Elect Scott
to Board of Supervisors
I am writing on behalf of Rex Scott, candidate for Pima County Board of Supervisors for District 1. I have known Rex for almost 20 years. He was my principal when I was a teacher at Howenstine High Magnet School. What made him an excellent principal are the qualities that will make him an excellent member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
Rex is a people person. He listens. He knows policy. He is a consensus builder. He is not afraid of difficult conversations with people but his humanity is always at the forefront. In this time of horribly divisive politics, he will work with everyone. He is kind. He is smart.
Our county needs a board of supervisors that will work together for the common good. Rex will be an excellent member of the board. I urge my fellow voters to elect Rex Scott for Pima County Board of Supervisors.
Brenda Kazen
Midtown
An open letter
to Sen. McSally
Dear Senator,
I haven’t hugged my grandchildren in six months. I wear a mask. My family has endured shortages of toilet paper, cleaners, flour, meat and coins. We limit trips outside. Other family members can’t leave home at all.
When Donald Trump defiantly held a huge, indoor, mask-optional rally in Nevada, he belittled me and my family’s sacrifices. He insulted every church, school and business that closed to protect our health. Worse, he disparaged thousands of courageous health-care workers fighting this COVID-19 war, including hundreds who have died.
Trump’s cheering fans are now spreading the plague among their families, friends and co-workers. Why not? They were told it’s no big deal, just the “Kung-Flu.”
Forget about impeachment, Twitter rants and tell-all books. Trump demonstrates daily that American lives mean nothing to him.
McSally, please, please join former Sen. Jeff Flake and other Republicans rejecting this arrogant, swaggering loser. Do that, and you just may earn my vote.
Gail Gibbs
Northwest side
McSally does it the right way
No matter what a politician tells you they will do for you, they cannot do it all by themselves as they suggest. Our political system is based upon compromises and often bipartisan support.
We need people who possess the credentials and a proven record of accomplishment. That person is our Sen. Martha McSally. She will continue to support your needs; she works for you and not herself.
Look at McSally’s record in just two years serving as our Arizona senator. She helped cut your taxes, improved health care, helped grow the economy, fought for better treatment for our veterans, restored Arizona’s public lands to benefit Arizona citizens, led the charge for preserving Arizona’s agricultural drought contingency plans and has supported President Trump.
McSally already has one of the best records of any senator in introducing new bills (46) with seven signed into law. She ranks sixth in bipartisanship of all senators. This all proves McSally is the right senator for Arizona. She gets it right.
Gerald Garafola
North side
Don’t believe Biden is a moderate
If Joe Biden becomes president on Jan. 20, 2021, his administration will be heavily influenced by climate, social justice, pro-abortion, anti-gun and labor union lobbyists and it will be staffed with people that are young, liberal and left-wing.
The Democratic Party has moved so far to the left in the past four years that many of the Obama administration’s positions and policies are now odious to the party because they aren’t left-wing enough.
If you doubt this, take a look at the 2020 Democratic platform. It has a $15 an hour minimum wage by 2026; a five-year plan to install 500 million solar panels and 60,000 wind turbines; universal health care; no oil, gas or coal energy by 2050 and free community college and trade schools. When Biden or his supporters talk about his moderation, don’t believe them.
Douglas R. Holm
East side
Democrats must alter court, Electoral College
Barack Obama’s 2016 Supreme Court nominee, eight months before a presidential election, was never considered by the Republican-controlled Senate because “the people” should decide on the president first. Now, seven weeks before a presidential election where Trump trails in the polls, the Republican-controlled Senate is rushing to confirmation because “the President and Senate are of the same party.”
My advice to the Democrats is simple: next time you have a Democratic President and Senate (hopefully as soon as January 20, 2021), expand the Supreme Court to 13 and nominate four new justices. Work to change the Electoral College so that it is less likely (or impossible) to win without winning the popular vote. I thought that, as a country, we might be able to move beyond hyper-partisanship.
No longer. Today, I especially miss John McCain, whom I believe might have led an effort to stop this hypocrisy.
Randy Richardson
Foothills
Celebrating
civic unity in 2020
With just days left until the voter registration deadline in Arizona, it’s time to get serious about registering to vote. Young people being the largest and most diverse group of potential voters in the country, our vote can shape the future of our state and country. This year on National Voter Registration Day, students from all across Arizona worked to register their friends, family, and peers to vote.
Powered by a team of 40 interns and volunteers, our nonpartisan New Voters Project campaign reached over 25,000 students via email and roughly 2,000 more through social media posts on various platforms. If you haven’t already, make sure to update your registration at ArizonaStudentVote.org. It only takes five minutes to have your voice heard, so, what are you waiting for?
Jennifer Manning, New Voter’s Project Organizer
Downtown
Dr. Ravi is right for TUSD
We have the opportunity to address poverty in Tucson by ensuring all children have access to effective public education. That is why I am supporting Dr. Ravi Grivois-Shah, who has spent his career focusing on health disparities and ensuring everyone has access to effective health care regardless of their background. He’ll bring the same passion to the TUSD Governing Board, so that Tucson can thrive.
Poverty level is directly linked to quality of education, making it essential that we elect a school board that can change the direction of education in Tucson. They select the textbooks, choose online programs and assess safety procedures. It may be the most important vote that we as citizens can cast.
We have a rare opportunity to elect an individual with integrity and a genuine interest in improving public schools. By supporting Dr. Ravi, we can directly shape our future, our children’s futures and the future of our community.
Sunny Anne Holliday
Midtown
Napier deserves
to be reelected sheriff
Although the Arizona Constitution requires candidates to run on a party ticket, the job of sheriff is strictly nonpartisan. In law enforcement, honesty, integrity, experience and professionalism are critical qualifications, not partisan party politics. As county attorney, I have endorsed and will vote for Sheriff Mark Napier because he exemplifies and practices these core values.
It’s unfortunate that the campaign for sheriff has been inundated with negativity and false statements designed to mislead us into erroneously believing the department is mismanaged. Nothing could be further from the truth. Napier has clearly demonstrated an ability to lead a professional, efficient and well- managed department.
As just one example among many, when Napier first took office, his predecessor left him with a $7 million dollar budget deficit, which Napier eradicated and turned into a $2.5 million dollar surplus. Sheriff Mark Napier deserves to be reelected.
Barbara LaWall,
Pima County Attorney
Downtown
Your vote counts here in Arizona
Dear Arizonans,
The popular vote is very essential in Arizona. There is much talk regarding the plan to overturn election results by the manipulation of the Electoral College. This talk may discourage people from believing their vote would count.
Fortunately, our state law requires Arizona’s eleven electors to be chosen from the same political party as the presidential candidate who wins the majority vote in the state in November.
Your vote counts. Remember, people have died for your right to vote.
Leonard Walker
East side
McSally is failing to represent us
Martha McSally is putting party and Donald Trump above country. Once the Supreme Court is stacked with Trump’s latest nominee, it is even more unlikely to represent our country equitably. They will destroy the Affordable Care Act, leaving the American people with no protections for preexisting health conditions.
Contrary to the dreamworld that McSally and her buddy Trump are living in, COVID-19 is not going away any time soon and when the Affordable Care Act is gone, 7 million Americans will be at risk of losing their medical insurance. Trump wants to stack the court with judges who will rubber stamp his agenda, and that is good for him but not the rest of us. When will McSally stand up for Arizonans? She is supposed to represent us.
Pam Irvin
Green Valley
Fire the liar
on Nov. 3
Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax and withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, leaving 186 other countries to tackle the climate emergency — and the massive fires, hurricanes and public-health catastrophes that come with it. Trump also called hoax on COVID-19, while 205,000 Americans died from it — and counting. Real people. Real mass sickness and death closed businesses and millions unemployed.
Now he’s calling hoax on safe mail-in voting, which Arizonans’ have successfully done for years. Trump calls hoax when the opposite is right before our eyes. He contradicts climate scientists and the CDC, lies about the severity of COVID and risks our lives and livelihoods.
Now, he’s putting our voting rights and democracy at risk. There is a reality beyond Trump and Twitter. The rest of us are living and dying in it. Let’s vote. It’s time to fire the liar.
Judith Anderson
Midtown
A shame on
the GOP
In my 50-plus years of voting, I have never followed party lines, instead choosing the person I felt best qualified and most aligned with my values. This year, however, especially after the Republican rush to fill a Supreme Court seat without even knowing who the nominee would be, has caused me to change my thinking. Even though there are several local races in which I believe the Republicans are more qualified, I will not vote for them and instead will vote for their opponent. Republicans have brought disgrace upon their party and anyone who runs on that ticket shares in that disgrace.
Patricia Davis
West side
