Learn about Miguel Ortega
As a Tucson native, neighborhood activist for more than 30 years and Ward 3 resident since 1968, I would like to ask you to consider giving your support to Miguel Ortega for Ward 1 councilperson.
I had the pleasure of working with Miguel when he was a Ward 3 council aide. Miguel helped our neighborhood navigate issues with his calm, caring manner. He was always responsive to our questions, willing to help find the answers in a timely manner.
You can learn more about the issues Miguel is concerned about in the June 25th Newsletter of Tucson Crime Free Coalition. It is an article from The Arizona Republic featuring interviews of our primary candidates.
It is a very informative article about most of the candidates in the Tucson primary. Unfortunately Mayor Romero and Councilperson Santa Cruz did not respond to the questions.
People are also reading…
Please take time to read all of the candidates statements. They are telling and we must be an informed electorate for the health of our city.
Jane Evans
North side
The arrogance of Liberals
Re: the July 5 article “Time to take back the American flag.”
Oh look. Another woke Tucson opinion piece. This time, Kathleen Bethel has deemed it is now OK for all of us ignorant masses to display the American flag. Just another condescending, presumptive missive written to attack a “particular political party.” Perhaps Bethel should climb down from her elitist soapbox, stop stereotyping people to fit her political narrative and then maybe she’ll see she’s nothing more than another conservative-hating narcissist.
Diane T. Nelson
Foothills
Who best represents the Westside?
As a long time resident of the westside and a former president of the Menlo Park neighborhood association, I care deeply about my neighbors and our neighborhood.
Nothing is more important to our safety and quality of life than the individual who serves as the Ward 1 Councilmember. They make decisions that affect our daily lives.
Right now there are two people running for this office, Lane Santa Cruz and Miguel Ortega, and my neighbors have been asking me who I support and why.
I have experience with both of these candidates having worked together with them for many years as council aide colleagues.
I can say that based on my personal experience, I unreservedly and without question am supporting Lane Santa Cruz for re-election as Ward 1 Councilmember.
Lane is also supported by Karin Uhlich, a former Tucson Councilmember and Ms. Uhlich was Miguel’s boss for years. I wonder why does Ms. Uhlich support Lane and not her former employee?
Mac Hudson
West side
Last dance for ‘woke’
Re: the July 9 letter “Woke?”
Thank you to the letter writer for finally providing a clear definition of “woke.” I’ve been confused, because its meaning changes with every politician that uses it, so it becomes useless the moment it’s defined. Now I hope that the letter writer will define “weaponize” for us, so that word can be retired in disgrace from the public forum. As it stands, “weaponize” seems to be used to describe any government agency caught doing its job. I will shed no tears for “weaponize.”
William Penrose
Oro Valley
Undue foreign influence
Re: the July 9 article “Felons can run for president, but not naturalized citizens.”
The prospect of a boring rematch between President Biden and former President Trump has very little to do with the U.S. Constitutional requirement that a candidate for the presidency be a “Natural” born citizen.
Article II, Section I, of the U.S. Constitution is a good provision that has served to protect our nation from undue foreign influence at the highest levels of government since our establishment.
As a second-generation American and former, now retired, academic book editor, I would not like to see this provision amended.
Patricia Cattani
East side
First They Came
First they took away a woman’s right to make her own decisions and I did not speak out because I was not a woman.
Then they came for the LGBTQ people and I did not speak out because I was not part of the LGBTQ community.
Then they came for the educators and I did not speak out because I was no longer an educator.
Then they banned publications and I did not speak out because there was no venue through which to speak.
Then they took away the right to fair elections and I could not speak out because I could no longer vote.
Then they came for me … and there was no one left to speak out for me.
As a former University Professor, I am aware of the dangers from the suppression of free speech. Martin Niemoller’s original words are enshrined in the National Holocaust Museum.
George Ball, PhD
Midtown
Another vote for Miguel Ortega
I was relieved to read Regina Romero’s newsletter on what went wrong with the 36th St. and La Cholla housing plans. In legalese, she admitted: The city put the cart before the horse. There were NO zoning meetings or hearings; just meetings about the layout for the subdivision!? Governance without representation is not a NIMBY stance; it is unconstitutional. Westside residents spent many City Council meetings watching final zoning hearings while we were denied the whole process. Why? Because the city used “Flexible Lot Development (FLD)” to sleaze past what the city now acknowledges as a “Major Change of Condition.” What a sweet deal to kiss developers into Tucson to fill housing needs! Thanks to Steve Kozachik and Kevin Dahl, who listened and voted with us, we were able to curve ball around FLD. Now YOUR Neighborhood doesn’t have to fight to rezone for cluster housing! Lane Santa Cruz and Romero supported the developer. Please vote for Miguel Ortega.
Martha Lynne
Southwest side
Tucson election
As a citizen of Ward 1, I was excited to vote for Santa Cruz and Romero in 2019, but cannot support either of them today because: 1. the City broke its annexation promise to this area at 36th/La Cholla; 2. the Tucson water rate increases that charge less to commercial and more to residential customers (even though Phoenix charges all customers at the same rate); 3. the many years requesting a bus line that runs down La Cholla and Greasewood to connect the westside with PCC and St. Mary’s medical center (just to get to St. Mary’s Road by bus you have to travel east of I-10 to 6th Ave. then travel north); 4. approval of TEP’s Cottonwood substation along an unstable area of the Santa Cruz River bank; and 5. the lack of response or acknowledgement from the Ward 1 and Mayor offices to email or phone messages. I am supporting Miguel Ortega because we deserve better representation for all residents.
Abreeza Zegeer
West side
This rendering shows the proposed apartments at the former Quail Canyon Golf Course.
Water
I’ve seen two articles about the Quail Golf Course redevelopment in two days, but fail to see information about where the water will come for those 300 plus dwellings. On the same subject, the huge development suggested for Rio Rico including a mine for zinc and manganese says nothing about water. How can this subject be ignored? How does one convince this area that our water source is drying up?
JoAnne Hungate
Foothills
Lane Santa Cruz is the trash talker
I had to laugh at the mailer in support of Lane Santa Cruz that I received. Referring t her opponent in the Ward 1 Democratic primary race, it blares in large type, all caps, “Miguel, Leave the Trash Talk Where it Belongs.”
Whoever concocted that hasn’t seen the video recently released of Lane Santa Cruz confronting Tucson Police in 2020 as they tried to manage a volatile crowd situation. Her language was worse than trash talk. This was a city council member talking to police who were having rocks and water bottles thrown at them.
Miguel Ortega is the best candidate in Ward 1. He will bring people together, not alienate them.
Debbie Collazo
West side
Kozachik’s rat rant
Re: the July 9 article “Sam Hughes has a rat problem, and it could spread across Tucson.”
For those Arizona Daily Star readers of the GOP who believe the paper caters primarily to the Democratic party, with excessive retribution being aimed at Republicans, maybe things are changing. Take note of this past Sunday’s front page article where rats and Steve Kozachik were cited in the same article.
Spike Horrigan
Foothills
