Greta vs. Elon
Swede Greta Thunberg and Afro-American Elon Musk have two things in common, they’re both activist environmentalists afflicted with Asperger’s syndrome, but that’s where the comparison stops. He’s the richest man on the planet and she’s a mere millionaire. She talks issues while he builds electric cars and solar arrays with battery storage. Musk also advocates nuclear power to minimize our reliance of fossil fuels.
Perhaps the last is an unfair juxtaposition since she is a 19-year-old child with a megaphone who we hope will accomplish something concrete in later life.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Stifle your euphoria
Re: the April 22 article “Not so fast on closing COVID-19 book.”
People are also reading…
The author, Nicholas Goldberg, has the reaction of a lot of liberals to the current endemic state of affairs. He bemoans the death of over a million Americans, but enjoys going out to restaurants and flying in a plane.
But liberals need to stifle their euphoria. They must put all their energy into thwarting the existential threat of Trumpers gaining and using power to destroy the America we love.
Liberals need to tell and retell their story. Liberal democracy means a free press, open elections and fair law enforcement. Trumpian government means a handcuffed press, restricted elections and biased law enforcement. To stay true to the values of our Founding Fathers, say “no” to any Trumper running for government office.
Walter Mann
Marana
Free speech
So there will be disinformation on Twitter! Are you kidding me? if Twitter is actually what it’s described as — “the soapbox in the public square,” does anyone truly believe that there’s no “disinformation” in our fellow citizens’ personal opinions, conversations and proclamations? I would guess that 75-80% of what comes out of peoples’ mouths in any free-flowing conversation is disinformation. You can’t even get two or three guys who just watched the same football game to agree on the what, how and why of the game they watched together an hour ago. Frankly, we should be thankful for our propensity to spew disinformation — not just at the local bar, but on every college campus and (worst of all) in the halls of Congress. What’s good about that you ask? Simple... it helps us to develop healthy skepticism. We learn the most important lesson free speech teaches us: Take everything you hear with a grain of salt.
Bud Snyder
SaddleBrooke
‘We don’t need no stinkin’ water’
The Las Vegas Review Journal had a story on April 27, 2022, that pointed out that their half-billion dollar third “straw” was being activated after Lake Mead fell below the first “straw” intake. What does this mean?
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is the water provider for southern Nevada. Their three intakes for water in Lake Mead are at 1,050 feet in elevation for the first intake, at 1,000 feet for the second, and at 860 feet for the third. Water level is now at 1,055 feet, 25 feet lower than last year.
The story says that Lake Mead’s water is now so low that first intake is useless for the first time ever. With nearly a half-a-million acre-feet of water being held back from Lake Mead for electrical generation at Lake Powell, the Lake Mead water availability problems are becoming considerably worse more quickly.
ADWR and Arizona developers, how can there be a real 100-year guarantee for water?
Matt Somers
Midtown
Red light cameras
Re: the May 1 article “Reconsidering red-light cameras.”
Tim Steller lists all the negatives about red-light cameras and then says we need to get them back in Tucson. I guess doing the same thing over again and expecting different results is sane, to him. It makes more sense to me to use the funds available to ensure traffic lights in Tucson are uniform. No more guessing what you’re going to encounter as you approach an intersection. Eliminating questions such as: “will I get a green arrow after the light turns red or before? Or during? Is that car going to turn left in front of me or does it have a red light? Can that person turning left make a U-turn or will I get a green arrow to turn right?” There are too many options.
If all the intersections were consistent there wouldn’t be as much confusion and we wouldn’t need those ridiculous intersections that forces a driver to go through it and then make a U-turn, then a right turn just to turn left.
Nick Hansen
Foothills
Five causes of inflation
Many economists partially attribute the current high inflation to the direct economic stimulus. Most of those same economists point out that without that stimulus we would have higher unemployment and many more small business failures. Here’s what I see: 1. Current inflation may be partially an economic correction for decades of mostly low inflation. 2. The United States has for decades put off infrastructure spending in favor of tax cuts. That infrastructure has failed, from the ports to the highways slowing goods and increasing business costs. 3. We have devalued jobs involved in retail and transportation, making them less desirable for American workers. 4. Our dependence on foreign manufacturers has only increased, making transportation costs more impactful. 5. We have largely cut off our source of inexpensive labor by making it more difficult to hire foreign workers.
Kalvin Smith
Midtown
Teacher Appreciation week
Reading that Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill allowing parents to sue school districts or officials if information confided in a teacher or school counselor is withheld from parents, I needed a therapeutic bike ride. Ironically, while passing Mesquite Elementary School, I saw a volunteer finishing a display for Teacher Appreciation Week, proclaiming “Thank You Superheroes.” Ah, the irony. Teachers appreciate such excellent messages, but far more than that, they need deep support and trust of the community in which they work. This latest bill says teachers are not valued or trusted. Unfortunately, new teachers entering this rewarding career will have to add a new class to their training — selecting a competent, economic lawyer.
Roger Shanley
East side
2024 presidential election
Roadmap for Republicans to regain White House in 2024: Nominate anyone not named Trump.
Mel McIntyre
Oro Valley
Clean energy options
The endless articles for eliminating fossil fuels for “clean” energy are baseless. We do not have an alternate commercially feasible source of energy at this time. Everyone is for clean energy, but we are not ready. The insanity of the Biden administration has shut down our energy industry and is relying on imports from our adversaries. We could be energy independent again if allowed. France produces approximately 70% of their power from nuclear, that is the only viable source at this time but there is little talk of it. Three more years of the Biden insanity is three more years of high fuel prices tapping a large portion of disposable income to all families.
Bill Dowdall
Oro Valley
