Arizona GOP
is now a cult
I am a life long conservative Republican who is filled with disgust at the ethical and moral collapse of the Republican Party. Since Kelli Ward became chair of the party in Arizona the party has become a cult, championing her dear leader Donald Trump, denying democracy and now implying violence against nonbelievers. Ignoring the fact that 7 million more Americans voted for Joe Biden, she finds/invents conspiracies around every corner.
If these times were the 1930s, she would be donning her brown shirt. The Republican officials are cowardly co-conspirators who live in fear of their dear leader. At the rate they are going, the party will become ineffectual and not relevant to many people like me. I voted Democratic this year for the first time.
Howard Richmond
Oro Valley
What about
red states?
Where is the outrage? Where are the lawsuits? Where are the calls for vote recounts for the red states who also suspended absentee voting rules for COVID-19 and were therefore deluged with all the illegal and fraudulent mail-in ballots? Who knows how many fraudulent ballots were cast in Alabama and Ohio and South Carolina? Why has no one filed a lawsuit there?
Or why wasn’t someone checking up on the states who commonly had absentee voting in the West, both red and blue states? Why only Arizona? Why are Trump’s supporters not concerned about them? If they want every legal vote counted, don’t they care about people having their votes count in those states?
I really think the Republican Party is being very negligent and uncaring about their loyal supporters in those states. I’m outraged!
Mary Hunter
Northwest side
Time for a real Wildcat to take over team
The Cats wouldn’t have lost 70-7 with Ricky Hunley at the helm. We need a real Wildcat to take over.
Bill Smith
Vail
Let’s talk about relief for those who need it
Congress is discussing a $908 billion pandemic relief package. Statistical resources show there are (or have been) between 130 million and 158 million people currently (2019-2020) employed in the U.S. Divide the total relief funds by the employed numbers and you get between $6,000 and $7,000 per person.
What happens when the average person has money? Those persons spend it: They pay their mortgages or rent and they buy goods and services. They run the economy by feeding the banks, companies and institutions that provide what they need or want to acquire.
We the people are the bottom line and the bottom line is where the buck should fall. Let funds trickle up. The top tier does not require subsistence.
The top tier consists of so few people that they themselves could actually fund a few stimulus packages. And because of how we, the people spend our money, it would go right back into their pockets. Easing individual burdens can fan out exponentially easing community burdens.
Marley Beard
Northwest side
A vote in favor
of zoo expansion
Re: the Dec. 13 article “Zoo expansion at Reid Park wrests away a cherished spot.”
Having read Tim Steller’s column concerning Reid Park Zoo’s expansion, I would like to weigh in on this issue. I’ve been a member of the zoo for 40-plus years. I’ve seen it expand to a world-class habitat for the animals.
They promote conservation issues and education to over 500,000 visitors a year. Busloads of school children visit annually at no charge.
I’ve spent 30 years employed near Reid Park and often spent time there. As a zoo member, I enjoyed unlimited visits that quickly were “free” after a few visits that covered the small cost of membership.
I also spent time by the park pond. Often, there was windswept litter in the pond. I found discarded plastic rings from six-packs of soda that could trap animals. I rescued a duck entangled in discarded fishing line. Park staff did their best to keep the area well tended. Public park areas are open to many who do not respect the environment.
I support the extensively planned and researched zoo expansion.
Marlene C. Skinner
Southwest side
Untimely firing of college football coaches
In a year when college football probably should have been canceled entirely, at least three coaches were fired this past weekend, including Kevin Sumlin of the University of Arizona. Hundreds of games have been canceled due to COVID and the UA only played five games with the disastrous result last Saturday leading to Sumlin’s firing.
In a year where hundreds of thousands of people have died, where many more are unemployed or waiting in food lines, the UA recklessly chose to increase their buyout debt to $13.78 million (including Rodriguez and Sumlin). An even worse case is Gus Malzahn’s firing at Auburn, which will result in a $21.45 million buyout and for a coach who had a 68-35 win-loss record with a spot in the 2013 national championship game.
The money that football coaches receive is disturbing enough, but to disregard what COVID has caused in this country is outrageous.
Chuck Cabrera
Northwest side
Fly a more appropriate flag
Today I drove through the intersection of La Canada Drive and Esperanza Boulevard in Green Valley and passed the ten or so people on the corner touting their Trump signs and emphatically waving the American flag. I couldn’t help but be offended that they were using the American flag, a symbol of our democracy, to support their most undemocratic of causes, the refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the will of the majority of the people who voted Trump out of office.
They have no right to use our flag in support of what amounts to an autocracy, the rule of one man attempting to wield absolute power.
If they want to wave a flag in support of their cause, then the flag of Nazi Germany or Franco’s Spain would be more appropriate.
Beth Dingman
Green Valley
Citizens’ frustration leads to ballot initiatives
Re: the Dec. 13 article “Prop. 208 an example of bad ballot box legislation.”
I generally agree with Jonathan Hoffman that legislating via initiative is inadvisable and fraught with complications, his technical legal analysis of Proposition 208 overlooks a larger problem: the failure of the governor and the legislature to address (not necessarily accede to) constituents’ demands.
During the 40-plus years I’ve lived in Arizona, I’ve observed that most citizen initiatives are the result of people’s frustration that they are being ignored by the legislature, or because they see a lack of leadership from the governor on issues they deem important. Other initiatives, such as the Voter Protection Act, are based on a fundamental mistrust of elected officials.
Proposition 208 was initiated by teachers and education advocacy groups frustrated by their perceived lack of support for education by the legislature and the governor. It may be bad policy, but it is another example of the kinds of initiatives Arizonans will continue to see as long as elected officials ignore issues important to their constituents.
Laura Penny
Foothills
A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our carrier
I just sent a thank you gift to Carlos Samaniego.
You probably don’t know him, and in fact I don’t either. He delivers my print edition Daily Star each morning before I wake up, turning into my very long driveway before throwing the paper so I only have to walk halfway to the mailbox.
Carlos, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Zoo view from outside would work wonders
Imagine watching the animals in the new section of the Reid Park Zoo while walking with your grandchildren in Reid Park, without entry fees. Don’t you think that would make your grandchildren and you gladly pay the entry fees to see all the animals the zoo has to offer? People who would never enter a zoo could see how well the animals are doing and be less negative about zoos.
And tax payers would love seeing some animals during a pleasant walk in Reid Park and gladly support the zoo and park. Just provide some viewing areas and leave off those screens.
Douglas Holland
Midtown
This generation can’t even wear a mask
My grandpa was born just before the turn of the previous century (1891). His experience as an American citizen growing up and as an adult included WWI, the 1918 pandemic, the Great Depression, WWII, and finished with the Korean and Vietnam wars. Think of the sacrifices and hardships his generation endured.
I wonder what he would think about those who complain about their personal freedoms being violated because they are asked to wear a mask in public?
Jim Strouth
Oro Valley
Sumlin’s buyout
is true embarrassment
I’ve been a college sports fan for over 60 years and the $7 million buyout awarded to Kevin Sumlin makes me sick. A total flop in his short tour of duty receives millions for driving the Wildcat program into the ground. This is absolutely unbelievable and so wrong.
From the outset, his compensation was unrealistic for the credentials he brought to the table. Those administrators, most notably the athletic director who offered him this level of compensation should be totally embarrassed and quite frankly publicly reprimanded for such a bad decision. Hopefully any and all previous selection members should not be allowed to participate in the process this time around.
You can’t afford to screw it up again.
Thomas Palmtag
South side
