Letters to the Editor by Larry Pazier

October 3, 2022

     How is it that Republican candidates won’t admit that inflation and our border problems are “not” President Biden’s fault?

     Inflation, supply and demand: The outbreak of COVID-19 primarily impacted the global financial economy. This pandemic resulted in lower consumer activity; diminished demand for products and services; and disrupted manufacturing and supply chain activity around the world. Extreme events like COVID-19 cause major impacts that have significant adverse effects on the world’s financial environment. The inflation action has also been affected by energy and food shortages as a result of the Russia–Ukraine war. Corporate greed has also contributed to U.S. inflation.

Because of the above, the Fed (not under the president’s authority) has the responsibility to manage the U.S. economy, controlling inflation.

     The border: Because of our great reputation around the world, people want to come to the U.S. However, our COVID impact was so high during Trump’s administration and the illegal and cruel border policies he put in place like separating families and not letting immigrants seeking asylum come into the U.S., it resulted in lower migration activity.

     More problems with autocratic rulers, economies and conflicts (like Ukraine) around the world caused an increase in migration. The Biden administration restarted following the law. Our Congress has control over laws that must be followed by any administration and Republicans have blocked any congressional action on immigration. Truly, no fence will keep desperate people out. Think about how many lives have been lost trying to get here.

     No party or individual can control the world’s population movement or economy. Republicans blame Biden/Democrats because they have nothing but fear mongering, lies, conspiracy theories and culture wars to offer voters.

     Don’t let the Republicans fill you with their negative talking points; your main objective should be to save our democracy by voting for Democrats for both state and federal positions. 

July 18, 2022

     Independents and moderate Republicans, do you really want to support the current Republican Party? They have caused the most divisiveness in this country since the Civil War.

     Let’s review their corruptness. How many of the Trump (drain the swamp) people were convicted of wrongdoing? How many had to be pardoned? How the unscrupulous McConnell and Trump underhandedly stacked the Supreme Court and look where that got us. The Roe v. Wade, voter suppression and gun proliferation SCOTUS decisions. Look at all the nefarious things the Republicans did against our democracy that the Jan. 6 committee has been able to uncover and prove.

     What do you think about the people who have been elected to represent us? MT Green, Boebert, Johnson, Jordan, McCarthy, McConnell and in our own state: Biggs, Gosar, Finchem, Brnovich, Fann. Are they who you really want compared to the Democrats who are trying to do the right thing, which isn’t easy with all of the blocks that the Republicans have put in their way and continue?

     The really “Big Lie” is that the power-hungry Republicans are not for individual freedoms as they claim, they are out for themselves and are destroying our country in the process. Their campaign pitches will be on more lies like inflation (controlled by the independent Fed), gas prices (controlled by individual companies and other oil-supplying countries) and our border problem (that many past presidents from both parties have tried to address including Trump, who took kids away from their parents (his normal practice of scaring people) are all minor compared to what we are seeing that the Republicans are doing against our democracy and freedom.

     You are in control, so vote for people who share your values. Please vote and pray for our country and the world.

October 7, 2021    

     Please help me understand. The “conservative” Republicans raised the debt limit three times for $8 trillion with the Democrats' support and yet gave a big tax decrease to corporations and the wealthy during the Trump administration. Does that make sense? If they were even attempting to balance the budget, wasn’t that going the wrong way? Now, they are holding back on raising the debt limit and holding up the big popular American Build Back Better package that has been projected to pay for itself just for political purposes. Does that make sense? And, then we have our wonderful Arizona Sen. Sinema who loves to grandstand. Does that make sense?

     Please keep praying for Congress and all of us, because we really need it.

July 9, 2021    

     In the July 8 editorial section of the paper it was sad that Mr. Ullmann and Mr. Marsh personally attacked Mr. Atchue for being a Democrat but could not refute the information in his article, whereas the other two local editorial comments had specifics to support their messages.     

     Always remember, if you don’t like the lunacy, we can always vote the insanity out. 

October 24, 2020

      I’ve been involved in political discussions on Nextdoor (a local social media site) discussing various topics. Some posts were good, some questionable with regard to facts and some were really ugly, nasty name calling.    

     I’d like to tell you a little bit about some interactions. I find that it’s interesting to hear folks say that one party or individual is better than the other. This often comes from one’s personal perspective and isn’t that what we’re doing when we vote?     

     A couple of the topics that were discussed:  One state getting more relief money over another when it doesn't matter what party is in charge because there are both party members in that state and by saying not funding one state, aren’t you hurting “everyone” in that state! Kind of silly to fight about which state needs the help when all of our states needs it.     

     What has been going on within the political negotiations for the financial help. Do we really know what is being negotiated or just what each party tells us? Again, kind of silly. The good and bad points of Biden vs. Trump as our future leader. Of course, there are good and bad points on both sides.     Isn’t this really what we are trying to decide when we vote? To discern what the each individual has to offer and make our decision accordingly? However, I noticed how much credence we put on our past experiences that happened years ago with person “A” or party “B." Or are we looking at what our country needs today?     

     Whatever your views, get out and vote (Democratic of course), then go back and share some love with your neighbors! May God truly bless and be with us all.

September 24, 2020

     York/Vindman column in last Thursday's paper was truly a sad article to be published. Alexander Vindman, late of the United States Army and the National Security Council, was a dedicated immigrant who has served valiantly, being vilified again because he “might have” told someone the information that caused Trump (our bully in charge) to be impeached. As a result of his testimony in the impeachment hearings, the bully stopped him from getting a promotion and removed both him and additionally his brother from their high-ranking positions in the White House. And now the article is again vilifying Vindman because the whistleblower was possibly one of the individuals he might have told about the incident. To top it off, people are still trying to find out who the whistleblower is rather than holding the individual who did the impeachable offense accountable.     

     I, like many others, praise Vindman for having the courage to defend our democratic principles. He saw a problem and eventually had the courage to tell what he (witnessed) heard to Congress. Of course, sad but true to Trump's vindictiveness to anyone who says anything bad about him, Vindman is no longer in uniform. How many good people does Trump have to vilify before Republicans realize what a menace he is to our nation? The gutless ones in the Senate that shirked their constitutional duties will pay for it in the end.     

     America needs your vote. Please vote early for Democrats.