UA track abuses need to be set right
Re: the Aug. 16 article “8 former UA athletes detail ‘rotten culture’ in track program.”
Terrific article, but so sad. Assuming the facts are accurate, a few resignations or terminations seem to be in order. I won’t lose any sleep if coaches Hanna Peterson and Fred Harvey, and athletic director Dave Heeke are terminated for pro tanto harm. For being such an ostensible fan of college sports, Dr. Robert Robbins is either willfully ignorant of these abuses or just a giant boob, and is woefully overpaid. Bring back a John Schaefer to right the ship.
Chins up, ladies; a lot of us out here admire your efforts and persistence in the face of injustice.
Mike Linn
Downtown
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Righteous fury
aimed at Trump
We should be angry — no furious — with the current occupant of the White House and his lies, intolerance, lack of empathy, conspiracy theories and absence of leadership during this devastating pandemic. We should say “enough” as he desperately attempts to disrupt our right and access to vote. We should call him on his continuing need to congratulate himself for accomplishments that others achieved and his blatant obscuring of reality.
We should stand on the side of those who are disadvantaged and who are different in color and heritage than the man who, without shame, questions the citizenship of a person of color. It is time to say enough. It is past time to ignore the damage that this president, and his administration, have done to the very fabric of our democracy and way of life. This daily dose of hypocrisy, lawlessness and absence of common decency is tearing our beloved country apart. We should be furious.
Randy Kautto
Downtown
Apply same scrutiny
to the sitting VP
So Joe Biden “blew it” by selecting Kamala Harris for vice president? He decided to pick a woman (Women are a majority)! He then decided to pick a minority woman! By the way, six “underwhelming” candidates. How weak! He should have realized “none of these people are good enough.” He should want the best.
Whose criteria signifies “the best”? Yours or mine? I prefer mine. But, according to you, he should pick from a vast range of the “qualified” mostly white men, but throw in a couple of women and people of color.
Where is the editorial about Pence as VP pick? Was he the best? Melania thought so. His state thought not. Based on what you said about Harris, should Trump drop Pence and find “the best?” What are Pence’s stellar characteristics? He is careful about temptation? OK, I’m waiting. I look forward to your equal treatment of previous white male VP picks.
Karen Paulsen-Balch, Ph.D.
Foothills
McCain’s rare courage
conspicuous by absence
I was usually not a fan of the late Sen. John McCain’s policies. I remember his response in 2008 when one of his supporters for president made racist comments against his rival, then presidential candidate Barack Obama. Sen. McCain immediately squashed that. He asserted he would not stoop to racist attacks but wanted to run an honorable campaign.
Would that any one of the current Senate or House Republicans would stand up and speak out against our current president’s disgusting racist attacks against Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris. Would that all these Republican apologists and silent bystanders stand up as true Americans willing to move our country forward as a true democracy for all its citizens. Maybe if Gov. Doug Ducey had appointed someone who could truly walk in McCain’s shoes, we might have at least one courageous Republican voice in the U.S. Senate.
Dr. B. Vivante
North side
More at stake
than your 401(k)
In a recent letter to the editor, it was suggested that one should look at their IRA or 401(k) results to make their voting decision. The writer takes the position that Donald Trump has led the market higher and that a Joe Biden presidency would jeopardize these gains. First, suggesting that market gains are a result of Trump, in my opinion, is questionable.
Second, to base one’s voting decision on their portfolio reflects a very myopic and narrow focus. There are so many other important considerations needed to make an informed voting decision. The character and the honesty of the person running is much more important than a dollar sign in a retirement account.
Right now, we have a country mired in systemic racism, a country bordering on economic collapse, foreign policy that is in shambles, and a pandemic that was ignored, denied and delayed by Trump. I would suggest these are much more important voting considerations than checking your IRA.
John Weeks
Midtown
UA looking scary? Try Pima College
One institution of higher education in our city has, so far, managed to handle the myriad issues surrounding the COVID-19 health concerns for students, staff and faculty without resorting to extreme measures. Pima Community College receives no annual assistance from the state, but because of sound financial practices and strong leadership has been able to maintain employment and student services at near pre-pandemic levels. In the interest of safety of all involved, students will return to campuses this week in a limited number of programs that require hands on and face to face instruction.
Individual campus attendance (for the most part) will be capped at 20% capacity. Almost all other educational offerings will be online. Of course, budgets are predicated by enrollment, but the immediate goal of PCC is to be a leader in rebuilding our community’s economy by providing an affordable education and the skills needed in a 21st-century workforce. I am proud of Pima, and you should be as well.
Mark Hanna, PCC Governing Board member
Foothills
TEP fox in charge
of solar henhouse
Re: the Aug. 16 article “Some who want rooftop solar see applications denied by TEP.”
I am a low-income homeowner interested in solar power. Why is control of solar energy in the hands of TEP? Solar is in competition with TEP. How can we manage climate change if a primary cause agent for climate change, the current energy system, controls the best hope for change?
Casey Hayden
Downtown
Reasons to postpone
presidential election
The Democrats in Congress want to “infuse” $10-25 billion into the Postal Service.
The current national debt is over $26 trillion. The Barack Obama/ Joe Biden presidency increased the national debt almost $8.5 trillion. Wouldn’t it have been nice to have seen that $10-25 billion “infused” at that time?
We have continuing unrest in the streets in many of our major cities resulting the loss of life of young black men and billions of dollars in damage; millions of citizens are out of work; businesses have closed, and a pandemic has decimated our population and economy.
I think that the question to be asked is not whether or not there should be a mail-in election, but whether or not there should be a presidential election at all in 2020.
This is a period of national emergency unlike any other.
Have an election, but postpone the presidential election until 2024.
Bill Kendall
Downtown
Put your ballot
in the mail right away
For those of us who will be getting mail-in ballots in early October, I recommend you fill out your ballot, sign it and mail it immediately. There is a link to track your vote on the Pima County recorder’s site.
If, for any reason, your mail-in ballot does not get processed, follow up with a call to the Pima County Recorder’s Office at 520-724-4330.
There are those who don’t trust the mail or they want to wait until Election Day to put their mail-in ballot in a designated box. Those votes are the last to be counted because they will have to be verified for signatures, and that can cause a delay in the end results.
If our own government is going to put up roadblocks for a fair election, we must do everything in our power to see that they don’t succeed.
Donna Pierce
Northeast side
Another win
for conservation
About two weeks ago, conservationists welcomed the permanent renewal, with full funding, of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. If you haven’t already done so, please thank Sens. Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema for their “yes” votes.
While we celebrated the best news in many years, more than 300 conservation organizations (with millions of members) were composing a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee opposing the nomination of William Perry Pendley to lead the Bureau of Land Management.
It’s impossible to imagine a bigger fox in the BLM henhouse. Pendley is a vocal advocate for selling off public lands and eviscerating regulations that protect our air and water.
The planned withdrawal of Pendley’s nomination is another win for conservation. Two wins in two weeks. We’ll take it, but hard-won gains can be lost with the stroke of a pen. With your help the conservation community will remain vigilant and ready to meet future challenges that will surely arise.
William Thornton
Midtown
