The downside of franchising
Re: the May 24 article “New Biden nominee has it out for critical Arizona businesses.”
In a recent op-ed, the writer, who owns a company that promotes investing in franchises, does not mention any negatives. I was the Central California sales director for the world’s largest haircutting franchise and also for a regional pizza franchise.
Owning a franchise does not guarantee a high income. In many instances, you’ve just bought yourself a 24/7 job. Monthly franchise fees can be onerous, rigid operating rules suppress innovation, ongoing training and support is often minimal or non-existent. But the worst problem is the commercial rent lease terms. Most are “triple net” leases, meaning you pay a pro rata portion of the landlord’s property taxes, insurance, and maintenance in addition to the rent. Some also take a percentage of your gross sales.
I tell anyone who asks to avoid buying a franchise and instead buy a distributorship. There are less upfront and ongoing costs, and you can still benefit from a proven business method.
Ron Lent
East side
More funding for housing, not police
On June 6, the mayor and council are scheduled to vote on the 2023-24 budget. The Tucson Police Department (TPD) is currently allocated $217 million, a $59 million increase from the FY 22-23 budget, and vastly more than any other city department. In comparison, only $9 million of general funds are budgeted for Housing and Community Development (HCD).
We are in a housing crisis. There has been a 300% increase in unsheltered homelessness from 2018 to 2023. Rather than paying the police to sweep or cite people living outside, let’s invest in accessible and affordable housing at the scale needed. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that there are only 24 accessible and available units in the Tucson metro area for every 100 extremely low-income households. HCD has made great strides over the past few years, including opening low-barrier transitional housing and even starting a non-profit development arm. Let’s give that $59 million increase to HCD, not TPD.
Raye Winch
West side
A shared land and water ethic
I recently spent a few days at the Black River on Apache tribal lands. Wildlife was abundant and the river ran clear and strong; the fishing was good and the land intact. The ground was not being ripped asunder by for-profit Canadian or Australian mining companies, as it has been here in Southern Arizona and Nevada, increasingly, under an antiquated mining law, federal fast-tracking for dubious ‘Greenwashing’ claims, and congressional delegations beholden to campaign-coffer replenishment priorities. We, as the predominant culture — with a shared land and water ethic — can learn much from how our Native American communities manage their lands: for source-water protection, public recreation, wildlife habitat, and preservation for enjoyment by future generations.
Stu Williams, retired water resources specialist and former executive director,
Save The Scenic Santa Ritas Association
Midtown
DeSantis should learn from history
If Ron DeSantis becomes president, he will be the first Italian-American and only the third Roman Catholic to occupy the White House. You would think that being rather recently descended from immigrants would be a source of pride for him and might have provided him a moral guidepost as he strives to become chief executive of a nation of immigrants. Clearly, this is not the case. Were DeSantis to read any of the history books he is so eager to ban, he would learn that, only a century ago, people of his nationality and religion were just as much targets of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan as were Blacks and Jews. Immigration laws were passed to prevent people with names like his from starting new lives in the U.S. Looking at a man who appears so eager to run away from who he is makes me wonder what else he is running away from. Perhaps the scrutiny of a Presidential campaign will provide us some answers.
Steve Robinson
Oro Valley
Debt ceiling
I am a Democrat with common sense. Common sense concludes that Republicans should not be holding the debt ceiling hostage. To my knowledge, it has historically been a yes or no vote to raise it. Our country usually pays its debts. The place for negotiations is in budget hearings. The President has the constitutional right to raise the debt ceiling without an act of Congress (14th Amendment, Section Four). This is a legitimate way to end the Republican political power play over the debt ceiling.
Toni Kane
Oro Valley
Guns, guns, guns
Almost every day, the newspaper has a new mass shooting. And another letter demanding our Congress pass some kind of law. But Congress is so screwed up it can’t even manage its own budget. Recent surveys have found 433.9 million firearms in American civilian possession. Worldwide the military has 133 million, police have 23 million guns. The 2021 US census showed 331.9 million people. It’s too late for ‘gun sales control’ legislation. Do we really want the Federal Gun Police knocking on every door, entering and taking all weapons? Doesn’t sound like my America. We, and yes, the evil political gun lobby, have invented this disease. We lead the world in gun possession. We must lead the world in finding a solution to the latest lethal epidemic infesting our country.
Thad Appelman
Northwest side
Nurses multitasking
Re: the May 31 article “Best and worst: A tale of two ERs.”
As a retired RN, I’ve seen the scene described in this piece. As an injured patient, I have BEEN in this scene myself. I hope the writer is only venting her frustration and personal pain as she went through this ordeal with her father, and not indicting the first hospital for its apparent ‘neglect’ of its patients. She answers her own questions as she described her father being triaged at both ERs. He was NOT being neglected, he was being treated in order of priorities, among others. Tests had been performed; needs established. Sad that his pain could not be immediately addressed, but his ‘needs’ were. Not only do ER staff have to deal with serious and multiple issues, they also have to somehow deal with people coming in for tummy aches, and dealing with the families, all with a semblance of professional manner. Anyone who has ever heard, “are we there yet?” more than once per hour knows what I’m talking about.
Ken Chernock
Northwest side
Keep money in circulation
Where does the tax money go for social government programs? It goes to the poor who buy stuff and then it goes right back up the money food chain to the top where it is not taxed enough. The rich buy expensive things, and money goes down the money food chain to people who make stuff and round and round it goes.
No matter how we do it, it is better for the whole country to keep the money circulating. It helps those at the bottom who will spend it. If we stop the circulation of money via spending cuts it is bad for the economy.
The Republicans would have you believe the money spent on government programs is wasted, meaning it has no further value, which is not true.
If we refuse to spend money we slow the economy.
As blood flow keeps us alive, so does money flow. Keep the economy alive.
Donald Plummer
Northwest side
Mining
I have worked over 20 years in the mining industry in Arizona. My experience includes safety, environment and security aspects associated with copper mining. I was born, raised and have lived my entire life in Arizona. It’s always a mystery to me about the concerns raised against mining copper in areas where the copper can be mined safely and in an environmental responsible manner. I find it particularly interesting that the people who live in the Green Valley area are so concerned about the Rosemont Copper mines when they live in the shadows of several substantial copper mines. After all, they choose to live there, yet complain about an old/new copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains. My question is why they complain about the Rosemont mines when they chose to live near others. It seems ambivalent and contrary to me. Just my observation. Yes, I do support the Rosemont Copper Project. We need the minerals to continue our progress as an independent country.
Keith Adams
Northwest side
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