Letters to the editor: July 12

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and call-in comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Submit your letter to the editor

MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF

—

Using tax savings to fund operations

I hope the remaining articles in your immigration law enforcement series on Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will be more “fair and balanced” than the first article. While you covered the amount of money spent, there was not one word about the money saved.

The fact that illegal immigrants are reportedly leaving Arizona in droves is a big tax savings for us as classrooms and teachers have been freed up and the costs in our emergency rooms have lessened. Added to these savings are the savings in treasure and blood that are being avoided because these illegals have decided to commit their crimes in illegal-immigrant-tolerant states.

Give Arpaio some credit for making these savings possible. Then let’s use a portion of these savings to hire additional deputies so we can keep his efforts going.

JACK C. MCVICKERS

SCOTTSDALE

Saban deserves better

The Tribune’s July 1 story on campaign fundraising wrongly makes short shrift of Dan Saban as a candidate for Maricopa County sheriff. After referring to him by the commander rank in which Saban retired from the Mesa Police Department rather than his recent duty as Buckeye’s police chief, based on early fundraising reports, the Tribune is quick to undermine Saban.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Joe Arpaio invades Mesa with his phony sweeps as an election approaches. Arpaio equals Joe McCarthy and Huey Long all in one!

ERIC LANDAU

FOUNTAIN HILLS

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

—

McCain wrong on free trade

John McCain is a great “free trade” supporter, according to himself. That would be great if, and only if, the rest of the world also outlawed monopolies, oligopolies and cartels. Lack of competition has increased oil prices. Lack of competition has resulted in drug companies charging U.S. consumers to pay for their research while other countries’ consumers have lower drug prices. Poorly regulated competition has caused banks and builders to get into financial trouble. A monopoly exerts almost total control over the operating systems for our personal computers. No real competition has resulted in hardware retail companies, food retail companies, and gasoline retailers to keep prices high.

Businesses are oligopolies now or, worse yet, monopolies that by nature try to maximize profit margins, not produce more products to maximize total profit amounts. So instead of the archaic and dead notion of “free trade” that conservatives and libertarians seem to constantly espouse, the U.S. consumer needs regulation of our economy in many essential areas where competition either doesn’t exist or has gone astray of giving the maximum good for the maximum number of people. If we are to have health services, food, gasoline and some other necessities affordable to the greatest number of people, we need to regulate our oligopolies, or we need to break up oligopolies into competitive units, and support our American worker to increase his income.

DAN SIRKS

MESA

LEGISLATURE

—

Bee blocks horse bill

I am questioning my fundamental beliefs in our American political system. Tim Bee, Arizona Senate president, made me question them.

During the Arizona legislative session that ended June 27, dedicated Arizonans guided through the Legislature Senate Bill 1405 to ban horse-tripping, a cruel activity occurring in some unsanctioned backyard rodeos. Young horses are run at full speed, roped around their legs, and pulled to the ground. Injuries are serious and often deadly. Eight states, including most that border Arizona, ban it.

SB1405 had bipartisan support in the Arizona House and was transmitted to the Senate at the end of April, where it awaited committee assignment. After much pressure on the bill sponsor and on Bee, it was assigned to caucus where again it had strong bipartisan support. Only a final read was needed. It never came. Despite scores of e-mails, phone calls and pleas from Arizonans across the state, Bee decided not to put SB1405 on the final read calendar.

Bee taught me that our laws, at least at the state level, are the reflection of a miniscule number with far too much power and of political dealings with favorites who have their ear. Painful and excruciating injuries and deaths of scores of Arizona horses will continue solely because of Bee.

This issue will be back; Arizona will have a law against horse-tripping. We also will campaign to have people like Tim Bee defeated when they run for public office to rectify a situation in which the desires of the many can be killed by a very few invested with too much power and too little compassion or fairness.

PATRICIA HAIGHT

PRESIDENT, CONQUISTADOR EQUINE RESCUE AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM, TEMPE