Tucson Speaks Out: Nov. 1 letters of the day

Ciscomani ‘Monitoring the situation’

A few months ago, after one of the 556 mass shootings this year, I wrote to Congressman Juan Ciscomani about the need for him to take a leadership role in getting assault weapons off our streets. His response to me was, “I am monitoring the situation.” We are all “monitoring” the situation every day! We just monitored the death of 18 more people in Lewiston, Maine. If he really represents us, he will step up and introduce legislation to ban assault-style weapons in America. I am not against anyone’s right to own a gun. But I don’t believe we need guns that are designed to kill people with high-velocity bullets. Congressman Ciscomani, please do the job we elected you to do — to protect our freedom to live, not die.

Frank Hagel

SaddleBrooke

Primary care physician woes

Re: the Oct. 27 letter “Continuity of care.”

I have to agree wholeheartedly with the physician who wrote in about his challenges with the shortage and turnover of PCP doctors in Tucson. I can assure you that it is not just a TMCOne issue. At the beginning of the year, I received a letter that my Banner doctor was leaving his practice. They did suggest some options within their office. I chose one of the doctors and was told that it would be nine months before I could get a transition appointment. I made the appointment because they were close to me and didn’t really want to change and go somewhere else. The appointment was made for the beginning of November. This past week, I received a letter that my chosen doctor was leaving Banner, and I would have to find another PCP. This time there were no suggestions for a possible PCP. This happened before I was even able to see him for my transition appointment! Certainly frustrating times.

Mark Redding

Northeast side

Apples and oranges

Re: the Oct. 28 letter “Bowman gets sweetheart plea deal.”

Compare: Protesters from Jan. 6, also known as rioters who threatened the life of our vice president, caused millions of dollars of damage to our Capitol, subsequently causing the deaths of five people to: one representative who pulled a fire alarm, which stopped proceedings for one hour.

This is the comparison one westside writer made stating the representative got a “sweetheart deal”. He got the same punishment any one of us would get by pulling a fire alarm. Do you think any one of us would still be walking free if we planned a government insurrection as Trump did? Guess who is getting the sweetheart deal.

Are we really more concerned with pulling a fire alarm, or having an 11-day possession of a firearm by a private citizen who never used it than what we witnessed on Jan. 6? Can we get our priorities straight?

Connie Amspaugh

Southeast side

The best new Speaker

A segment of our population has gotten drunk on taxpayer handouts. This is reflected in the people they choose to represent them in Congress. Both parties have been guilty of overspending to retain their power, and it has resulted in a $33-plus trillion dollar national debt. And they are content on letting the Social Security/Medicare funds go bankrupt in the 2030s rather than make the hard decisions to fix them. However, there is a growing number of “America First” conservatives that are trying to step up and reverse these bad decisions. It was not easy to pick a leader dedicated to saving our country, but eventually Mike Johnson won. His election should prove to be great for the people. He will return the country to following the principles that our country was founded on, and made it the best in the world.

Ken Wolfe

Marana

Left turn

Regarding the issue of dangerous left turns at the Craycroft/Grant intersection. I totally agree that a driver should never attempt a left turn without being sure that there is no oncoming traffic. However, a driver should always enter the intersection (if the traffic light allows) to at least let more drivers make the left turn when the arrow changes to green. It’s a simple matter of thinking of the other person and helping with the flow of traffic.

David Prouty

Foothills

The greatest country?

Re: the Oct. 30 letter “Japanese model for gun ownership.”

Yes, wouldn’t it be nice? The problem is, Japan is a civil country, unlike this country. The Japanese population consists of mostly reasonable, civil and law-abiding people who care about each other, care about their environment and in general are filled with respect and reason. In this country, it appears many, including many Republican politicians, don’t have much of a problem with rampant gun violence. Innocent people and schoolchildren are massacred on a routine basis. Thoughts and prayers! A few days on TV, then all is forgotten until the next massacre. Close to half the population thinks Donald Trump is fit to be our leader, despite all the exposure of his many crimes, including trying to overthrow an election, all his dangerous and disturbing personality flaws, and his desire to be a dictator at any cost. Trump still a front-runner and ongoing gun massacres — what a disturbing commentary on the U.S.A.

Deb Klumpp

Oro Valley

Help for flooding areas

Until about the 1970s, contractors were allowed to dig pits in the Rillito and Santa Cruz rivers to remove sand and gravel for construction purposes. These pits were about 10 feet deep, 50-60 feet wide and about 80 feet long with sloping sides. When it rained, the pits would fill with water; the water would soak into the riverbed/or evaporate.

Repeating that today by gigging these pits about a half-mile apart starting at Vail and intervals down the Rillito to I-10, and from San Xavier Mission north to Marana. This would help alleviate the Flooding that the area North of Marana experiences every year.

This would certainly recharge the underground water supply and prevent flooding. Contractors could buy the sand/gravel at a minimal cost.

If the water table happens to rise, perhaps, maybe, we could see Cottonwood Trees again along the river banks like we used to see at Sabino Canyon bridge and other areas along the Rillito/Santa Cruz.

Rudy Reuser

Northwest

Tucson drivers

You and I see them all the time, totally ignoring traffic laws. Ever wonder where they come from? The other evening, I happened to be driving behind a Tucson Police-marked car. I was behind him through turns, changing lanes, on I-10, off I-10. Never ever used his turn signal to let traffic behind him know what his next move was. How about this, cops: You shouldn’t pull me over (you have) for not using a turn signal until you at least learn how to do it yourself! (Hint: it’s that little lever on the left you’ve always wondered about).

Thad Appelman

Northwest side

Current firearm owners

Re: the Oct. 29 letter “ATF rule change.”

In this letter, the writer mentioned how the ATF is proposing a “rule” that would close the “so-called gun show loophole” by redefining who needs to get a Federal Firearms License. It is a fallacy that mass shooters obtained their firearms at a gun show. Most firearms used were purchased legally with a background check. Many vendors at gun shows have local retail stores and do background checks on purchases. Only a small percentage of firearms sold at gun shows are involved in crimes. This proposed ATF “rule” greatly expands the definition of “engaged in the business” of selling a firearm to potentially include an individual’s singular sale if done for “profit,” which is generally the case. In January, the ATF issued a rule saying that millions of current owners of firearms measuring less than 26 inches with stabilizing braces must register them or face a 10-year federal felony. The Biden administration has no qualms in making current firearms owners into criminals.

Stella Murphy

Midtown

A broken House of Representatives

Voters entrusted Republicans with control of the U.S. House of Representatives; this is what they got:

The ouster of the Speaker by an ultra-conservative GOP faction; control of the House left without leadership at a time of two wars; selection of a MAGA election-denier as Speaker (and second in line for the presidency); a march to impeach President Biden on fabricated charges.

With the same slim majority, this is what Democrats accomplished under Speaker Pelosi: The Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS and Science Act, Safer Communities Act, PACT Act, Violence Against Women Act, American Rescue Plan, Respect for Marriage Act, The Infrastructure and Jobs Act, Postal Service Reform Act.

The House of Representatives has been broken by MAGA Republicans. Another defeat for the Republicans in 2024 could remake the politics of our country in meaningful ways; with a different election result, the dangers to our country are in plain sight.

Teresa Jenkins

SaddleBrooke

No to Chiricahua as a National Park

Do not make Chiricahua National Monument into a National Park! That is a horrible idea. No one can mess up an area like the NPS. The Monument does not need a huge parking lot, long lines, high fees, limited access, federal agents, electric charging stations, a huge administration building and wholesale trampling and destruction of what is still a relatively pristine and appropriately less visited area. We don’t need thousands of idiot tourists in the Chiricahuas. Say no to Chiricahua National Park!

Matt Finstrom

West side