Garbage gas going unused
Re: the March 27 article “Garbage gas going unused.”
After reading the article, I found myself becoming befuddled. Why wouldn’t we want to use this gas? Why would we spend approximately a million dollars on electric buses rather than using “free” methane gas to run 106 buses? It releases far less hazardous emissions than the current diesel buses, and costs “40% less than the the electric buses…” I realize it costs money for the refinement process, but to just burn off the gas from the landfill is crazy behavior. The city council needs to stop talking and start doing. It’s been two years that we’ve known about this option. The taxpayers have already paid $141,000 for a study, and now is the time to take action. It’s tiresome to read about the lack of progress regarding so many issues facing our community. I would suggest taxpayers should drive by the landfill and observe the methane burning. Shameful.
Dominick San Angelo Jr.
Northeast side
Freedom shortage
Re: the March 25 article “A sobering sight at Glen Canyon Dam.”
We have no water shortage. We have a freedom shortage.
Get the government out of national water-supply and allow private enterprise to handle it. American businesses could rapidly build water pipelines. Water pipelines would be far simpler to build than over 2 million miles of gas pipelines that crisscross the country and, of course, far safer.
Areas that have ample water sources can sell their water and areas that need water can have as much as they’re willing to pay for. This is called capitalism: win-win. Canada, which has around 9% of the world’s fresh water — most of it untouched — might be interested in selling some.
The author, with what I see as a socialist-leaning mindset, seems to be unaware of what free enterprise can accomplish, or he knows what it can accomplish and prefers government control even where it’s not a proper function of government.
Jim Douthit, retired teacher
West side
Legislators earn more than stated
Re: the March 28 article “Plan would give state lawmakers big raises.”
The article states that members of the legislature receive $24,000 a year plus per diem. Sen. David Gowan argues that this current salary puts the hourly pay at $11.54, less than the minimum wage of $12.80.
Sen. Gowan isn’t very good at math. The legislative session is only scheduled for 100 days each year (a little over 14 weeks). That’s 27% of a year that includes 365 days for most other workers. $24,000 for 100 days of work is equivalent to $87,600 for 365 days of work.
Full-time employment generally means 2080 hours of work per year. $24,000 for 14 weeks translates into $42.16 per hour, not $11.54 that Gowan calculated.
Gowan is looking to increase legislators’ yearly pay to $57,000. For 100 days of work, that’s equivalent to $208,050 per year or $100 per hour.
My suggestion for legislators who feel underpaid: Try working a real minimum-wage job instead.
Tony Kuyper
Foothills
Will Smith’s Oscar punch
In a day and age where it seems violence is increasing daily on our streets, in our schools, in our homes and around the world, I worry that Will Smith’s barbaric and widely publicized violent reaction to an inappropriate joke will only encourage more people to think that it is OK to physically harm people when they disagree with them. This is wrong. By not investigating and prosecuting this obvious assault on Chris Rock (regardless of whether or not he files a police report), the LAPD is sending the wrong message that this kind of openly violent behavior is tolerated as a means to settle differences and sets the wrong precedent. Violence is never acceptable except in self-defense.
Dr. Michael Pravica
Downtown
Senator Kelly looks after us
Health care in this country is extraordinarily expensive, and emergency health care can be literally impossible to afford. When my neighbor was in an accident and was cared for by an out-of-network provider, the costs were insurmountable, and I hated the thought of that also happening to me.
But now people like me and my neighbor are protected from surprise billing costs. Sen. Mark Kelly made the No Surprises Act a priority, which helps prevent people from being charged with exorbitant and unexpected medical bills.
Now, thanks in part to Sen. Kelly, patients are protected when they receive emergency care or scheduled treatment from doctors and hospitals that are not in their insurance networks. He is the definition of a public servant, and it’s clear he has our best interests at heart.
Diana Alexander
Oro Valley
Define a woman, you say?
To Sen. Ted Cruz: Thank you! Watching you strut like a peacock and parade your feathers of ignorance on national television during the Ketanji Brown Jackson hearings was a delight. Oh, and lest I forget, and putting this in the simplest of terms so as not to strain your little brain, Woman: defined as an adult female human being.
Sherri Schamel
Northwest side
Confusion reigns
I am so confused! Arizona has joined several other states in passing a strict abortion law.
The laws burden a woman with a child for the rest of her life even if the child is the result of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life will be endangered.
Where is the responsibility of the father? What laws are being passed that require the father to provide for his child? Oh, that’s right, the laws are mostly written and passed by males.
Why are women not outraged that the father has no responsibility?
It’s time for women to step up and demand that men shoulder both the burden and the responsibility for the birth of any child with their DNA. We need legislation with these demands passed into laws.
It’s time to end the confusion — both parents must share in the responsibility and care of a child they create, and the laws need to reflect it.
Ann Panush
Green Valley
