King Biden reveals Dems’ hypocrisy
I remember many Democrats writing letters to the Arizona Daily Star referring to Donald Trump as acting like a king or a dictator because of his executive actions.
Well, since being in office for just two months “King Joseph” Biden has signed over 50 executive actions, 37 of which were executive orders, involving COVID-19, reversing Trump’s border security policies, addressing inequality, etc.
Within 12 days in office, King Joseph had issued 25 executive orders, more than Trump and Obama had done combined in that short of a time frame.
Yet there has been no similar denunciation of Biden by Democratic Daily Star readers for these authoritarian and kinglike executive fiats, just silence.
Rory Smith
Marana
Still no action
on background checks
Re: the March 28 article “Latest border panic overblown, spurred on for political reasons.”
Many Thanks to Tim Steller for this article. It seems that all the future GOP politicians/candidates and the far-right-wing media have attempted to paint the latest increased crossings of migrant children at the border as a crisis.
Meanwhile, no mention of a “crisis” from far-right-wing politicians and their talking-head media in regards to the weekly/monthly mass shootings in our country killing innocent American citizens.
Just thoughts and prayers offered as usual, with no attempt to legislate reasonable and responsible robust background checks for gun sales.
Last year was a record-breaking year for gun-related deaths. It seems like this year is now on track to follow suit if we take no action. Most reasonable and rational Americans support reasonable studies and legislation to attempt to reduce gun related deaths.
David Keating
Northeast side
Maricopa audit
a bad April Fools’ joke
Re: the April 1 article “Firm hired to audit Maricopa vote is tied to unsupported election claims.”
Who is paying for this little $150,000 inquisition? You and I, of course.
Does news that is months old not reach these senators? Do they not know that the Supreme Court already ruled on this matter? Do they think that they are going to discover something nobody else was able to?
They hired the company of a CEO, Doug Logan, who had deleted tweets recovered which found messages linking him to some of the conspiracy theories that the election was stolen.
How do we Arizonians allow this farce to continue? Ironically, the story appeared on April Fools’ Day. Who has been fooled?
Stephen Makielski
Midtown
Help from neighbors I didn’t know I had
I was at the COVID-19 vaccine line at the UA yesterday, taking my adult child for their shot, when my car suffered a total electrical failure. It wasn’t the battery; it had been replaced five months ago.
Immediately I was surrounded by an army of helpers, offering suggestions, looking under the hood, trying to jump-start my car, etc. I kept apologizing, but they assured me it was no problem, in the nicest manner.
The army of neighbors was immediately deployed to signal cars to drive around my car, to assure my kid got their vaccine.
While I attempted to get help from my insurance’s tow company, more neighbors arrived, and one, Ernest, a longtime employee of the UA, was able to get my car out of park and into neutral so the army could push my car out of the line. Thanks, neighbors!
Margaret Lacey
Midtown
Smart people listen
to science; does Ducey?
Do you wear a seat belt to prevent catastrophic injury in an accident? Do you obey your doctor’s orders to recover from whatever ails you? Do you follow safety guidelines to avoid injury?
That is what smart people do. They pay attention to the science, and they act accordingly. They take the advice of experts, such as CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who has warned us of a possible fourth surge of COVID if states open too quickly.
Like her, they know that a slight downturn in cases is not enough. They know we cannot afford another spike in cases, another round of overcrowded hospitals and another rise in preventable deaths.
They know that our economy will never return to normal until we defeat the virus once and for all. So, they will be patient for a little longer. They will continue to practice social distancing and they will wear their masks.
That is what smart people do. We wish our governor were one of them.
Diana Alexander
Oro Valley
Americans must stand up to GOP
It appears that half of the U.S. Senate and a large part of the House of Representatives want to return to the 1950s, and some are willing to see our constitutional government destroyed in order to achieve going backward.
Our own current U.S. House of Representatives Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Andy Biggs has become the chief proponent of the burn-it-all-down philosophy.
Unless we come together as “Americans” (remember that red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight), and demand tax dollars be spent on education, infrastructure, health care and especially the creation of new jobs, we will be left behind.
Let’s not let the GOP turn the U.S. into a fascist society and take away our voting rights, heritage and our standing on the world stage. And thank you, Delta and Coca-Cola, for speaking up in Georgia.
Janet Pipes
Northwest side
Legislative pay raise needs to be stopped
Currently, our state legislators receive $24,000 salary and $6,000 for expenses, for a part-time job that lasts only 100 days a year. Break that down to $300 total a day or $37.50 per hour, assuming they actually work eight hours a day.
How many Arizonans (their constituents) make that kind of money? I’m guessing very few.
Now, Sen. David Gowan, known for some ethics issues when he was a state representative, wants to raise the amount the legislators receive to $207 a day from $60 a day. That comes out to $20,700 for 100 days. So now they will receive $447 a day, or $55.88 per hour.
It’s bad enough we are already paying them $300 a day for a job that has no prerequisites other than to be able to sign and file a petition to be on a ballot.
Please call you state legislators and let them know that this is unacceptable.
Terry Gruenenfelder
Southeast side
Trans women have edge in shooting contests
Just as state lawmakers are addressing the unfair advantage of kids who are transgender in K-12 sports, we must legally do something about transgender individuals in Second Amendment sports.
Gun-shop owners who knowingly sell to this group and firing range managers who sanction this unfair practice should lose their licenses to operate. Doctors who help this subgroup by delaying puberty and/or prescribing body altering drugs should be banned for life from having a NRA membership.
Our former president, Donald J. Trump, knew about this and that is why he did not allow people who are trans in the military. Contact your legislator in Phoenix and demand that something be done. Where is Rush Limbaugh when we need him?
Dan Williams
Vail
Erratic recycling rules understood by few
Re: the March 22 article “City to inspect recycling bins, tag ones with barred materials.”
A recent article in the Daily Star identified the city’s proposal to begin inspecting the contents of the recycling container. Allegedly they say that if they find improper materials in the barrel a penalty will be imposed.
Every few months the city advertises a change in what is and is not allowed to be in the barrel. Glass is now improper and can be moved to some strange place in town.
Other materials are to be trimmed or relieved of liquids or the like. I suspect that, like me, not 1 in 100 people truly understand what is and is not allowed.
Have the barrel used, once every two weeks, for trash only. If that is not possible I propose doing away with the entire procedure and just continuing with the weekly trash removal.
I am sleepless at night anticipating a wakeup with my yard filled with high-powered lights and a trash can SWAT team surrounding my home.
Phil Reinecker
East side
Barnum Hill’s
health benefits
Re: the April 1. article “Letter: Zoo expansion betrays voters’ trust”
The riparian area known as Barnum Hill in Reid Park benefits far more people and to a far greater extent than would the proposed tiger habitat. Published research shows that walking in green areas near trees and water, for 15-30 minutes twice a week, reduces stress hormones, improves vitality and staves off depression.
Urban trees provide not just aesthetic pleasure but concrete health benefits. Trees are also a critical part of the global carbon storage solution, the heat island solution and the urban air quality solution.
Barnum Hill provides a much-needed urban retreat for people who just want to immerse themselves in nature for a short time during their day without having to pay admission and committing several hours of their time to make it worthwhile.
As stated in a previous letter, the huge eucalyptus and Aleppo pines cannot be replaced in the lifetime of many Tucson residents.
Ann Baldwin, professor of physiology at University of Arizona
Midtown
Barnum Hill’s greatest resource: memories
On a family zoo trip, someone asked, “Why shouldn’t the animals get more room?” I never said they shouldn’t. They deserve livable habitats. Do they specifically need Barnum Hill? No. There’s other options.
Why do I believe it’s a treasure? Fifteen years ago, two “kids” vowed to get married and pay for it on their own. Thankfully, they remembered Barnum Hill, where they had a picnic after their third date, which was to the zoo. Just $12 later, they had a venue.
As children, we played along the stream, jumped from rock to rock and raced up the hill. As adults, we take our child for photos, have picnics, and rest under the tree where we were married while we watch our son do what we did when we were young.
For decades, this mature public oasis has provided many cherished memories for Tucsonans and should be preserved.
Jen Weimer
East side
