Letters to the Editor

Re: the Nov. 7 article “RTA wants to know your transportation priority.”

Thank you Mr. McGovern for your recent guest opinion piece about the Citizens Advisory Committee and the RTA’s planning process. However, your written message is contrary to the actions of the Citizens Advisory Committee.

There is no longer a call to the audience in the CAC meetings when anyone could provide input for the committee and the public to hear and review. With the call to the audience eliminated, how do you suggest the public weigh in?

It can be very difficult to attend the CAC meetings since they are held during work hours. Therefore, to support transparency the meeting minutes should be a complete record of the content of the meetings, but that is far from reality. The CAC meeting minutes report staff actions and votes, but do not include any comments, questions or feedback from the committee members. Where is the transparency?

I hope future CAC actions will be more in line with your reassuring words.

Ruth Reiman

Midtown

Trumpers can ‘resist’ now

Re: the Nov. 12 letter “Now, we Trumpers can ‘resist.’ ”

In regards to Mr. Werries letter, I would say outstanding! Despite the tragic losses, the chaotic response, the lying and outright criminal behavior, we still have President Trump to thank for the “resist” movement that caused an increased interest in government, political news, diverse candidates, voter suppression, newspapers, etc.

To all those who will now supplant the Democratic “resist” movement with the Republican “resist” movement, who will attend various rallies, follow the news, write letters, investigate and research facts that do not seem to match and publish these facts in Letters to the Editor — I say well done! No doubt Mr. Biden will thank you for you efforts — unlike Mr. Trump who will not.

Richard Rebl

East side

Proud on Election Day; congratulations to us

Frightened by preelection paranoia about street battles, legal shenanigans, voter suppression and the like, my husband and I volunteered to work as non-partisan poll workers with a group titled Election Protectors. Our job was to sit outside the 75-foot limit and make sure everything went smoothly. We were ready for anything, armed with our signs and purple T-shirts to solve every problem.

And then we got downright bored. People progressed in a relaxed, confident and proud manner to cast their votes. No long lines, no guns, no arguments, no repression, no drama. Voters gave us friendly waves and told us thanks.

One woman offered to go get us coffee. Many gave us thumbs-up. Some had children in tow. Others took selfies, proud to post their patriotism on Democracy’s Day to choose. My faith is restored. I Love this country.

Cheryl Lockhart

Northwest side

Trump: The silent bystander

It is depressing that as the coronavirus runs wild throughout the United States, setting records for infections, deaths, and patients hospitalized, our president remains a silent bystander.

For 10 months, Donald Trump lied to us regarding the seriousness of the virus, joked about wearing masks, never used the power of the federal government to provide a comprehensive testing program nor adequate equipment to fight the virus and failed to provide support and guidance to Americans. He did schedule rallies at which his supporters were infected.

He was and is incapable of caring. As a result, hundreds of thousands have died of the virus. Somehow, he must be held accountable for his crimes against humanity.

Stuart Sellinger

West side

It’s difficult to separate fact from opinion

Back in the day, sensational reporting by the media was mostly confined to tabloids at the supermarket check-out counter. Most people would glance at them while waiting in line for their purchases to be rung up and then move on.

Today, these same viral stories are regular fare, especially on cable news channels and talk radio. News and opinion have become so intertwined that it can be difficult to tell the difference. I get it that sensationalism catches people’s attention, and that can enhance media ratings.

But is devoting so much airtime to divisive articles actually hurting the ability of Americans to focus on healing the country and bringing us closer as a nation? It certainly is not helpful in that regard.

It is up to us as consumers to separate facts from opinion. I realize that won’t be easy since we have been conditioned to focus on the media sources that best suit our interests and biases. But it is vital to our nation that we at least try.

Tony Banks

Oro Valley

Dems never got over ’16 loss; shoe on other foot

At a time when it’s difficult to find anything amusing, I am being entertained by those who write letters to this newspaper criticizing President Trump for his “undignified, sullen and infantile” reaction to his election loss. Letters pleading for “healing” and stating that Trump should just “get over it.”

While I agree with these views, I find it laughable that now that the shoe is on the other foot, Democrats are suddenly asking for unity even though since Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 the Dems have never gotten over it.

CJ Carolyn Lawhon

Foothills

Why won’t Trump concede?

The answer is simple. If he does he would no longer be the center of attention. Refusing to concede and being hauled out of the White House on Jan. 20, kicking and screaming, means he would be on the evening news and would dominate the conversation at the inaugural balls that evening.

That’s what narcissistic people do. Trump wants everyone talking about him. He has all along, and he is not about to change. The coronavirus, Biden’s victory and the health of the nation be damned.

While Trump is carrying on the next few weeks with his endless lawsuits, his supporters will be laughing and cheering him on while emptying their pockets so he will run in four more years. Trump’s got them right where he wants them. He’s quite a snake oil salesman.

Jim Dreis

East side

Americans have let our decay happen

I miss America: Whatever happened to the America where people agreed to disagree. The America where politicians worked together for the betterment of all. There was a time when even politicians cared what became of their constituents’ needs, instead of their own bank accounts and future health-care needs.

Whatever happened to integrity, ethics and morality? I will tell you what happened. We became what Andy Warhol predicted. A society that only cares about its 15 minutes of fame.

A society that only cares about “me,” instead of “us.” A society that believes lies over the truth, and we cannot blame anybody but ourselves for this because we let it happen. Think about this real hard. Let’s not allow this type of thinking to continue.

Don Lodico

Foothills

Paper ballots ensure election security

Politicians and activists do not want secure elections, they want to win by whatever means. That is why they constantly push for computerized voting and fewer and fewer safety features, such as signatures. They do not want you to see the real count; they only want you to see the count they report.

Paper ballots, with a signature, are the gold standard, easy to use, easy to count and easy to recount and audit. No other system even comes close in election security, and there are numerous studies that support this. If you truly want your vote to count, demand paper ballots. Otherwise, don’t complain about the results.

William Werries

Marana

With Trump, it’s all about the money

You know the Trump campaign spent more than they took in, so they had to come up with a new way to raise funds. So their legal campaign to claim fraud in the election process is just another way to raise more funds.

Donald Trump doesn’t care that he is harming the most fundamental foundation of our democracy: trust in our election process. Each state conducts their election process “county by county” based on national standards and procedures. All 50 state election directors have stated that the 2020 election was the “most secure and fair election” they have witnessed.

So why all the fuss and confusion by the GOP? Yes, it’s about the money. So all you Trump supporters go ahead and contribute to their new campaign funds. And when you wake up and realize where your contributions are going, you might feel like a “sucker.”

George Workman

Marana

We need energy sources that preserve our water

September marked one year since leaving my previous home, a 500-foot Navy destroyer anchored in Florida, and making the Southwest my home. My previous role as a sailor and resident of the Sunshine State came with an inherent connection to water. After moving to the desert, where the land is gorgeous and water is scarce, I grew to appreciate our connection to water even more.

This is the reason that I’m concerned about the long-term availability of our resources as we face climate change and continue to rely on fossil fuels.

Arizona’s energy mostly comes from fossil fuels or nuclear reactors, which require excessive water use. However, another method exists to acquire energy — sunlight. Renewables like solar use very little water and produce pollution-free energy. My connection to water will always exist, but I fear that, without intervention, the future will be dry. Investing in renewables ensures we can all enjoy a connection to water for generations to come.

Nick Graham

Southeast side

Few HOAs in midtown

Re: the Nov. 17 article “Uncovering midtown’s midcentury treasures.”

I was impressed reading Louie Christensen’s opinion piece. True, there are many treasures in midtown, and I for one wish I were living in a home with more convenience, a smaller footprint and no HOA. What Mr. Christensen failed to mention is that most of the homes in midtown are without an HOA. That is a huge benefit for many reasons.

No assessments and no arguments with an HOA board. HOA boards remain notorious for a heavy-handed approach and the communities are inevitably overrated and more often than not mismanaged by the board or inept management companies. Without an HOA, should there be a conflict or dispute, it is between the HOA and neighbor, and simple deed restrictions are as valuable as any HOA governing documents.

I urge millennials (and others) to seek out these properties and enjoy them.

Patricia Cowan

Foothills

It’s time to form convention of states

The 2020 presidential election, and the media’s reaction to it, are driving Americans further apart. The federal bureaucracy remains intact, and their overreach into our liberties is a threat both Democrats and Republicans have a common interest in thwarting. Will Donald Trump concede, or will Joe Biden take office in January?

These are questions many in Tucson must be debating, and it’s driving a terrible wedge between us. Regardless of who steps into the White House in January, now more than ever we need to call an Article V, Convention of States to rein in Washington and preserve freedom for generations. Congress will never vote in its own term limits, reduce spending, or truncate its power.

This is where a convention of states is needed. Our founding fathers feared the day the federal government would overstep its authority, and so they gave us Article V to protect liberty.

Conner McKee

Marana

Millions more voted for Biden

Four years ago, Donald Trump supporters yelled loudly and often “get over it!” He narrowly won three essential swing states and their 46 electoral votes (Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) by a combined total of 79,646 votes. A landslide victory, he declared — 306 to 232 electoral votes, which is identical to his 2020 loss margin, but now it isn’t a landslide, it’s fraud, despite Republican election officials across the country vehemently denying that.

Trump lost the popular vote this time by about 3 million more votes than in 2016. Millions more citizens voted for Joe Biden than Donald Trump, both times. Tens of millions of us see his tragic mishandling and politicizing of the pandemic, see his racism, see his incompetence, see his corruption, see his cruelty.

His supporters either fail or choose not to see the truth. He lost for many reasons, but he lost fair and square, by a margin that he once called a landslide. Get over it!

David Eisenberg

Midtown