Time for Sinema to come through
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema claims to be for bipartisanship, but hasn’t come through with getting GOP senators to support major Democratic initiatives. Her support of the filibuster allows the GOP to block virtually everything, including raising the national debt ceiling, much of which was created by GOP policies and actions. Time to come through for a change, Kyrsten.
John Glaspey
West side
Scofflaws
Re: the Nov. 28 article “Tucson knuckles down on unpaid parking fines.”
Reading the article about the city of Tucson cracking down on scofflaws caused me to think that if the city cracked down on drivers speeding and running red lights, they could likely pay the city budget and protect many Tucson pedestrians and bikers from bodily injury and possible death. Something to think about.
Robert W. Emery, MD
Foothills
The new American way
It was difficult reading the response concerning speeding bicyclists and others using the Loop. Gee, wouldn’t it be grand if everyone had brains and thought about everyone around instead of only caring about themselves. I live on a street with signs saying 35 mph but is it heeded by drivers? Yeah, right. So they want to put speed signs on the Loop to slow down the bicyclists who think it is their personal race track. Maybe they should put speed bumps every 50 yards or so, or maybe traffic circles. Wouldn’t it just be nice if people would use their brains again and do the right thing. Oh, that’s it. It is my right to do whatever, whenever and however it pleases me and screw everyone else. The new American way I think.
Carl Olson
West side
Looking for direction
Re: the Nov 28 article “Tucsonans may need to imagine life without Star.”
“Estimate of the situation” was ingrained in me over a 33-year military career. Faced with any mission, that entails analyzing the enemy forces (Alden Global Capital), friendly forces (Lee Enterprises and a million Tucsonans) then analyze courses of action and act on the best one. What it does not entail is a hand-wringing, head-in-the sand approach.
My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed the intelligent, critical thinking of the Star’s editorial staff during our 21-year history in Tucson. OK, we need that staff’s best effort now in outlining a course of action for all of us to take in preventing the loss of this precious news source. Surely together with the brains inherent in the Lee Enterprise staff, we can be presented with some viable options to thwart an unwanted purchase of our newspaper. Small neighborhoods (ours: 29 homes) and large ones (Sunflower: hundreds) are on a single e-mail and can be mustered to act. Just tell us what to do and how!
William Ohl II
Marana
Good will to all?
Black Lives Matter has issued a call for a monthlong boycott of white companies. Wonder if that includes supermarkets and sports arenas? Ya think? Well, in any case, such a commitment seems like the moral equivalent of putting the shoe on the other foot and kicking the perennial “race relations” can down the road. So much for the seasonal pledge to promote peace on earth and good will to all regardless of race, color or creed. And so much for “peaceful” protesting or protesting at all during a “holiday” season rather than simply spreading a little good will. To all! Hopefully.
Don Weaver
Midtown
Bicycling on the Loop
Re: the Dec. 1 letter “Loop safety suggestion.”
The letter writer suggested a speed limit for bicycles on the Loop is a good one, but I believe an absolute speed limit is less of an issue than the resistance of fast bikers to slow down when that is the safest choice. When you are behind people walking and another fast biker is coming the other way, sometimes (frequently!) the safer option is to slow down and let them pass, not speed up to dart through the narrow space. On The Loop where others, including slower bikers, children, runners, walkers, people using walkers — or wheelchairs — have an equal right be there, fast bikers need to be willing to use all the tools in the box, including slowing down!
Joshua Freeman
North side
Bike path safety
Re: the Nov. 30 letter “The Loop.”
Given that it’s not practical to put any reasonable speed restrictions on bicycles, the only practical way to have reasonably safe two-way bike traffic along with two-way pedestrian traffic is to make the path/trail wide enough to accommodate six people abreast, plus lane delineators. The lane delineators should be similar to the rumble strips on the side of today’s highways, but only about 4” wide.
I suspect that the cost of doing what I recommend above may be prohibitive, so as an alternative I would recommend that all pedestrian traffic be limited to only one side of the trail with a line-delineator separating the pedestrian right-of-way from the two-way bike traffic. I am suggesting that the yellow/white stripe divider between the left and right side of the trail be eliminated. I think that the bikers have enough common sense to stay to the right at all times.
Vincent Allen
Northwest side
IRC, another problem
Re: the Dec. 1 article “Speak your mind about redistricting before the meeting.”
This was a clear concise explanation of a major problem with the Independent Redistricting Commission map version 10. I would add that the proposed Legislative District 16 is just as bad. Picture Rocks and Avra Valley would not even be a part of Pima County. This also violates the requirements that districts be compact, contiguous and respect communities of interest. The lack of competitiveness is so bad that Phoenix will be able to dismiss any voters from Picture Rocks and Avra Valley. So when, not if, the state decides to build that freeway, Interstate 11, through the desert and over our homes no one will pay us any attention. I ask that the IRC put us in LD17 so we will be with the rest of Pima County and like communities.
Catalina Hall
Picture Rocks
The Loop
Re: the Nov. 30 letter “The Loop.”
I concur with the two writers of recent letters. I’ve ridden 25,300 miles in seven years on The Loop. I’ve become increasingly nervous about the riders (I call them Lance Armstrong types) who totally disregard anyone else’s safety. I’ve now become a screamer of sorts at them. I do and will yell at them that “I forget that this is your personal race course.” I quit contacting the county because all I get back is a form statement saying nothing. Now enter the fat tire electric bikes and other electric bikes that cruise along at how fast, 20 to 30 mph. Suspect it will take another death or two for the county to act.
Bruce Yost
Northeast side
It’s not the motive
Tuesday was another “normal” day in our country. A mass shooting leaving four dead. And the lead to most news reports was “authorities still trying to determine motive.” While legislators wring their hands and hide behind the National Rifle Association, people search for a motive. As if we knew the motive there would be not shootings. I assume the motives vary as much as the individual murderers. Domestic violence, being bullied, rage at a neighbor, mental illness, revenge and a host of other motives. So instead of trying to find the individual motive and reconstruct the shooting, I suggest we look for the common denominator in all these shooting. Guns. How many more mass shootings will it take before our country addresses our gun problem? We don’t need to ban all guns. We do need rational gun legislation instead of searching for the motive after the shootings.
John Kautz
Midtown
Omicron vs Moronic?
A senior friend noted that rearranging letters of the new COVID variant Omicron produces Moronic! I too have an abundance of time on my hands which led me to the following: Perhaps the intended name was Moronic, as in a message to those who refuse vaccines and other precautions, thus creating an environment for variants to develop? Our naming department just got it twisted. Makes more sense than any of the virus conspiracies I hear about!
Bob Hutchens
Marana
