Think of the water Rosemont will require
Re: the Jan. 26 article “AZ water system for suburban growth heading for ‘train wreck,’ ex-governor says.”
Many Arizona Daily Star articles regarding Tucson’s water supply have been written. Very few articles address the huge amount of water that will be required to operate the disputed proposed copper mine southeast of town.
My slant: We can’t afford this mine for water reasons, especially as our population increases.
William Slocum
Northwest side
Juvenile behavior warrants removal
There were stark differences between Sunday’s two New York Times headline articles. In one, the Iranian president apparently threatened to resign if his military didn’t admit their role in the Ukrainian plane crash claiming 167 innocent lives. In the other, our current officeholder continued protesting his innocence of the reasons for his recent impeachment, despite all evidence to the contrary and more information becoming public knowledge every day.
Meanwhile, as his anti-environmental/immigration policies destroy endangered desert habitat, his administration (Secretary of State Pompeo) berates reporters and lies about the encounter, his senatorial supporters crash secure deposition hearings and also berate reporters (Rep. Debbie Lesko, Sen. Martha McSally), and our governor emulates his policy-by-midnight-tweet (Gov. Doug Ducey) in reaction to free-speech demonstrations of social justice concerns. Riling a marginal base with juvenile, selfish behavior is beneath the dignity of any elected office and should result in removal. If you can’t vote accordingly, please resign now instead.
Camille Kershner
East side
Big fan of Crooked Tree and its management
Seven years ago I was fortunate enough to retire and make Tucson my new home. I moved here for two reasons, the weather and the ability to golf the entire year. My golf course of choice initially was Crooked Tree, as it was the closest to our new home. It is now my preferred choice because of price, continued excellent course condition and the professional staff. At a time when many golf courses are struggling, with fewer rounds being played, generating less revenue and shrinking margins, Crooked Tree remains one of the best tracks in all of Tucson. Keeping the current management team in place, which also happens to be local, has my full support.
Joe Karsina
Marana
Senate trial a yawner
This political junkie and do-it-yourselfer is watching the Senate impeachment trial while repainting a bedroom. I’m torn between watching the august proceedings and watching the paint dry.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Majority of ‘unused’ tennis courts unplayable
Re: the Jan. 26 article “Court appeal: Local players promote, lobby for new sport.”
Regarding a quote in your article Sunday, Jan. 26, there is a quote: “There are dozens of unused tennis courts scattered across city parks that could be easily converted for pickleball.”
The problem with this statement is that the majority of city tennis courts are unplayable, so calling them “unused” is very misleading. Some are in such bad shape that they are dangerous. Many don’t even have the line marking required to play the game.
As a very active tennis player I am part of a volunteer group that does tennis court maintenance at Udall Park. Our group has also been involved in, and supportive of, the plan to convert the Udall courts to pickleball at the same time repairing the city’s tennis courts. But we certainly don’t support a zero sum game that requires removing tennis courts for pickleball. We need to expand all recreational opportunities and facilities across Tucson.
Brian Manning
Foothills
Trump can’t win in ’20
without outside help
Donald Trump cannot win the election in November without foreign interference. Russia has proved they are skilled at manufacturing propaganda and lies which are then infiltrated into social media.
The Republican Senate also knows this, although they profess it is OK. They want Trump to use foreign influence in the 2020 election, because without it he cannot win. If they do not indict Trump he will have a rubber stamp to continue his cheating and lies.
Few Republican senators like Trump, and in fact they fear him for the bully that he is. They want him to continue as president, however, in the hopes of landing another right-wing Supreme Court judge. They are perpetrating the cheating and lies as his defense in this so called trial.
If this outrage continues and Trump wins in 2020, hold on to your hats. He will feel vilified and God forbid what his screwy, crazy brain will cook up next. It won’t be pretty. Adios democracy and adios planet Earth.
Susan Dooley
North side
Attack on NPR
the last straw
First, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo screams and hurls expletives at a National Public Radio reporter because she dared to ask him questions about Ukraine that he didn’t want to answer. Then, when she reports that he did so, he denies it. Then the State Department kicks a different NPR reporter off the trip to cover Pompeo’s upcoming overseas trip.
This is a blatant attack on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protecting freedom of the press. In addition, NPR is a publicly funded nonprofit organization, increasingly supported by private donations from folks like you and me. Most of the stations are operated by government entities like public universities, like Arizona Public Media from the University of Arizona.
Trump’s brand of political poison has leeched out to all those around him. They must all go. And I hope they all go down in history for their corruption.
Karen Schickedanz
SaddleBrooke
Instructive lessons
from NHL All-Star Game
On Saturday, Jan. 25 the NHL’s Annual All-Star Game was played in St. Louis. Regular games are known for fights and hitting. In contrast the All-Star Game was entirely different with no hitting and no fights.
Since the focus was entirely on puck-handling and skating, the game was much more enjoyable. Players seem to glide across the ice with little effort and with more frequent scoring.
The All-Star Game consists of two separate games using four teams. Each game has only two 20-minute periods, instead of the regular three. The goals scored for each game were in double digits. Frequent scoring makes the game more exciting.
I hope the officials of the NHL realize the above and change the regular games to less fighting and hitting and more stress on the skating and scoring. Then I, and many others, will watch regular games more often.
C. Carl Pegels
Marana
Miller’s strategy becoming stale
Is Sean Miller a first-half coach? In other words, he coaches a good first half, the opposing coaches make adjustments at halftime to attack the weakness in his man-to-man defense, and Miller doesn’t respond. How many games has Miller lost in the second half? Buffalo, Wichita, Xavier and most recently ASU.
Miller blames his players for not playing for the full 40 minutes, but maybe he’s being out-coached? Miller’s strategy is man-to-man. Coach Barnes’ strategy is based on the skills of the players she has and is not always the same.
In the ASU game, why did he leave Nico Mannion in with no assists? Why didn’t he put Max Hazzard in the second half? Why did Josh Green take the last shot when he was 0-7? Why did he have Mannion guarding Remy Martin of ASU? How do you get beat in the first round of the NCAA two years ago when you have three of the players on that team playing in the NBA today?
John Shattuck
Northwest side
