Tucson Speaks Out: July 24

Grateful for veto

As a Jewish person of conscience and the mother of five young children, I am grateful that Governor Hobbs upheld free speech and protected Arizona educators by vetoing the so-called “Antisemitism” bill.

I feel so strongly that this bill was actually designed to prevent teachers from presenting the Palestinian viewpoint and on preventing criticism of Israel, that I drove up to Phoenix with my twin one-year-olds to testify against it at the House of Representatives.

In the face of international war crime convictions and collective punishment resulting in the starvation of 1 million Gazan children, our Jewish community ought to be questioning the Israeli government’s decisions and speaking out against the war at this point in time.

Hate is not a Jewish value, and once people are reminded of this, antisemitism will naturally decrease. We need to separate ourselves from the government of Israel, just as many of us do from the current U.S. President. We need to be humans first.

Maggie Smith

Midtown

Dahl resting on his laurels

I have been a Ward 3 resident since 2003. The Ward 3 newsletters consist of photo ops of Mr Dahl with City officials claiming accomplishments in many neighborhoods. It was the newsletter showing Mr. Dahl a shovel with a couple plants for a tree planting in my neighborhood. I was surprised, called other neighbors to see if any had received notice of this event. None of us had.

A crime fighting program was presented at Ward 3 office which seemed disjointed so I invited Mr Dahl to our neighborhood meeting for clarification. All questions to him were deferred to his staff.

We need strong and present leadership in our Ward 3 Office. Sadie Shaw is energetic with a real desire to help Ward 3 neighborhoods fulfill their potential. Sadie is approachable, comfortable, she is a good listener and follows up on what’s brought to her. Her energy and foresight, along with her valuable community-building experience, make her the perfect candidate for Ward 3 Councilperson.

Nancy Reid

North side

Supporting Dahl

I’ve known Kevin Dahl, on and off, for 50 years. He comes close to being perfect for the City Council, Ward 3. Or for anywhere else. I worked with him on several projects, and he was always pleasant to work with. Maybe most of all, he seems to be progressive but also is practical with his feet solidly on the ground. People like him are the future of this country.

Eric Schilling

Downtown

Dahl is a local hero

I’ve known and worked with Kevin Dahl for over 25 years. He is a champion of sound water policy, rainwater harvesting, and solar and green space expansion in low-income neighborhoods. He fights to help us adapt to climate change. He pushed to move up park and pool improvements by 4 years at Thompson Park (formerly Mansfield). Kevin also used Ward money to quietly pick up the tab for a senior meals program at the Donna Liggins Center after funding was canceled by federal budget cuts. He is a consummate community activist who has raised thousands of dollars for local Democratic candidates and non-profits over the past two decades. Working for Native Seeds Search, the Tucson Bird Alliance (formally Tucson Audubon) and the National Parks Conservation Association, he has made our region and state a better place. As a Councilmember, Kevin is that rare public servant who does not aspire to higher office or to feed his own ego. He just does the right thing. Always.

Christina McVie

Northwest side

Project Blue

The July 22 Star stated that a two-person family income range of $55,729 to $167,188 is needed to be considered middle class. Same paper, same day, Opinion section writer says Project Blue will hire 180 full-time employees at an average wage of $64,000.

Why on earth would City/County officials bring in a water-guzzling, electric-eating humongous monster that only employs 180 people at barely middle-class wages?

Frank Pitts

Northwest side

Canceling vital news source

July 20, PBS ran a production of Franklin D Roosevelt’s rise to the presidency after being stricken by polio. It ended with ‘Happy Days are Here Again’, his campaign song, while the credits ran. The film, with smiling faces, gay music and a story of overcoming adversity, was uplifting.

Compare that to the July 21 Star featuring the possible transfer of national parks to the state’s care, including higher entrance fees, low staffing, and a backlog of maintenance. We no longer even have a facility at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is not uplifting, and neither is the coverage of the Epstein case — or Laura Loomer being a former Tucsonan. Last week, our own Juan Ciscomani helped defund NPR and PBS of a third of their budget. These are vital news and entertainment stations. When you read where the ‘saved’ money is going, you’ll want to scream — not sing.

Ted Morrison

Midtown

Project Blue fog

Who would own and operate Project Blue (PB)? What is their track record?

According to datacenters.com, there are already 98 data centers in AZ, including six in Tucson. Which are most similar to PB? What is their water and energy usage?

Will PB get tax exemptions for hardware and software purchases (as for other centers in AZ)? Will they be given waivers on other taxes?

What will PB actually do? AI processing? Cloud storage? AI needs more energy and cooling.

Why does PB propose to use potable and eventually reclaimed water, when some newer centers (e.g., in Chandler) use closed systems without constant water refreshing?

Do PB water calculations account for water needed with increased TEP power generation?

PB claims to be “water-positive.” How, exactly? Will PB, like other such projects, simply buy water restoration certificates (WRCs) that give them credit for adding water flows in some as-yet-unknown places?

We deserve answers.

Tom Ryan

East side

Speaking freely

July 22 guest opinion — Kent Blumenthal. I think Hobbs’ veto HB 2867 was appropriate given there are adequate hate and civil rights laws available to prosecute crimes and misdemeanors. These laws offer protection for groups based on group characteristics.

The problem with HB 2867 was it would limit free speech. Free speech allows people to say or publish stupid and/or ignorant statements. Free speech allows other people to say or publish statements that refute other pronouncements perceived to be stupid and/or ignorant statements.

I doubt the objectiveness of the “Stand With Israel Committee” or the “International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance” regarding HB2867 or the definition of antisemitism.

James Abels

Midtown

Dahl’s quiet support appreciated

Here are two of the many lessons I’ve learned in five years volunteering with Tucson Food Share. One, a lot of people struggle to get around, and it puts their food security at risk. This has deepened my commitment to keeping our transit fare free. As a Ward 6 resident, I voted for Miranda Schubert, who shares this value. Two, Kevin Dahl and the Ward 3 staff sincerely care about, and diligently work to care for, this community. They have supported TFS in countless ways and never asked for recognition. Whether it’s volunteering their time, facilitating neighbor relations, providing funds and supporting grant applications, assisting folks we refer to them, or just making creative suggestions as we try to problem solve, we know we can turn to Kevin’s office and find friends. With both Miranda and Kevin on the City Council, we can build a more connected and compassionate Tucson.

Suzanne Schafer

Downtown

Brazenly undermining Pima County

Someone inside Pima County government released internal documents about Project Blue without properly redacting them. That leak exposed the end user’s identity, violating a nondisclosure agreement and potentially breaching attorney-client privilege. Maybe even setting the county up for a civil suit that we will be on the hook for.

This wasn’t transparency. It was reckless.

Whoever did this has jeopardized our credibility with current and prospective partners and weakened our legal standing. If we can’t protect confidential negotiations, why would anyone do business with us?

This kind of behavior doesn’t just hurt one project, it damages the entire institution.

The person responsible should come forward, apologize publicly, and resign. If they don’t, leadership must act. With the state’s highest-paid County Administrator, we should expect the best leadership. Accountability isn’t optional.

We need to restore trust before it slips further. That starts with consequences.

Allen Sharpe

Midtown

Passing the child care buck to taxpayers

I had to give a double-take when I read your July 22 article titled, “Families can get on child-care wait list.” It mentions “The new state budget that just took effect allocates $125.9 million to provide help for 900 children in 530 families.” If my math is correct, that comes out to nearly $140,000 per child. Huh? I don’t have kids (although I’ve paid hefty school taxes for over four decades), but why are taxpayers paying for other people’s child care? How about, if you can’t support your kids financially, don’t have them? Passing the buck (all $125.9 million of them) to taxpayers seems wrong and even unconstitutional. Just as Joe Biden’s failed plan to stick taxpayers with college student loan debt — despite the student’s family annual income limit up to $400,000 — was highly unfair and unconstitutional. Kudos to SCOTUS for shooting it down. Perhaps Arizona judges need to do the same here.

Richard McDonald

Green Valley

Project Blue

The Star’s editorial about Project Blue rightly highlighted concerns over its impact on Tucson and Pima County land, water, and electricity use. However, another major issue is the loss of state and local tax revenue due to exemptions for the developer, owned by Amazon Web Services.

According to a 2025 Good Jobs First report, tax subsidies cost Arizona $19 million in 2024 — a 1,200% increase since 2020. With Project Blue’s massive size and billions in costs, Amazon may avoid taxes on building materials, machinery, and equipment. Some computer equipment must be replaced every few years. Without a cap, tax subsidies could continue for decades, severely limiting tax funds for schools, water, infrastructure, and public safety. Once granted, these tax breaks are almost impossible to revoke.

Arizona should not offer exemptions to wealthy tech corporations at the expense of essential public services in Tucson and Pima County.

Anthony and Veronica Nitko

Northwest side

Project Blue and Reliability Project

The question becomes:

Is what we now know as Amazon’s Project Blue proposed computer server farms, in even a remote way — since all electricity is connected — among the anticipated electricity-gobbling projects that might contribute to the supposed need for Tucson Electric Power’s Midtown Reliability Project?

Reminder:

Tens of miles of these 75-135-foot-tall towers and major power lines are being proposed by TEP for central Tucson, cutting through the west side of the University of Arizona and slicing through the city’s Gateway Corridor Zones, which were established to protect our community’s aesthetics and beautiful mountain viewscapes.

A public hearing for the TEP project is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, before the Tucson Mayor and Council at City Hall, 255 W. Alameda.

Perhaps the Mayor and Council could find out if there is any Project Blue-Midtown Reliability connection before that public hearing?

Stephen Yozwiak

Northwest side