Misguided protests
Great U.S. Ecological Catastrophes sounds like a great topic for a college course. But protesting and demanding that a university reconfigure their endowment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments that are neither transparent nor ask for consent from investors, rather than preparing, is a bad idea. They don’t ask consensus from other students or benefactors to alter investment strategy. Trying to change nature seems a much more difficult task than preparing for the future. It seems all the more daunting while a former president buys property on Martha’s Vineyard or 100-plus private jets descend on Davos. Perhaps, thinking critically, we should be building water storage in California or building sea walls along the coast instead of killing whales to build wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean.
Bill Blaine
Marana
Environmentally sound surveillance
The House GOP and media pundits are hollering as loud as possible over the “Chinese” observation balloon that traversed the country. Even though a similar situation probably happened during the last administration, they claim this time it is an extreme emergency and necessary to shoot it down as soon as possible without proper assessment. As a quick solution, I think they should launch their own observation balloon without discussing it with the president and the Pentagon! They for sure have enough hot gasses to raise their own balloon quite high to get a look at the situation.
Alan Barreuther
Foothills
Climate crisis
Trouble at the border? As a 35-year resident of Tucson, it’s nothing new except in the numbers. Why?
Climate. Go on and blame Joe Biden. Just realize the numbers will increase as long as people are desperate and can’t care for their children.
Meanwhile, international criminals continue developing new fossil fuel sources and reaping obscene profits. I am talking about the leaders of Big Oil and Gas, such as Exxon or BP. Pardon the pun, but do we realize there is a deadline? Maybe you tell yourself the youngbloods will solve this. Keep thinking the freezing weather is temporary, too.
If you are a stockholder in one of these companies, you are complicit. Influence them to put that money to better use than stock buybacks. By banking at Chase, biggest financier of fossil fuels, you are complicit. Go elsewhere. Climate action will ease immigration and do something real for your kids.
Gaye Adams
Midtown
Sunday paper
I’ve read last Sunday’s (Feb. 5) paper twice, appreciating detailed, fact-based articles on several local issues including, but not limited to, strategies for tackling homelessness in Tucson, issues involved in the necessary reallocation of scarce Colorado River water, a statistical overview of the geographic sources of the 2.3 million people involved in border encounters last year, a critical look at the complexity of proposals for desalination of water from the Sonoran state, and a review of crime trends in Tucson last year.
You have presented us with a New Year’s overview of a half-dozen of the major issues facing our city/region.
This is why we subscribe to our real true local newspaper.
Heartfelt thank you to your team.
Karol Marshall
Foothills
Legislators ignore qualifications
So Republicans don’t like Dr. Cullen to head the Department of Health Services. Especially Sen. Jake Hoffman, who thinks he knows more about public health than the doctor who has worked in the field since 1984.
Sen. Hoffman is more concerned with temporary setbacks in education and business profits than human life. Does he not remember that over 1 million U.S. citizens died from COVID? And Sen. Kerr is afraid county-level decisions (which saved lives) would be duplicated to state level. Gee, maybe if they had been, Arizona wouldn’t boast a higher COVID death rate than any other state. And Sen. Shamp boasts how people can make (good) decisions for themselves (unless, of course it involves procreation). Obviously one-third of our population cannot do this, not understanding (or caring) that their decisions affect everyone else.
Sens. Hoffman, Kerr, and Shamp, I suppose your idea of a good head of our state’s health services might be a reality TV star.
Connie Amspaugh
Southeast side
Decency
To the small, in many ways, contingent of Republican female Representatives that think screaming, interrupting, name-calling and generally unconstructive behavior is somehow acceptable — it is not.
I did not spend the last 50 years of my life living with inappropriate male behavior, working twice as many hours as any man in my company, keeping my opinion to myself until a better time that never came, hiding my intelligence, lest I offend; to be now represented by you. You are crude, disrespectful and a disgrace to your sex, your constituents, your families and America.
Legions of women did not fight this endless fight to be accepted as equal to have you, offensive you, as a representation of what powerful women look like.
Virginia Gethmann
Northeast side
Awarding medals
Two of our representatives in Congress, Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), deserve recognition for their untiring efforts to protect our democracy. Reps. Cheney and Pelosi should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their courage and commitment to our democracy.
Judith Armstrong
Green Valley
Puppy mills and dog overcrowding
Re: the Jan. 12 article “Arizona becoming a magnet for sales of puppy-mill pets.”
On Sunday I read the heartbreaking story about local pet stores selling puppy-mill puppies. At the same time, I see desperate pleas from Pima Animal Care Center for people to adopt or foster the huge number of dogs filling the shelter to overflowing. Homeless dogs are now at risk of euthanasia because there are just not enough kennels to safely house them.
I volunteer at PACC, and can attest to the dedicated staff and volunteers who try to match adopters and fosters to the right pets, and who spend countless hours making time there as pleasant as possible for the animals. Adoption fees are waived. And now I read that a new pet store selling puppy-mill puppies, for exorbitant prices, is opening in Tucson. This is wrong. We need to ban puppy mill sellers from Arizona! There are reputable breeders if one must have a purebred. Or come adopt or foster one of the wonderful pets at PACC crying for a home.
Carol Garr
Southwest side
Introvert discrimination
I think that it is time for there to be laws that pertain to protecting people who are “introverted” in the workplace. The reason why I say this, is that I have done research on the subject of this type of discrimination. And I would describe myself as being an introvert. The conclusion that I have come up with is in certain aspects of society introverts are not seen in a positive light. Because of how introverts are viewed, I really don’t think most people have a basic understanding of psychology. If they did, I think more people would realize that an introvert can fake being a person who is the opposite. However, from a mental health standpoint it isn’t good for introverted people to do so. One final note. People should be allowed to be who they are, as long as they are not causing harm to others. So, how are introverts harmful?
Charles Beaty
East side
Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star.
