Mail-in ballots
give me time to think
In the past, there has been many a times that Iโve gone to the polls to vote and have been confronted with a ballot initiative, amendment, candidate or judges that I hadnโt heard of or seen beforehand. But the last three elections, I have requested and received mail-in ballots which allow me to look up candidates and initiatives online to inform myself before casting my ballot.
Iโve always been a consumer of local newspapers and local television news and considered myself to be well informed, but I was not as well informed as I am when I use mail-in ballots and have time to research the candidates and initiatives on the ballot.
My conclusion, as a voter who wants to make informed intelligence choices, is that mail-in ballots are the best way to vote.
Rick Cook
Green Valley
Time to put an end to the filibuster
Our Arizona legislators in Washington, D.C., need to stand behind their constituents and support an end to the filibuster. Already, Republicans have begun their mantra to obstruct any legislation from the Biden administration, regardless of what it might be. They know they can use the filibuster to stop every piece of legislation that comes their way.
Our country is in a crisis right now. We are all looking to Congress to pass measures and adopt policy that help end economic disparity, provide fair health care, and protect our environment. None of this can get done without Congress making its way back to a functioning entity.
We have had 10 years of inaction on the part of the Senate. Itโs time to get substantial and meaningful policy passed. It begins with an end to the filibuster.
Jane Atkins
Oro Valley
Global partners needed
to fight climate change
President Joe Bidenโs mandate to cut emissions is important. However, the air pollution in this country is about 5.4 million metric tons annually. Chinaโs pollution is 10.4 million metric tons. So unless China imposes the same standards as Biden, what we do will not have a significant effect.
In fact, China could increase its pollution as we decrease ours, yet our businesses will be less competitive due to higher costs versus operating in China. Cooperation is therefore crucial if meaningful change is to take place.
Robert Belcaster
Midtown
Pipeline shutdown harms environment
Re: the Jan. 28 article โEconomic policy should focus on economic issues.โ
I appreciate the column by Samuel Gregg pointing out the many unintended consequences of feel-good ideas. I believe canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline is in the same category.
I imagine the idea behind the cancellation was to cut down on pollution. The oil is going to be pumped out and used regardless, so the question is what should happen to it after that? Without the pipeline it will probably be hauled by train in tanker cars to a refinery.
This is much less efficient economically (more pollution) while also introducing more chance of spills and fires. A worst-case scenario is that it would be transported by rail to the coast and loaded on ships (more pollution) to some foreign country, probably China.
American jobs will be lost in all parts of production of fuel. If it is processed into fuel in any other country, are their refinery pollution standards as strict as ours? Just a few comments from an old, retired Midwest farmer.
C.J. Attema
Green Valley
