Tucson Speaks Out: July 18

Time to wake up, Arizona

Many residents and government officials of Arizona have their collective heads in the sand. They go blissfully forward, behaving as though things are just fine. They are not.

The San Pedro River has dried up. The Colorado River is dwindling. We are selling land to foreign companies for copper mining, which will devastate our environment. Take a road trip to Clifton/Morenci to see the heinous blight of copper mining. It is horrifying.

We are promoting data centers, which will use billions of gallons of precious water. All of this while Arizona is experiencing record-high temperatures and extreme drought.

And yet, we continue to promote tourism and, always, growth, growth, growth.

Arizona, it is time to wake up from your blissful dream!

Dan Egan

East side

Heroes, villains and villains in disguise

The U.S. faces annihilation of all vestiges of democracy. Like silent films "The Perils of Pauline," we (working class) are tied to the railroad track by a lecherous villain, so greedy that unless we give him all our money and our dignity, he will let the fast approaching train run us over. Pauline needed only one "hero." We need a crowd of "heroes."

There's a crowd of politicians claiming to be our heroes. But only a handful are. Not nearly enough. So, to beat the train, we may have to rely on some corporate-funded villains in disguise. But, once "saved," we'll find those corporate-owned "heroes" immediately, insidiously robbing us.

So, once the train has passed, we must unseat the disguised corporate-funded villains as fast as possible to elect working-class candidates who take no corporate money. They are the REAL heroes, progressives fighting for true democracy.

Lee Stanfield

East side

LTE civility

Re: LTE July 12, “The new LTE policy”

Please don’t confuse the opinion page with therapy. If you're angry, depressed, feel violated, worthless, unheard or if you were not hugged enough as a child, see a therapist. People who use this forum to express and share thoughts, ideas, accolades, concerns, and possible solutions can enlighten and bring this community together. Some choose to process their angst by labeling, name-calling, and spewing their toxic insults repeatedly — accompanied by their “alternative facts.” Our president lacks the capacity to communicate like a civil adult. If you’re going to climb in the gutter with him, please rinse yourself off before you join us on the opinion page of this community newspaper.

Thank you.

Steven Conn

Midtown

Trump was not elected by popular vote

For the record, Trump was not elected by popular vote. He was voted in because of the Electoral College. A huge difference from people voting for Platner in Maine, though I am thankful he had sense enough to withdraw.

Kathy King

East side

Consequences of Trump and climate change

Sheldon Metz’s column accurately describes Trump as “the most dangerous person to ever hold the presidency” but doesn’t mention the consequences of Trump’s environmental policies. While Trump refers to climate change as a "hoax," "scam," or "con job", around the world, people are dying in unprecedented numbers in forest fires, floods, hurricanes and heat waves. Trump calls renewable sources of energy like wind and solar power a "joke" and "pathetic", while they have become the least expensive and most reliable options for new electricity generation. The EU and China race ahead to advance and sell these new technologies, and Trump pushes the U.S. to use more fossil fuel. His environmental policies will have catastrophic consequences on people around the world and ensure that this country will never compete with those who understand the significance of climate change and work to develop and sell the technologies that are necessary for the very survival of this planet.

Kenneth Cohn

Northwest side

Clark does not require protection

Like letter writer Jim, I too started watching the WNBA when Caitlin Clark joined the Indiana Fever. While I enjoy watching her play, I quickly discovered that the “W” is amazing in every city, every night. I love watching Aja’s savage shot-blocking, Kelsey’s fearless drives through the paint, Angel’s Rodman-esque rebounds, and Alyssa Thomas’ precise assists to open cutters. For me, Clark was the gateway drug that got me addicted to the amazing game that was there all along, and I feel foolish that it took me so long to discover it. Clark is a tough person, and while there may be some issues with officiating in general, she neither needs nor wants the special treatment that some are proposing.

Donald Reese

Southeast side

Venezuela

It was nice to read Carolyn Davis’s recent praise for America because our military was first on the scene to help with the Venezuelan earthquake disaster response. I am also pleased to hear a positive story of our help abroad, and I’d love to believe we did this out of the goodness of our hearts! Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has actually discontinued most foreign aid and support. Sadly, I believe the reason we’re engaged and on-scene is because the Trump Administration invaded the country and kidnapped its President. Since then, Secretary of State Rubio has effectively been running the government from afar. And the U.S. has been making millions taking Venezuelan profits from oil production. Sadly, I don’t believe our motives are as honorable as I’d like, but I am glad we’re helping. I continue to pray for Venezuela and its people who are devastated by this disaster.

Melinda Sims

Catalina

Remembering Lindsey

On the passing of Lindsey Graham, even though I disagreed with many of his political positions, I am reminded that one should not speak ill of the dead. In that spirit, I will at least give him the full credit he deserves for being Mr. Trump's absolutely best golf caddy and ball washer.

Gary Susko

Midtown

Pedestrian fatalities

Your July 14 story on pedestrian fatalities buried the lede. Eighty-two percent of victims who underwent a toxicology screen tested positive for drugs. You can build safe streets, put up HAWK signals, etc., etc. But if people are under the influence of drugs, they obviously aren't going to take advantage of safety features.

The high number of pedestrian fatalities in Tucson is not a traffic safety issue but a societal problem. Throwing money at traffic safety and other measures (e.g., the absurd 30 mph speed limit on First Avenue) is not going to decrease fatalities if the victims are intoxicated and unable to make good decisions.

This issue needs to be addressed holistically, not only from a traffic safety perspective.

Paul Pedersen

Foothills

Tohono O'odham Nation wall

There is a solution to the issue of the wall through the Tohono O'odham reservation.  

There is extreme danger to the Tribal members as well as the State of Arizona and the rest of our nation if the pathway stays open.  Once the cartels and other invaders decide to focus on that opening, the rush of violent criminals could decimate the people who live in their pathway.  Whatever they consider their defense will not repel that evil.

A wall is the best answer to stop that wave. But the accessibility of tribal members to both sides of the reservation is also crucial.

How do we maneuver through fences?  We build gates.  In this case, the gate should be part of the fence funded by the American government.  Trained Tribal Border Agents could be used to control the gates already in existence.  

An agreement would train Tribal members exclusively for those gates to protect Tribal members and traditions.

Win-Win-Win.

Paula Deter

Sahuarita

Hernandez uses platform to tear down

Over the weekend, Representative Alma Hernandez took to social media to accuse community members of criminal conduct before establishing the facts of the situation. She posted photographs of two men and asserted they had been removing her campaign signs, despite those same photographs being cited as contradicting that accusation. The post exposed private citizens to public ridicule and harassment.

What is especially concerning is that, even after information emerged challenging the accusation, the original post remained online without a meaningful correction or apology. Rather than engaging in a campaign centered on policy, vision, and accountability, this has become another episode in personal attacks over any substance.

The people of Legislative District 20 deserve better. Public officials should verify the facts before making public accusations, and when they get it wrong, they should correct the record.

Alex Randall

Downtown