Libertarian, Green. Green, Libertarian.
Jonathan Hoffman: Are you open to Green Party perspectives (Guest
Commentary, Nov. 26)?
The key to cooperative residences in any neighborhood is
communication. The fact that the Feldman’s Neighborhood Association did
exist before developer Mike Goodman planned the mini-dorm development
(with the aid of Tucson Development Services) doesn’t mean he ever
communicated his intentions with the association. It was only after
approval by City Council that the developer recognized the Feldman’s
Neighborhood Association as worthy of communication.
Dave Croteau
Feldman’s Neighborhood Has No Choice but to Fight
Mini-Dorms
The Guest Commentary that appeared in the Nov. 26 issue was riddled
with inaccuracies, as is typical of conservative writings on the
subject of community efforts to reduce the deleterious impact of
mini-dorm developments in our city.
Feldman’s Neighborhood isn’t anti-diversity or specifically
anti-student. We are anti-mini-dorm, and one of the reasons is the
astonishing amount of crime associated with these structures. I did an
analysis of crime statistics, and here’s what I found: The main cluster
of mini-dorms contains 2.5 percent of the residential addresses in
Feldman’s, but it has 11.4 percent of the police incidents. The
incidents include arson, kidnapping and assault on police officers.
We are doing our best to address this serious problem. One could
certainly speculate as to whether zoning laws are the best imaginable
tool for the job in the best of all possible worlds. But here in the
real world, we use the tools available.
Diana Lett
Vice president, Feldman’s Neighborhood
Association
Comments From Readers at TucsonWeekly.com
Regarding “A Letter From Dogpatch,” Nov. 26:
As long as people are allowed to be ignorant regarding how to care
for an animal, where disease comes from and how it is spread, as well
as spay and neutering, the Pima Animal Care Center will have its hands
full.
Instead of getting on PACC’s seriously flawed case, the origin of
the problem needs to be addressed. Guess what it is? Poverty and
ignorance. Let’s have the county have a go at that.
—arielwren
I work with a rescue organization. One way to truly help is to
volunteer. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, dog-walkers are so needed.
Become a foster parent and foster a dog or cat through one of the
rescue organizations in Tucson. There is a list on the Pima Animal Care
Center Web site. We are always looking for committed foster
homes! Spay and neuter your pets. Help a rescue organization or
PACC by making tax-deductible donations to them, or donate food or
supplies. Most importantly, quit thinking of family pets as disposable.
Start thinking of them as part of the family. Quit relying on someone
else to take over your responsibilities in life, and become a
responsible, loving human being, and be compassionate. It starts with
all of us helping. Without all of us working as a team, nothing will
ever be accomplished, and the only ones that really suffer are the
animals in Pima County.
—Terri
The problem isn’t going to go away if we keep the focus on the
dysfunctional animal organizations (and that’s all of them). They are
too interested in self-promotion, power games and lying to the public.
Forget them. If you want an animal, rescue one off the street. At least
you’ll know where it came from—and it won’t have been sprayed
with toxic chemicals every morning, or won’t have spent the day
languishing in a cage or a lonely room.
But Tucson’s ignorant, uneducated, violent and shiftless
population—where backyard breeding, throwaway cats and keeping
neglected, poorly socialized dogs “fer pertekshun” are normal—has
got to change. I am not pointing any racial fingers here. “Trash” comes
in all colors. Compassionate animal care needs to be taught all the way
through school as part of health classes.
Oh, wait. Those of you with the guard dogs are too busy voting
against “eddycayshun” if you vote at all, and the politicians are too
busy catering to the least-educated, most-violent element of society to
allocate any money to the schools.
Tucson. Dumb, ignorant, violent … and proud of it.
—abc123
If the former animal care officer is not describing “an accurate
assessment of what goes on at PACC,” than why didn’t they let the
reporter and Supervisor (Ray) Carroll view the euthanasia process?
Somebody is not being honest. Personally, I believe former officer
Trissy Coppens demonstrates tremendous integrity by speaking
out—unlike her former colleagues.
—Regina
Regarding the review of Weezer’s Raditude, Rhythm &
Views, Nov. 26:
I think you’ve given this turd a little more credit than it
deserves. And the social criticism in this album is about as pointed
and credible as that Beverly Hills song they had a while back that you
can still hear in T.J. Maxx. This doesn’t even pass the greasy hipster
I-like-it-ironically-hurr standards. Way more painful than fun.
—stalecloud
This article appears in Dec 3-9, 2009.
Re Currents, page 11, Jesse Kelly’s plan to unseat Gabrielle Giffords
Privatize Social Security?! Phase out Medicare, “thus getting off the public dole.” Excuse me?! Ain’t no entitlement. Ain’t no dole. Puleaze!
Social Security and Medicare are only entitlements, if one can say that car and home insurance, and savings and investments are entitlements. True, we are entitled to receive a payout for a car accident or house fire based on policy and premiums. We are entitled to get the savings back that we have deposited. However, we do not refer to car and home owner insurance or savings deposits as entitlements. We should not use those words or “dole” when referring to Social Security and Medicare either.
We pay. Employers and workers pay every payday toward Social Security and Medicare. When we receive Medicare, we keep paying. When employed, I paid $46 a month for insurance coverage that included vision and dental. On Medicare, I not only pay more than $300 monthly for total insurance, I also have trouble finding Tucson doctors who accept Medicare as insurance.
Medicare currently costs recipients $96 a month (about to go up). Part D (drugs) is roughly another $30 (going up). Then there is Medigap — add another $187 (and that’s about to go up, too). More than $300 a month without dental or vision coverage. That’s no dole unless one is saying the recipient is continuing to dole out money to get entitlements.
But it is not surprising that Mr. Kelly might think Medicare is not important. As a vet, he is on the dole with the VA. Should he get elected, we taxpayers will be purchasing him a wonderful lifetime health insurance policy.
Before Social Security, our elders were poor. Even with Medicare one can become bankrupted by health care costs Medicare and Medigap do not cover.
I continue to dole to pay for benefits received. I am not on the dole — and should Mr. Kelly become a candidate, he will not be getting my vote.