The Morning Blend
Welcome
Complete Media Kit
On Your Mind is the Herald/Review’s telephone opinion line and is intended as a public forum for our readers. Comments represent the opinions of callers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper or any specific knowledge that we have. Readers may share their opinions by calling 458-0332, or by e-mail to svhoym@transedge.com or regular mail at 102 Fab Ave., Sierra Vista AZ 85635. Please keep comments less than 90 seconds. Comments are edited.
May 6
I’m calling about CPS again. You won’t print anything against the Sierra Vista CPS or Tucson CPS. I just don’t know why you won’t print it. I know there are others who are complaining about CPS. CPS needs to answer why they’re not doing their job like they should. You need to print these so other people know you’re not afraid to print the truth.
|
|
May 7
The Herald chose to edit my April 27 OYM about Geraldine Ferraro and Barack Obama, appearing in the May 7 On Your Mind. I’m not questioning its right to edit, but I wish the Herald had not left out a significant sentence, “There is so much about Barack Obama we do not know,” thereby destroying the continuity of thought and sense of my conclusion. Messy editing can destroy the meaning of an OYM.
EDITOR’S NOTE: To all submitters, if you make your comments short, like this one, there is little to no editing done.
If Sierra Vista is so concerned about recruiting or keeping physicians or any other health care providers, perhaps the chamber of commerce should instruct its employees to stop referring people to Mexico for health care. Also, maybe the city and county could stop encouraging their employees to use their health care benefits across the border. That might be a big step in resolving the problem right there.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The chamber of commerce refers people to its members.
In response to the person making the comment about the Salvation Army, you should get the facts straight before presenting you opinion. A phone call to Capts. Bob or Karen Schmig would have alleviated most of your concerns and most important, not presented a false picture to the public.
I want to ask, what’s up with these signs that tell you the time and the temperature? First there was one woefully placed in front of Hatfield Funeral Home, which I’m glad is gone. Now there’s a fight between Cochise Oncology and Desert Springs across the street from each other with a difference in time and a 10-degree difference in temperature. I’m just confused.
Thank you for giving us a warning in the newspaper today about who Maria Salinas is going to berate next time. Now she’s going to berate the U.S. Homeland Security. If she’s not berating the bishops, she’s berating the American people or the president. Here she is with not one drop of American blood in her. She admits when she goes someplace with her children they’re all speaking Spanish because they love the Mexican language more than the American language. She probably has a Mexican flag in her front yard. Why can’t we get her mailing address? Is there something the Herald is covering up? It seems they put her on a pedestal or something. Is she the Virgin Mary? Why do the American people put up with a Mexican reporter in our newspaper? And we can’t write her and tell her what a great job she’s doing. Why can’t we be treated fair and honest and get both sides? There’s no one on the opposite side in the Herald. Try to be fair and honest with your readers. We pay for the newspaper.
I just heard on the radio the Sheriff in Laredo, Texas, saying that due to strong border enforcement and controlling illegal immigration they have reduced crime by 67 percent. In Del Rio, Texas, they have reduced crime over 80 percent. Don’t tell me that enforcing our border and immigration laws isn’t good for the nation.
I’ve just been reading the editorial on the shortage of doctors due to high insurance costs. All you wonderful Democrats out there, who do you think gave all these trial lawyers the means to go after the doctors? It’s time for tort reform. But the Democrats in the Congress, both state and federal, are against it. Wake up, America.
I’m calling in regards to your speed traps and your speed bumps in the community here. Have one of your reporters drive down Choctaw or drive down Equestrian. All there is are speed bumps. The people in that area and the Cochise County Board of Supervisors put the speed bumps every 150 feet or so. There’s no way to go around them. If you’re going to a business or church in that area, try driving down Cherokee Road with the speed trap there with the speed limit at 25 mph out in the country. In Sierra Vista, Seventh Street to Buffalo Soldier Trail is 40 mph, and Coronado is 35 mph. You go to Cherokee Road way out in the county and it’s down to 25 mph. If that isn’t a speed trap, I don’t know what is. There must be something we can do to change this, but not as long as we have three Superior Court judges on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors. They do not understand what common sense is.
This is in reference to the OYM comment about the gas station on post. The caller stated that only soldiers and retirees could buy gas up there. Well, dream on. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. But I’ve been gassing up there and watched them come straight across from the thrift shop, use their credit cards, fill up and then go out the gate. Basically once you are on the post any civilian can get gas up there as long as they have a credit card. All the facilities on that base are supposed to be for soldiers, retirees, and other authorized users. But they’re not. You might as well take the gate down. You might as well be in town. Every civilian in town can gain access to that post and use all those facilities.
How can people be so naïve? The reason our gas prices are so high is that the president of the U.S. and all his henchmen are big oilmen. Oil companies consistently make record profits. They are all a disgrace to mankind.
I noticed that some people seem to be obsessed with Barack Obama’s name. Well, if you can read and you have a Bible with a Concordance, look up the name Barack. Barack was a hero warrior of the Hebrews in the Old Testament.
With the rising cost of food, it is time for the Sierra Vista City Council to repeal its aggressive tax on our groceries.
I challenge OYM readers to say something good about this community instead of always ranting about the problems. And by “community”, it’s however you define that word. In fact, I’ll start you off. Did you know that in the April 2008 issue of Arizona Highways an article features Arizona’s 25 best restaurants and three of them are in Cochise County? Granted none are in Sierra Vista; two are in Bisbee and one is in Willcox. But we can work on that. OK, what’s your “something good” about our community? Thank you.
I live in Sierra Vista but last week I visited the big museum in Bisbee and got to talking with an elderly Bisbeeite who said he preferred living there because of all the interesting restaurants. Then he added, “All you’ve got in Sierra Vista are big chains and fast food.” I was shocked. Had he ever been in Sierra Vista or did he just go by on his way to somewhere else? Not only is the Landmark, for instance, historical, it’s about as unique as it is possible to get. Then we also have La Casita, The Peacock, My Place, Ivy’s and Tanuki and more. Hey people out there in Sierra Vista, call into OYM and let us know which ones you’ve discovered.
The Herald recently published an article explaining the sheriff’s proposal of adding three motorcycles to the Cochise County Sheriff’s traffic control operations, along with the evolving costs. These efforts should be stopped. Our local law enforcement should be implementing a speed bump program where constant neighborhood speed problems exist. This is especially so in the county rural areas where peace of mind and relaxation are the reasons for living there. Speed bumps require 1) No training, 2) Work 24/7, 3) Are low maintenance, 4) No fuel consumption by law officers, and 5) No additional labor. Motorcycles are not the solution to neighborhood speed problems. Who is going to maintain them? A motorcycle repair shop is not inexpensive. No less expensive than an automotive repair facility, which the county already uses. Who is the trained county motorcycle repairperson? Our current vehicle supported law enforcement officers need to be more aggressive with repeat speed offenders using current supplied vehicles. The county taxpayers are not the money tree to be constantly picked by the sheriff. The sheriff already states he is short on personnel and money. What is he thinking about with his forgetfulness?
I was in the mall today and I saw some special needs students there. Two of the female adults who were with them took two males and one female student into Victoria’s Secret. One of the adults walked out with a package. That means that these adults appear to be having these outings to benefit themselves not the children. The taxpayers are paying the gas for these buses and it looks like a waste of time. I think they looked old enough to be from Buena High School. I think Buena should look into what’s going on there. I’m really livid that my tax dollars are being wasted.
May 8
Who wrote this story? “Guardsman accused of stealing fence material” No credit I could see. There’s more to the story. The folks he works for have been selling their scrap for a while. Now the big question is, of course, about the money. Well, this guy didn’t do with the money as previous folks have. He had verbal orders to do what he did. Do some investigative reporting and you’ll find out.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The text we published was provided by The Associated Press.
It’s almost comical to see these pristine SUVs all decked out with Bush/Cheney bumper stickers cautiously, oh so slowly edging away from the green lights, nervously watching their gas gauge with one eye and the ever rising pump prices with another. But for us liberals, in our paid-for, fuel-efficient, John Kerry-stickered cars, who really do have somewhere to go and are just trying to make it through the light, we are again wondering why, after eight long years of imprisonment under this moron from Texas, we have to put up with your Republican nightmare choices not only nationally, but here locally. C’mon, live with it, and push down on the pedal, will ya? Hey, it’s only a $100 to fill, and best of all, you can charge it.
When I hear someone say it is an African-American’s turn, or we cannot keep a black man from becoming president, I get perplexed. Since when did past history or taking turns become qualifications for the highest position in the world? Does this mean the next time it should be an Indian American, a Hispanic American, or a woman’s turn? What happened to experience and the ability to do the job? I think everyone is entitled to the opportunity to go to school and to get training for a job. Past history of many of this country’s people has been horrific. Next to children, women are the largest group with a terrible history. It is important that we all know our history but what is going to solve this country’s problems and get us out of the mess Bush created is experience and the ability to do the job.
May 9
Huachuca City officials should start the application for a Federal Superfund Environmental Cleanup Grant from the EPA. There isn’t enough space in the HC landfill for all the trash and junk. Better get that fund started, because you have a serious disaster on your hands.
I’m not a racing fan but the tragic death of Eight Belles at the conclusion of the Kentucky Derby is another reminder that the racing industry has a serious problem that must be solved. Racing people should not accept the death of these magnificent animals. They deserve a heck of a lot better. Are they racing them too young? Could the legs be better protected? They must stop these deaths. The answer must be found and now.
I see Maria Elena Salinas is still blaming Americans for the illegal alien problem. Nothing is ever the fault of the Mexican government or the illegals who enter our country. She probably thinks that when an illegal alien burglarizes your home it’s not their fault, it’s your fault for having a home. When thousands of American vehicles are stolen by illegals and used for drug smuggling it’s our fault for having decent vehicles. One of the most ridiculous arguments that is always used is that they take jobs that we don’t want. So far I guess there must be 30 million jobs we don’t want.
Two years ago with concern for the absence of light on the Busby radio tower, I called the FAA and was advised no light was required because of the height of the tower. Those lights on those towers have been gone longer than eight years. I asked those folks about that maybe 15 years ago. I thought it was important to keep them up there because at night time that light was visible from most anywhere in the San Pedro Valley and a person would probably know just exactly where “that” light was coming from. Not anymore. The person I asked gave an answer as to FCC regulations only requiring lights on structures approaching 200 feet — and rather rudely I might add. Seems as though a light like what was used would not run up their electrical costs so much that they could not be able to maintain a “nice” tradition and lend a little enhanced sense of safety even though not legally required to do so.
Reference recent OYM reference (Maricopa County) Sheriff (Joe) Arpaio clone. Go to www.billcloudsheriff2008 com and you will find many similarities in their conduct of business as county sheriffs. It also will tell of upcoming events where you can hear the candidate speak or attend a fund raiser.
If Bill Clinton hadn’t vetoed the ANWAR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) drilling go ahead that the House and Senate passed more than eight years ago we would probably be producing oil from Alaska and we would be in control of it, and we would not be held hostage by terrorists around the world. We need to get the drilling done off our shores and in Alaska. We have good modern techniques to do it and we can do it with environmental care in mind.
I would like to know why we never read anything about the Head Start program that we have here in Sierra Vista. We have the program in two schools here. It’s an excellent program for the children but we never see anything about it in your Schools section. You mention all the other schools, but never the Head Start program. It’s a very good program. I would like to hear more about it.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks for the news tips. If you have other tips on Schools issues, contact reporter Katie Evans at 515-4611 or katie.evans@svherald.com.
This is in response to the article concerning the Huachuca City attorney stating that council members must live in town in order to serve on the council seat. Maybe she should count how many days and nights the mayor has spent in Huachuca City at his residence over the last six or seven years.
The Huachuca City councilman was determined by the attorney to be ineligible to hold the seat on the council since he lived and worked in Yuma. Mr. (Eric) Wilkey knew that himself when he went for the position. So, it seems that Mr. Wilkey should return the councilman wages he earned.
DC wrote on May 30, 2008 7:41 AM: