Letters to the editor: Nov. 29

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 comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Submit your letter to the editor

ID THEFT

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New law doesn’t require driver’s license scans

At my husband’s last doctor visit, he was required to have his driver’s license “scanned” into their computer system to comply with something called the Red Flags Rule. He was told it’s the law.

However, that rule has been suspended until June 2010. A Web site for the Federal Trade Commission states that scanning your license is not required under the rule and that scanning and copying your license could actually put you at higher risk for identity theft.

We are very upset about this invasion of privacy and putting us at risk for identity theft. We feel the public needs to be made aware of this “rule” and how some businesses have chosen to verify your identity by making a paper or computer copy of your driver’s license. Please review the Red Flags Rule at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/redflagsrule/faqs.shtm.

CAROLYN BARNES

MESA

SKY HARBOR AIRPORT

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Open up to all cabs

We were taught in the government school system that the government is a powerful servant that does things for its master — the people — which we can’t do on our own.

With that in mind you would think this request for proposals for taxi-cab service at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport would require the winner to provide the best cabs at the lowest prices to the citizens who use the airport.

Wrong! Government doesn’t work the benevolent way we were taught in the government schools. The request for proposals will be awarded to the cab companies that gouge airport travelers with the highest possible rates to provide the Phoenix rulers with the most possible revenue. Think of it as an auction to rent out the 180 cab slots at the airport. Visum, Apache and AAA won the auction by agreeing to pay the highest bids of $19,777, $16,176 and $16,061 a year per cab.

Those are rental rates of $54, $44 and $44 a day for each cab. And of course the cab companies will have to pass those rental costs on to their customers in addition to the normal cost of buying and operating a cab.

If Phoenix wanted cab service at the airport to operate in the best interest of the travelers, the city would let any and every hack in town line up to take passengers. That would lower the cost of cab service because each cab driver would no longer have to pay Phoenix $16,000 or more a year to get a cut of the action.

MIKE ROSS

TEMPE

QUEEN CREEK POLITICS

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Process to fill vacant council seat gone off track

In 1915, Robert Frost spoke about two roads that diverged in the woods in a poem titled “The Road Not Taken.” He chose to take the “road less traveled by. And that made all the difference.”

A few years ago, Queen Creek had its promises of making a difference with taking the road “less traveled by.” We had promises of growing different, leadership promising to grow smart and focus on our rural feel and open spaces. Then something happened. New leadership was voted in by folks who didn’t understand the full magnitude of their agendas, which contained inexperience and typically traveled agendas of money, money, money and pave over our open spaces with more of the same and bring in bad development that turned our open spaces to now many vacant spaces.

The tactics that have been used to shut out candidates for a vacant council seat like Lisa Coletto-Cohen are the same typical “commonly traveled roads” of politics, and as a commenter on a Tribune online story said, “typical Q.C. closed-door manipulations.”

Taking the road less traveled by is no longer their agenda. Our town leadership is not looking out for the people of the town, but following a common road of political games.

JILL HENRICHSEN

QUEEN CREEK

CIVILITY

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Sorely lacking here in land of the ugly American

Is the “ugly American” a rarity encountered abroad or reality at home? In Canada I recently overheard a man ask, “How do you know someone isn’t stealing coffee from the self-serve?” The cashier replied, “I’m not the coffee police. There are more important things than if the occasional dishonest person refills their cup.”

The novelty was the assumption of honesty versus deceit.

Honesty seems to be a recurring issue lately. I recently attended a book launch in Scottsdale. Rudeness was also in attendance. It crossed generations and exuded from organizers to attendees pushing for chairs. Despite pre-ordering books (more than a month in advance) and confirming they would be personally signed at the event, I arrived to find my books and line placement had been sold.

An employee, seeking to rectify the matter, ushered me in line with replacements. After waiting 20 minutes and only steps away from the author, I was confronted by the bookstore owner. I was accused of cutting in line and lying when I explained I was merely following her employee’s instructions and apparently did not receive the paper she was demanding.

I suggested the matter could be resolved in two seconds by simply allowing my books to be signed or conferring with the employee. I was ordered to leave the line.

Humiliated, I informed the employee. With her vow to fix the matter, I proceeded to find my mother.

Stating, “Excuse me” to the person seated on the aisle, the person actually replied, “No, I won’t let you in.” I had to point to my mother. For the remaining half hour, I sat there shocked that an evening of culture turned out to be an evening with vultures.

The 'ugly American’ exists and even owns a bookstore. May I suggest the next read be on customer relations?

KRISTIE O’BRIEN

GILBERT