Tucson Speaks Out: June 9 letters of the day

Re: the May 29 article "Oak Flat mining project paused."

According to the Economist Magazine, "In November the court said it would rehear the case en banc (meaning with a panel of 11 judges). Fewer than 1% of requests for rehearing en banc are granted. It is rarer still for a court to decide to rehear a case of its own accord, as it did in this instance.

Though American law is designed to protect all faiths equally, native American claims have often fared badly. Courts have ruled that when the government prevents a church from building an extension, it may be curtailing religious freedom. But sacred native American sites have been lawfully bulldozed.

The Supreme Court will probably have the last word. Today's court may be different. Justice Neil Gorsuch is an expert on American Indian law and has championed native American religious rights. And the current bench seems invested in protecting religion. Of 22 religious-freedom cases brought before the court since 2012, 21 decisions have expanded those freedoms, 18 of them unanimously.

Robert Shatz

Foothills

I do not vouch for vouchers. I do not wish to support well-off parents who are sending their children to private schools. The vouchers I am paying for provide $7572 for parents to send their children to a private high school. Just so you know, it costs $12,100 to send a child to Salpointe Catholic School and $20,550 every year to the Gregory School. People may not realize that these vouchers in any way provide for the full tuition at a private school. Many less well-off parents cannot afford private schools even with a voucher. Finally, I am well-off and chose to send my children to public schools so they could have a more diverse experience. My children are now well-off.

Chris Pinhey

Foothills

To the governor,

When will the state start clamping down on these grocery stores? The prices are high enough without being overcharged on almost everything. Safeway is the worst. If something is on sale, they ring up the regular price and then are supposed to give credit for the sale. It seems my wife spends a lot of time at the service desk getting back the overcharges. I am sure all the seniors experience the same problem, but most don't question this practice. On June 3, my wife was overcharged over $17 at Albertsons, and then had to spend 45 minutes in line at the service desk. This is wrong!

Donald Bernier

Midtown

So Saudi Arabia is cutting back on oil disbursement to shore up the price. Remember when Trump was president and gas was $2.25 a gallon and we were energy independent. We didn't have to worry about what other countries did with their oil.

Deedee Bruster

Northwest side

Kyrsten Sinema is no friend of Arizonans. As evidenced by her recent vote when she sided with all 49 Senate Republicans to block President Biden's student debt relief plan, which would provided relief to an estimated 16 million people, including 300,000 students in Arizona, the Senator has again shown her true colors when it comes to doing what is best for our State's residents. In a statement prior to the vote, she described the President's plan as being "fueled by politics and not reality [and] creates false expectations and undermines the students’ economic certainty." I would urge the 300,000 students, families and friends who are the butt of Sinema's cynical action to mobilize … and mobilize now … in removing her from office if, and when, she runs for re-election in 2024. By uniting like-minded voices across the State we can collectively give the Senator a true taste of reality by telling her — once and for all — "goodbye."

Jeffrey Feierabend

Northeast side

Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star.

U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., supported the bill reversing student debt relief.

Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion

Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community.

Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

Letters to the Editor for June 8

Letters to the Editor for June 7

Letters to the Editor for June 6

Comments may be used in print.