The new anti-authoritarians
Re: the Jan. 18 article “Biden nears now-or-never point on climate.”
The Biden administration’s energy policy with its “raft of regulations” assures that the future price of fuels and electricity will only rise along with their cost of production. The cost of all gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, LNG, propane, butane, asphalt (roads), rubber (tires), plastics and synthetic fabrics must rise since the administration thinks we use too much of these items. This administration has no incentive to reduce fuel costs to 2019 levels since their primary goal is to force humans to rely less on fossil fuels. Either through high pricing or choked supply, diminished fuel availability will result in diminished prosperity for the great majority of humans. People striving for a prosperous future which includes abundant, life-saving fossil fuels are today’s new anti-authoritarians. Do not label us as anything other than that.
Bruce M. Prior
West side
Public records laws
Re: the Jan. 28 article “New records show Cyber Ninjas’ ties to Trump during ‘audit’.”
If the rules the Arizona GOP adopted, exempting legislators from public records laws, were in effect when the Cyber Ninjas were performing their audit, we taxpayers would never have known about all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans that were going on between the Cyber Ninjas and Trump.
The Senate authorized $150,000 for the audit, which ended up costing many times that much, only to conclude that our votes were, in fact, counted. Joe Biden won.
If we do not stop this type of behavior before it becomes law, we will no longer have any say in our government. We may not all agree on issues, but I think we all agree it is our right to know what our elected officials are doing to earn our votes!
Donna Pierce
Northeast side
Not the Bill Walton show
Re: the Jan. 27 letter “Bill Walton, an insightful announcer.”
Yes, all the items you speak of regarding Walton’s past are true. However, the game today is not about him, but about the very talented young men who play basketball for the U of A. They should be championed, not his love of the Grateful Dead, nor his tie-dyed tee shirt nor the teepee in his backyard. Political issue? Not sure what political issue he adds to the game. It is a Pac-12 basketball game, not the “Bill Walton Show.”
Linda Scheffer
East side
EV’s and fuel tax for roads
Purchasing an Electric Vehicles (EV) will impact our roads without a “Fuel Tax” replacement with state and federal depleting funds. Who will pay for our future roads as EV defund the “Fuel Tax”?
In Arizona, consumers pay at the pump in total taxes for federal and state of 37.4 cents for gasoline and 51.4 cents for diesel as the road tax per gallon that is built into the price of fuel. That money collected goes to fund the “Highway Users Revenue Fund (HURF)” that supports road infrastructure that includes our neighborhood streets. EVs don’t fuel up, so EV drivers don’t contribute in that way.
An Arizona law would require that home, commercial, city, county and state charging stations install electric meters by Arizona power companies to collect the fee rate while hooking up to the charging stations, then send collected funds to state and federal HURF authorities.
People that cannot afford a EV should not subsidize EV vehicle owners that harm the deprived workers.
Jesse Lugo
South side
Dichotomy
Re: the Jan. 29 article “Fear of mass shootings grips my generation.”
I felt sorry for Paige Masten and her generation that is in fear of being caught up in a mass shooting. Strangely, I also read a long list of complaints about litter on roads on the Nextdoor Neighbor site. How could these two things be connected? In each case the theme is what is the government going to do to “fix” these things. We have begat a generation of people who think government is responsible for all things. And we’ve lost generations who believe in personal responsibility. Ethical behavior has to be taught in places like First Tee of Big Brother and Sister organizations. The goodness of religion has been banned and replaced with the theology of self. We are spending trillions trying to change nature while we rot from within and spend nothing to support personal responsibility and the satisfaction that accrues from it. “Heal thyself.”
Bill Blaine
Marana
Homelessness and homeowners
Re: the Jan. 29 article “Park epicenter of Tucson’s homelessness conundrum.”
The argument by Santa Rita Park’s homeless suit cites the Eighth Amendment’s “cruel and unusual punishment” to justify not removing the population that inhabits that public park. The lives of the residents who pay taxes and legally live around that park are the ones experiencing cruel and unusual circumstances. Providing alternative shelter for the homeless is not legally required. The homeless do not maintain, own or pay taxes on that land. Public parks use curfews to prevent the mischief that usually occurs after 10 p.m. The neighborhood deserves this protection. When ample warnings have been given that removal is imminent, though difficult, our spaces and the caretaking of them should be respected. Since it is not a proper, legal, or a desirable permanent living arrangement to begin with, they are not entitled to remain indefinitely. They chose Tucson to live in and it sounds like actual Tucsonans are doing what they can to help and have endured the chaos and danger enough in that location.
Christie Cummins
Midtown
Border control
Re: the Jan. 30 letter “Border control.”
The only part of this letter that made sense was “Comprehensive Immigration Policy” which the letter writer thinks is a joke. People crossing the border under Title 42 didn’t work nor did Trump’s folly, the wall. Simply “halting entry into the United States” is not a simple answer nor a solution. Why are Republicans not willing to work on a comprehensive immigration policy? That is the true answer here.
Jean Getek
Foothills
Common sense saves lives
When learning to drive, my parents repeatedly cautioned me on how to react if pulled over by police: pull off the road, turn off ignition, keep hands in sight on top of steering wheel, sit still and roll down window. Keep quiet, stay seated and follow the officer’s orders.
I’ve since expanded on that advice: do not fidget around trying to find your license in the glove compartment, and don’t act like Richard Kimble in that old “Fugitive” movie by hopping out and running. Turn on interior light if it’s dark outside. Stay seated unless the officer asks you to leave your car.
While I don’t condone the deadly beating officers gave motorist Tyrone Nichols, I recognize that police are sometimes killed at traffic stops. They thus treat a traffic stop as a potential danger. Their lives are in danger every workday. They have spouses and kids, too.
Do parents no longer imbue their kids with common-sense, life-saving advise?
Jack Calaway
Northeast side
