Tucson Speaks Out: September 26

ASDB move

I read in the newspaper that families are struggling with ASDB's move to Oro Valley. The Amphitheater district just closed F. O. Holaway Elementary School. It is much more centrally located near Campbell Avenue and Prince Road and might have been a good choice for ASDB.

Ellen Caldwell

Midtown

Prop. 320 isn’t for students

As a high school junior in Arizona's public schools witnessing firsthand the never-ending slew of complaints, I know the biggest problem isn’t a lack of curriculum, resources or field trips; it’s the support systems students’ success depends on. Prop. 320 would require major districts to spend 60% of their budgets on “direct instruction.” Sure, that sounds great: more money towards students. In reality, that requires Scottsdale School District, for example, to shift $14.9 million from real pressure points like counselors, teacher training and security. Arizona's counselor-to-student ratios are already stretched thin. How can public education compete with private schools with more intensive counselor support ? And the thought of school security becoming expendable is terrifying. Students should never have to trade safety and security for a spreadsheet percentage. If Prop. 320 makes Arizona education look better on paper while making schools worse for the students inside them, it has failed its purpose. Arizona students deserve better; we cannot afford to get this wrong.

Madison Rohl

Scottsdale

Biggs’ list of promises

Andy Biggs is another Trump Republican, and you can't trust him. It's sad that he and Juan Ciscomani are the best the Republican Party has to offer. The thing with Democrats is that they don't seem to have a plan, but they should know that Trump must be stopped, and the House and Senate are worthless. I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of being lied to.

Robert Brabham

Southwest side

Windfall should benefit all Americans

Our president has no incentive to end the war in Iran since his family and billionaire cronies (particularly the big oil companies) profit handsomely from war profiteering and kickbacks.

Our president correctly pointed out that "we have plenty of oil for ourselves …" the catch being that we all pay through the nose for oil price increases in the global market, which oil companies were delighted to cash in on.

A more conscientious leader might have recognized that the oil in the ground belongs to all Americans. The oil companies can earn a reasonable profit for extracting and refining the oil, but the windfall (caused by his failure to listen to the council of wiser minds) rightly belongs to the nation. Congress should slap a windfall tax on the exorbitant and excessive profits of the oil companies and funnel that money to pay down the national debt.

Perhaps we wouldn't feel so ripped off knowing our fuel bills were directed to the common good .

Alan Voelkel

Midtown

Ciscomani knows how to serve AZ-06

I think we all know JoAnna Mendoza served in our military, and we thank her for her service; however, I seriously wonder if she has any idea what it takes to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Congressman Juan Ciscomani has represented me for nearly four years, and I’m very confident he knows how to get things done. One great example of that is the money he has secured for Pima JTED.

JTED is all about creating opportunities for the next generation — opportunities to learn skills that will help them become contributing members of our community.

The congressman’s support for this issue is all I need to give him my vote.

Carol Clark

North side

Names matter

The Kennedy Center, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, Greenland, New Mexico, Alaska's Denali, The Netherlands. What's next? The United States of Trump? This mad dog needs a muzzle and a leash. Hopefully, Nov. 3 we will have a Blue wave so we can restrain the president, for the next two years or until we can invoke the 25th Amendment to shorten his assault on America.

Terri Hicks

Northwest side

PETSAFE

When disaster strikes, strong communities come together to protect one another. Effective disaster response, though, requires planning long before an emergency occurs.

September is National Preparedness Month, and this year, Congress must prioritize an often-overlooked part of emergency planning: pets.

Millions of Americans live with animals they consider family. During an emergency, those families need to know that they can evacuate safely without being forced to leave their pets behind. Communities need plans and resources that recognize the needs of both people and animals.

The PETSAFE Act (H.R 7438 / S. 4558) would help communities be better prepared to accommodate families with pets before, during and after disasters. This legislation would strengthen preparedness while helping families navigate some of the difficult decisions that emergencies can create.

I urge my federal lawmakers, Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Representative Greg Stanton, to cosponsor the PETSAFE Act and help our communities develop stronger, more inclusive disaster plans.

Ashley Scott

East side