Xeriscaping: organic
or inorganic mulch?There has been a lot of coverage lately about the (looming? current?) water crisis in Arizona. People have been urged for years to xeriscape their yards so as to reduce the need for irrigation. Most of those people (myself included) used decomposed granite (aka inorganic rock mulch) as a ground cover. It works, but is it the best option?
My wife and I recently landscaped our midtown property as part of a home improvement project. For the new groundcover, we decided on organic (wood) mulch. It has the following benefits when compared to rock: It’s lighter. It costs less (some tree services give it away). It keeps the ground cooler (as much as 9 or 10 degrees!). It holds moisture better. As it decomposes, it enriches the soil. It encourages native wildlife (birds, lizards, etc.). It helps soften noises.
If you’re thinking about groundcover for your property, look into organic mulch.
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Dave Peterson
Midtown
‘Saving’ a child is an ongoing process
As the abortion issue was settled by the Supreme Court in Roe v Wade, it would seem the logical outcome of any abortion would be settled by the two people who conceived the child. Yet, many abortion foes who seek to “save” the life of a child or children, turn a blind eye to the support and raising of this infant as they consider their work done and glow in the fact they have “saved” a human life.
My suggestion is as part of a pro-life anti-abortion group(s), you must also take responsibility for its raising and support until adulthood and not condemn it to a life of neglect and abuse. As you try to prohibit legal abortion, you will also be legally responsible for the upbringing and financial support of the child, since it was your choice to interfere in a private matter between the parents and their physician; i.e., a legally binding document signed at the time you join a anti-abortion group.
Richard Rebl
East side
Border crossers are offered free housing
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that they will be changing the rules for their Emergency Housing Voucher program that will not exclude those undocumented in the country from obtaining free public housing at taxpayer expense.
The 2021 Cares Act passed by Democrats in Congress and signed into law by Biden, provided $5 billion in Emergency Housing Vouchers. Dominique Bloom, Deputy Secretary for Public and Indian Housing said, “HUD is consequently waiving the requirement to obtain and verify SSN documentation and documentation evidencing eligible noncitizen status before admitting the family to the EHV program.”
The new ruling will essentially allow those undocumented in the country with no income to obtain free public housing at tax payer expense. This is on top of the $3 billion already allocated by the Biden administration to contractors for housing migrant children and the $86 million to house migrant families in hotels. Where is the outrage over all this taxpayer money going to shelter people who violated our immigration laws?
Benjamin Edwards
Northwest side
GOP leadership in a dream world
Re: the May 19 article “AZ budget plan would create big tax cuts.”
Arizona Republican legislators and Gov. Doug Ducey must live in an alternative reality. Arizonans have clearly voted to support public education. Yet Republicans are pushing a flat tax that would nullify the surtax voters approved on high income earners to support public education.
A flat tax promotes income inequality. The effects of a 2.5% tax on someone making minimum wage is a much larger burden than on the wealthy. Republicans are punishing lower and middle income Arizonans to benefit the rich.
The “fraud-it” going on in Phoenix is another example of Republican leadership living in la-la land. Multiple audits of ballots were conducted by qualified people, including Republican local officials. Ducey certified the election. Yet we are the butt of international jokes because Republican leaders are servants to the “Big Lie.” And don’t get me started on voter suppression bills they’ve passed after the cleanest election in Arizona history.
Gail Kamaras
East side
Make primary care more attractive
Re: the May 18 article “Is it too hard to become a doctor today?”
I agree with some of the author’s points. Those with the highest metrics don’t necessarily make the best physicians, we don’t have enough diversity and the government should fund more residencies.
However, he misses the major problem that increasing the number of physicians will not solve and may make worse. Our division of specialists and primary care physicians is a basic problem.
This is primarily due to the inadequate reimbursement of primary care physicians. The high cost of higher education forces many to select a field of practice based on potential income.
With our aging population with their chronic conditions, we need more primary care physicians. Just increasing the number of physicians will not solve the problem. We are training fewer geriatricians now than we did 15 years ago.
We need to make major changes in the system to incentivize primary care physicians. My professional career of 28 years was spent in Salt Lake City on the faculty of the University of Utah Medical Center.
Neil Kochenour M.D.
Southeast side
Consider climate in road planning
The current Transportation Improvement Plan provides our community the opportunity to reassess our transportation infrastructure. Unfortunately, the FY22-26 TIP does not address our biggest challenges: climate change and uninterrupted growth.
The focus is on road widening that, while some is needed, will increase cars and hot asphalt at the expense of projects that would decrease traffic, encourage alternative modes of transportation and decrease the exponential growth of the heat island effect in Tucson. Multiple studies have shown that widening roads doesn’t decrease congestion, but merely increases the number of cars on the road.
Instead, the funding would be much better spent on critical projects such as public transportation expansion, well-protected bike lanes, tree-lined medians on major thoroughfares, bike/pedestrian overpasses, EV charging stations, solar panels over parking lots and zoning new communities to include services locally.
My family loves Tucson for its culture of conservation, close community and outdoor opportunities. Let’s work toward a transportation future that results in a more sustainable and livable community.
Jeanne Calhoun
Midtown
