Legislated money not getting spent
I can understand spending $1.5 trillion on rebuilding our roads, bridges, broadband, affordable housing, etc. for economic stimulus. I don’t understand legislating $3.5 trillion before the first $1.5 trillion is put to work. We should have some idea when money gets spent whether it does what it’s supposed to do.
I am amazed at the amount of money legislated to fight COVID-19 and rental relief that hasn’t been spent. If we cannot manage to spend the money legislated, we should not legislate it in the first place. Spending it is part of the management function! Money not spent has a way of getting lost and spent on other unintended programs. We should insist on government spending our money wisely.
Dave Locey
Foothills
Specific meaning of ‘war’ ignored
Words mean things. The failure of news channels and public conversation is that the term “war” isn’t defined. It’s casually used. Any military action is carelessly called a war, however “war”, as legally defined by the Constitution, requires the House of Representatives to pass legislation proposing an act of war. The Senate must approve this act and the president signs it. There have been 11 “real wars”. World War II was the last duly declared war. All other “wars” since have been acts of national defense against terror or supportive of one side in their civil wars under the auspices of NATO.
The “longest war,” constitutionally, was waged against Chief Cochise of the Chiricahua Apaches from 1861-1872, a sovereign Native nation. The U.S. government reneged on this treaty in 1876 instigating a resumption of hostilities with Geronimo for another 10 years.
Jay Van Orden
Northwest side
Big bills coming due in Texas
As a direct result of the Texas anti-abortion laws, any number of unwanted and unloved children will be born and will need to be cared for into adulthood and perhaps beyond. Since it is a direct result of Texas statutes that a child is born, then Texas is morally, ethically and likely legally responsible for these human beings.
Pro-lifers must begin to understand that it isn’t that a woman selfishly wants an abortion, it is more the case that the prospective mother cannot see how this fetus/this child will be able to live happily and healthily with what the mother can provide.
Vin Allen
Northwest side
Put Olson statue on a pedestal
My family and I arrived in Arizona in 2007 and almost immediately became UA Wildcat fans. One of my biggest regrets is not being able to see Coach Lute Olson actively coach the Wildcats at McKale Center.
It didn’t take long to learn the enormous impact Lute had on the UA and the entire Tucson region. When I found out that they were going to honor him with a statue at McKale I was very excited to lay my eyes on this statue memorializing his incredible accomplishments.
When I first saw the statue I was so disappointed! The statue itself is wonderful but its out-of-the-way location and ground-level appearance just doesn’t give this statue the right look. This statue should be up on a pedestal for us all to look up to Lute as we did in his storied life and the statue and pedestal should in the center of the courtyard leading into the McKale Center entrance. Let’s look up to Lute!
Albert Hanson
Northwest side
Domestic terror is biggest threat
During WWII America fought enemies thousands of miles and two oceans away, and the whole country joined together to fight them, suffering through mandates/shortages, i.e., blackouts in cities, rationing of food, gasoline, tires, etc. The country accepted the “mandates” even though they impacted on daily lives because they were patriotic.
Today America’s enemies are not thousands of miles away, they are homegrown, i.e., Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and others. They support the spoiled man who cannot accept losing the election.
Those groups were involved in the Jan. 6 attempt to stop Congress from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to certify the electoral college vote for the presidency. It is disgusting that GOP members of Congress continue to say Jan. 6 was a “normal tourist tour day” when it is obvious that it was anything but that. They lie to please Trump, himself a pathological liar, completely ignoring their oath of office, and very un-American.
B Jerry Lujan
SaddleBrooke
If they lose, it’s ‘rigged’
Apparently we have a new norm in this country. If the Republicans lose an election, whether or not it has happened yet, it is a rigged election. If they win, however, I guess then it is fair. Really?
Norma Guest
East side
Abortion bans aren’t pro-life
Thirteen hours is all that it took before Texas hospitals saw their first death by self-induced abortion. Thirteen hours after the bill banning abortions passed. When will state representatives realize that these so called “pro-life” decisions kill more people than they save?
These anti-abortion states don’t actually care about saving “unborn lives.” If they did, they would implement better sex education in schools and offer affordable birth control options. Instead, these states are directly attacking American democracy and putting bounties on desperate women. When asked about pregnancies from rape, Gov. Greg Abbott responded than he plans to “eliminate” all rape in the state of Texas. Are these the people we’re meant to put our faith in to protect us? No. We must demand a country where Americans can count on getting the medical care they need in a republic that stands up for every individual’s rights, not just the individuals without a uterus.
Sierra Blaser
East side
Tucson’s roads are a disgrace
Throughout my time of having my license, I am starting to be more and more aware of the infrastructure that needs to be fixed. I’m sure a lot of you agree with me. For instance, I’m going to start on the huge pothole on Old Spanish Trail and Harrison. That one pothole is probably about 2 feet in diameter, That is not OK whatsoever. Next, I am going to shift my focus on a certain road. Houghton is by far one of the most torn-up roads I’ve been on; half of the road is normal, while the other half of the road is torn to shreds and filled with holes. It looks as though the city attempted to glue the two halves of the road together. My last example is Broadway. Over five years ago they tore up Broadway almost completely. And now five years later some of Broadway is still under construction. City of Tucson, please make these roads safer for all drivers.
Alex Cook
East side
Star is a go-to for local history
Re: the Sept. 20 article “’Walking encyclopedia’ a consummate historian.”
Along with the thought-provoking cartoons, columns and op-ed pieces the Star really shines with pieces such as the one by Jan Cleere on the amazing Tucson woman Yndia Smalley Moore. These pieces give so much to understanding the local history to the many of us who have found the Old Pueblo from elsewhere. Cheers!
Michael Judd
East side
Haitian refugees shown no mercy
We are witnessing a humanitarian crisis with the indigent Haitian refugees at our borders. They have suffered colossal calamities in the recent months.
Here we are, rounding them up for deportation to their country which offers them absolutely no future. And yet, we have allowed thousand of refugees in droves from the Latin American countries to cross our borders at will and house them at local hotels at taxpayers’ expenses. Where is the compassionate immigration overhaul policies that we were promised?
Shiraz-Ali Peera
Foothills
