Sen. Graham has tarnished his legacy
As a career U.S. Army person, I swore allegiance three times. As an enlisted, officer, and civil servant member. I realize that very few elected to U.S. Congress have any military experience. If they did, especially combat time, they would understand the oath that is taken to be a uniformed protector of our Constitution.
Apparently there is a lot of confusion in Congress about the reality of our U.S. Constitution the military swears to uphold and protect. Sen. Lindsay Graham is a good example. He is also a former U.S. Air Force lawyer and Reservist who should be well-versed in the oath of office taken by all government employees of high-level responsibility as well as lower grades.
He is a perfect example of someone well-versed in changing positions and stories. He is willing to accept degrading comments from Donald Trump, thus thanking him for the ignorant attack on the U.S. Congress. The reality of the poor Republican response to the Trump issues during the attack on the U.S. Congress is a real problem that the GOP faithful aren’t willing to do anything about.
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Donald Groner
Benson
Stop the partisanship and be like Sinema
Our government is broken by partisanship. Arizona’s state Senate voting to arrest county commissioners in Phoenix for not turning over secret ballots to the state Senate? Since when do we arrest county commissioners who were elected by the people for doing their job?
A governor in New York and his assistant that lie and misstate the number of nursing-home deaths by half during a pandemic because they may get politically blamed?
And a loose cannon in Arizona who chairs a political party that threatens lawmakers and our system of voting? These examples provide a great reason for people to become independents to stop this nonsense.
I really like Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s response on how she intends to vote on Senate issues with deliberation and thought rather than being bludgeoned into a position. I feel Arizona was fortunate to have Sens. Jeff Flake and John McCain, and now Sinema. Learn how to get along!
Dave Locey
Foothills
Republicans must address perceptions
Re: the Feb. 12 letter “This is what Republicans stand for.”
The letter writer asked for a response.
There’s a theory: The more time we spend thinking about ourselves the more unhappy we’ll be. Republicans focus on themselves, while Democrats focus on the wants and needs of others.
On Facebook, there was a post that described the Republican Party today as “the party of liars, lunatics, losers, looters, bigots, fascists, grifters, con artists, xenophobes, homophobes, racists, and all manner of mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, fact-resistant conspiracy theorists.”
That’s the description Republicans have to overcome to become a respected party again.
Jim Dreis
East side
Trump deserves credit for vaccine rollout
It’s time for positive comments about vaccine distribution. I commend Arizona and Pima County for efforts to establish facilities, procedures and personnel. The start-up isn’t perfect, but solutions have been quickly devised and implemented. While Pima prepares and successfully rehearses other emergency responses, this is a new type of need.
I commend Donald Trump’s decision to allow states to develop their own protocols. Our federal system is a “great laboratory of democracy” allowing solutions that are unique to needs in each state and facilitating innovative solutions that would not emerge if some Washington bureaucrat mandated all the details. States can learn from each other’s successes and failures and more rapidly move to optimal procedures.
I discourage idle complaints but encourage constructive criticism. Complaints only promote negativism when we need more positive attitudes; constructive criticism identifies problems to address. When potential solutions are offered, it supplements the creative thinking of public officials.
Warren Hatcher
Marana
Let public air
zoo grievances
Recently, I joined a Facebook group called Save the Heart of Reid Park. Although the group has 1,700 members, only a “small, core group” are running the show and that is unproductive to resolution.
When I was a public affairs specialist for the United States Forest Service, I moderated many meetings concerning land-use conflicts. My issues with the zoo: First, Proposition 203 didn’t outline any specifics of the “capital improvements.” Second, the duck pond, although there don’t appear to be any protected migratory species there, is still an ecosystem and widely enjoyed by the public. And third, I believe the zoo should focus on improving the features it already has.
The past performance of the zoo has not demonstrated to me that they are totally caring and/or competent. Tim Steller is a knowledgeable and caring journalist. His opinion piece was accurate. The public is upset about fees.
My suggestion, would be to reopen a comment period to the public so that they can air their grievances.
Karen Riggs
Southeast side
Federal fund protects S. Arizona landscapes
Re: the Feb. 8 article “We need more open space, and Washington can help us get it.”
The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which Congress last year permanently authorized and funded with receipts from offshore oil and gas leases, has helped the Tucson-based Arizona Land and Water Trust protect nearly 1,500 acres in Southern Arizona for the public’s benefit.
In 2020, the LWCF helped the ALWT and the Bureau of Land Management permanently protect 477 acres of the Hayhook Ranch about 40 miles southwest of Tucson. Conservation of this ranch improves public access to the 5,080-acre Coyote Mountains Wilderness Area.
Previously, the LWCF helped the ALWT and the BLM to expand protected areas within the nearby Ironwood Forest National Monument by nearly 1,000 acres.
As a ALWT board member, I know the public has benefited from the ALWT’s stewardship of private donations and federal funds and its partnerships with local farmers and ranchers and federal, state and local agencies to protect more than 58,000 acres of Southern Arizona’s Western landscapes and wildlife habitat since 1978.
Charlotte Hanson, board member of Arizona Land and Water Trust
Foothills
Yes, $15 is
just too much
Re: the Feb. 12 letter “If $15 is too much, who is to blame?”
The letter writer implies that a minimum-wage worker today can’t live on the minimum wage as he could have in 1975. Not true. If a worker today makes the minimum wage of $7.50 an hour and works 40 hours a week 50 weeks a year, he would make $15,000, well above the poverty threshold for a single person of $12,760.
Further, he seems to think that if the minimum wage is doubled to $15 an hour that businesses shouldn’t have to fire any workers. The Congressional Budget Office disagrees, stating that doubling the minimum wage will result in 1.4 million fewer jobs.
So although a doubling of the minimum wage would not result in a doubling of the price of a product, it would still be sufficient to cause fewer jobs and more business closures. Is that what we want?
David Pearse
Foothills
Vaccine execution was superb
My sister and I got our first COVID shot yesterday at United Community Health Center located at Old Vail Middle School.
The process was smooth, well-planned and well-executed. There were so many volunteers and EMT’s to help. Everyone was in good humor, patient and professional.
Thank you to all who made this possible.
Nina Graves
East side
Guardian
TMC angels
My wife and I had our second COVID shots last week. Our 3 p.m. appointment went so smoothly and was amazing. From shuttle to shuttle and back to our car took less than 45 minutes. Kudos to the entire staff. They are our angels.
Norman Rosenfeld
Oro Valley
Shame is the name of the GOP’s game
I just watched the conclusion of the second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump. Again, he was acquitted. Had he been found guilty in his first impeachment trial, Jan. 6 would never have happened.
Now, for the second time, yet another acquittal. There is now a gaping hole allowing for further attacks on our democracy. Thank you to the 43 spineless and pitiful Republican senators who felt it more important to cozy up to the base and further destroy the Republican Party, rather than to uphold and strengthen our democracy.
Apparently their own political future is more important than doing what’s right for the country. Trump and party over country. Shame, shame, shame.
Norma Guest
East side
Practicing faith, informed by science
Re: the Feb. 8 article “Ash Wednesday changes: Sprinkle ashes over head outside, diocese suggests.”
Kudos to Bishop Edward Weisenburger of the Diocese of Tucson for taking a realistic scientific approach to the pandemic with regards to the Ash Wednesday masses. He truly placed the safety of the faithful in the forefront and doesn’t believe in the narrative that COVID-19 is the work of the devil to prevent mass attendance.
That is a dangerous idea to place in people’s head. Thank God, Bishop Edward is open-minded to scientific proof.
Gabriel M. Bustamante
South side
Pandemic has been bad biz for Big Prison
Re: the Feb. 17 article “AZ’s prison population declines by 11% during COVID pandemic.”
I’m wondering whether decriminalization of recreational marijuana use has resulted in release of any prisoners?
And I’m wondering whether the reduction in prisoners has “hurt their bottom line”? That is to say, who runs the prisons, what funds them, who gets paid, and what impact does the reduction in prisoners have on that monetary stream?
There are many compelling reasons for criminal justice reform; not the least of which is systemic racism, but also corporate greed and the foolish criminalization of marijuana. Curious that pandemic, not progressive legislation has reduced the prison population. Sounds like it will ramp back up as the pandemic recedes.
Brett Wilmore
Midtown
Businessmen are important, should have pride in that
Re: the Feb. 16 article “Virus reminds us to embrace virtue of humility.”
The author sarcastically calls businessmen and women “The Important People,” claims they are guilty of “cockiness and pomposity,” and don’t care about the “less fortunate” people of the world. They should be humble, he says, on seeing how a tiny virus has shut down most of their businesses. (It’s politicians that have shut down businesses, but that’s another topic.)
The fact is, businessmen and women truly are the important people. They are the ones who create the wealth that benefits not just themselves, but everyone in society, including the less fortunate. Pride should be the virtue they embrace — a virtue they have earned.
Jim Douthit
West side
Shout out to Pima County for vaccine rollout
My husband and I went to the Pima County vaccine website on Feb. 8. On Feb. 12 we were able to schedule an appointment at TCC for Feb. 17. The process was so smooth that we were in and out even before our scheduled appointment!
Thank you to everyone at Pima County and TCC for being so efficient and encouraging! When we returned home, we already had an email for scheduling our second shot. Wonderful. Thank you!
Teri and Mike Murphy
Northwest side
Walking on broken glass
Dropping our glass in Tucson for recycling has begun this month. I have been to Morris K. Udall Park twice in the past two weeks only to find the purple bin to be completely full. I realize this is the first month at set locations.
Not only is the bin full, but glass is now broken all around the area. Perhaps several bins are needed as this appears to be a popular drop off location. I hope the city will be able to correct this. Thank you.
Mimi Conway
East side
