Resource Management 101
Now, let me make sure I have this right: The Saudis own thousands of acres in Arizona where they pump millions of gallons of our precious water per day to irrigate alfalfa crops that they bale up and send to Saudi Arabia to feed their cattle. They pay nothing for our water. Meanwhile, they pump their oil and sell it to us, charging whatever the market will bear. Am I missing something here?
Gerard Ervin
Northeast side
Heartwarming
It's heartwarming to read letters to the editor from lifelong Republicans saying the Republican Party today doesn't stand for what they believe in and have supported all their life thus they have changed parties. It makes this writer believe our country has a chance to survive as a democracy.
Jim Dreis
East side
Congress shifting?
Re: the Aug. 5 letter "Congress — hard right and hard left."
I think the writer misinterpreted the CPAC ratings. I believe that CPAC has moved more towards the right resulting in less Republicans agreeing with their “conservative” values and more Democrats disagreeing. Maybe he should read Yeats “The Second Coming” — “the centre cannot hold … what rough beast … slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?”
Marc Goldfeder
Foothills
Chris Christie is GOP best bet
I am a registered Democrat. I have crossed party lines based on the attributes of individual candidates. I voted for John McCain every time he ran. I heard Chris Christie speak on a morning news show. He said he knew Trump before he was president and backed him as the Republican nominee, and backed him as president. He said after four years of Trump he stopped supporting him and will never support him under any circumstances. I might cross party lines for him because he clearly stated that his support of Trump turned out to be a mistake. He is a Republican who has the integrity to face the truth and say his support of Trump was a mistake. I wish more Republicans could admit that Trump is a mistake, and move on with a rational choice for president. The GOP is better than Trump as a presidential candidate.
Richard Bechtold
West side
School vouchers
Numerous submissions have claimed that the Arizona school voucher program is only utilized by the rich to send their kids to private schools. I do not believe this is correct. Many parents of every income level, observing that their public schools are graduating illiterate dunderheads, utilize the voucher system to ensure their children receive a proper, comprehensive education. Opponents of vouchers claim that public schools are failing because they are not receiving enough money. Possibly, they are failing because they have abandoned teaching methods that historically have proven successful for the vast majority of students, and are instead focusing on feelings.
Until public schools focus single mindedly and unconditionally on getting the vast majority of their students proficient in reading, writing, and math by the 6th grade, vouchers will be popular. Mississippi elementary students are now testing in reading at the top level when compared to others in United States. I suggest that all review the methods and success that the Mississippi program has had.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
Grandparents, the gift of wisdom
I believe that grandparents offer a wealth of wisdom to their grandchildren, drawn from their own experiences and observations of life.
Since I have 13 grandchildren, I have tried to instill the importance of family tradition and relationships. I have tried to instill the importance of respecting their elders, being kind to others, and the value of hard work and perseverance.
I have tried to teach my grandchildren about setting goals, and never giving up on their dreams, and to appreciate the simple things in life.
The importance of giving back to others, of helping others and making a difference in the world. I have tried to give them a sense of stability, love, and support.
Grandparents can be a safe place for grandchildren to talk about their problems, and they can offer guidance and advice.
The wisdom that grandparents offer is invaluable to grandchildren.
They can help them to navigate the challenges of life, to build strong relationships and teach them to live a happy and fulfilling life.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Support legislation to compensate for radiation exposure pending in Congress
Entry into the Nuclear Age began 78 years ago, first at Alamogordo, New Mexico, then with atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Aug. 6 and 9.
Legislation in Congress can extend and expand RECA [Radiation Exposure Compensation Act] to cover more of the 500,000 “down-winders” affected by the initial test, as well as veterans, soldiers, and other radiation victims. Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema and Rep. Raul Grijalva co-sponsored the 2023 bills.
The Senate has passed bipartisan legislation. Please urge Rep. Juan Ciscomani to support expanded coverage. We of St. Michael & All Angels’ Social Action Committee have written letters.
One of the young soldiers exposed without protection at Alamogordo, years later a parishioner at St. Michael’s, told us, “We couldn’t see the mushroom cloud. We were under the cloud.” He died of cancer. His ashes are buried in the church yard.
A Church display reminds of one dying child’s response to vast suffering. You can see 1,000 origami paper “Peace Cranes” on the Corpus Christi altar.
Ila Abernathy
Midtown
LEDs
Re: the Aug. 8 article "Out Like A Light."
I do not like laws that dictate how we live our lives, but I do like LED lighting. If you replace an incandescent bulb with an LED that provides the same light, it takes only about five to 10 days to pay for it. I assumed $3 for the LED, $0.15 per kWh for the electricity and that the LED is 90% more efficient. As added benefits, LEDs are very small units that can be formed as strings, lanterns, multicolored and even as fireflies in Mason jars. A bicolor blue-in-the morning, reddish-in the evening unit protects your sleep-inducing melanin. They last for years. They are especially efficient in traffic lights but will also relieve you of replacing the lights in a chandelier using a ladder. They are great for driveway lights with a small battery and solar cell.
Wiliam Wolfe, professor emeritus of optical science at University of Arizona
Northeast side
United Health Care should settle with Radiology Ltd.
Dear Editor:
UnitedHealthCare (UHC) is negotiating with Radiology Ltd as the existing contract expires on Aug. 15. This potentially creates problems for many southern Arizona residents.
Radiology Ltd. is locally owned by a consortium of doctors. It is a very well run company. They are prompt with appointments, proficient treatments, communicative about problems, courteous on the phone, professional and friendly in their offices, and many workers have been with them a long time. In short, excellent service from a local provider of key services.
United HealthCare is simply using their size to extract maximum dollars from this company.
Interested patients can write UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson (salary+perks $9,859,429) at: uhg_consumer_affairs@uhg.com and urge a quick settlement.
The top five earners in UnitedHealth Group have combined salaries and perks of over 73 million.
Fred Miller
Bisbee
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