House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters Tuesday as Congress returns to work in crisis mode with only a few days to go before a government shutdown.
Government shutdown
With the coming of a federal shutdown that appears to be a certainty, one should remember which politicians and which political party is responsible. One should also vote accordingly.
Richard Govern
Foothills
Outrage about tree
chopping in wash
Re: the Sept. 25 article "Neighbor group behind chopping over 50 trees."
Shame on you, Hedrick Acres Neighborhood Association! Hello, trees are precious for a number of environmental and beautification reasons, including removing carbon dioxide from our air.
Just how many of those trees were dried out enough to pose a fire threat?
So, you "announced to Tucson Clean and Beautiful your plans to conduct your Saturday wash cleanup to cleanup debris." But, did you specifically inform that agency the plans to chop down 50 trees?
My guess is that your aim was, instead, to remove trees in the wash that were conducive to homeless camps. So, what's next — cut down every tree in every wash in Tucson?
Karen McKee
West side
Traffic-related
fatalities
Re: the Sept. 24 article "Tucson man given 25-to-life in deadly 2021 DUI collision."
On Sept. 22, a driver who was charged with a 2021 traffic-related DUI fatality was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison. In the early morning hours (1 a.m.) of Sept. 23, an impaired driver was speeding when he struck a motorcyclist from behind, killing the motorcyclist. On that same early morning (3:30 a.m.), three people died when one car's driver was speeding without his headlights turned on and collided with another car (whose driver ran a stop sign). Since Jan. 1, 2017, there have been 536 traffic-related fatalities within Tucson city limits. Due to the lack of reporting of the legal and/or financial consequences of causing a crash resulting in a fatality, most drivers are seemingly unaware of the risks to their future when speeding, running red lights, driving impaired, etc. On a personal basis, I suspect much like most of us, none of those 536 dead individuals woke up the previous morning expecting to die that day.
Randy Garmon
North side
Judges' power
How much power should a judge have?
Should a judge be able to change an agreement between two litigants without consent of the original parties? Should a judge permit his receiver violate his court order by trying to take money from one litigant to pay bills for another? Should a judge be allowed to assess one HOA to pay for another HOA's repairs against his court order? Should a judge deny representation by the original litigants? Should a judge be able to allow a receiver to combine taxes for two properties? Should a judge be able to allow a receiver to not carry property insurance on properties in violation of ARS 33-1253? Should a judge be able to merge two HOA's without new CCR'a against his court order?
In the Superior courtroom, a judge is god. He is permitted to do all this and more, according to the Judicial review board. Incidentally, 97.2% of complaints are dismissed.
Thomas Wenzel
East side
Sliding downhill
Armed 12-year-old shoots two patrons at local gas station, killing one, then is killed himself. Shot-up bodies dumped in broad daylight on a residential Southside street. Three fatalities from early morning street racer who runs red light. Two more pedestrians killed by hit-and-run drivers. Drugged out zombies collapsing on Oracle and Glenn, leaving their drug kits behind for kids to step on. Street takeovers out of control. Families trying to live sober evicted whilst the city buys hotels to house migrants. Fentanyl epidemic is taking over our bus stops and streets. This is just the past week or so!
Our beloved Old Pueblo is going downhill and sliding fast. What a god-awful shame!
Debra Mantecon
East side
Let freedom read
The American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, Oct. 1 through 7, 2023, is an annual event that shines a spotlight on intellectual freedom and First Amendment rights. “Let freedom read” is this year’s theme.
ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) reports there have been 695 attempts to censor library materials and has documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles so far this year. The OIF notes challenges to books in public libraries accounted for 49% of those documented, compared to 16% during the same reporting period in 2022.
In a free society, people read freely. Libraries and librarians have the responsibility to ensure that all people are represented in the books they provide for their community. Authors have the right to freely express their opinions. Parents have the right to determine what their own children read, but they do not have the right to determine what other people’s children read.
Let’s let freedom read by respecting the intellectual freedom of everyone in our society.
Judi Moreillon
Northeast side
Ciscomani needs
to get real
It’s a well-known fact that Representative Juan Ciscomani wants to limit our reproductive rights. One of the first bills he voted for in Congress was an anti-abortion bill. Since then, he’s proven how little he cares about the health and well-being of women.
In the House Appropriations Committee, Ciscomani voted to make it harder to get Mifepristone for an at-home abortion. He voted to maintain the Hyde Amendment. He voted to block funding for Planned Parenthood. And he voted to limit abortion access for active military and veterans. These abortion care cuts are being argued about in Congress right now, cuts could lead our government to a shutdown.
According to X (formerly Twitter), Ciscomani is now worried about the impact a shutdown would have on him. He certainly was not worried when he voted to cut our benefits, abortion access, housing, rural broadband, and renewable energy programs.
Ciscomani needs to get real about his priorities for AZ-06 because they are not working for us!
Patricia Kelly
North side
CD 6 not
represented
Seems another government shutdown is lurking because of the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee. After almost defaulting on our debt, Republicans now want to slash funding towards critical programs like Social Security, SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare.
At the center of this drama is Representative Juan Ciscomani. I’m tired of hearing he’s working for his constituents when he is doing the complete opposite. Ciscomani is part of the absolute chaos in the House now. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee, and he voted for these insane cuts that are being argued about right now and leading us to a government shutdown.
He voted to slash $32 billion from SNAP benefits. He voted to cut $183 million from Social Security Administration. He voted to cut $798 million from Medicaid and Medicare. Voting to make cuts to essential programs that the constituents of AZ-06 depend on every day is not a good look for Ciscomani. He’s definitely not working for us.
Judy Gillies
Oro Valley
Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star.
