Save USPS; get rid of the Postmaster
The United States Postal Service is vital to the existence of America. It was created to tie the states together and is supposed to deliver mail in a timely fashion.
I think the USPS does not need to make a profit anymore than the State Department, the U.S. Army, or the Federal Drug Administration, nor should it be required to fund its pension obligations 75 years in advance as the GOP Congress required in 2006. Employees should be regular civil servants.
The current Postmaster General says the USPS cannot guarantee timely delivery of election ballots which means it cannot guarantee on time delivery of medicine, bills or checks.
Clearly the Postmaster General, an über rich political donor without USPS experience, cannot do the job and should be immediately replaced.
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Kurt Cooper
West side
Our deadly streets claim another life
Re: the Aug. 11 article “Bicyclist fatally struck on Grant.”
Another bicyclist killed on our streets. Motor vehicle deaths up 63% compared to last year, continuing an annual, increasing trend over the past decade(s).
I am a physician and safe streets advocate. I have been bicycle commuting in Tucson for 15 years and documenting the dangerous state of our streets on social media since 2014.
I read your article with some trepidation. Not much more than the actual police media report, it takes the usual windshield-biased viewpoint of blaming the victim, which has normalized government-sanctioned motor vehicle killing since automakers invented the term “jaywalking” in 1928.
Using the passive voice “hit by a car” and describing the victim’s choice of attire are classic victim-blaming tactics. Failing to emphasize the role of street and vehicle design, infrastructure (or lack thereof) and driver behavior undermines progress and propagates the dangerous motoring violence status quo.
Katalin Scherer
Midtown
Support for House Resolution 763
Re: the Aug. 10 opinion “We need a bipartisan, global climate plan.”
Thanks to the Daily Star and Professor Doug Pickrell for the excellent editorial on pricing carbon and rebating those fees to the American public. While it is not all we must do, imposing a fee on carbon is the most impactful way to reduce greenhouse gases. Currently a bill in Congress would accomplish exactly that.
HR763 would place a slowly rising fee on carbon emissions, rebate the proceeds to American families and impose the same fee on imported goods. Within the bill are protections for our military and for farmers to assist with costs. Economic modeling of the plan shows a rapid and dramatic reduction of carbon emissions with minimal imposition of regulations. Representatives Raúl Grijalva, Ann Kirkpatrick, and Tom O’Halleran and Senators Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema need to lend their support.
Mike Carran
Northeast side
Annoying political ads worth skipping
Regardless of your political persuasion, you must agree that the incessant political TV ads are extremely annoying. There ought to be a law limiting such drivel to one ad per candidate per hour. Why must we endure six or more such unrelenting intrusions every hour on every channel during every program?
Do these candidates honestly believe that such unrelenting blather is persuasive? It serves no purpose other than to thoroughly annoy the electorate. I, for one, would cast my vote for the first candidate to announce that he or she is taking the millions of dollars wasted on claptrap and donating it to address world hunger.
In our household, we have given up on all network TV during election time. The occasional news program is recorded and replayed with all ads fast-forwarded. That’s the only way to endure until election day!
Tom Gribb
Oro Valley
Lies in political ads hard to stomach
As children we are taught not to lie, we should tell the truth and take our licks. Lying weaves a tangled web that only begets more lies. Unfortunately, it seems political ads open the door to allow adults excuses to lie. Several ads, approved by Donald Trump, blatantly lie, like a dramatically scripted one that says Joe Biden wants to defund the police, ending with Joe Biden saying, “Oh, yeah!”
It is totally out of context, and Biden could have been agreeing to a corned beef sandwich. Ditto the ad, endorsed by Trump, where a woman claims Joe Biden would take away our right to choose doctors and medical care. Biden has stated many times that he would veto such a proposition.
Many ads for other candidates are nothing but imaginary fabrications. Whatever happened to that childhood lesson on the foibles of lying? Sadly, this lesson is lost in the political advertising world of today.
Barbara Mongan
West side
Helmet laws should be enforced
Arizona motorcycle helmet laws are enforced against those under the age of 18. Isn’t it time this was changed to require any operator/rider of a motorcycle to wear one? We’ve even had bicycle deaths that resulted from no helmet. My 67-year-old brother lost his life this way.
I don’t know if the recent accident of a 59-year-old man would have been saved if he were wearing a helmet. However, the benefits of the helmet laws outweigh the freedom lost. Motorcycle thieves generally don’t carry a helmet with them when they run across that opportunity to steal. Two benefits making it better than a win/win.
Patricia Cowan
Foothills
White House remodel a slap in the face
Let me get this straight, millions of people are facing long-term unemployment, eviction from their homes, food insecurity and a dangerous virus. Meanwhile, our president wants $377 million in the current Coronavirus Bill to remodel the West Wing of the White House. How does remodeling the West Wing address the ills caused by the coronavirus?
By my rough calculations, $377 million would provide more than 157,000 families with an additional month of unemployment benefits at $600 per week or 26,000 families with six months of benefits. Previous administrations have postponed the West Wing remodeling. Given his focus on himself, it is no surprise that Trump would propose funding White House remodeling at a time when the money should be put to better use to address the impacts of the coronavirus on citizens.
Gail Cordy
West side
Put Forest Service in charge of cities
Re: the Aug. 7 article “A dozen cited for trespassing in Coronado National Forest.”
This came after closure of the forest due to the Bighorn Fire and reopening of the Mount Lemmon Highway only on Aug. 1 for visitors to the businesses in Summerhaven. The Forest Service reports that violating the ongoing forest closure order seriously endangers the public health and safety from downed branches, logs, rocks that are blocking hiking trails. It also risks safety of first responders and rescue personnel.
The violators can be fined up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail. The Forest Service reported one broken ankle so far and that the hazards are real and the closure order is for public health and safety.
I sure wish the National Forest Service would be in charge of enforcing public health measures in the towns and cities across the land during this pandemic.
Gerd Renno
Northeast side
Social Security
is not socialism
A previous writer equates my Social Security and Medicare benefits to a socialistic handout and states that if I am against socialism I should give it back. My Social Security and Medicare were earned. As a first year Baby Boomer, I have paid over $350,000 into Social Security and Medicare taxes.
With an average CD rate of 6% that would be over $1.2 million compounded annually. Since the U.S. government treated our Social Security money as their own private piggy bank, the Social Security fund is nearly broke. In addition, the people over 65 who receive Medicare pay approximately $4,000 per year for Part B, D and a Supplement.
This is hardly free. The progressive liberal Democrats want to provide free Medicare for all. Are these people going to pay $4,000 per year? I doubt it.
So, you progressive Democrats, please stop equating my benefits as a socialistic handout, because that is what your Medicare for All will be. I paid for and earned my benefits.
Donald Arritola
SaddleBrooke
Trump has great foreign policy success
This morning, Aug. 13, a historic peace deal was announced brokered by President Trump between Israel and the United Emirates (UAE). The two countries agreed to full normalization. A released statement said that Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the president’s Vision for Peace and focus on expanding its ties with other countries in the Middle East.
This is a great foreign policy success for President Trump, but will likely be pooh-poohed by the lame stream news media that despises him. What were Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s Middle East accomplishments? Aligning with Iran by releasing $150 billion in frozen assets and over $1 billion in hostage release cash as part of a nuclear deal, allowing for self inspections, a secret memo on modernizing centrifuges and not addressing their terrorism or ballistic missile programs.
Meanwhile, they turned their backs on our best ally in the region, Israel. In 2018, Israeli intelligence found a warehouse in Iran with troves of secret files on its nuclear program hidden from IAEA inspectors.
Mike Wayne
Midtown
President says Harrris not an American citizen
Extra, extra! Kamala Harris is not an American citizen, according the the current occupant of the White House. Really? And all these years I thought California was admitted as the 31st state of the union in 1850.
Sherri Schamel
Northwest side