Mailbag

Married Men Who Mess With Other Women Should Get Ass-Kickings

I'm writing in response to Anna C. Christensen's Guest Commentary in the Sept. 17 issue.

What happened to the married man who knocked up women left and right? Did he get the ass-kicking he so deserved? How about the hypothetical modern-day successor who keeps screwing women around?

Kit L. Lo


Yet More Evidence of the Obnoxiousness of the French

With the French language at the steps of la guillotine in many local schools, it was refreshing to see at least the French culture get a boost with the addition of a Best French Restaurant category in Best of Tucson® (Sept. 24). But if you're going to tempt our taste buds with mention of such culinary delights as mignon de veau au Calvados (served at Le Rendez-vous, winner of the title,) please keep the French language as exquisite as the cuisine!

To your credit, several French expressions were spelled correctly. However, "hors d'oeuvres" should be spelled without the "s" at the end; the question in parenthesis should read "Comment dit-on 'well duh!' en français?"; the correct name of the restaurant, as stated in the last line, should read "Le Rendez-vous;" finally, "nombre un" should be corrected to "numéro un."

You don't have to be a member of l'Académie Française to get it right. Any French teacher, including moi, will be happy to help.

Merci beaucoup.

Barbara Russek


Yet More Evidence of the Obnoxiousness of People in General

Hey, Weekly: Great job as usual with the Best of Tucson® issue.

A couple of things:

Best Commercial Jewelry? Car Wash? Gym? Who gives a crap? If you're going to include Pet Supplies and Clothing Store in your Best of Tucson®, why stop there? Why not Best Vacuum Cleaner Store? Best Medical Supplies and Prosthetics? Best Stationery Store? Best Cooler Pads? Oh, wait. You did include Best Cooler Pads.

What's up with Charles Bowden? I'll tell you the reason he can't answer Best Place to Take Someone Out for a Date: Who would want to go on a date with a guy like that? If next year's issue has a category for Best Pessimistic Curmudgeonly Enviro-Grouch, I vote for Charles Bowden.

Sam Partain


Perhaps If You Didn't Call Him 'Fatso,' You'd Get a Response

I lament Brian McCarthy's attempts to get a response from fatso Congressman Raúl Grijalva, but more taxpayer-funded aides isn't the answer ("Response Requested," Sept. 17). These incompetent aides are not responsible to the taxpayer in any sense.

I addressed a concern to Grijalva two years ago about Sandra Flint, the Veterans Administration regional director for Southern Arizona. She doesn't answer her correspondence—at least I never got an answer from her regarding rude employees who answer the Veterans Affairs' 1-800 line. One of Raul's umpteen aides was supposed to help me. I've explained the predicament more than a dozen different times to him. Each time, he says he will find out how to contact Ms. Flint and get an answer for me.

Each time, he never calls back, and I call him and ask, "Why no call back?" Each time, he says he doesn't remember what was discussed, so I explain again.

Finally, I wrote Raul about this incompetent. I wrote several times. I never got an answer.

More aides aren't the answer. New politicians who hold their hardworking and competent aides accountable—that is the answer.

How do we get rid of arrogant dinosaurs like Raul, and Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl? Why don't they get real jobs like normal people?

Alan Neff


Why All the References to the 'Success' of Struggling Ireland?

That was an excellent letter from state Rep. Frank Antenori explaining his efforts on behalf of the citizens of our state ("Antenori: We Cut Gift to Science Foundation Arizona to Help Fund Education," Mailbag, Sept. 24). I agree that cuts need to be made, but not always in the areas the Legislature has pursued.

I recently finished a book, The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008, by Paul Krugman, recipient of the 2008 Noble Prize in Economics. I found the book to be very informative, and I highly recommend it.

I am confused by continued references to the success of Ireland's economic mode ("Investment Issues," Sept. 10). Currently, Ireland's unemployment rate exceeds our own (at 10.4 percent) and is faced with crushing deficits; its home-building industry has collapsed. Ireland is arguably in worse economic shape than the United States. This information is widely available through news articles posted on the Internet.

Greye Passarelli


Correction

In the Best Auto Repair category in the Best of Tucson® (Sept. 24), we reported that "Jimmy's Broadway Automotive Service has been fixing cars in Tucson since 1965." Actually, Jimmy's Broadway Automotive has been open since 1956. We apologize for the mistake.