Public education
Re: the March 12 article “Lawmakers jeopardize future of Arizona schools.”
Thank you to Heather Mace for clarifying between what legislation the Arizona state Legislature would like to impose in its culture war crusade versus its actual job: That is to provide adequate financial support to promote student success and benefits to our state. Legislators like Wadsack, Hoffman, and Kavanagh refuse to do their job. They do not represent their constituents or the interests of anyone beyond the narrow-minded and intolerant with a desire to impose their own misguided and dangerous ideas on the rest of us. They must not be allowed to succeed.
Paul Simon
North side
LIV Golf at The Gallery
The LIV Golf organization has been in my backyard for almost two months now. They have blocked my beautiful view with an obnoxious structure with LIV plastered all over it. There have been trucks, mulchers, forklifts and bulldozers going past my house starting at 6:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. every single day, Saturday and Sunday included. They have shown total disrespect for residents who live on the course. The PGA was here a while back and caused zero disruption in comparison.
Susie Lahey
Marana
Look in the mirror
Re: the March 4 article “Blame liberal policies, not talk radio.”
Bob Lee’s rant vilifying liberal and moderate positions instructs anyone not supportive of the far-right to look in the mirror to find the source of society’s ills. I would encourage him to look in the mirror himself to recognize and hopefully deal with his own hatred and prejudices. Projection is the psychological term for seeing in others what you subconsciously dislike about yourself.
Tony Banks
Oro Valley
Insanity rules
Arizona has gone down Insanity Lane. The Big Lie continues to flourish. Drag queens are Public Enemy No. 1. Parents can carry guns onto school property and are considered more expert than educators about the curriculum. Books are banned. There’s a new hotline for reporting teachers suspected of teaching that favorite Republican culture war topic, critical race theory. No worries about false accusations against teachers, says State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. According to him, his legal background will enable him to ferret out wrongful accusations. This reassurance should have prospective teachers waiting in line to apply. Next on the list, book burning? I think I smell gasoline, and matches being lit. I hope kids will follow the advice of author Stephen King, and run to the nearest library or bookstore and find out what they’re not supposed to be reading. Or will bookstores and libraries be banned? These Republican extremists like to throw out words like “Marxist,” “socialist,” “groomers,” “woke.” Given what they are doing, the term “Nazi-like” is appropriate.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Not news
It is important to protect and preserve press freedom, but I think there needs to be a standard of performance in order to be called a news organization. When a service professes to be a news organization it needs to exhibit an attempt at providing unbiased reporting on issues that at least appear to be true. When an organization knowingly prints lies for profit, it is little more than a gossip rag with the journalistic integrity of a bathroom wall. Fox News crossed that line and should be put out to pasture for its part in spreading lies about the 2020 election. They should no longer be allowed to advertise themselves as a news organization. Same for OANN and Newsmax and any others that behave like this. The truth needs to be heard and not just allow the service to herd its followers.
Dan Pendergrass
West side
Wadsack should be recalled
Who in the heck voted for her?
Jon Cooper
Marana
Congratulations
We have the advantage that the University of Arizona continues to attract and maintain such fine athletes in multiple sports. Thanks to all involved in reaching such a high standard. A special thanks to all the loyal fans fortunate enough to travel and attend so many out-of-town events. Your continued presence provides everyone with the strong and vocal support they receive from the loyal fans at home in Tucson.
Linnea Bass
Northeast side
Water conservation
Use less, save more. Fix leaks, fill your dishwasher before washing, and fill your washing machine before washing. Plant items that require less water. Capture rain and use it to water lawns and plantings. Don’t just think it; do it!
Start now!
Felix Vermette
Northwest side
Don’t target teachers
Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne swore to improve the education of students. Instead of increasing teacher pay, funding for textbooks and materials, or reducing class size, Horne is targeting teachers by installing a “teacher tip line” for parents to report teachers for teaching something they shouldn’t. Since when are parents, not teachers, the experts in the curriculum? Teachers in our K-12 schools aren’t teaching CRT. Nor are they teaching third-graders quantum physics or neurosurgery. Too theoretical.
Horne wants to make Arizona the next Florida where teachers and librarians fear sharing library books with students. And guess what? Florida doesn’t have enough high school and college kids to fill the service sector in jobs for the next decade. There will be a great shortage of nurses, nursing home attendants, plumbers, carpenters, and the like there. If Horne keeps harassing public school teachers instead of supporting them, Arizona will be in a similar sad situation.
Dr. Pam Farris
Oro Valley
Took me back
Re: the March 13 article “Let your kids thrive on their own.”
Reading Mr. Lindstrom was like taking me back to my childhood. I was born in 1947 after my father returned from the war, as were most of the kids in our neighborhood. We had enough kids to field teams in any sport. The only difference was in our neighborhood we ate lunch at the closest home instead of going home. At 5 p.m., our neighbor rang a cowbell that could be heard for blocks, and we all went home for supper.
We spent our time exploring the woods near our house, playing ball, and just hanging out. We learned many skills that helped us mature into normal active kids with the quest to learn and work together.
While we didn’t have such overachievers as his class, we had almost 100% of us go to college and fulfilled the American dream. So many happy memories.
James McLin
East side
The disenfranchised
Even if a Tucson Republican in a predominantly GOP ward should win that ward’s popular vote for a city council seat, can Democrats citywide overthrow that election? New residents like me wonder what is going on here! Seems Tucson autocrats have amended the definition of Jim Crowism to “disenfranchisement based on political party.”
Tucson now effectively has a one-party system, a somewhat socialistic agenda (e.g., free bus rides on my tax dollars), and no allowance for alternate views to compromise potential mistakes. The “progressives” who rant on this page about the other major party are the pot calling the kettle black. Taxation without representation is alive and well in Tucson.
Jack Calaway
Northeast side
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