Wage/price spiral
Re: the Jan. 13 letter “Understanding economics.”
The letter writer understands one-half of the wage/price spiral in that greater demand causes prices to rise. The Federal Reserve raises interest rates to cause a decrease in demand, eventually causing lower prices. However, though he understands that lower interest rates may cause lower prices by increasing production capability, he does not understand that increase in production capability will cause an increase in demand for higher wages in a tight labor market such as we currently have. Higher wages will cause inflation to go up because every business will be competing for labor, forcing them to charge an increased price for their goods and services to afford the higher wages. His solution to give Congress the power to step in would politicize and subvert the Federal Reserve’s political independence, an absolutely terrible solution.
Michael Mount
Foothills
No evidence of fraud
Re: the Jan. 17 article “Voting by mail attacked again.”
I believe Rep. Liz Harris, R-Chandler, is out of her league.
What is going on with Republicans that they can’t figure out that they lost a fair election? Now they want to make it more difficult for people to vote by eliminating vote by mail and hand counting despite having no evidence of fraud. It’s just that they can’t win an election without getting in the way of the people voting.
The whole party, local and national, is truly delusional, but she is not the worst.
Now Congress is making it easier to bring guns into the chamber and while you can pack a gun you can also smoke cigarettes. Someone is going to get killed or die of cancer. Missouri’s legislature forbids women to show their arms. This is insanity.
Perhaps they should consider doing their jobs and making the lives of the people a bit easier and more productive instead of more difficult.
Enough of the grievance politics already. Want to win? Do something productive or get out of the way.
Walter Franklin
Foothills
Why the surprise?
There were three letters to the editor in the Jan. 16 paper that spoke about the disgust, disappointment and surprise at the three newly elected Republican representatives who turned their backs or walked out of the chamber when Gov. Katie Hobbs made her first address.
Given the manners, ethics and actions of many of the present Republican representatives, I find it amusing that their rude and unprofessional behavior should even surprise any member of the public, much less their constituents. A majority of voters approved of and selected these members and the fact that there isn’t even outrage at the election of a liar and fraud to the U.S. House of Representatives speaks volumes to what Republicans consider acceptable in their elected officials. You get what you pay for.
Christie Cummins
Midtown
Public schools take Pledge seriously
Re: the Jan. 14 article “Take the Pledge of Allegiance seriously.”
Thank you to Robert Nordmeyer for his opinion piece regarding the need for us to take the Pledge of Allegiance seriously.
Students in TUSD do recite the Pledge daily; 4th graders also cite the Preamble to the Constitution.
I take days setting up my students for both. We break each apart and examine their meaning and importance. “More Perfect Union”, “Establish Justice”, “Insure Domestic Tranquility”, “Provide for the Common Defence”, “Secure the Blessing of Liberty”, “Posterity”, “Ordain”, Pledge Allegiance” and the doozy section, “One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All,” are words not to be taken lightly, and I can assure Mr. Nordmeyer and any other concerned parties that my students do learn to value these words; they are not a rote recital of phrases taken for granted. If only every adult in our country gave the Pledge more careful thought and consideration when placing hand on heart, perhaps our One Nation would have a keener understanding of indivisible and For All.
Christopher Rodarte
Midtown
Hillary’s emails redux?
Has anyone else noticed the similarity between the 2016 overwrought media uproar about “Hillary’s emails” and the current coverage of the discovery of classified documents in President Biden’s home and office? I agree that needs to be reported, but let’s have a bit more distinction between that and the huge volume and struggle to discover Donald Trump’s cache! There is no comparison.
I think the media today are bending over to appear “fair,” and in the process, they are equating issues that aren’t equal. This isn’t fair and balanced, nor is it the journalism I was taught to practice.
Karen Schickedanz, former reporter and copyeditor with the Chicago Tribune
SaddleBrooke
Classified documents
President Biden in unauthorized possession of classified documents. Donald Trump in unauthorized possession of classified documents. Should both face charges like Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, and Julian Assange? Let a jury decide if they are in violation of federal laws, not the press. Further, do Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter have unauthorized possession of classified documents laying around their premises? Inquiring minds want to know.
No one is above the law. Or, is that a social myth?
Richard Fridena
West side
Traffic control
Driving in Tucson is perilous. Speeding is rampant and red light running is a danger that increases with speed.
In WWII the British fooled German pilots with fake aircraft and artillery installations. Tucson could take a page from that book by locating black and whites at or near intersections. Just park them in plain sight. Maybe even a fake cop in the driver’s seat. The cars could be moved about frequently to keep drivers on their toes. Not a panacea, but a low-cost way to bring down the dangerous behavior threatening our safety.
Thomas Knox
Northeast side
Driving skills
Years ago, while growing up in Indiana, it was impossible to get from point A to point B without being stopped by a train blocking your route, at times one train would have to wait for another to pass before proceeding. Because of this, it became a necessity to learn how to beat the train to the crossing. Without seeing it you knew by the sound of the whistle how fast it was going and from which direction and how many seconds you had to win or lose this contest.
After moving to Tucson, I’m being forced to put some of those driving “skills” to good use. Although I’m no longer racing trains I am kept busy dodging the majority of drivers who are unaware of speed limits and lines on the road and lack the mental capacity to follow any of them. The problem for me is there is no whistle.
Roger Boesch
Foothills
Raise the debt limit
The arguments of the House Republicans refusing to raise the debt limit are specious and inconsistent. When they passed billions in Donald Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthiest of taxpayers and corporations, they passed debt ceiling increases with no complaint, thus increasing the deficit by 40% during Trump’s tenure. Now, Republicans refuse to pay for spending that has already been passed into law.
To balance the budget, they must fully fund the IRS to ensure that all people pay their full share of taxes, including corporations, the richest 10% and yes, even former presidents of the United States of America.
Most Americans are not fooled by their posturing. What agencies are they willing to defund? FEMA? The Federal Aviation Administration? The IRS? We need representatives that take responsible action to solve our country’s problems, not burn down the government and our country.
Bruce Hilpert
North side
Vote by mail
Republicans don’t like mail-in voting. They have no answers to our problems, just unsolicited life advice. They can only win an election by making it harder to vote.
Voting by mail is easy. When people see how easy it is to do and what it’s like to actually have a say in the future they get hooked.
I believe all elections should be vote by mail. Give the voting board your address and they mail you a letter asking if you want to vote. If you do, you sign and return the notice so they have your signature for verification and they send you your ballot. No voting machines, no polling places, no drop boxes, no voter fraud.
When more people vote, Republicans have to get better or perish.
Robert McNeil
Midtown
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