Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos
Attacks on our Sheriff upsetting
I have been reading the attacks on our Sheriff, Chris Nanos. We are not of the same generation. I am a 100-year-old widow of a military veteran. Certainly, Sheriff Nanos is not a brutal man. He has not only been a considerate member or our community, but he has volunteered to help and protect his Tucson neighbors. When COVID-19 was a threat to the elderly, Chris Nanos shopped for us. He made special trips to a quality meat market to purchase a brisket and other foods for a holiday meal for my family. He also shopped for other neighbors and delivered the goods with a smile on his face. I am very disturbed about the attacks on his character.
Sylvia Winner
Northeast side
Setting the record straight
Mr. Pemberton, a two-time losing candidate for our school board, never misses an opportunity to criticize the Catalina Foothills School District, regardless of whether the facts support his assertions. In a recent letter, he suggested district policies are driving families away, citing a 21%–33% non-attendance rate. However, he omits critical context: statewide, only 72%–74% of students enroll in traditional public schools. By comparison, CFSD remains a preferred choice for families; our curriculum and policies continue to attract and retain students.
Having served on the CFSD governing board for 13+ years, I've seen firsthand that our mission focuses strictly on student success. Our community’s pride is consistently evidenced by their willingness to tax themselves to support our schools and by their decisive rejection of candidates who inject partisan politics into public education. As we approach the board elections this November, it is vital that supporters of public education remain vigilant against the type of unfounded rhetoric exemplified by Mr. Pemberton’s recent comments.
Eileen Jackson
Foothills
Trump F-bombs OK?
The letter writer who was "disheartened" to see No Kings protest signs using the F-word (and there were few) needs to be reminded of Donald Trump's public utterances of the F-word. A sampling: 6/25 on South lawn of White House talking about Israel/Iran tensions, 10/25 during a press conference, 2020 during a radio interview, 2011 during a speech in Las Vegas. More than disheartening — completely inappropriate for a President or any public official, and a reflection of Trump's crassness and unfitness for the office. Trump is devoid of respect for the office he occupies; perhaps that is why some have no problem expressing their feelings on signs. He continually spews nastiness and denigrates others and expressed happiness about the death of Robert Mueller. And yes, Trump uses the F-word in public. Given how his language and actions defile the office of the president, profane protest signs pale in comparison.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
The healthcare obstacle course
Scheduling a medical appointment has become a full-contact sport.
First, the recording warns: “If this is an emergency, hang up and call 911.” It’s not, that is exactly why I’m calling. Then comes the phone tree, a numerical labyrinth that would challenge a seasoned numerologist.
Next, the promise: “Leave a message, and we’ll return your call within 48 hours.” They won’t. That message enters a digital witness protection program.
Stay on the line, and you may reach a human, who immediately places you on a “brief hold” lasting 20 minutes, often ending with a dropped call.
Or try our patient portal: log in, reset your password, verify a code, answer security questions, and send a message ... into the void. Sometimes you even get a reply telling you to call the number you just escaped.
If you finally succeed, you’re told they can see you in three months. By then, I will have to call 911!
Lawrence Mazin
SaddleBrooke
Immigrant prisons
Whether you are GOP, Dem, Independent or other, immigrant prisons are a complete waste of taxpayer dollars.
These people have jobs, are feeding themselves, and are not hiding. They can be picked up at the rate the government has the capacity to process them. Now, nearly 3,000 children, many who are legal citizens, are in jail. All for an arbitrary number Steven Miller pulled out of thin air.
Every governor, county board, and mayor should fight tooth and nail to stop this unnecessary stupid expense.
Christi Driggs
Northwest side
Private lives and work
A recent letter argued that we should separate the private lives of leaders from their work, citing John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez and Donald Trump. That argument overlooks an important distinction.
Personal indiscretions and moral failings, while disappointing, are not the same as documented criminal conduct or abuse of power. History is full of imperfect leaders whose contributions still mattered. But equating personal misconduct with actions that threaten democratic institutions or violate the law creates a false moral equivalent.
Separating a person’s work from their private life requires judgment and honesty, not convenience. We should evaluate each individual on the facts and recognize that not all wrongdoing is equal.
Tom House
Midtown
Disappointing Medicare proposal
I was disappointed to see that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently proposed only a small increase for 2027 Medicare Advantage funding. This 0.09% increase is essentially no increase at all and will have a negative impact on Arizona's seniors who rely on Medicare Advantage.
Medicare Advantage provides its members with top-quality health care. Doctor visits, specialist care, and the ability to see the medical personnel of a member's choosing. Beyond this, it offers a ton of necessary supplemental benefits not offered by other senior health care programs, like prescription drugs, preventive services, and deeply important for homebound seniors, in-home care services and chronic illness treatment programs.
All of these services could be hit hard under an almost-flat-rate increase. Financially vulnerable seniors could see their premiums and co-pays soar. Prescription drug coverage could become much less reliable and affordable, while home-bound and chronic illness program members would be cut off from life-saving medical treatments and left with no options for care.
Luci Messing
East side
King protest
In addition to showing and writing that there are protests, wouldn’t a Socratic press ask how Trump is bypassing the Congress and the judiciary so he can be a “king?" As his tenure as king, shouldn’t the press question the results, positive and negative, of his actions? Possibly the press should question the congress and the protesters what the results would have been if Kamala Harris was president. Thinking deeper, is it possible that the Obama and Biden political philosophy and agenda led to the King Trump’s presidency? Many people learn from history and questioning. Many don't.
Ed Mesko
Vail
Abortion legislation
Arizona legislators introducing bills that would restrict access to abortion are not only ignoring the state Constitution, but potentially Arizona’s religious freedom laws.
In Indiana, which has a near-total abortion ban, a court of appeals recently upheld a lower court’s preliminary injunction blocking the ban from being applied to a group of plaintiffs who practice Islam, Judaism, Unitarian Universalism, and non-sectarian spiritual beliefs. These groups hold religious views of abortion that differ from those who support total or near-total bans. Arizona’s current law allows individuals of different religious traditions to treat abortions according to their own beliefs.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
Shining city upon a hill
When LTE writers inform us that there was no better choice for president than a convicted felon and a pathological liar, I wonder if what I’m really reading is that the voter couldn’t vote for a woman as president. Has your vote provided us with affordability, no wars in the Middle East, regard for the Constitution and the rule of law? Spare us your remorse. The privilege of citizenship requires an objective assessment of facts before casting a vote. We should be beyond blind judging a candidate based on their gender before casting a vote. I witnessed this behavior in my own family, and no doubt it’s prevalent throughout this country. We were once told by Ronald Reagan that America used to be the “shining city upon a hill”. Courage to display the moral fortitude prevalent in so many of our past generations will allow us to make this moniker true again, even if it means voting for a woman.
Richard Vaillancourt
Oro Valley
