Why is Kirsten Engel being wrongly vilified by her opponent? Because her opponent lacks the knowledge and experience to solve crucial Arizona problems. The edited ads of Engel completely misrepresent her opinion on critical issues. Engel is not extreme nor is she radical. Engel is an expert in water rights and water conservation research. She supports public education, a woman's right to make her own health decisions and she advocates for working families. Engel is endorsed by labor, education, and environmental groups. Her opponent is too inexperienced and uninformed to represent Arizona so he has resorted to name-calling and lying, which demonstrates an absence of integrity. What a pathetic way to campaign! My family supports Engel because she will ensure our children will have a future. Jeanie Sartore
Letter by Cindy Doklan of TucsonPetitions are a tool for us to participate in our self-governance in Arizona. They are enshrined in Article 4 of the Arizona Constitution. We gather signatures over weeks and weeks, and if enough voters sign by the deadline, the issue will appear on your ballot in November. Like the marijuana law and education funding, citizens vote directly “yes” or ”no.” Yet this summer, and summers past, not a single newspaper, television, or radio broadcast informed the public when and where voters could sign petitions. The press only reported on petitions after the signature collection was over. Petition drives that had enough signatures to be on the ballot in November made headlines, along with others that did not, such as women’s reproductive rights. The impact? To ensure reproductive rights in Arizona, you must vote for a Democratic governor and representatives. No Republicans will defend reproductive rights. There is no other option. The press has a civic duty to report petitions launched, with updates on the times and locations citizens can sign. Then, Arizonans will have a true bipartisan choice.
'Children,' 'guns' don't belong in same sentence The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Allmond is a Democratic candidate for the Arizona State House of Representatives in Legislative District 17: As a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and a mother of four children, I am more qualified to speak on the tragic events in Uvalde, Texas, than most. Military service members know the destruction an assault rifle will always inflict on a human body. We must not allow weapons of war to be sold as recreational entertainment. Their sole purpose is to kill and to kill in a devastating fashion. The Declaration of Independence holds that we are all entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There is a reason the word 'life' is listed first. If you are not alive, you have no liberty. If you are dead, you cannot pursue happiness. The victims in Uvalde were slaughtered. Our children are absolutely not expendable. The American gun lobby abuses the privilege of gun ownership. They are directly responsible for the death and maiming of American children. Consider for a moment, bullets from an AR-15 traveling three times the speed of a handgun. The shrapnel sends shock waves throughout young bodies. Bones are shattered. Organs explode. It's a bomb going off in their bodies! When originally written, the U.S. Constitution did not give blanket permission for citizens to own any future weapon that could possibly be created. In the world of the Founders, their point of reference was a musket. Tragically, in the seconds it might take for the mythical 'good guy with a gun' to reach for their weapon, dozens of children can be mowed down. There is no time to react, let alone protect the innocent. While the children in Robb Elementary School were screaming in their classrooms, the police cowered outside putting their personal safety first. The loudest voices in the gun debate scream about tyranny, but real tyranny is being murdered in spaces that should have been safe. Places of worship. Grocery stores. Schools. The list is too long. Polls reveal regardless of political party affiliation, over 80% of Americans want universal background checks for gun purchases. We want restrictions on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and bump stocks. Require every individual buying a gun to view autopsy photos of the children slaughtered by their cluelessness. Contrary to our shared public values, the gun lobby stomps its feet like spoiled brats while our children are forced to grow up too quickly; participating in active shooter drills and learning how to apply tourniquets to their classmates and teachers. My three youngest children have participated in active shooter drills since they were in preschool. Assault rifles are not toys and our children are not the enemy. We demand Congress pass gun legislation now. Our children must thrive and live without fear of being gunned down. We will never stay silent! Dana Allmond is a Marana resident, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with more than 23 years of active duty service, a 1994 West Point graduate and a Democratic candidate for Arizona State House of Representatives in Legislative District 17. DANA ALLMOND Special to the Arizona Daily Star
A strong economy With all the talk of rising inflation, I worried about the state of our economy. After reading the economic news published this past month, I have a better understanding of other factors involved and am no longer concerned. President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan created more than 400,000 new jobs every month for 12 straight months, resulting in a solid streak of hiring that continues to defy inflation, supply shortages, the war in Ukraine and higher interest rates. Business is booming. With 4,300 major construction projects underway across the country, unemployment rates are at their lowest level in more than 50 years. Due to the ongoing monthly increase in jobs and higher wages, consumer spending is up, and it is outpacing inflation. The national debt is down for the first time in six years, and the value of the U.S. dollar is at its highest level in 20 years. I hope you too can rest a little easier knowing our economy is stronger than it has been in decades. Jacolyn Marshall
