Zoo expansion is what Tucson needs
When the zoo expansion is completed, Tucson will have a world-class Reid Park Zoo. The expanded zoo will boost Tucson’s efforts to be an even more popular travel destination which will generate greater revenues from tourism. More than half a million local people visit the zoo every year where they learn about animals and birds and conservation efforts to protect them.
Many open meetings were held, prior to when voters approved the Master Plan, specifically to show voters how the expansion would be achieved. Let’s leave the Master Plan intact and build a new hill and pond.
Changing the plan to protect 3.5 out of 100 acres would mean a win for a relatively small percentage of the community, however it would mean a huge loss for Tucson and for the vast majority of local families.
Richard White
East side
Beware of unemployment fraud
Re: the Feb. 6 article “Tax forms help reveal extent of US unemployment fraud.”
Hopefully people read this article regarding huge numbers of people nationwide who are receiving 1099-G forms for pandemic unemployment benefits they did not apply for or receive. Everyone needs to check their mail carefully, even with a different state of residence, to make sure they are not a victim and then to report the fraud.
We have not received a 1099-G yet, but did receive a bona fide letter from Kentucky’s Office of Unemployment Insurance which said my husband is eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and gave the amount. It showed the last four digits of his SSN, which we give out only if it is absolutely necessary.
Hints that this was an attempt by someone to use his identity were a slightly incorrect address: the street address used twice, no city and an error in the full ZIP code.
His name was also not as it is used for filing. I have already filed a fraud report with Kentucky.
Georgianna Murphy
Foothills
Points insurrectionists can consider
In a country of laws, it is the fine points that dictate the course of justice.
For example, a president does not have authority to go, or send forces, to the Capitol, so if the president sends you to the Capitol to carry out his will, and you go, he and you are committing a crime already.
A death threat against any constitutional officer — be it the president, vice president, speaker, representative or senator — is a criminal act.
Smashing your way into a closed public building is a criminal act.
Striking a law enforcement officer during the performance of their duty is a crime.
Action by a militia in the absence of mobilization by their state governor or Congress is unlawful.
Interfering with the performance of constitutional functions of the Congress, like the counting of the Electoral vote, is criminal. In most places, if anyone is killed because you acted feloniously, it’s murder.
David Vernon
East side
County COVID vaccine registration a mess
Re: the Feb. 7 article “Fear, frustration common for older residents wanting the COVID vaccine.”
Older residents? It should read “Anyone!” As college-educated, 70-plus retirees, my husband and I tried vainly for weeks to maneuver through Pima County’s vaccination registration maze, both on computer and by phone.
Finally, after reading Friday’s news about the walk-in vaccinations at TCC, we raced downtown. We stood for 5½ hours in a half-mile long line with hundreds of other seniors who, like us, couldn’t get an appointment online.
Bottom line: Pima County, don’t blame “older people” for confusion about the registration system. I challenge anyone under 30 to be able to manage as well. We seniors were the guinea pigs in the rollout.
Kudos to those who were able to navigate the system as well as those who braved the five-hour Friday registration to get an appointment to be vaccinated.
Betty Allen
Northwest side
NCAA should keep pandemic transfer rules
The NCAA adopted temporary eligibility and transfer rules in 2020. Those changes should be made permanent. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, college athletes were granted an extra year of eligibility (five total). They also were allowed to change schools without having to sit out a year.
Scholarship athletes normally are required to spend 24 hours a week training and playing (in season). So graduating in four years is impractical, especially for a time consuming major. The very best athletes will leave school early under any circumstances.
Let the rest play for all five years. The new transfer rule is better, too. Very few athletes switch schools unless they aren’t playing.
The NCAA used to make them sit out a year if they moved. That’s too onerous. Players should be permitted to go where they’re wanted.
Walter Ramsley
East side
This is what Republicans stand for
A letter you published asked, what do Republicans stand for? I’d like to reply.
A strong military to protect us from attack by land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. The sanctity of life from inception to death. Fair and equal opportunity for all to succeed. Freedom to speak your opinion. The right to own and bear arms. The right to a quality education whether public, private or parochial. Equal enforcement of the law, no matter what your race or social/political status. Secure borders and an orderly legal immigration policy. The right to worship freely and without interference. The right of assembly fair and transparent elections by the legal citizens.
I’m sure I’ve missed some but perhaps someone on the left could take their best crack at what they stand for?
Bill Blaine
Marana
Impeach Trump
or get ready for Round 2
Just recently, while trying to have a discussion with a staunch Donald Trump supporter, I heard from his lips this ridiculous analogy: “Trump is no more guilty of inciting a mob to violence on Jan. 6 than Representative Maxine Waters is guilty of inciting a mob to violence.”
While it is true that Rep. Waters is given to loud “fishwife bellowing” exclamation from time to time, as one of 435 district representatives, she certainly doesn’t carry the weight of “the most powerful man on the planet.”
When Waters raises her voice some people listen, when the president of the USA raises his, the world listens. Trump must not be allowed a second opportunity to be the voice of this nation. A second impeachment will make this so.
Hal Bardach
Southwest side
If $15 is too much, who is to blame?
In 1975, a minimum wage worker could live on just one job, not elegantly, but not starving either. So, in our brave new world, workers are expected to hold two jobs and still go on food stamps? Have things gotten that much worse? Really? If so, whose fault is that?
If employers declare they will fire employees if the minimum wage goes up, why do they have unnecessary employees on the payroll at all? Sounds like bad management to me.
Wages, after all, are just part of running a business. There is also rent, raw materials, utilities, insurance, maintenance, advertising, the owner’s profit and training those new employees that replaced the ones you fired.
A doubling of the minimum wage does not mean the cost of your hamburgers must double, too.
William Penrose
Oro Valley
It’s something in the water
Re: the Jan. 30 article “Proposed law would let Legislature overturn presidential election results.”
The aquifer in Shawnna Bolick’s district needs immediate testing. Upon learning of the latest bill that she submitted to the Legislature, I have to ask: What is she drinking?
Other questions: Is she aware of the Arizona Constitution and the behavior that it prescribes? Can she read? Does she realize that she is not the Queen of Hearts? Hey, Shawnna, climb up and out of the rabbit hole!
Trump tried those voter suppression tricks and it didn’t end well for him or for the Republican Party. It is said that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity. I’m guessing that Shawnna doesn’t know what that behavior is and explaining it to her won’t improve her legislating abilities.
That her constituency isn’t currently circulating a recall petition against her proves the validity of my opening statement.
Rick Cohn
West side
It’s not just the heat that’ll get us
Re: the Feb. 8 article “Colorado River outlook darkens dramatically in recent study.”
While Tucson had its most unbearably hot summer last year, this article raises the other specter of ever diminishing water resources due to climate change. We will have to adapt to less water. But when will we take effective action to mitigate the root cause of both issues, our warming globe?
Economists and climate scientists agree the most efficient way to get started is by putting a price on the cause, CO2 emissions. If we do this at the source and distribute those revenues to American households in equal shares as a monthly dividend, we can accelerate the move to clean energy without penalizing economically disadvantaged people.
Carbon fees and dividends are powerful, market-driven, socially just tools. We the citizens need to empower our elected representatives Raúl Grijalva, Ann Kirkpatrick, Tom O’Halleran, Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly to support carbon fees and dividends.
Linda Karl
Northeast side
This Trump trial is the real test
Re: the Jan. 26 article “Studies on how we process info are eye-opening.”
Donald Trump faces his second impeachment. As this is the first time, you might be prone to blame it on the continuous negative coverage of him. Let me be blunt, he deserves more criticism than he gets.
Mr. Shapiro aptly stated, we tend to feel first then think. You have some feeling then disregard whatever goes against them. The mass denial of morals and truth has been spectacular to behold. I never thought this could happen in the U.S.
Watching the storming of our Capitol by Trump’s followers was the final straw to convince me that we are not better than the many other populaces that have fallen prey to a charismatic leader.
I am less proud of my fellow citizens after Jan. 6.
If you believe this criminal act should not be followed by conviction of Trump, all other inciters and participants, you are less a patriot to our nation than you believe you are.
Jeff Rayner
SaddleBrooke
