Voters in rural Arizona must speak up for public schools

Community public schools have been centers of community focus and civic pride since Thomas Jefferson first proposed them as an instrument for securing “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Historically community public schools have been a principal reason for the emergence of the American middle class and were founded as an alternative to private schools available only to the rich.

Using public money to support private schools in the form of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) that are accessible primarily to those with wealth threatens our community public schools by draining money from them.

Private schools, mostly available in large communities, are especially harmful to the funding of small community public schools such as those where I received my public school education.

Because many of the legislators who support ESAs are from rural areas and small towns in Arizona, it is especially important that voters in these areas make their voices heard in support of community public schools.

— Chuck Corbin, Phoenix great and the people were terrific.

I can’t wait to spend more time in and around Phoenix! Looking forward to seeing another Coyotes NHL Game (my new favorite team — sorry Canucks!).

I hope you all realize what a gem the Gila River Arena is! Our hosts were simply the best, and now we know Phoenix is a short three hour trip from Vancouver! Adios for now. — Brian and Shelley Giese,

Prince George, British Columbia, Canada throw suspicion on Trump associates.

All of this weakening of security among our intelligence agencies took place during the Obama administration, amid revelations that intelligence reports were rewritten so they reflected the Obama narrative rather than actual facts.

The evidence is clear: Rather than revering their importance to the nation’s security, the Obama administration treated the intelligence services the same way they treated all government agencies ... primarily as political tools.

— Dennis Santillo, Cornville

President Johnson (1964-1968) saw an average growth of 5.3 percent in the GDP while the top income-tax rate was 70 percent (77 percent in his first year) and the corporate tax rate was 25 percent.

The next highest average growth in the GDP (4.3 percent) occurred under President Kennedy while the top income tax rate was 91 percent and the corporate tax rate was 25 percent.

The third highest growth rate (3.9 percent) was while Bill Clinton was president and the top tax rate was raised to 39.6 percent from the 28 precent rate under Reagan/Bush and the corporate tax rate was 29.2 percent in his first term, then lowered to 21.2 percent during his second term.

The fourth highest growth rate in the GDP (3.5 precent) was under Reagan and the top income tax rate was 50 percent for 6 years, then lowered to 38.5 percent in 1987 and lowered again to 28 percent in 1988.

Maybe it’s time to remember history before cutting top tax rates again?

— Rodne Livdahl, Mesa