Players know little beyond the field
Pac-12 football players, including three from the University of Arizona declared they would boycott the 2020 season until certain demands were met. The requirements include player-approved safety standards, including COVID-19 standards, eliminate all excessive expenses, end racial bias in sports and society, guarantee player insurance for six years after graduation, distribute 50% of each sports total conference revenue among the athletes. There are more but you get the main idea about the tirade.
Almost all of it would require that the students (athletes) have the final say on the solutions to these problems. This missive would be laughable if not for the seriousness the writers portray. Obviously they have given their needs much thought but, like most things in life, no consideration to how these could be accomplished and within the deadline, one month from now?
People are also reading…
Each of these matters would take months, maybe years, to process. Please go back to football, an issue you know something about.
Phil Reinecker
East side
Internet is far too dangerous for voting
I understand that the internet is an amazing tool for learning and communicating. I also know that with every new tool man creates, there will be those who will use it for evil purposes. I don’t really believe that it is very important to get instant results in the presidential election.
I think we should use all-paper ballots: mail-in or at the polls. All ballots should be counted by machines that are not connected to the internet, and/or by hand. If counting votes takes a few weeks, at least we would be sure they are accurate.
Paper votes can be recounted anytime. The president does not take office until mid-January. Patience in vote counting would lead to a safer more accurate election.
Let’s step back and use paper ballots exclusively, and not use the internet for this most important event. I enjoy getting information from the internet, but I do not trust the internet in all circumstances.
Richard Bechtold
West side
Gasoline should be the least of our worries
A writer sent a letter to the editor complaining that if Joe Biden gets elected, she would have to pay more for gasoline. With all of America’s current problems, that’s the potential one that causes her to lie in bed at night and stare at the ceiling?
Given that she listed her location as Vail, I am reasonably certain that she will be more than able to deal with any slight bump in gasoline prices. Given that she expresses no expertise in the prediction of future gasoline prices, that scenario is unlikely anyway.
Now, if that does occur, I have a solution for her. Instead of idling her Escalade for half an hour in the Starbucks drive-thru while having the vehicle’s A/C on maximum, park the behemoth and go inside to place an order. The reduced gasoline consumption will more than offset any blip in the pump price.
Rick Cohn
West side
Biden, Obama part of coup attempt
The sick irony will be, if Joe Biden is elected president, he will allow access to the White House to the same people who sabotaged incoming duly elected President Trump and then tried to oust him from office. It was predicated on unverified information paid for by the Clinton campaign that Trump might have been a Russian asset. Those involved were Biden, who unmasked incoming National Security Adviser General Flynn’s telephone conversations and suggested investigating him under the pretense of violating the Logan Act.
Then there were Susan Rice, Samantha Powers, John Brennan, James Clapper, and notorious James Comey. All who, in my opinion based on available information, conspired to implement a coup against President Trump. Just before leaving office, Obama issued an order providing for the unprecedented disclosure of classified information between federal agencies about the Russia investigation for potential media leaks.
Obama, too, was involved in all this. These people may again serve in a Biden administration and sadly enjoy access to the White House they used for subversion.
Shane Foster
East side
Mark Kelly is a fraud
Democrat Mark Kelly is running a TV ad that starts by saying “Growing up in a working class family, I learned pretty quickly that life’s not going to hand you anything. You have to work hard every step of the way.”
Is he confused? He sounds more like a Republican who believes in personal responsibility and that relying on government to take care of you is not the answer. This is not what Democrats believe. Does he really believe that?
Or is he taking a page out of the playbook of Kyrsten Sinema two years ago and just fooling the public into believing he is a moderate that will represent Arizona as an “across the aisle” kind of guy? Makes you say, “Hmm?”
Tim Robertson
Foothills
Economy becoming robust again
On Aug. 7, the U.S. Labor Department released jobs numbers for July, showing 1.8 million jobs were created, and the unemployment rate had fallen from 11.1% to 10.2%. In June 4.8 million jobs were created. These jobs increases are despite the fact that many states have done partial shut downs again due to COVID.
The unemployment rate in April was 14.7%, so that has now been cut by one-third. Quite significant in just three months. Before COVID, America’s economy was robust with the lowest unemployment rate in decades for Blacks, Latinos and women.
Wages were increasing. All due to Trump’s pro-growth economic policies and his individual and corporate tax cuts. We are on the road to that great economy again with a COVID vaccine just around the corner, thanks to Warp-speed.
Biden and Democrats will destroy the recovering economy with their plans of higher income and corporate taxes, higher capital gains taxes, carbon taxes on businesses and imports, and destroying the fossil fuel industry.
Rory Smith
Marana
Return your mail-in ballots immediately
There has been much discussion lately of ballots being delayed by the postal service. Here is a suggestion and action I will take. The same day you receive your ballot, fill it out and put it back in the mail.
I know today who I am voting for, so I will have no reason to delay the return of my ballot. The county elections web page says I will receive my ballot about October 8. If I mail it back immediately, I can’t imagine that it won’t arrive with time to spare.
By the way, I have voted by mail for at least 25 years, first in California and now in Arizona. Never had a problem.
Richard Emmons
Northeast side
Thanks for running, but signs have to go
To all of you who put yourselves out there and ran for office but lost: Thank you for your courage and hard work. Now show us you meant it when you said you cared: Take down your signs.
FM Westra
Midtown
Gyms are safer
than restaurants
As I drove to pick up groceries this morning, I passed a local breakfast/lunch diner. The parking lot was jammed. This diner has inside dining.
Obviously, one can’t eat with a mask on. The short time the gyms were open, they practiced good protection with social distancing, masks required, equipment was sanitized constantly and hand-washing was required post-workout. Then in this morning’s paper, I find Gov. Doug Ducey is fighting a court battle to keep gyms from re-opening.
I’m at a loss to understand his reasoning. It is Red State, Republican thinking. Additionally, I am at a loss to understand how Donald Trump and Ducey think Arizona’s numbers are getting better. We have over 188,000 cases statewide with more than 17,000 cases in Pima County, and 1,213 new cases statewide Tuesday with 385 new cases in Pima County.
A total of 4,199 deaths statewide and 501 deaths in Pima County. It didn’t have to be this way!
Judy Bullington
West side
Schools need to explore auxiliary spaces
As a retired teacher from Ohio, I spent many years teaching in overcrowded buildings. I have memories of being assigned a classroom in the concession stand outside the gymnasium. It held 20-plus students, seated on folding chairs. NO desks!
For several years, I taught a staggered schedule, with students arriving in two shifts each day. Now, as Arizona grapples with the issues around opening schools, I feel communities need to get creative!
A common factor in the successful reopening of schools in foreign countries has been limiting the number of students, and establishing small groups for learning. I suggest securing additional classroom space in local churches, which are not holding services or other events at this time. Federal funding promised by President Trump for reopening schools could be used to defray additional costs, for utilities, cleaning supplies, custodial staff.
Federal funds might also pay for additional instructional staff and transportation to these auxiliary sites. It is time to stop criticizing our teachers and schools, and to look for solutions.
Francine Crist
Oro Valley
UA should not be reopening yet
If University of Arizona President Robert Robbins has his way, in just a little over two weeks time, thousands of students, staff, and faculty will return to campus. Robbins has made this decision even though County Health Department data about the spread of COVID-19 clearly shows that it will be too risky to open campus at this time. Of nine measures, the county rates six at the red level (not acceptable) and three at the yellow (improving).
Members of the campus community are also members of the greater Tucson community. We are your family, friends and neighbors. Please contact the mayor or city council, or Robbins himself, and urge them to oppose campus re-opening at this time.
Elizabeth Jaeger
Midtown
If you hate Socialism, give the money back
It seems that many folks out there, triggered perhaps by Republican propaganda, equate socialism with communism. That isn’t the case. If you are against socialism, as it has been practiced in the U.S. for over 75 years, then give back your unemployment checks, your social security and your Medicare/Medicaid health coverage.
Sorry folks, watch out what you wish for.
Dennis Winsten
Northeast side
Love of country equals support of Biden
This is a response to the writer who claims that Joe Biden voters will vote for him because of hatred: hatred for Trump. As a Biden supporter, I would like to let the writer know that I will be voting for Biden not because of hatred, but because of love: love for country and love for the Constitution and the rule of law with three co-equal branches of government. And love for the principles that we once stood for, freedom and equality for all regardless of your skin color, political affiliation or religion.
And even the right to bear arms, though not military assault weapons. I love the natural beauty of my country but know that climate change is threatening to totally alter the planet, a scientific fact that Trump calls a hoax and for which he has done nothing to ameliorate.
I have seen both the democratic principles I hold dear and the environment disrespected. That is why I will vote for Biden.
Sharon Olbert
Northwest side
