Tucson Speaks Out: Oct. 24 letters of the day

Empathy, one

for the other

The experience of a visit to the doctor’s was a rewarding experience. First attended to by a young resident doctor, the introduction was a surprise, disclosing the doctor’s Arabic surname. Asking where the doctor was from out of curiosity the reply was Palestine. Next came the query … Gaza or the West Bank? Being informed as to the doctor being born in Haifa came the realization that Arabs living in Israel refer to their homeland as Palestine. The handshake was between a Moslem and a Jew. It was a thing of pride that we were cordial to each other. Then the apologies came. Fear for the future of the region. Apologies, one to the other, about the dreadful destruction and loss of life. Happy to have met the bond was established. A friendship was created. “Why can’t we all just get along?”

David ben Avram

Marana

Need for speed

Just drove down from Flagstaff to Tucson. Seems that 90 is the new 75. Even in areas marked at 65 due to construction — some drivers are demonstrating just how fast their car/vans can go and just how reckless they can be. There is currently 31 miles of serious road construction going on as you drive down from Flagstaff and before you make it to Phoenix. That does not defer many of the drivers from pushing their limits. I was constantly hoping that one of the speed demons would not bounce off a construction barrier and cause a disaster. Wasn’t just fast cars, but vans full of children and families. Ninety should not be the new 75 or 65. Let’s be sane out there and be careful when behind the wheel.

Robert Diedrich

Northeast side

Humane Society of Tucson

Re: the Oct. 20 article “Statistics show an inhumane Humane Society.”

The article broke my heart! What has happened to the HSSA? Is their only objective money. As other Tucsonans, I was devastated that we don’t know the fate of those pocket pets. Were they given to a Reptile Rescue to be used as food? Is this trail going to lead to money that went in Steve Farley’s pocket. I would like to hear from other readers about how we can protect homeless animals and start to keep the Humane Society of Southern Arizona accountable.

Amy Barnard

East side

Mayor, Council need a union

Before the citizens of Tucson vote on Proposition 413 they need to do some serious thinking. On face value, the raise in salary seems extreme, but one needs to consider that these positions have not had a raise in 20 years. Think of it this way: The City of Tucson is a very large corporation, the mayor is the CEO. City Council, the Board of Directors. This corporation delivers service to over 543,000 people. In order to function efficiently, it needs a lot of dedicated and tireless work. This definitely is not a part time job. I would wager that if the mayor and council were paid by the hour they would be compensated below minimum wage. This is not fair to present members and does not bode well to attract future qualified candidates. Working for a wage set in 2003 is really unacceptable.

Fred DiNoto

Northwest side

Trump Gag Order is Constitutional

Re: the Oct. 22 article “Trump gag order isn’t constitutional.”

Erwin Chemerinsky is a respected legal scholar, but his opinion is wrong. The First Amendment right to freedom of speech is not absolute. Restrictions on speech are permitted in certain limited circumstances when there is a compelling interest that overrides the interest in unfettered speech. Alleged domestic violence perpetrators can be ordered not to have contact with their victims during trial to protect the victims’ safety and to ensure victims are not intimidated from testifying truthfully as witnesses at trial. A gag order during a trial is constitutional and appropriate to the extent there is a compelling need to protect court staff or witnesses and to ensure a fair trial, so long as the restriction on speech it is the minimal amount necessary. Judge Chutkan’s limited gag order, disallowing threatening public statements by Trump that are likely to incite violence against court staff during the pendency of Trump’s trial is both constitutional and appropriate under the circumstances.

Amelia Craig Cramer

Downtown

Ciscomani’s voting

I recently sent an inquiry to 6th Congressional District Rep. Juan Ciscomani via his website. I received a four paragraph boilerplate response that said, basically, nothing.

In light of his sycophantic support for Jim Jordan, I am more convinced than ever that he doesn’t represent me.

I recently sent a donation to Kristen Engel’s campaign and would like to urge AZ voters not incapacitated by Maga-madness to do the same.

John Rademaker

Foothills

Traffic observations

We need an increased presence of police officers on Tucson’s streets. Speed limits are often being exceeded; drivers obeying posted speed limits are being tailgated and honked at. The presence of traffic officers would increase traffic law compliance by operators of motor vehicles and bicycles.

Interstate 10 access roads need signing requiring traffic to “STOP AND YIELD TO INTERSTATE RAMP TRAFFIC.” Car and truck drivers are blowing through the required “yields” ignoring the off-ramp traffic.

Drivers in the outside lane of west-bound St. Mary’s east of Interstate 10 on occasion proceed thru a red light when eastbound traffic on St. Mary’s has a green light to proceed to turn left onto the access road. West-bound drivers may be watching the traffic light on the underside of the Interstate 10 overpass. Occasionally that light will turn green when the left-turn signal light turns green allowing for traffic to proceed into the intersection.

Bill Kendall

Downtown

Prop 413

There are a few things to think about when deciding whether one will mark yes or no on the proposed 413 Proposition.

The exact salary increases in dollars are not stated in Prop 413 Official Ballot Information nor is the wording or where that amendment wording will appear in the City Charter. This is based on salaries of the Arizona Counties Board of Supervisors, not on the salaries of other Mayor and Council earnings in Arizona cities.

Population: Phoenix 4.17 million; Tucson 1.02 million.

Area: Phoenix is 517 square miles; Tucson is 226 square miles

Mayor and Council Salaries in Phoenix Mayor $88,000 and Council $61,600

If Prop 413 proposed salary increase is passed: Tucson Mayor $96,000 and Council $76,000

This Prop should have been about compensation and equity, not what the maximum salary amount the Mayor and Council can get under Arizona Law, ARS11-419(A), in perpetuity without citizen oversight.

Abreeza Zegeer

West side

Families at Risk

The current chaos and division in the House puts millions of families in danger of slipping into deeper poverty. Federal assistance that provides food, education, and housing to millions each year is being used as a political weapon.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We have the power to mitigate the harm caused by these annual funding battles by supporting families through our tax code. In 2021, we witnessed how expanding the Child Tax Credit and including low-income families cut child poverty by almost half. Yet, recent Census data reveals that when Congress allowed the expansion to expire, child poverty more than doubled.

Stop the tug-of-war over government funding that leaves families in limbo. Make the Child Tax Credit expansion a permanent solution, ensuring consistent support for families. It’s time for our representatives and senators to take action by funding the government and extending the Child Tax Credit. Don’t wait any longer — secure the support your family deserves now.

Chloe Harris, AZ RESULTS Volunteer

Downtown