Leave women alone politically
As a woman, Arizona resident, and a USA citizen, I am repulsed by our cruel and wholly ignorant state legislators. It is my right, to my life, my liberty and my happiness. If a slimy rapist impregnates me or any woman, why in God’s name must women go through a hateful trial? Probably, the sex evidence kit will remain untouched and the survivor will endure a smear campaign. To be pregnant also in this situation is a horrific scenario. Who pays? What about her job, husband/wife/partner? All these souls will be affected. The rape survivor’s life is equal to any rapist’s or incestuous man’s fetus.
Also the indurated logic of the abortion bill and the anti-trans female athlete’s bill leaves me cold. Leave women alone politically.
Rene Lachance
Catalina
Long-term climate plan
Re: the March 6 article “City’s $400K climate plan is causing a stir.”
As a member of the Mayor’s Climate Action Advisory Council, I am pleased city leaders have taken the initiative to craft a long-term climate action plan.
Arizona is facing big threats in light of our warming climate. This is a monumental public challenge that must be tackled on many fronts.
A comprehensive plan will prepare us to take advantage of emergent opportunities. For example, in past city and county bond initiatives, many projects saw improvements because they had publicly vetted, well-developed master plans. These shovel-ready initiatives came to fruition thanks to thoughtful leadership and preparation.
Similarly, we should be ready to leverage federal investments in infrastructure. Arizona is slated to receive billions as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Communities that are prepared to maximize these resources will be well-positioned to benefit.
Planning is hard but critical. It takes time, energy, investment, vision and community engagement to reflect and serve the people well. I look forward to seeing this come together to benefit Tucson.
Laura Dent
West side
Keep supporting Ukrainian people
George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The recent Putin rally in Moscow had so much in common with the Nazi Nuremberg rallies of the 1930s. Both featured a power-thirsty man and masses thirsting to be blindly led regardless of the consequences.
We recently rewatched the movie “The Darkest Hour” depicting events in England as it stood alone against the Nazi onslaught in Europe in 1940. It showed the courage that Winston Churchill demonstrated in navigating those troubled waters and the resiliency of the people, though not necessarily their politicians. We could not fail to see how similar those times were with what is happening in Ukraine and how President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people are standing courageously against another power-hungry totalitarian.
May we support the Ukrainian people to our utmost ability. May we and the good Lord be with them in this their hour of most need, their “Darkest Hour.“
Pete Garcia
Northwest side
Losing sleep over clock issue
Everyone is deliriously happy that the Senate actually passed something … with unanimous approval! Amazing! Unfortunately, in their haste to do “something” they passed something that I think is dangerous and could kill some of our children.
During the darker months of October through February, year-round daylight saving time will require us to wake up for work or school before sunrise. Our kids will be walking to school as the rising sun shines directly into the eyes of commuting drivers. Somebody’s child is gonna get run over.
It seems our senators are so befuddled with changing their clocks, they’d rather endanger our kids. Passing wimp legislation is worse than passing nothing at all.
Bruce Joffe
South side
NCAA penalties are not justice
Re: the March 21 article “Suspension may follow Miller to Xavier.”
Sean Miller is back coaching Xavier, escaping consequences for violating NCAA rules while at Arizona. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona’s current players and the fans face NCAA sanctions for what happened under Miller’s coaching mistakes. That is cruel and unusual punishment, not justice. I hope the oppressive NCAA is sued to halt penalizing innocents for others’ crimes. Those who violate NCAA rules should be penalized no matter where they are, including the pros.
Ricardo Small
Southeast side
Planning isn’t the city’s forte
Re: the March 20 article “Broadway work plods along.”
No wonder our mayor is paying $400,000 for climate mitigation planning to an out-of-the-U.S. firm. In 30-plus years the city of Tucson couldn’t plan the widening of a two-mile stretch of Broadway? And, in the same Sunday issue of the Star, another couple of bicyclists slaughtered by the RTA’s high-speed, wide-span, unnavigable transportation system. You are literally killing us and we can’t even get a decent pizza.
Cynthia Duncan
Midtown
Baby Huey and the party of ‘no’
If history is any indication, I think the Republican Party will continue to fight all social programs, whether it is for improvement of roads and bridges, or for money to aid the less fortunate, the elderly, the minorities, or health care for every citizen.
They fought the Social Security Act in the 1930s, Medicare in the 1960s and a host of infrastructure bills whenever they came up. I think it is their nature to be curmudgeons toward anything not benefiting the wealthy and white. They also would not mind an autocrat as president, and have been using every dirty trick to elect others of their own ilk so as to ensure it happening.
Then, in 2016, they got the perfect candidate, Donald Trump. He is a liar and a cheat, and everything the Republican Party admires in a leader. He doesn’t know anything and that is just fine with the Republicans. They have their Baby Huey.
Ron Lancaster
North side
GOP senators have no shame
The harsh, confrontational Republican questioning of the obviously qualified first Black woman nominated to sit on the Supreme Court, is more proof that Republicans have no shame. Sadly, it’s more excruciating to watch than surprising.
Truth be told, Barack Obama, former law professor and president, would have a tough time getting approved by this mob in the Senate.
Rick Singer
Oro Valley
Lifetime power appeals to them
My family is from Ukraine. Isn’t it about time Americans understand how Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine so easily?
Russians follow his orders because Putin has his hands on the means of communication (news and education agencies) and also on the means of force (the regular police, and the secret police).
When Putin says “Ukrainians started this,” his political minions put it out as truth and the people believe it.
Putin also talked his country into allowing him to stay in power for 22 years. In a real democracy, there are always short-term limits that are enforced like the nation’s life depends on it. Not in Russia or China.
Our representatives and senators are not telling this story because they are well along the path of accumulating corrupt lifetime power themselves. They stay in office for decades. America is already partially Putinized.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Downtown
War crimes reparations
The Hague Court is reviewing Russia’s Ukrainian actions for war crimes. Even if the Russians are found guilty, their history tells us they will refuse to be bound by it.
Justice could still be done if the sanctioned Russian bank accounts, yachts and homes, and other Russian and oligarch assets could be legally confiscated as crime reparations and used as compensation to rebuild Ukraine’s infrastructure and its citizens’ lives. Russia has committed economic crimes as well as war crimes.
Let Vladimir Putin watch as Russia’s assets are depleted in order to make Ukrainians whole again.
Leonard Kronman
Foothills
Russian leader’s Nuremberg-y rally
I cannot be the only person who was bothered by seeing Vladimir Putin addressing his minions in a stadium in Russia recently. It was repugnant to see people cheering a man who is directly responsible for the killing and maiming of the citizens of Ukraine, as well as destroying cities along the way. Does it not remind us of Hitler’s Nuremberg mass rallies — where millions of Nazi supporters sang praise to Hitler, who (all the while) was in the midst of perpetrating genocide across Europe?
Mary Jo Swartzberg
SaddleBrooke
