Aerial view of the Santa Rita Mountains near the proposed mining sites known as Rosemont and Copper World planned by Hudbay Minerals Inc., southeast of Tucson on May 11. The flight was coordinated by the Center for Biological Diversity and carried out by EcoFlight. Hudbay is doing grading and land clearing on private lands it owns there and eventually plans four open pits. The site also includes roads that existed before Hudbay’s work started.
Lisa Nutt for Tucson City Council Ward 2
I wholeheartedly support Lisa Nutt’s candidacy for Tucson City Council. Lisa’s deep understanding and commitment to addressing the critical housing supply crisis in our city make her the ideal candidate to represent Ward 2 and all of Tucson.
Tucson is facing a severe shortage of affordable housing. This crisis affects not only low-income families but also hard working individuals and young professionals who are struggling to find suitable housing options. Lisa Nutt’s extensive experience as a Realtor gives her a unique perspective on the challenges faced by both homebuyers and renters in our community. She understands the intricate dynamics of the real estate market and possesses the knowledge needed to tackle the housing supply crisis head-on.
She has actively supported organizations that promote affordable housing solutions and has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between housing providers and those in need. Lisa recognizes that a thriving community is built on the foundation of safe, stable, and affordable housing for all residents.
Susan Creedon
East side
Apparently Madison and Jefferson were Liberals
If you think Putin is great, you will love the Republican plan for governing in 2025. It will do away with checks and balances and concentrate power in the hands of the president. He will control government agencies and their agendas and strip employment protections from the Civil Service. It gives him the power to withhold funds from any agency that goes against his agenda. Loyalty will replace competence. Since he would control the FCC, any media outlet that doesn’t adhere to the party line would be eliminated. Since he would be in control of the DOJ, any dissent would be crushed. Laws protecting clean air and water would be eliminated if they cut into corporate profits. Pay attention to what the Republicans are saying. The party of small government is now the party of authoritarianism.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Our gullibility crisis
The road to authoritarian rule depends on propaganda and gullibility in society. Propaganda is useless without gullible people to accept the propaganda. Authoritarians prey on the gullible to sell their anti-democracy nonsense. They must convince listeners that democracy is bad and must be replaced by a better system that they happen to be selling. But what they are selling is not paradise; they’re selling deception.
Authoritarians will advertise that only they have the truth, while those supporting democracy can’t be trusted. The danger of believing authoritarian propaganda via gullibility is that one becomes so confused as to truth and fiction that they will base their reality on emotion rather than facts. Gullibility can lead to delusional thinking. Seeing the number of people that are convinced that Trump is the current president is an indicator that not only is toxic propaganda at play but so is gullibility. These are a dangerous combination for what’s left of our democracy. It’s the road to tyranny.
Steve Rasmussen
Foothills
Water use of Rosemont mine
The proposed Rosemont mine in the Santa Rita Mountains will drain 13 million gallons of water daily from the Tucson aquifer. Previous complaints have centered on the mine’s adverse affect on the tourist industry. Other things should be considered. Lower basin states are having their Colorado River allotment cut. Tucson and other cities are tasked with curtailing their water usage. Cities and homeowners are urged to find ways to conserve water. There is fear of water rationing. Under such circumstances is it wise to drain 13 million gallons of water daily from the aquifer?
Nancy Ward
Northeast side
Who does she work for?
Re: the July 19 article “Rebate provides critical financial relief.”
It was telling to me that in her recent guest opinion Sen. Justine Wadsack bragged about her role in obtaining a small annual several hundred-dollar rebate for poor and working families, while at the same time she pushed through $300 million of taxpayer money this year to go to wealthy Arizonans, so they can send their children to private and church school, which the other families cannot afford. Instead of pushing for emergency spending action to provide crisis mental health and housing for homeless veteran Arizonans. She demanded that they be arrested and forced to move away. Even after being confronted by her own meeting records, she did not tell the truth about her ongoing contact with big company lobbyists during the sessions. Who does she really represent?
John Higgins
Southeast side
Humans creating AI
Re: the July 19 article “Strike addresses issue much bigger than entertainment.”
This editorial was not the first time I knew about the increasing involvement of AI in the film and television industry. Last Thanksgiving, I visited my son and his family in L.A. He’s worked in the industry after graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Juilliard in NYC. When I asked about his current projects, the technology he tried to explain to me seemed to belong to another species — other than human. It was artificial intelligence.
Many people worry about artificial intelligence’s ability to control their human creators. This editorial clearly points out the willingness of greedy humans who are captivated by the cost effective exchange for AI versus human creativity and talent.
We humans are the ones opening the doors and paving the way for increasing AI involvement in many industries, just as surely as Odysseus was responsible for creating the Trojan Horse that was perceived as a wonderful gift instead of the actual doom for the Trojans it held.
Karen Papagapitos
Northwest side
‘Grooming’ the new buzzword for Right Wingers
Re: the July 19 article “Tucson church picks wrong target in ‘grooming’ protest.”
I read with interest the column by Tim Stellar regarding the Bridge Church holding a protest at the Bookman’s store due to its scheduling of a drag story time. I used to attend the Bridge Church, but after years of weekend after weekend of the topic of homosexuality coming up (and not in a positive way), we left. The obsession of controlling others’ lives was too much. If you don’t want your children to go to the Bookman’s event; don’t take them!
Churches are losing parishioners because of the stances they are taking on social issues; this idea of “grooming” occurring if they don’t like a particular group is one more way for them to use hate in the name of Jesus. Teach love and acceptance … remember, we are all God’s children. Quit using politically motivated rantings about how other people choose to live to bolster your congregation. Jesus is who I answer to, not some pastor who is angry about not being able to control the minds of everyone.
Terri Hicks
Northwest side
There’s still a border crisis
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released their June border statistics showing the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) encountered 99,000 people attempting to enter the country illegally. About 44,000 were encountered at the ports of entry, many of those applied for asylum using CBP’s new app. Even though these figures are a lot lower than previous months, I think they still constitute a crisis.
In fiscal year 2020, under President Donald Trump, there were only 409,000 USBP encounters at the border. Under President Joe Biden’s 2.5 years in office, over 5 million have been encountered, plus hundreds of thousands of “gotaways.” NBC News reported that since March, 2021, 600,000 foreign persons encountered at the border were released into the country without being given an Immigration Court date. Others have appointments years from now. I think this entire border crisis was intentionally created by President Joe Biden to allow millions to enter the country illegally, knowing they will someday be granted citizenship and become Democrat voters.
Janice DeAngelo
Tubac
No common sense
As I read the 100’s of letters from obviously liberal submitters, I am struck by the absolute hatred for Trump and the overall disdain for all things Republican. It has become so serious that these liberal Democrats have lost all ability for critical thinking and are incapable of common sense. If this is a controversial statement, consider that inflation is rampant, crime is uncontrolled in several major cities, student test scores in many locations are abhorrent, the southern border is wide open, and the current energy policy is a failure and it is accepted gladly.
There are obvious solutions to address each of these issues. However, the current Administration addresses each of these problems by looking into them, using experts, and forming committees, but the actions are as effective as a steer trying to be a bull. Why not address each of the problems with the goal of actual action to solve each instead of just spouting nonsensical drivel.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
Economy good or bad, you decide
Increase in the number of folks without health insurance. Inflation is still above salary increases but improving. Look at your food bill, gas, interest rates, meds, low income folks are hurting. Fabulous job creation, recovered all the jobs lost during COVID, lots of help wanted signs, maybe too many on the dole. Jobs lost during COVID must be considered, dollar lost in value due to inflation. Not interested in comparing USA to the rest of the world, if we are doing better good for USA.
You decide if we are better off than a few years back pre-COVID, for all nationalities.
Valentine Ferraris
Northeast side
