Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: Sean Miller reportedly will be paid $18 million to coach the University of Arizona’s men’s basketball team for the next seven years.

Your take: Is anyone worth that kind of money? The Citizen’s online community debates. Some readers note that Miller’s salary will come from the UA athletic department’s budget and won’t be paid by taxpayers; others say that’s irrelevant – it’s excessive, period.

Some representative comments:

• “No one, no one is worth that money.” – AZJD

• “The regents ought to have heartburn when they write paychecks for the left-lib professors (who) do nothing all day but complain and produce idealistic robots. Close the sociology department. . . . ” – holland

“Close the sociology department, and you’ll have more Bernie Madoffs.” – sagandraxan

• “$18 million to hire someone to train our local scholars-in-training to throw a ball through a hoop. Absurd. The university deserves every cut in funds it gets.” – wea

• “(UA’s athletics department) doesn’t even receive a penny from taxpayers or state budget. . . . Asking the athletics department to not spend that money and use it on professors is just like asking Raytheon to fork over money for UA professors.” – Dmusic

• “Good God. $18 million! The rest of us are barely making it out here. That’s . . . insane.” – 2998

• “The benefits and return on investment outweigh the cost. Believe it! Tucson will continue to be a visible player in the sports and academic world because of the these types of investments.” – davidrodriguez

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

UA’s $18 million man

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Tuesday, April 7

1Gimino: UA strikes gold in hunt for hoops coach.

2Miller’s reported $18M raises eyebrows at UA, but little anger.

3Pima County corrections officer shot while in jail parking lot.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The story: Mexican drug cartels are having a “tremendous impact” on Tucson-area crime, Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik says. The cartels are supplying local drug rings with marijuana and fueling an increase in drug-related homicides, kidnappings and home invasions,

Your take: Both ends of the solution spectrum are well represented in comments from the Citizen’s online community. Some readers want legalization of pot; others, militarization of the border.

Some representative comments:

• “Prohibition created organized crime. Now pot is doing the same. Here’s an idea. Make pot legal. Tax it. Make money off of it rather than spend billions trying to stop it. Problem solved.” – rezguy

• “Here’s an idea – stop doing drugs, losers. Problem solved. No demand, no cartels. We just need to start at the top with Obama and work our way down. . . .” – Scotty F.

• “OK, just build the wall, make a ‘no man’s land’ out of a few dozen yards. Line it with a few mines and just leave them where they fall as a reminder to the rest of the drug pushers.” – Big 10

• “Why . . . don’t they put checkpoints on all the roadways out of Tucson to catch it?” – mustberight

• “Why don’t these morons listen to Sheriff Joe?” – tucsonchris

• “Decriminalization of drugs would be a huge blow to the ‘National Security State’ . . . and less reason to justify unreasonable police powers.” – demospolis

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Monday, April 6

1 Report: Xavier coach changes mind, will take UA job.

2 Xavier coach apparently turns down offer.

3 Sex case suspect fatally shot after pointing gun at cops.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: Global warming is just so much hot air, conservative columnist Cal Thomas asserts.

Your take: Plenty of pot shots at Al Gore, and at Thomas, to wit: “You can’t find a bigger expert on ‘hot air’ than Cal Thomas,” andybill says. Some representative comments:

• “Aren’t global warming advocates benefiting monetarily? Al Gore certainly is.” neonbill

• “The polar ice caps are melting, glaciers are shrinking, storms are getting more severe and often catastrophic, incidences of skin cancer are skyrocketing, droughts are never-ending and crops and livestock are faltering around the world. . . . Continue to live in your cave, Cal Thomas.” rubysky

• “It gets warmer, and it gets colder for long periods and short periods. Nobody knows enough to begin to explain it.” Carl123

• “It seems that there are enough gullible people to actually believe that mankind is so incredibly powerful that we caused it all.” purson

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

Global warming

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Thursday, April 2

1Floyd to stay at USC.

2Criticism wearing on Hein as council evaluation looms.

3Maricopa County halts immigration funds.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: In a column, Opinion Editor Billie Stanton sounds the alarm about a proposal in the Arizona Legislature that would limit access to abortion. It’s a bill “only a Neanderthal could love,” she writes.

Your take: Count the Citizen’s online community firmly in the camp of the Neanderthals, who dismiss Stanton as firmly in the “pro-death” camp.

Several readers say that Stanton overreacted to provisions in the measure that would require doctors to lecture pregnant girls and women about abortion alternatives. “Oh, the inhumanity of getting a lecture from your doctor regarding the alternative to an abortion,” Arafel notes sarcastically.

Some representative comments:

• “Vote to protect life from conception to natural death.” cactusbob

• “When it comes to preventing pregnancies . . . Stanton is all for plenty of education. But once the girl is pregnant, it’s time to roll out the abortion machines . . . forget about education at that point.” Tucson James

• “Don’t claim (abortion) is a ‘right’ just because you think it should be.” neonbill

• “It’s interesting that the pro-death camp never finishes their favorite mantra: ‘It’s a woman’s right to choose.’ They should be honest and tell the whole story: It’s a woman’s right to choose to have her unborn child surgically dismembered and sent down a garbage disposal.” harley cleanslate

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

Abortion access in Arizona

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL STORIES

For Wednesday, April 1

1Ex-Cat Pastner will follow Calipari to Kentucky.

2Gimino: Cash must carry the day in coaching search.

3Man’s death in police custody still a mystery.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: A spring training baseball facility is proposed for Marana. Price tag: $125 million. To foot the bill, county voters might be asked to approve a new tax on hotels, car rentals, bars and restaurants and other businesses that benefit from spring training.

Your take: Marana, an economic juggernaut? In the eyes of the Citizen’s online community, Tucson’s Northwest Side neighbor has the moxie and the prime location that the Old Pueblo lacks.

Some representative comments:

• “Marana provides the easiest access for teams traveling from the Phoenix area.” youresmart

• “Places like Marana and Oro Valley are actually growing while Tucson teaches its children to paint graffiti and spends millions of dollars on the study of a bridge that we can’t even afford.” raingeg1

• “Marana will outgrow Tucson and be a better city than Tucson could ever hope to be.” handslikeclouds

• “Marana has all the advantages that the current TEP location does not: a progressive, business friendly climate . . . .” MS

• “And if we build a facility in Marana, how long before we are held hostage again?” leftfield

• “In these troubled times, millionaires need our help.” taxpayr

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

Spring training in Marana

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Tuesday, March 31

1Editorial: Council shuns responsibility as city budget woes worsen.

2Payne should be sentenced to death, jury says.

3Suburban schools see limited Hispanic integration.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: In an editorial, the Citizen supports the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling that two school voucher programs violate the state constitution by funneling tax money for private schools.

Your take: Even those in the Citizen’s online community who believe that private schools are superior to public institutions don’t believe private schools should receive tax money.

• “We sent our kids to private schools out of choice and did not expect that the state or federal government pay for them.” MerleBreiland

• “Many private schools were founded by crooks looking for voucher money, especially in poverty ridden cities.” tucsonchris

• “Private schools appear to do better because they can cherry-pick their students, and remove the problematic ones.” Don M.

• “You can’t educate children effectively in a state in which the people who make up the substantial part of the tax base are retired and do not want to spend the money (on education).” handslikeclouds

• “You can still send your kids to any school you want. You just can’t do it with taxpayer dollars or at the expense of public schools.” leftfield

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Monday, March 30

1Home on West Side built from old tires, cans.

2Altercation diverts Southwest flight to Denver.

3Visitors frustrated at Luke Air Force Base show.

The big debate:

School vouchers

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

1Crime spree: Howard Ned McMonigal III, 36, is sentenced to 128.75 years after being convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault, theft, conducting an illegal enterprise, aggravated assault, illegal possession of a vehicle and possession of methamphetamine. McMonigal and his half-brother, who received a sentence of 24 years, ran a criminal enterprise that took advantage of vulnerable women.

2A bobcat walks into a bar . . . : It sounds like the setup of a joke, but no one at the Chapparal Bar in Cottonwood was laughing. Two men are bitten inside the tavern after a bobcat wanders in. Earlier, the cat had scratched a woman who thought she had hit it with her car. Officers called to the bar find the animal in the parking lot, where they shoot and kill it. The bobcat was to undergo rabies testing; it wasn’t clear how seriously the men were bitten.

3″Very severe, permanent injuries.” That’s how attorney Brick Storts describes the injuries eye doctor Bradley Schwartz has suffered after Schwartz was beaten by other inmates four times in one year while being housed in the Arizona Department of Corrections’ Rincon Unit, 10000 S. Wilmot Road. Schwartz, convicted of hiring a hit man to kill his former business partner, is blind in one eye and has suffered a broken nose, Storts says. Schwartz has filed a $750,000 claim against ADOC.

4Bad childhood: A forensic psychologist testifies that Christopher Mathew Payne, facing the death penalty after being convicted of murdering his children, was reared in a dysfunctional atmosphere, surrounded by drug addicts.

5Street fair post mortem: Key numbers from the 40th annual Spring Street Fair: a healthy 300,000 visitors, but a 20 percent decline in sales, organizers say.

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: Seeking to impart his message ever so precisely, President Obama employs a Teleprompter at his press conference this week to read a prepared statement about the economy.

Your take: In what universe do Obama’s oratorical skills compare poorly with that of his predecessor? In the little universe that is the Tucson Citizen online community, of course.

Some representative comments:

• “(George W. Bush) speaks from the heart about saving American lives against a sworn enemy who vows our destruction. . . . Here comes a robot, a Teleprompter reader.” – Okla. Wildcat

• “Think of (the Teleprompter) as a binky . . . something BHO just can’t do without. Again, a sign of his inexperience. He’s not a great orator; he’s a good reader.” – Tucson James

• “Let’s spin the Obama Wheel-O-Rhetoric and . . . create his next speech: crisis, change, hope, bold, transparency, mistake, greed, swiftly, invest, inherited, look, failures.” – Scotty F.

• “Let’s be fair. . . . I bet numerous presidents have read off of Teleprompters.” – John7294

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

Obama’s news conference

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Thursday, March 26

1Arizona bobcat attacks three people, including two in bar.

2Eye doctor convicted of hiring hit man sues state after prison beating.

3Fewer pets euthanized at local shelters.

Citizen Staff Writer

The story: Despite the demise of the Rocky Mountain News, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and, yes, the Tucson Citizen, newspapers are here to stay, because readers will realize “Internet anarchy” is a poor replacement for real journalism, Opinion Editor Billie Stanton says in a column.

Your take: For the umpteenth time, Citizen readers shout: Newspapers won’t survive because they’re too liberal.

Some representative comments:

• “Billie S. is a just a little upset that if she starts a blog, she will be merely one more voice in the cacophony, and not the big fish in the little Tucson Citizen pond like she is now . . . a pond that is drying up around her.” – thebigshmoog

• “Just as Second Amendment rights should only be used responsibly, so too should First Amendment rights only be used responsibly. Using either recklessly can be equally dangerous.” – xflbret

• “The problem with the mainstream newspapers was not that they voiced their opinions; it is that they did not keep their opinions on the Opinion page.” – 5801

• “We need journalists in this country. Blogs are like reality shows – filled mostly with the lowest common denominator . . . suddenly having a soapbox. Exercises in ego and narcissism.” – rytter

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

Print journalism’s future

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Wednesday, March 25

1 Defense: Payne had dysfunctional childhood.

2 U.S. border surge to combat cartels.

3 Stanton: Trust us, we’ll survive.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The story: The free home that “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” built for a family on the Navajo Nation is too cold to live in, and costs too much to heat. Some family members have moved out.

Your take: Not much sympathy (surprise!) from the Citizen’s online community, whose attitude is “You get what you pay for.” Or, as outofstate puts it, “Sometimes, it costs more when it’s free.”

Some representative comments:

• “Would you like some cheese with that whine?” – skooter72

• “Wow, so that dream house wasn’t perfect after all? Thanks for letting us readers know about the problems that follow such a quickly built ‘mansion.’ ” – 2667

• “I saw that episode, and the house they have now is still way better than the trailer they were in. . . . But I do think the companies involved need to take care of, and stand behind their work.” – azmouse

• “I guess no one on ‘Home Makeover’ researched the winter climate of the Navajo Nation. Tucson or Phoenix, it is not. It’s a shame that they leave these people with shoddy construction, to suffer more than they already have.” – fidel

• “You get what you don’t pay for.” – scottyf

• “Haste makes waste.” – f4fixer

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Tuesday, March 24

1 Tucson man gets 128 years in prison for crime spree.

2 Feds: Arizona risks losing $1.6 billion in stimulus funds.

3 Teen gets five years for drive-by shooting that killed 55-year-old man.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: In an editorial, the Citizen applauds the city of Tucson’s decision to put on hold planned Rio Nuevo museums and to route rapidly shrinking tax revenue into the construction of a new arena and convention center-hotel.

Your take: The Citizen’s online community doesn’t buy the editorial’s contention that the worst-in-eight-decades economy is at the root of the downtown revitalization project’s economic woes. Readers blame city officials, who, as Spirit of Zenger puts it, “dropped the ball in nearly every way possible” on Rio Nuevo. Some representative comments:

• “Rio Nuevo is a sinkhole for taxpayer money. . . . Everyone involved should be fired and made to account for their waste of money.” Blythechris

• “The current economic situation has nothing to do with the state of Rio Nuevo. Rio Nuevo is a failure because of city government, the local developers and the sorry group that passes for community leadership.” 6495

• “If we . . . continue to show the state that we cannot handle simple projects, it will be a long time before we receive funding or consideration for future projects.” Thebigshmoog

• “(One hundred) million dollars and nothing has happened. No wonder Phoenix views Tucson as a city full of thieves.” mtrued

• “I’ve lived worldwide and all over the U.S. Never have I seen such a mismanaged city.” Ohiorat

• “No more Rio Nuevo! Keep downtown Tucson crappy! That’s how people here seem to like it!” fidel

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

Rio Nuevo retrenchment

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL STORIES

For Saturday, March 21

1Twelfth’s night: Cats laugh at critics after beating No. 5 seed Utah.

2Fans soak in Arizona’s victory over Utah.

3Arizona-Cleveland State matchup.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST WEEK IN REVIEW

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

1 Still alive: The Tucson Citizen’s closure is delayed as potential buyers negotiate with Gannett Co. Inc., the media chain that owns the newspaper. The paper was to have closed March 21, until “very interested buyers” stepped forward. How many buyers? Two, says a Gannett exec, but a company spokeswoman won’t confirm that number. An investigation into the sale process is “ongoing,” a Justice Department spokesperson says.

2 Payne trial: Jurors, who will determine whether Christopher Mathew Payne is executed or spends the rest of his life in prison, hear stories of his character and upbringing. Payne was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse and two counts of concealing or abandoning a body in the deaths of his children, Ariana Payne, 3, and Tyler Payne, 4.

3 Immigrants: An Associated Press computer analysis of every person being held on immigration charges on a recent Sunday night shows that most did not have a criminal record and many were not about to leave the country – voluntarily or via deportation.

4 Remains: Skeletal remains found in the bed of the Santa Cruz River in Marana could be those of a man swept to his death by floodwaters in Tucson last summer.

5 Grandma: The U.S. Border Patrol says a 43-year-old Douglas grandmother had her two grandchildren with her when she tried to smuggle a marijuana-stuffed purse into the country.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: President Obama’s planned shifting of border resources away from workplace raids inside the U.S. to fight Mexico drug cartels “is a step in the right direction,” Rep. Raúl Grijalva says.

Your take: Given the Citizen’s precarious situation, this might be the last time we take a stroll along the border. It’s a well-worn path.

Some representative comments:

• “This latest effort simply re-enforces the idea that if you get past the border, you are home free, and businesses that exploit cheap labor couldn’t be happier.” – Spirit of Zenger

• “And that’s how you rewrap amnesty for illegals and welfare for Mexico. You call it ‘shifting resources.’ ” – 1967

• “If Mexico’s violence is America’s fault, then how can Canada sneak in over $5 billion in cannabis yearly and not go around kidnapping people and chopping their heads off?” – prodesert

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

Our demise: Chapter 198

The story: Associate Editor Mark Kimble ponders the Citizen’s future. Two “interested buyers” are negotiating a purchase with Gannett Co. Inc., the newspaper’s corporate master.

Your take: “Every once in a while, a person in hospice has to leave hospice because they continue to live. May the Tucson Citizen have the good fortune and luck to have this outcome. – dwg

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Thursday, March 19

1Jury: Payne can be sentenced to death.

2Kimble: Stay of execution.

3Report: First medics turned away in Natasha Richardson’s fall.

The big debate:

Drugs and violence on the border

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

The story: Arizona’s oldest continuously published newspaper will keep going, day by day, while negotiations are completed between Gannett Co. Inc., which owns the Tucson Citizen, and two “very interested buyers.” Our old drop-dead date was March 21; our new one is . . . who knows?

Your take: You like us, you really like us! Well, not really. Our “liberal slant” (to quote scholl) continues to irk many readers, but you would rather not see us die. Some representative comments:

• “What a nightmare for the staffers. Day to day. No way to plan a future if you need to do so.” rubysky

• “I don’t want to see more people needing work, and Tucson needs all the news options it can get.” azmouse

• “If you think you have a tough job, try making an announcement like that to a group of journalists. Way to go, Citizen employees ! I wish all employees exercised their right to know as well as you do.” 5945. (To see the video of the announcement to the Citizen’s staff, see this story at www.tucsoncitizen.com/opinion.)

• “If the owners were not doing this to the Citizens employees, I supposed they would be sitting around somewhere pulling wings off flies.” eugene

• “I’m sure many Citizen employees are starting work at a new job on Monday. This move by Gannett risks their severance packages if they go to their new jobs. Shame on Gannett for this!” mustberight

• “Why doesn’t the Citizen change its name to reflect its real journalistic concern and keep publishing? Tucson would go ga-ga over a paper called the Daily Lute and Cute Animals News.” franklin

• “Let this commie rag die already.” sever

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The big debate:

‘Day to day’

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Wednesday, March 18

1Citizen to stay open “day to day”; closure delayed.

2Man killed in pickup crash ID’d.

3AIG CEO says employees starting to return bonuses.

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

The story: The U.S. and Mexico must focus resources on stopping drug- and human-trafficking organizations that are behind the escalating violence on the border, U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Tucson, tells the Tucson Citizen Editorial Board.

Your take: Plenty of Grijalva-bashing, with little attention paid to what he actually was saying. Hidden among the insults, the Citizen’s online community attempts a discussion of one of the underlying causes of border violence: drug consumption in the U.S. Some representative comments:

• “Our use of drugs is the basis of the problem. We need to use (our) firepower on these stupid . . . .” mustberight

• “If the U.S. would legalize/tax alldrugs, we could pay off our national debt in less than two weeks! . . . Prohibition still doesn’t work.” cwthe1st

• “So long as America insists that drug use and addiction are ‘moral’ and ‘character’ issues, so long will we see violence associated with the vast sums of money to be made supplying the trade. Money trumps everything in capitalist society.” leftfield

• “The solutions really are simple here. First, end the drug war by decriminalizing. . . . . Tax the crap out of it. . . . This takes the money out of the drug cartels and puts it into our government, and we can then use it to finance rehab and anti-drug-use programs” Wearetribal

• “1) Bring our troops home. 2) Deploy them from Brownsville (Texas) to San Diego. Border secured.” davedog

MOST-VIEWED

LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Saturday, March 14

1 Grijalva wants new policies to combat smuggling at border.

2 CPS saw no neglect, drug abuse on mother’s part.

3 Tucson man gets 19-year sentence in fatal DUI crash.