Citizen Staff Writer
Napolitano, get in line with Obama on border
Thank you for your May 10 editorial celebrating President Obama’s decision to pull funding from the budget for future border wall construction (“Obama move halts pointless, devastating border fence”).
The Sierra Club agrees this is great news for animals, plants and all borderland habitat.
But Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said she will finish all 670 miles of Bush’s border wall, 624 of which have been built so far.
That means 46 more miles of environmentally devastating wall – bad news for wildlife.
In California’s Otay Mountain Wilderness, extensive erosion damage is resulting from haphazard new roads plowed through this formerly roadless wilderness area.
In Texas, significant portions of the Sabal Palms and Southmost Preserve refuges will be walled off if construction continues.
The Sierra Club asks Napolitano to suspend border wall construction to allow on-the-ground consultation and compliance with federal laws. It is time to make a clean break from past border policy.
Dan Millis
Borderlands Campaign
Sierra Club
For better circulation, end the paper chase
Maybe the circulation of both newspapers would be higher if the carriers would throw the papers where the subscribers ask them to.
Maybe other people get tired of having to complain over and over and just quit taking one or both of the papers.
All we ask is that the carriers throw the paper on our brick walkway, not on the driveway for cars to drive over and not in the neighbor’s driveway.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Not for the carriers. One wonders how many subscribers have been lost over the years because of such a simple issue.
Barbara Young
Green Valley
Government dole isn’t limited to just the poor
Fifteen years ago, I worked for the Department of Economic Security as a computer programmer, and about 10 percent of Arizonans were receiving food stamps.
That number has not changed much. Today, about 10 percent of the population of Arizona still receives food stamps.
I don’t have the number for people involved in other government welfare programs, but I suspect it is just as high.
Poor people are not the only ones on welfare programs. A lot of rich people are on the dole and get what we call “corporate welfare programs.”
A good example is the current bailout of millionare Wall Street brokers and bankers.
Mike Ross
Tempe
Raúl with the punches: It’s always about race
It figures that bigmouth (U.S. Rep.) Raúl Grijalva demands an apology from Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, for having made supposedly insensitive remarks toward Hispanics.
It’s always about “race” with Raúl, isn’t it?
He constantly tries to throw his considerable weight around.
If only he were concerned with the lousy performance of his congressional staff, which is predominantly Hispanic.
Who’s racist?
ALAN NEFF
Chorus of arts lovers, speak with one voice
If you appreciate arts of all kinds in Arizona, this is the time to speak up!
If you haven’t done so already, please take the time to write to all Arizona legislators, not just your local representatives.
This (current state budget plan) is just incredible.
This would mean we will lose our federal matching funds for arts programs.
The U.S. government gives $2 for every $1 provided by Arizona.
But what legislators are proposing currently is way below the threshold that is necessary to receive Obama’s arts money infusion.
Add your voice!
Catherine Nash
Rob Renfrow
Reader single-minded on health care demand
We, the American people, want health care.
We don’t want more insurance. We’ve had it.
I’m sick of paying an organization to tell me I can’t have procedures or medicines recommended by my physician.
I want single-payer health care! NOW!
Bob Williams
Sahuarita
Kill vulturous insurers so rest can carry on
Gaining control of runaway health care expenditures is to be accomplished by merely excluding the greedy health insurance companies from the system.
Health insurance companies consume 1 out of every 3 health care dollars and provide no health care value added.
They rake in the premiums, pay out on some claims, deny the rest and pay themselves handsomely for their pitiful contribution.
Physicians, hospitals and pharmacy companies are not the problem with our system, as they do provide health care value added.
Health insurance companies are nothing more than greedy Wall Street buzzards.
America needs to excise them from the system, and the sooner, the better.
William Hatalsky