reduces tax on the rich and cuts services for the poor?
Is he against regulations so the powerful can cheat on the public?
Does he treat the homeless and the refugees with compassion?
Does he respect the dignity of those whose identities differ from his own?
Does he care for our planet as God’s creation?
Vote wisely!
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
Fare-free transit benefits
Fare-free public transit benefits the community in so many ways. One important social and economic benefit is that it contributes directly to affordable housing.
Both increased transit use and transit-oriented development (TOD) significantly lower household costs when families can reduce the need for one or two cars. According to the American Automobile Association, the annual cost of owning and maintaining a car is $10,728 and rising.
Since TOD can also result in higher property values near transit stops, some say we should discourage TOD. On the contrary. Without TOD, fare-free transit benefits only those who live near existing transit stops or who can drive to them. Furthermore, there are ways to mitigate property inflation, including community land trusts.
Fortunately, the city’s Move Tucson transportation plan expands TOD to more parts of the community. Let’s then make our fare-free transit policy permanent.
Robert Cook
Midtown
Nurse practitioners
Re: the Feb. 27 article “Why more people know their nurse practitioner by name.”
I am a retired family physician of 35 years, including four years of medical school and three years of a family practice residency. I worked with both a nurse practitioner and physician assistant during my last five years and found them to be excellent primary care providers. They understood their limitations and were not afraid to ask my advice when dealing with complicated patients.
My recommendation for the patients with multiple medical issues, taking multiple medications and seeing multiple specialists, is that they establish with a provider who is an MD, or one of these other providers who have an MD working at their site, who is willing to assist if the need arises with their complicated patients. With our growing elderly population, there will be a greater need for all primary care providers.
Michael J. Depaso,
MD retired
Vail
“Drag” meaning
If I were an attorney I would represent Lucinda, Janee, Diva, Aja, and Bunny, pro bono. Superb performers all. They are professional entertainers, and yes, they are female impersonators — drag queens. Now, to the narrow-minded GOPers that want to make life hard for them, besmirch them, even make them outlaws, I ask this: Republicans, have you ever seen a drag show? I doubt it. Do you GOPers know what “drag” means? I doubt it. Drag is Shakespearian. During the Bard’s time, all actors were of the male gender. After describing the female character to be played by a male, William would write on the margins ‘Dr A A G’ – Dressed As A Girl … thus Drag. There endeth the lesson. Everybody, go see a drag show and GOPers quit being so uptight.
David ben Avram
Marana
Consider the source
It has been widely reported that a FOX host is showing edited recordings from Jan. 6th claiming the videos show tourists, not rioters or insurrectionists. Politicians from both sides of the aisle have called this out as a misrepresentation. I vividly remember watching coverage of the event that day. I checked several different channels. The people who stormed the Capitol and chanted “Hang Mike Pence” thought the election had been stolen. We have seen a lot of extraordinary claims from election deniers for both the 2020 and 2022 elections. I urge you to consider the source of these claims. Does the person claiming fraud have something to gain? How could the primary election be accurate while the general election was fraudulent? Do other news outlets report a similar story or debunk the source’s credibility? When a media source is proven wrong, and debunked by both sides, consider the source in the future.
Mary Keerins
Foothills
Student debt
Regarding Biden’s plan to forgive student loans, I see opinions regarding fairness. I can point to my own college experience, several decades ago, where I received a Ph.D. but only $600 in debt. Was it because my parents were rich? As lower-middle class they both worked and managed to put all four of their children through college, one an M.D., one an engineer, and the last a pharmacist. The only way we could manage this was because society invested in public and higher education to keep costs down and encourage more people to strive to improve themselves. And did that investment pay off? I think all of us have a social conscience and have tried to give back for what we were given. But decades of efforts to starve government from being able to fund many beneficial programs, including education, have resulted in a poorer outcome, both for individuals and our greater society. Time to reverse this direction and forgiving student loans is one step.
Tim Helentjaris
Northwest side
