PUBLIC SERVICE AWARDS

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October 27, 2022 

     I am writing as a concerned member of the community. Over the course of the last term the Arizona Legislature made significant cuts to our reproductive rights.

     I recognize that abortion is a sensitive and divisive issue. However, nearly everyone I know believes that exceptions ought to be in place for victims of rape and incest. Common sense tells me that nearly all of us can agree no one should have to carry a rapist’s pregnancy to term.

     To that end, I was shocked to see my senator, T.J. Shope, cosponsor a bill that completely bans abortion after 15 weeks without making those exceptions. I had always thought of T.J. as a common sense moderate, but there is nothing moderate about this bill. I cannot believe that he is so willing to interfere in such a personal matter, especially when the majority of us agree that those exceptions are necessary and vital. With that in mind, I cannot support him in his bid for another term.

     Instead, I urge all voters to support Taylor Kerby. He is an actual moderate who believes government has no business in a doctor's office. I know that there are many issues that will inform your choice on Nov. 8, but I do hope that each voter in our legislative district will consider this one as they cast their vote.

Margaret Baca, Casa Grande

October 25, 2022 

     Say “goodbye” to your Social Security and Medicare if you vote R in the 2022 midterms. Far right Republicans plan to cut and eventually end both of these programs initiated by Democrats and passed with moderate and liberal Republican votes — before Republicans moved too far right.

     George W. Bush tried to privatize Social Security in his second term. Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian have this to say about that in their book "The Privatization of Everything": “During the campaign he (George W. Bush) and his surrogates had insisted that Social Security was off limits. But in private he promised campaign contributors that he would ‘come out strong' in favor of privatizing Social Security. When these comments leaked, his campaign called the quotes ‘made up’ and part of a ‘false, baseless attack.’ Then, two days after his election victory, he revealed that ‘reforming Social Security will be a priority of my administration.’"

     Republicans promise “entitlement reform” during this election campaign. They threaten to oppose a raise in the debt ceiling and possible government shutdown as leverage to cut what they call “entitlement” programs. Like Bush, they are not being up front with this before the election. An article by Eugene Scott in the Washington Post noted: “Pressed on whether changes to the entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security were part of the debt ceiling discussions, McCarthy said he would not ‘predetermine’ anything.” Really? Why not just say Social Security and Medicare will not be touched? It was Democrats who gave us Social Security and Medicare. It is Democrats who will protect both programs if they control Congress. Vote D to keep the “entitlements” we all worked and paid for.

Sandra Brown, Eloy

July 23, 2022

     Kyle Nitschke (Nit-shh-key) is running for Arizona Senate in the new Legislative District 7. Who is this guy, and what does he want to do?

     First, a little back story.

     Redistricting changed the boundaries for legislative districts in Pinal County. Voters in legislative districts send representatives and senators to the Arizona Legislature to represent their interests.

     The new LD7 is huge! It serves a widely diverse population. It’s up to voters to decide who will represent them and speak on their behalf.

     Back to the new guy, Kyle Nitschke. What does he want to do as a state senator representing our district?

     He supports funding for public schools and is very concerned about climate change and what it means to each of us. Kyle believes Arizona’s tax code should favor citizens over corporations. He feels strongly about every individual’s right to privacy about personal choices they make for their own health and wellbeing.

     It is up to each of us to choose the leaders who represent our interests and share our concerns. The best way to do that is to vote. Don’t stand by and let other people make those choices for you.

     The Arizona primary election is on Aug. 2 and the general election is Nov. 8. You can vote by mail or in person. Don’t stand by and let others make choices that will affect you and your family for years to come. Your vote matters!

Theodora Schiro, Kearny

July 4, 2022

     This should be the year of the angry mom for so many reasons.

     First, our daughters now have no bodily autonomy. They can be used, abused, manipulated and coerced into doing things that they do not want to do, now not just from the sex part but also to having the baby part.

     Next, gun laws are expanding, with no restrictions on AR-15 type weapons. So now, not only are your daughters at higher risk, but your sons as well, when some wacko decides to go on a school shooting spree.

     Then there is the beginning of the end for separation of church and state. You might think it’s not so bad for kids to be praying in school, right? But what if your child doesn’t know what he believes, what religion he wants to adopt, is already aligned with a faith other than Christianity or just doesn’t believe in a god?

     Moving on, we have the weakening of the Miranda rights with which we are all so familiar. If the cops forget to tell your wild and crazy kid to be quiet until your lawyer gets there, he/she no longer has the right to sue them.

     Finally, corporations have once again emerged as the big winners against the very workers they need to buy their products. The EPA has been clipped in its ability to curtail emissions. Your kids will now be subject to a greater risk of breathing nasty air.

     Yes, I’m an angry mom, angry enough to vote Democrat straight down the line this year.

Ann Turner, Arizona City

April 27, 2022

     So, Ducey’s stacked Arizona Supreme Court has again paid big dividends for the wealthy and stuck a knife in the backs of voters and working families. The governor and his legislative lackeys are celebrating because their “flat tax” cannot be challenged at the ballot box. Their glee is based on a historic income tax overhaul that gives low earners pennies while millionaires get new fortunes. Oh, how pleased they are to have reduced state revenue by $2 billion per year because now they can justify more cuts to public education. 

     If you missed the numbers, here’s a rundown on what this tax cut means for Arizona earners: $26K to $49K get $11 per year; $50K to $75K get $96 per year; $100K to $200K get $615 per year; $512K and up get $30K per year.  

     In short, this tax scheme pays out over 55% of all savings to only 1% of Arizona taxpayers. If this seems unfair to you, the Arizona Supreme Court just told you to pound sand.   

     Aside from the absurdly blatant widening of the income gap, this decision undermines democracy and the will of voters. They’ve ruled that the state’s Constitution is now invalid when it comes to ballot initiatives related to state tax policy. They’ve validated a complete revision of Arizona’s tax code passed by the slimmest majority possible with virtually no input from those who are taxed — this is “taxation without representation” all over again.  

     Our only recourse to this reprehensible miscarriage of legislative and judicial justice is to elect representatives who are committed to fair and balanced tax policies. Folks, it’s time to vote Democrat to protect democracy and your wallet!  

Stevi Seigla, Casa Grande  

March 9, 2022

     HB 2166 exempts firearms and firearm safety equipment from sales tax. Ammunition was then added to this bill, making an already bad gun bill even worse. I think that there are far more important things to consider for tax exemption.  

     Currently ammunition can be purchased in Arizona without a background check, in unlimited quantities, with no record of who bought it, what they purchased and where it may have been shipped. This does not make Arizonans safer. There was a recent indictment of six men who were stockpiling guns and ammunition that they were trafficking to a cartel in Mexico. HB 2166 only makes these purchases more affordable.   

     Data shows more than 2,000 gun deaths and injuries occur in Arizona annually. Think about the cost of gun carnage — gun violence costs in Arizona are $7.6 billion each year, of which $263.2 million is paid by taxpayers! Allowing a tax exemption on guns and ammunition just doesn’t make sense. Gun and ammunition sales are going up every year. Many guns end up in the hands of untrained individuals, making citizens less safe.  

     My sincere hope is that HB 2166 is opposed as it will do nothing to keep Arizonans or any person safer. Please tell your lawmakers to vote no on HB 2166 for a safer Arizona.  

Margaret Baca - Casa Grande

September 20, 2021

     Pinal County should not have been surprised by the 80,000 census undercount. While the Supervisors laughed at their counsel's observation of a 10% decrease in undocumented residents, they ignored the undercount’s serious elephantine history.

     Unmentioned was the thankfully former president's 2019 Executive Order 13880 that politicized the 2020 census by imposing a biased citizenship question eventually blocked by the Supreme Court as based on contrived evidence.

I agree with the county's adviser that correcting the undercount would be long and costly, but disagree that uniting with other counties and municipalities facing loss of funding and congressional representation would hurt Pinal County's case.

     In last year's final days, Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform prophetically warned that because of Trump’s politicization of the census, "the census count risks being inaccurate and incomplete."

     Responding to those concerns, Republican Congressman Don Young and Democrat Ruben Gallego teamed up to extend the deadline for census data collection and processing. Implementation of those bipartisan remedial actions now demands vigorous investigation.

     Pinal County should seek a similar bipartisan effort to correct the universally acknowledged inaccurate undercount.

     The Census Bureau has scheduled a 2020 Census Count Question Resolution program designed to ensure housing and population counts are correctly allocated.

     We should all demand our Supervisors and all Arizona local, county, state and tribal governments to participate in the CQR and vigorously advocate for our undercounted communities.

     Our communities deserve all possible remedies be exhausted to fulfill the constitutional mandate for a complete and accurate census.

Roberto Reveles, Gold Canyon

September 9, 2021

     The callous indifference for Pinal County’s most at-risk communities for contacting COVID-19 was exhibited by a recent 3-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors against accepting a federal $3.4 million grant to help mitigate the spread of the disease and its lethal variants. By refusing to vote for the grant money, the BOS effectively told our rural underserved communities, Native American, African American, the disabled, Hispanic, LBGTQ and other neighbors that their access to health care and information simply is not a priority.

     Obtaining the grant funds is supported by the Pinal County health director, Dr. Tascha Spears, would address the health care needs that our underserved communities face now and provide vital resources necessary to address them in the future. Pinal County’s community resources are stretched thin by multiple wildfires, monsoon flooding and the continued battle against COVID-19 and its variants. With that and the recent explosion of COVID infection rates, school administrators are finding it difficult to open schools safely and business owners are facing the possibility of reduced hours of operation. Without more resources, our families and neighbors feel more vulnerable and left behind.

     Health equity is a value that all Arizonans share regardless of what ZIP code they live in or what political party they ascribe to. It’s about providing care equitably to lift up communities for the betterment of all people in Pinal County.

     The BOS should step up for people over politics and reconsider their decision and vote to accept the grant funds. As citizens of Pinal County you can let your supervisor know with your pen and voice that you want to lift others up so we all can rise and live in a safe and healthy community together.

Lisa Sanor, Chair, Pinal County Democrats

     The Republican Party is in trouble, and not just because it may lose the upcoming election. It faces a threat to its very existence as a viable force in U.S. politics. The Republican base is shrinking. Older, non-college-educated white persons, Baby Boomers primarily, make up the majority of the Republican Party. But that Baby Boomer generation is declining and no longer makes up the largest portion of our population. Within 30 years, white people in general will not even be a majority in this country. The trend has been quite clear since 2008.      

     Republicans have lost the national popular vote in very election since then. Party leaders know all of this but are captives of Trump’s base. The Democratic Party, however, is growing. And that growth is coming from minorities, young people of all colors and disaffected Republicans, primarily suburban white women.

     I am a Democrat, so why should I care if the Republican Party implodes? It is because I firmly believe in a strong two-party political system, which has served our country well throughout our history. All politicians of both political parties need to be held accountable to the will of the voters, and voters need to have viable alternatives.

     What path forward for Republicans? My advice is to read Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill” speech. It speaks of America as a shining beacon of light sitting on a hill with a gate open to all, who live in harmony.

     The Republican Party is sick and needs to be healed. Its current condition is similar to a person who has a boil on his skin. You first treat a boil by lancing it. Donald Trump is that boil. My message to Republicans is: It’s time to take your medicine. When Trump is gone, the healing process can begin.

Diana Oleson - Eloy

     This letter is in reference to two “cartoons” that have been viewed on Vince Leach’s Facebook page: one that has a woman with a baby in her arms and “Black Community” written on her hip and a donkey on the couch by her, while she is bemoaning the fact that she’s scared to leave the Democratic Party because it has told her she “would never make it on her own.” The other is picturing a white woman being robbed by a Black man, and he’s saying basically “lots o’ luck — the police have been defunded so they’re not coming to save you.”

     Because of this blatant display of racist, misogynistic and insulting opinions on his Facebook page, Arizona state Sen. Vince Leach has convinced me that this is his mindset and that he does not belong in a leadership role. Not only does he express his own personal feelings and thoughts regarding the current racial crisis, he also speaks for the party, the Republican Party, on this issue as well as the issues of policing, welfare and the relationship that the Black community has with the Democratic Party.

     Supporters of Mr. Leach, is this OK with you? Are you fine with saying “yes” to a guy who publicly demonstrates this kind of low opinion of Blacks and women?

     Please consider openly denouncing Vince Leach, the senator for Legislative District 11. He is an embarrassment to the people of my district and should be censored at the very least and reprimanded by his party leaders. I hope his people realize that he is only reinforcing the view that the Republican Party is racist and intolerant and has a condescending attitude toward women and minorities.

Ann Turner  - Arizona City