politics – Pima Post

3Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Opinion

Column: Superfluous Man

By Kevin Hartung When did man become so nonessential in our society? It seems to me that an American way of thinking is to view our own beliefs or values through the prism of whether they are shared by others. This cult of personality ideology is, I believe, diametrically oppositional to the principles used by a free, democratic society. When an ideologue emerges, we should see the person as one formed by a cult of personality before we decide who or what he represents. Today. men let tribe mentality determine their values, their thinking, their actions, and their narrative. An individual lacks real power to make others sit up and take notice, so he uses the power of groupthink to get his message across. However, no matter how much control he has, another ideologue can convince the group ...

3Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Opinion

Opinion: Migrants Abandoned in Yuma

Photo by Donald Giannatti By Kyler Van Vliet Custom and Border Protection holding facilities have been at maximum capacity since April of last year and now migrants are being released into Yuma County. Due to a rise in border apprehensions combined with social distancing guidelines that don't allow for as many people to be held in one particular space, CBP has released a group of 20 people into the neighboring community of San Luis. Several more similarly sized groups were let out in subsequent days. Yuma County is not new to sheltering released migrants. Two years ago, Yuma saw the release of 5,700 migrants into the county of about 215,000 people over a three-month period. Two years ago however, there was a non-profit shelter for people to stay at. That sole temporary shelter in the ar...

Inauguration Day Park Protesters Rally Against Two Party System

10Feb

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News

Inauguration Day Park Protesters Rally Against Two Party System

By Lanissa Patterson and Joshua Shaver On January 20, a small group of individuals gathered together for an Inauguration Day Protest, voicing their concerns about the two party system and new President Joe Biden. Organized by activist groups Stand Up Fight Back Tucson and Iron Brigade, the protest was held at Veinte de Agosto Park right across from Tucson City Hall. The protest began with 11 people and reached about 16 as the hour progressed. “We are here to protest the Inauguration of Biden,” said organizer Flash Bryson, a 19 year old student. “Yes Biden may have won but we are here to make sure that Biden is held accountable for all of the promises he made during his campaign… [also] we had to settle for Biden.” A large sign saying “ABOLISH THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM” hung between two tre...

2Dec

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Opinion

Column: Fortitude for the season

Photo by Gabby Orcutt By Kevin Hartung Seems like there is extraordinarily little to be thankful for this year. COVID is still with us. The election has sparked more contentious actions. Unemployment has left families with few resources to sweeten the Christmas season. Businesses are attempting to recoup losses after a devastating lockdown and a population left in short supply of expendable capital. Even Hollywood is generating entertainment in a restrictive environment despite theater chains closing their doors. One might claim that there is little rationale for celebration. Yet, the holiday season is just around the corner, and Americans are not defined by their politics. We are not shaped by our sufferings. We find the reserves to survive and to commemorate the season. As always when ...

Climate change education remains difficult for Arizona science teachers

20Nov

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News

Climate change education remains difficult for Arizona science teachers

Photo by Dulcey Lima Posted with permission from Inside Tucson Business. Original Story can be found here. By Joe Giddens The quality of climate change education in Arizona’s classrooms received a middling grade from the National Center for Science Education’s new review of the nation’s science standards. While the state’s science curriculum was updated in 2018, Arizona bears scars of the politicization of science. “While it is disappointing to be given a ‘C’ grade … the Arizona Department of Education continues to prioritize climate change education within our science standards,” said ADE spokeswoman Morgan Dick. Science standards are what students should know by the end of the school year, however, Arizona leaves specific curriculum to the school districts. The report tied Arizona with M...

15Nov

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Opinion

Column: Mandate on toxic politics

By Kevin Hartung Taking the White House is a victory, holding the Senate and adding to the House number is also a win. Neither side generated a landslide victory indicating that a state of contention continues to exist in our country. We the people have found our voice. What played out in this election was ridding the government of venomous politicians and divisive actions. Voters are done with the antagonistic poison that exists in Washington, D.C. Clearly, the win was not a mandate for repealing legislation, but a directive to replace the antagonistic, revengeful discord among our elected officials. This may have been the highest turnout for an election since 1900, but it was not the repudiation hoped for or predicted. Past landslide elections have signaled shifts that carried America ...

Column: Blending opposing forces in humanity

13Nov

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Opinion

Column: Blending opposing forces in humanity

By Kevin Hartung Although not the only one, John F. Kennedy once said, “We recognize that what unites us is greater than what divides us…” This was true of both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Both held individual visions for the United States and the nation needed both men. Theirs was not a close friendship but was a viable working relationship. We must stay motivated by our collective loyalties to begin the task of cohesive unification of opposing forces. An exceptional article on April 21, 2020, in the Saturday Evening Post by Nicholas Christakis on our connections is summarized in the following observation. There is evidence that we all carry in the genes of our brains a blueprint, a history of evolution, that shaped us as social beings. As social animals, we are equipped w...

The race for Pima County Assessor: Droubie vs Sabbagh

2Nov

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News

The race for Pima County Assessor: Droubie vs Sabbagh

Photo: Suzanne Droubie (left), Jo Ann Sabbagh (right) By Lanissa Patterson With the election right around the corner, there is a lot of focus on federal candidates, but local candidates are feeling the pressure as well. In the race for Pima County Assessor, Suzanne Droubie (Democrat) is running against Jo Ann Sabbagh (Republican). The responsibility of the county Assessor is to identify and list properties, as well as determine tax eligibility for exemption, according to Droubie. Assessors evaluate individuals’ real estate, as well as follow up with building permits that pass through the assessor’s office, says Sabbagh. The assessor’s office handles all business property tax and the county assessor should monitor or “touch” a property every 5 years. Droubie was born and raised in Minn...

2Nov

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News

The race for Pima County Sheriff

By Mylene Roberts Mark Napier has been Pima County Sheriff for the past four years since defeating Chris Nanos, who was appointed after the previous sheriff retired in 2015. Both say they were asked to be a candidate for Pima County Sheriff by people in the department. Chris Nanos has been in law enforcement for over 40 years. Nanos said that while he misses the job, he also misses the people in the department, and that the people that he worked with have become family. Napier has been in law enforcement for 30 years. He has committed his life to public service and started as a police officer in 1981. He is running for Pima County Sheriff because he believes that there is a lot more work to be done including his Accountability, Community Engagement and Transparency (ACT) reform program....

Column: Preaching from the congressional pulpit

2Nov

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Opinion

Column: Preaching from the congressional pulpit

By Kevin Hartung A moralistic government is appealing but may not be plausible, unless you can conceive of a government without incongruities. Governments need to gauge what is fundamental to support wellbeing and what is an altruistic desire to support success. Some believe that a government ‘by the people and for the people’ should provide equal outcomes for all its citizens. Their ambitions are the result of research that establishes the downtrodden are victims of injustices; the poor result from unfair labor practices and unequal educational systems that exist in our nation. These believers desire improvement in the circumstances of the disadvantaged. Conversely, others believe that the blame for disadvantaged people lies on their own doorstep. The circumstances of indigents, they sa...