Canadian forest of metal lining our streets
Have you noticed the 80-110 ft. rusty brown poles quietly going up in our neighborhoods and major streets? It’s (Canadian owned) TEP slowly choking off our views, closing in our driving avenues, replacing wooden poles with huge shafts of dark metal spaced closer together than the original poles that carried our lines. You’d think bigger, stronger poles could be spaced further apart. Those poles might look fine in heavily forested Canada but they only serve to darken our desert skies, cut off our views of the mountains, wall in our streets. They are out of place here. If they must go that ginormous in the name of our future please use galvanized poles that won’t be as distracting or oppressive. Look around next time you are out and about. Burying the lines will never be an option for this company so quit asking for it.
Christie Cummins
Midtown
The ultimate disloyalty of opportunists
Political gamesmanship isn’t new. At best, it’s a simple act of political opportunism … in its ugliest form, while pursing strictly political ends, it ignores the nation’s needs. At worst, it can be an act directly against our country’s vital interests.
And this is where House Republicans are. Well beyond concentrating upon using a discredited and now indicted FBI informant in a misguided attempt to discredit the President and his son, of much greater import, House Republicans are refusing to provide critically needed funding for Ukraine, thereby overtly interfering with the nation’s responsibilities in world affairs.
Ukraine urgently requires our continued assistance … the House knows this and knows its action is urgently required! By ignoring the needs of Ukraine, House Republicans are playing into Russia’s hands and are acting specifically against the vital interests of our country and the Western world.
The Republican Party must stop using House prerogatives to interfere with this country’s vital interests and responsibilities … such misuse of the democratic process has costs well beyond any political justification.
Frank Parsons
Northeast side
Acceptance of responsibility
Re: the March 5 article “Robbins to take 10% pay cut amid $177 million deficit”
When UA President Robert Robbins took full responsibility for causing or allowing financial harm to the UA by his action or inaction, he then should have expected to accept consequences commensurate with the harm. The consequence accepted by the UA President for his grossly negligent oversight of UA financial affairs is a 10% cut in his $1,000,000 per annum salary. Assuming he works 60 hours each week, not including the time he conspicuously and shamelessly spends in his floor level, mid-court table seats at UA basketball games, he will now be paid $288 instead of $320 per hour. This consequence is grotesquely out of proportion to the $177,000,000 harm he has inflicted on UA students, faculty and taxpayers. The UA’s reputational loss is incalculable. As the UA’s CEO, the most obvious and appropriate consequence of Robbins’ failure should be termination of his employment.
Charles S. Sabalos
Foothills
We need open primaries
Re: the Feb. 21 letter “Open primaries are a terrible idea in the general election..”
The letter writer states that if “outsiders” are allowed to vote in a primary, they will vote without having any “stake in a party or ‘skin in the game’”. Please, please, please allow me to differ on this point! As a citizen of whichever region is holding an election, whether local or federal, I will ultimately be represented by whomever wins the final election. The winning candidate does not represent only the citizens in their own party; they represent ALL OF US. I most definitely DO have a stake in every party primary, because whomever is chosen by the party to which I do not belong may become the government representative who represents ME.
Sally Lee
Foothills
The delayed replacement of the bridge on East 22nd Street over the railroad tracks is two years away, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said this week while giving a White House advisor a tour of projects here that received federal funding.
Ramp B Must stay in the 22nd Bridge design
Re: the Feb. 23 article “Romero: 22nd Bridge project two years away.”
During the last 22nd bridge meeting Sam Credio DMT said he didn’t want to see cyclists and motorists pitted against each other. That’s what will happen by removing Ramp B access from Aviation/210 at 22nd.
Taking away a fast way home from motorists while also reducing traffic lanes on 5/6th will create more divisiveness between commuters of all types in the area, shift traffic flows through residential communities and hurt businesses on 22nd. Not to mention increasing potholes, fumes and insurance rates.
We have already lost Lucky Wishbone. Businesses that moved to 22nd from Broadway as result of the Broadway project are now in danger again.
Keep Ramp B!
Manon Getsi
Midtown
Ciscomani bob and weave
The House failed to consider an important border security and Ukraine assistance bill from a bipartisan Senate negotiation and passage. Your excuse: “Amendment 1388, introduced by Senator Patty Murray (WA), included foreign aid funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, was passed. The bill including this amendment was subsequently sent to the House of Representatives for review. This version of the amendment does not include border security.”
Disingenuous.
Actually, language was removed because it was known that the House wouldn’t accept the original bill, including border security that Republicans wanted. Blaming this on an “amendment” is a gross distortion of reality.
Arizonans didn’t elect you to offer weak explanations. The reality is that Donald Trump said no. Your caucus followed a private citizen’s challenge — Mr. Trump yelled and you jumped. What are you afraid of?
Meanwhile Russia’s egregious invasion of another country continues while this dysfunctional Congress acts as a proxy for one person who may or may not occupy the White House in 2025. Governing or acquiescing?
Paul Emmert
Marana
Robbins, apparently the ultimate survivor
Re: the March 5 article “Robbins to take 10% pay cut amid $177 million deficit.”
University of Arizona President Robbins has been successfully surviving for far too long, seemingly rivaling the television series The Survivor, now in its 46th season. How this man hasn’t been fired for the financial fiasco in which his University finds itself is truly extraordinary. While he hides from receiving a cascade of ear splitting boos when attending college events by sitting at a table at mid court, never daring to be viewed, he insults the public by a grandstanding performance of taking a 10% pay cut (now receives $910,000 vs. the $1,000,000 of salary he is “entitled to”) it is incomprehensible that he survives. He must go. Fired for cause so he’s not entitled to a severance package.
Arthur Balbirer
Foothills
Can they vote?
If IVF cells are fertilized for 18 years, can they vote?
Barbara Benjamin
Foothills
University of Arizona repeating history
History is repeating on campus. In 1983, President Koffler created the Staff Advisory Council to forestall a strong union movement (Raises Not Roses) by classified staff employees. Raises Not Rose’s goals were lack of pay raises and lack of staff representation on campus. Staff Advisory Council members are still appointed by the University President. Last week President Robbins created the University Advisory Council (UAC) in response to the current financial crisis to provide input from “a wide group of important campus stakeholders”. In addition to increasing campus bureaucracy, UAC duplicates existing faculty, staff, and student campus organizations such as the Faculty Senate and Staff Advisory Council. Will University of Arizona financial donors be appointed by President Robbins to UAC as part of “a wide group of important campus stakeholders”? Will the Faculty Senate and Staff Council eventually be eliminated due to duplication of campus organizations? Time will tell but meanwhile history repeats itself.
Janolyn Lovecchio
East side
Dividing our country
As Mitch McConnell shuffles into irrelevance, even the third-stringers of his former party (Trumpublicans) won’t heed him, we must remember his role in dividing our country.
He was Donald Trump’s chief enabler, cheating Obama and Biden of their rightful appointments to the Supreme Court. This disaster alone will outlast the Jim Crow era in length. Abortion rights, voting rights, and slow walking decisions pertaining to Trump’s criminality all hinge on this conservative packed (biased) court.
So, Mitch was quite consequential in creating the nasty division in our country, because power isn’t the main thing, it’s the only thing.
Ted Morrison
Midtown
Bus fare
Re: the March 3 article “Tucson transit should be smart, safe, accessible.”
Thank you to Sunday’s Opinion writer regarding bus fares. I’ve been a mass transit user since the ‘70s in many major metropolitan districts. I’ve lived in Tucson for 43 years and the transit system continues to be appalling. Who doesn’t have a bus stranding in the summer horror story? I understood the economics of keeping the buses running with Federal funding during COVID when the people who could stopped taking them. But COVID’s been an endemic situation for a couple of years now and it seems only rational that the fares would have been reinstituted by now. As the writer points out, if we want to have a world class transit system, we’re going to need to pay for it. The sliding fee scale that we’ve always had can provide reduced fares for those who need it. But those who, like me, can pay should. Save our transit system. Reinstitute the fares!
Cynthia Duncan
Midtown
Stiletto Jones
Re: the Feb. 16 article “Bid to give Trump AZ’s electoral votes blows up.”
The ineptitude from LD 17 “lawmakers” took a dark turn last month as Rep. Rachel Jones tried to introduce HCR 2055 which would hand our state’s 11 electoral votes to Donald Trump BEFORE the election. Talk about election fraud.
Rachel, please consider two important facts. First, there is zero evidence of fraud in the last election despite nearly 100 lawsuits. Second, if Joe Biden’s election was fraudulent, then so was yours, so please resign!
Last year, Jones donned high heels and posed with an assault weapon in front of our State Capitol for what she apparently thought was wacky, lighthearted fun. Once again, she is strapping on her stilettos, this time to disenfranchise Arizona voters. With her recent bill, she evolves from merely silly to dangerous, as her bill violates a sacred covenant with her constituents.
I wish Kevin Volk had a twin, so we could elect two competent and intelligent house representatives to serve our district.
Jim Lombardo
Oro Valley
Correction of US Forest Service criticism
Re: the March 5 article “Dereliction of duty by the Forest Service.”
This letter is mostly incorrect. The issue of Tucson community members taking dogs into the restricted U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Bighorn Sheep Management Area is an issue, but the involvement of the Santa Catalina Volunteer Patrol (SCVP) is incorrect. SCVP has NO law enforcement training or authority and are forbidden to engage in any action suggesting such. Our mission statement: “The mission of the Santa Catalina Volunteer Patrol is to assist visitors to the Santa Catalina Recreation Area to have a safe and enjoyable recreation experience”. This includes assistance with trail information and safety in the Sonoran Desert environment. Also incorrect is an “imposed gag order”. The USFS has well-trained Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) and Forest Protection Officers (FPOs) whose job is to protect the Santa Catalina Ranger District including the Bighorn Sheep Management Area.
Mark Wright, MD, President, Santa Catalina Volunteer Patrol, SCVP Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Lion Liaison, Santa Catalina Ranger District
North side
The Apprentice
Re: the March 4 letter “Donald J. Trump.”
Donald Trump had five bankruptcies, when in 2004, Mark Burnett created the role of business tycoon for him to play on The Apprentice TV show. This gave Trump nationwide name recognition and the image of a successful businessman.
Throughout his life Trump has shown himself to not be of good character. But his MAGA Trumpism followers have given this man another part to perform as their strongman leader and savior, even though Trump openly admires dictators like Russia’s Putin and he has become Putin’s apprentice.
Helen Murphy
Sierra Vista
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Statues or jobs
Re: the March 3 article “3 things for new AD’s to-do list.”
Was dumbfounded Sunday reading sportswriter Greg Hansen’s proposed three-part to-do list for the UA’s new athletic director: 1. Build a bigger Lute Olson statue. 2. Create a memorial for Jerry Kindall. 3. Erect a statue to Mike Candrea. While these are all great coaches and even deserve the the honors you suggest, have you noticed lately that the UA is in some financial distress?! Lots of UA staff will be getting laid off in the coming months, Greg, so maybe spending money on monuments should wait until the crisis is over. Talk about tone-deaf.
Scott Dreisbach
West side
