Where are the local editorials?
I am a newspaper guy. I worked in Seattle as a circulation and office manager for seven weekly newspapers. Today, I subscribe to both the Arizona Daily Star and the New York Times (Sunday edition).
I like the feel of news print, ink on my fingers, folding the paper just right to comfortably read an article. My dog Ramone fetches the papers each morning.
I do my best to write letters to the editor when I feel my opinions need a soap box.
But I am a bit puzzled by the Star’s editorial page(s) recently. The paper prints most, if not all its editorials, opinions and general commentary from other news sources. The LA Times, Bloomberg Opinion, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Baltimore Sun or The Dallas Morning News. I am not complaining. But is Tucson or greater Pima County not capable of writing significant editorials? Where are opinions from our best and brightest?
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Tom Staab
East side
Proposition 206
Many people on both sides of the Prop. 206 debate accept the “common sense” assumption that raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment. That assumption may be wrong. This year, a Nobel prize in economics was awarded to David Card for his study on the effect of fast-food employment when New Jersey raised its minimum wage, but neighboring Pennsylvania did not. The study found that raising the minimum wage had “no effect” on employment. The Nobel Prize Committee, recognizing the importance of the study, said that it led to follow-up studies showing “that the negative effects of increasing the minimum wage are small.” While the negative effects may be small, the positive effects of a “yes” vote on minimum wage earners would be large. The median household income in Tucson is almost $10,000 below the national average and below almost every other western city of comparable size. We can do better.
Tony Fines
Midtown
Is this fair redistricting?
Re: the Oct. 28 article "Leadership group exploits access in redistricting."
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is showing its true colors with its latest draft maps. The earlier test maps divided the state pretty fairly and compactly into congressional and legislative districts following criteria in the law.
The Intertribal Council’s maps for Arizona’s tribes, (that cover about a quarter of Arizona’s land) was largely ignored.
The statewide Latino Coalition’s map (representing more than a third of Arizona’s population) — also largely ignored.
At the eleventh hour, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, representing a small number of Pima County’s wealthy white Republicans, including IRC Commissioner David Mehl, submitted a map that became the basis for another test map. This gerrymandered map has some districts that are far from compact. One goes from Tucson Estates (15 minutes from Tucson) almost to Gila Bend and Coolidge (2-3 hours away). IRC is taking this one seriously.
Commissioners, please show independence, fairness, and attention to the law when you act.
Barbara Tellman
Downtown
Always Two Sides
Re: the Oct. 27 letter "Say no to price setting mandates."
I appreciated the letter from Kimberly Cueva giving an under-looked perspective of why there are always two sides of the story when it comes to health care. In her instance, she was talking about drug pricing. But it's also the case when we talk about proposals like adding younger people to Medicare or some sort of government-run public option. Nobody has really brought up the cost of doing so or whether the quality of care would suffer. I believe that seniors deserve the type of care they paid their entire life for. Expanding Medicare to a larger sector would hurt it because there would be more people needing services for limited doctors and health care professionals. No issue is as simple as it seems, and I'm glad that our leaders are taking such a diligent time to ensure reform is done the right way.
Heather Feltz
South side
A deeper dive is called for
Re: the Oct. 26 article "Report: Gosar spoke of 'blanket pardon'."
I appreciated the article by Ronald J. Hansen on the involvement of our "leaders" in the insurrection. I would like to see a deeper dive into a report by freelance journalist Hunter Walker mentioned on PBS Newsweek on Oct. 25th which named named several other members of congress.
Jan Foiles
West side
Redistricting
Re: the Oct. 27 article "Pima GOP looks for a bigger say at Capitol."
From my home in the Tanque Verde Valley, the recommendations offered by Commissioner Shereen Lerner make perfect sense. She proposed that Legislative District 17 take in the Catalina Foothills and Casas Adobes, while placing the Tanque Verde area in neighboring District 18. Meanwhile, District 17 would give Vail and Rincon Valley to Cochise County-based District 19. These changes keep the Tanque Verde Valley in a competitive district and make District 17 more compact and legally defensible.
Wednesday's Star includes remarks by the executive officer of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council which I find telling. SALC wants Republican districts in Pima County in order to have some influence in the Legislature. Current Districts 2, 9 and 10 have each sent Republicans to the House and they have had little influence within the majority caucus. SALC should consider joining with those of us who ask for more competitive districts in order that more centrist candidates of both parties might be elected and work together on behalf of all Arizonans.
Frank Bergen
Northeast side
First responders
Throughout the years I've received excellent customer service from our City of Tucson employees (Water, Parks and Rec, Elections, etc). I have some close friends and coworkers who work in government. I've had interactions with the police and even when I was in the wrong, was treated with respect and compassion. My Mom recently fell. In moments, our firefighter paramedics were there to help her. How our mayor and some council members can sit there with a straight face and threaten suspension or dismissal to those same people, nay angels, is beyond me!
Scott Thompson
East side
