Letters to the Editor: March 27

Small nucs in the future

Re: the Feb. 20 letter "'Micro reactors'."

To quote the letter writer "These vape pen hallucinations have no better prospect, because nothing like a 'small modular or micro reactor has been built in the real world...'" Two minutes of internet research revealed the U.S. Navy currently operates 83 "micro reactors" and has a 50-plus year history of incident-free operations of such equipment, starting with the USS Nautilus in the mid-50's. Even the two submarines that were lost to accidents didn't have radiation leaks. So, I do think there will be small nucs in our future, and I think the sooner the better.

Dave Bertagnoli

West side

Bring back the caboose

With so many accidents occurring involving shipments of hazardous materials, maybe now would be a good time to bring back the caboose, at least on freight trains hauling hazardous materials. Perhaps we should also limit the speed of trains hauling hazardous materials. Perhaps trains hauling hazardous materials should be required to make periodic stops to check loads, cars, couplings, axles, bearings, etc. The cabooses transported additional crew who carried out these duties. Apparently, FRED (flashing rear-end device or end-of-train-device) isn’t quite up to the job.

So, let’s bring back the caboose and put a few more eyes on the track. I think that it would be money well spent.

Also, perhaps we should consider requiring the big rigs that haul hazardous materials have lead cars and/or chase cars to monitor shipments and road conditions.

Bill Kendall

Downtown

Cancer solutions need support

I was excited to see that President Biden’s proposed budget included new funding to support the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, which has the goal of reducing the cancer death rate by half. Accomplishing this feat will require an all-hands effort by the government and the private sector to not just improve treatment, but also access to testing and screenings that are able to detect cancer earlier. New technologies known as multi-cancer early detection tests (MCED) hold so much promise. With just a single draw of blood, they can detect dozens of cancers for which we currently have no screening. Unfortunately, Medicare doesn’t currently have a way to cover these tests once the FDA approves them. So, we need Congress to step in and change the law. There has historically been strong bipartisan support for making this change – half of Congress supported a bill last year that would allow Medicare to cover these tests. They must do so again this year. Patients are counting on it.

Catherine Corrado

North side

School Safety

Re: the March 5 article "Safety, not looks, is top priority for school fence."

I am a retired military member, father of two young men, and two young grandchildren. Mr. Rodarte is so on point in highlighting the need for school safety to be prioritized over neighborhood aesthetics. I am sure that TUSD can reach a compromise with the local neighborhood personnel so that the Sam Hughes Elementary School fence does not detract too much from the neighborhood aesthetics while providing a safer environment for the school. I am a firm believer that a life, whether that of a child, a teacher, and/or a staff member is worth the effort to find a common solution. Ultimately, however, safety must be a priority over aesthetics. As has been stated before after a school or any other tragedy, thoughts and prayers from people in positions of leadership has become a trite and meaningless expression. Instead, they need to take the necessary steps to prevent these types of events from happening.

Peter Garcia

Northwest side

Presidential moniker

Can we please, please, please refer to Mr. Donald Trump as the "former" President. It makes me ill when I hear the words "President Trump."

Bradley Dietz

Northwest side

Trump dominates front page

Trump is so over. He is so yesterday. We are so sick of his garbage and destruction. Why desecrate two-thirds of your front page today (March 22) with him awaiting arrest? You media people shoved him down our throats for years and we are sick of that trash. Shame on you. Get over Trump before we put you out of business by turning our backs on you and him. But I wouldn’t mind seeing a full-page color photo of him being dragged away in chains. He belongs in prison, not in our faces.

Peggy Hendrickson

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Green Valley

Bike laws in Tucson

Re: the March 14 letter "Bike lane bane."

The letter writer should perhaps be made aware that bicyclists are not required to use designated bike lanes at all, and are in fact expressly permitted by Arizona statute to ride two abreast. If he finds that it is unsafe to pass he should wait until it is.

Russ Willis

Midtown

Horne is indeed misguided

Re: the March 19 article "I support academic rigor, not classroom mediocrity."

Despite Tom Horne’s 24 years of service on a school board (along with his prior tenure as State Superintendent), it doesn’t appear that he knows much about teaching and learning. In his Opinion piece, he contends that rigor and social-emotional learning are mutually exclusive. They are not.

Students bring many variables to any classroom. Among these are social and emotional issues. Any good teacher recognizes these variables and implements instruction appropriate to the needs of students. Students who are emotionally secure and feel valued as learners are better prepared to learn.

Academic rigor is not compromised when a teacher makes these adjustments. Conversely, a student who feels comfortable in the classroom is better equipped to complete rigorous tasks and achieve at high levels.

Superintendent Horne is using “social-emotional learning” as a dog whistle, just as he used “Stop CRT” in his recent campaign. What’s next, Superintendent Horne? Shall we ban some more books?

Tom Scarborough

North side

Citizen Trump and the prosecutor

So there he sits—The Former Guy—feeling safe in Florida in his pink palace, swatting away the threat of indictments circling him like a swarm of angry wasps. He’s not worried. The MAGA crowd still resonates to his siren song of victimhood—we’re in this together, brothers. He raised $2 million-plus in just two days after announcing he would be indicted on Tuesday (he wasn’t).

He’s faced worse, he must be thinking, and walked away. ”I know prosecutors.”

I’m thinking of Jack Smith, special prosecutor in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, potentially the one with the most serious consequences for the ex-president.

A recent photo shows a youngish man with deep-set eyes, scruffy beard and piercing gaze. He looks tired but indomitable. He looks, in fact, like a Brady photo of Ulysses S. Grant, sprawled on his camp chair on the eve of some great Civil War battle.

Citizen Trump, gird your loins. You don’t “know” this prosecutor.

Ann Shoben

Northeast side

SB 1695

Isn’t it surprising how when the Republicans lose an election they cry “foul.” SB 1695, as state Sen. Hoffman proposed, is clearly a bold, egregious, and flagrant effort to overturn elections that don’t result in their nominee’s win. This is but another sad attempt by Republican legislators to claw back the voting rights of Arizona citizens. As an example, in Maricopa County it would take a mere 1,000 subjective affidavits to have a judge throw out the citizens’ choices and require a second ballot. 1,000 people! Who's to say the real motives of anyone submitting one of these affidavits? Thankfully, we have a system of checks and balances where our judicial system follows the law and not political whims to decide the legality of procedures as well as validity of an election’s final results. Any legislator voting in favor of SB 1695 is not representing all their constituents; but only the few who continue to promote unfounded conspiracies regarding the overall viability of election.

Jerry Toborowski

Oro Valley