Tucson Speaks Out: Sept. 1 letters of the day

TEP contract nearing end

Re: the July 31 article “Tucson prepares as TEP contract nears end.”

I’m thrilled to see the city has finally selected a firm to conduct its feasibility study on replacing TEP with a publicly owned utility. I was starting to worry that since bids were due eight months ago, the city wasn’t acting with the urgency that the climate and affordability crisis demand.

As a member of Tucson DSA, we’ve canvassed extensively on this issue and over 1,300 community members have signed a petition demanding the city take the feasibility seriously and look at the needs of working-class people.

It’s been disappointing to hear City Council members prematurely declare that taking over TEP will be too expensive as the study has not even started. Publicly owned utilities are cheaper, have fewer outages and are better for the climate. This is exactly what we need. Why does a Canadian corporation own our local utility? If we leave it in Fortis’ hands, Tucson will become too hot and expensive for most of us to live here.

Christopher Arnott

Sahuarita

Political ads

Yikes! Over one billion dollars given to the American political process so far this year! Sigh. We are just buying ourselves more of those annoying political attack ads. Ouch!

Here’s an alternate idea: Divert that money to fund Universal Basic Income payments. Nobody seems to know the solution to poverty and homelessness and drug addiction and despair, but everybody knows it makes them happier to have a little more moola in their pocket.

The country’s median household income is currently less than $75,000/yr. Take that billion and divide it up to the folks at the bottom half of our population. If some choose to buy more political ads with their share, so be it, but the rest of us could choose something more pleasant to spend our money on.

Mary DeCamp

Downtown

Job interview

The Democratic machine forced Biden out and anointed Harris as the Presidential candidate without one vote from anyone. Prior to this move, she had the lowest approval rating by Democrats, and many wanted her removed. After the big party, laughing and espousing joy, the two are wandering the U.S. not saying what they will do but constantly attacking Trump. Harris did mention price controls, a socialist move that leads to shortages and high prices. Check out Venezuela, once the most prosperous country in So. America, poor and starving due to the Socialist agenda. Harris has been the candidate for over one month and has not had one unscripted speech or interview. The general U.S. public is not that smart, but I don’t think they are that stupid to allow an unqualified person, a true phony, to be our commander-in-chief. I understand that there is hate for Trump, but those need to remember 2016-20 before COVID. Every index of prosperity was at a high.

Bill Dowdall

Oro Valley

WWIII in Ukraine

Anyone who thinks that we should hold back with our money or weapons in support of Ukraine against the aggressor Russia has not yet understood the real implications. Iran, North Korea, and China supply drones to Russia, Belarus is on the side of Russia, whereas the entire West supports Ukraine — currently 54 countries. If the military threats by Putin cannot be stopped, he will ruthlessly take over Ukraine and crush that country, leading to Holodomor II. Next would be the Baltic countries, Poland, Romania, and then Western Europe. The battles in the Kursk region and the Donetsk Oblast are substitutes for the real conflict, pitting Russia against the West altogether. But how do you win a war? Half-baked efforts, often limited through bans on using the weapons directly against Russia, do not achieve the desired effect. The cost for all of us if Ukraine cannot force Putin to withdraw his troops from their territory will be enormous, namely World War III, which is already happening, though without nuclear weapons.

Albrecht Classen

Midtown

Kamala’s honeymoon is over

Where is Kamala’s dignity? She is spending her campaign hiding, refusing to make any positive statements about her candidacy. She and Joe introduced taxing on tips, but now, because Trump wants to dismiss all taxes on tips, Kamala is flipping and agreeing with Trump’s policy. She also is now in favor of building a wall. Another flip. Her choice for VP, Tim Walz, who runs out on the stage with his hands raised, jumping up and down like he just won a toaster on a game show. God help us if these two incompetents take control of the White House.

Dennis Jacobsen

Oro Valley

More appropriate label

We have seen a remarkable parade of useless personalized items for sale by Trump. From steaks, vodka, golden athletic shoes, mugshots, replica guns, coins, trading cards, bibles, and now digital trading cards with bonus cloth swatches from a worn suit. Is this surprising to anyone? It shouldn’t be! He has demeaned the office of the President of the United States to that of a media hawker, (i.e., the “ShamWow!” president). He is in the midst of a major turning point in his life, and he is still doing his innate sales schtick. The new meaning of the “GOP” should be “Grifting On Purpose!”

Alan Barreuther

Foothills

Leach isn’t better than Wadsack

Many of us breathed a deep sigh of relief when Wadsack of LD17 was finally ousted in the primary. Unfortunately, Vince Leach is no better. His voting history is abysmal. He voted to pass a 15-week abortion ban with no exception for rape or incest. He voted to force colleges to allow permit holders to carry concealed weapons on campuses and to bring guns into public places like government offices and libraries. He voted to fine school districts and discipline educators who teach topics that might “cast blame on race, ethnicity or sex” and he voted for the largest school voucher expansion in history.

Leach voted to prohibit ballot drop boxes and other bills making it more difficult to vote. He voted for tax cuts for the rich and blocking the corporation commission from implementing clean energy rules. This is just a small sample. Essentially, he has voted with MAGA every single time, and he’ll do it again if we give him a chance.

Karen Harris

Northwest side

Costing taxpayers

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Re: the Aug. 28 article “Panel rules lawyers for Lake won’t be disciplined.”

Margaret Downie, the presiding disciplinary judge, said although there may have been little likelihood that the Lake election lawsuit would succeed, it does not mean the lawyers Kurt Olsen and Andrew Parker should be punished for pursuing it. “A claim may lack winning merit without being sufficiently devoid of rational support to render it groundless,” Downie wrote.

What are these lawyers doing if they cannot “rationally support” their case? What is “winning merit” if it’s not “rational support”? U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi, wrote the case amounted to a “long chain of hypothetical contingencies” — ones that never occurred in Arizona — that would have to take place for any harm to occur.” And, the State Bar filed a complaint against the lawyers with multiple accusations.

With no discipline for these lawyers, Downie and her panel cost AZ taxpayers $220k, condoned a baseless election integrity case encouraging more such cases, demotivates and possibly endangers election workers, and further damages trust in our elections.

Cindy Doklan

Midtown

Can convicted felons vote?

If convicted felons are not permitted to vote, does that apply to the former president? Is it possible that he can run for president but can’t vote? Just asking.

Barbara Benjamin

Foothills

Doxing the grand jury

A lawyer for the defense of the fake electors in Arizona just published the names of the grand jury that is considering their indictment. This is contradictory to the judge’s directions and against the law. Grand jury members’ names by law are not to be published. This is what fascists do when they try to overthrow a democracy by disrupting the rule of law. This is just one example of how out of control the MAGA Republicans are.

Don and Lin Ries

Southeast side

Vote for Democrats if you agree

Give $2 billion to Black farmers.

Give $25,000 to new home buyers.

Create an office to punish companies setting prices which is price control.

Drain the petroleum reserve to lower gas prices.

Give billions to pay off student loans.

Allow schools to provide child sex change without parents’ permission.

Provide access to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and voting rights to illegal immigrants.

Brainwash our military in Woke ideology.

Allow biological men to compete in women’s sports.

Allow pornographic books for children to read.

Deny free speech for conservative voices on college campuses.

Suppor anti-Jewish protesters, burning American flags and desecrating monuments.

Remove patent rights of drug companies.

Government control over what cars you want to buy or homes you want to live in.

Eliminate neighborhood zoning laws

Eliminate the American petroleum industry

In other words, allow government to control all aspects of living rights.

Jack Walters

Northeast side