Tucson Speaks Out: Sept. 24 letters of the day

Bikers and hikers

Both Mt. bikers and hikers should have safe access to National Forest Trails. That is not the case today. Most trails are narrow and with limited visibility. Years ago, Mt. bikers created their own trail on which they, for their enjoyment, risked life and limb (More power to those youngsters). The Forest Service destroyed that trail. Now, Mt. bikers and hikers share trails with risk to both groups.Why not allow the Mt. bikers to create their own exclusive biking trails, at their time, effort and expense. These trails should rarely coincide with hiking trails. Hikers should not be permitted on biking trails and, with a very few exceptions e.g. main road/trail to water tanks, hiking trails closed to bikers. The current situation is “an accident waiting to happen”. Both groups would benefit with separate trails.

Dennis Winsten

Northeast side

Why I like an Editorial

I have been selected to be a member of the Daily Star Editorial Advisory Board, and I have been invited to share with other members an editorial I liked, and one I didn’t like. I thought I would share with Star readers mainly what I like to see in an otherwise well-written facts or ideas-based editorial. Gandhi advised this: “Learn as if you were to live forever.” I particularly like an editorial that teaches me something in at least one of three ways: First, it provides transparency or exposure of something that reasonable people likely would agree should be known. Second, it proposes a positive solution to a problem, an approach to a problem, or a new way to think about a problem. Third, it compels or challenges me to examine my own opinion about a subject. It’s this third category that exposes my own biases to myself and challenges me to defend them to myself.

Gerald Farrington

SaddleBrooke

FEMA is asking for additional funding

The purpose of FEMA is to provide assistance for disasters like the tragic fire in Hawaii.

Biden authorized them to pay up to $9,000 for funeral expense for deaths occurring due to COVID. It started Jan. 20, 2023, and is scheduled to continue until September 30, 2025. They have distributed $2.8 Billion to 438,000 families, at an average of $6,400 each.

The program covers; funeral services, cremation, internment, death certificates, transportation for two to identify remains, marker or gravestone, cost of government laws or ordinances, casket, urn, burial plot, funeral equipment and staff and clergy.

All citizens are covered, also non-citizen nationals and qualified non-citizens. Why should we pay for non-citizens?

Biden acts as if there is no limit to how much can be given away to assure loyalty at the voting booth.

FEMA might still have funds for disasters had this program not have been created.

Jack Walters

Northeast side

Homeless camps

Homeless camps for all but the elderly, should be located well away from the City. They should be built using military style tents with cafeterias (probably tents), latrines, and showers facilities. They should have physical and mental health care to include detoxification programs provided. They should have limited or controlled access to keep drug dealers away from the camp. Those with jobs should have transportation provided to and from their place of work. Those wanting to work, should have help finding jobs or be provided with job training. In the 60s and 70s government owned housing for low-income residents (commonly known as the projects) routinely became centers for drug and alcohol abuse and crime. We should learn from past mistakes and not build slums in the making.

Cal Rookere

Northwest side

Hunter Biden no-jail misdemeanors

Re: the Sept. 15 article “Hunter Biden indicted on firearms charges after plea deal failed.”

Despite front page reporting, it is my belief Hunter Biden’s new felony gun charges are a meaningless and deceptive distraction from the real issues in this case; why has he only been charged with “no jail time” misdemeanors for evading paying of income taxes on literally multi-millions of dollars since at least 2014? The Statute of limitations has run on 2014-2016 and will soon run out on the withdrawn 2017 charges in a few months.

These unrelated gun charges have already been “Constitutionally” questioned by an Appeals Court and may be further “dismembered” after the Supreme Court’s scheduled hearing in November. The real (currently unaddressed) issues involve Biden’s massive and flagrant income tax evasions.

The Attorney General’s appointment of a Special Counsel who previously signed off on the “no jail time” misdemeanors is totally unbelievable. Whatever the outcome, I will only feel better about our seriously endangered justice system if felony tax charges are brought without any “no-jail” agreement.

Hank Rosenbaum,

Retired attorney

Foothills

Tom Horne: One scary dude

Re: the Sept. 17 article “Horne tells Moms for Liberty to push school board candidates.”

Tom Horne struck an alliance with Moms for Liberty on a shared goal of electing conservatives to school boards in 2024.

“That’s going to be my main occupation for 2024,” Horne said.

Ummm…, would someone on Mr. Horne’s staff please inform him of what his actual job is?

There must be at least one hundred other things Tom should be focused on.

Later, in the same article, Horne blames low student proficiency rates on quote “critical race theory, excessive social-emotional learning, inappropriate sexual stuff.”

Inappropriate sexual “stuff”? Really?

Truly sad and pathetic. Arizonans deserve better.

Scott Seidler

Midtown

We need solar ramadas and trees

A previous letter recommended taking the money from the million tree campaign to build solar Ramadas. Locally produced power has many advantages but trees are also needed.

Local solar production adds safety and reliability but It is not convenient for a company whose business is selling electricity. TEP prefers to buy electricity from power plants, solar farms and wind farms. It is too much trouble to calculate power coming in from many sources; roof tops, parking lots, parks and school playgrounds. The City of Tucson can support local production of energy.

Trees are needed to clean the air and cycle carbon dioxide to oxygen. When trees are planted with water collection systems the trees grow better and water collected helps restore the underground water. If Tucson planted a million trees and built half a million basins it would transform Tucson. We also need more bus routes and should not cut routes that people already use. These all cost money but it is money that will many everyone’s life healthier.

Rosemary Bolza

Midtown

We need leadership on PBM reform

As a single mother of two, I’ve dealt with a variety of medical concerns over the years. One of my sons is now on medication to treat his ADHD, which he was diagnosed with this year. The high out-of-pocket costs that come with his prescriptions are a constant reminder that some aspects of our healthcare system desperately need to be fixed.

Congress should start by doing something to address the harmful impact PBMs have on patients and out-of-pocket prescription costs. Even more reprehensible in my opinion is the fact that PBMs will go out of their way to secure drug discounts and savings from manufacturers only to turn around and keep those savings instead of sharing them with patients to help reduce out-of-pocket costs.

If passed, the DRUG Act would help reform the harmful PBM practices that lead to reduced access and increased out-of-pocket expenses for patients.

Mireya Arroyo

Foothills

A New Cheney Republican Party

Re: the Sept. 19 article “Who should lead Republican Party.”

Robert B. Reich went on for 14 paragraphs with hyperbole, overstatements misrepresentations, and, flat out false statements, then states “I don’t give a fig about the Republican Party….” And “only the Democratic Party” (to govern).

Obviously. With inflation ruining families’ financial health, fuel prices through the roof, our Southern border in shambles, a drug crisis killing countless Americans, and crime causing people to fear leaving their homes, if they still have one, Liz Cheney to the rescue.

Mind you, he’s not supporting her for president, he just wants her to run and lose. The “principled Republicans” that supported her have either resigned or have been voted out of office. I think that’s the way it’s supposed to work.

William Wesselink DC

Midtown