Republic’s bashing of CPS ignores root of problem

railing against CPS is remarkably two-faced.

Child Protective Services has a tough job and, like most governmental agencies, does not do it well.

It is weird that and its columnists are so quick to attack those who have to cope with societal problems, but they seldom, if ever, attack the root causes that bring about those problems: bad behaviors, irresponsibility, gross indulgence, misplaced tolerance, permissiveness, etc. However, as most of the media,

doesn’t cast any judgment regarding behaviors that contribute to today’s societal problems. Celebrity wantonness is celebrated; promiscuity is championed as a right; illegitimacy is accepted as a norm; imprudence gets absolute license, and on and on.

There is a health-care analogy called “upstream/downstream” that refers to bodies in a river. Communities invest in technology, buttress budgets and build infrastructure to deal with dead bodies. But no one would questions how the bodies got in the river.

Our community is dealing with the river of life, trying to build infrastructure to deal with societal problems (bodies in the river) but is loath to address the causes.

The intransigence in criticizing source behaviors remains. Ignoring the reality of the source of societal problems will continue to have devastating consequences.

— George Garbell,

Other states have CPS success

I’m a retired social worker and county social-services supervisor. I’m also a “snowbird” who spends five wonderful months in my adoptive state of Arizona and seven wonderful months in myhome state of Minnesota.

For six years, I’ve followed the Child Protective Services news reported in

with a great deal of interest and anguish. (Once a social worker, always a social worker!)

There are no easy or quick solutions to the challenges facing CPS. It’s taken years and numerous financial cuts to get into this fix, and it will take years and some fiscal and policy priorities, among other things, to get out of it.

If I’ve learned one thing in my 30-plus years of experience in social work and mental-health therapy, it is that new perspectives result in change. In the words of a famous Broadway musical, change your mind, change the world.

Child protection is working significantly better in Minnesota, despite the fact that we have a state-mandated, county-implemented system that one might think would result in fragmentation and inefficiency.

And there are other states in which child protection is on a positive path — not perfect, but positive.

Have Arizona CPS officials consulted with other states?

Would they ever consult with other Writers John Heilemann and Mark Halperin discuss with 12 News’ “Sunday Square Off” host Brahm Resnik what happened behind the scenes during the 2012 presidential election. Also, former legislator and community activist Alfredo Gutierrez talks about his new book and the failure of immigration reform. In a clip from Sarah Palin discusses her book about Christmas. “Square Off” airs at 8 a.m., following “Meet the Press.”

— Marian Barcus,

Galactic kudos to MacEachern

Regarding “Lawyers, not Jedis, may joust to decide control of the galaxy” (Viewpoints, Sunday):

editorial writer Doug MacEachern’s column was insightful, and it brought me down to Earth.

— Barbara Buedel,

— Keith Boswell,

The Republic’s editorial on the recently negotiated agreement with Iran fairly drips with disappointment over the fact states to find solutions that are likely to work in Arizona’s unique culture?

If asked, I’d be delighted to track down a few names and numbers in Minnesota.

Make annoying passengers pay

I read that the airlines might charge more to allow passengers to sit in a silent area where cellphones aren’t permitted.

Why don’t they charge $50 per ticket more for people who want to use their cellphones to sit in the annoying area? They could put them all in the very back of the plane near the restrooms.

Why should the courteous be charged more and the annoying be given a free pass?

The Iran deal’s unlikely coalition

that the Obama administration has chosen diplomacy over war, at least for the time being (“If deal fails, U.S. must act swiftly,” Opinions, Tuesday):

But surely, an honest conservative can find some irony in the fact that this controversy has produced one of the oddest coalitions in modern political history: the Islamic fundamentalist state of Saudi Arabia, the Zionist state of Israel, the Socialist government of France, and the American GOP, all united on one side, against Iran on the other.

Meanwhile, the rest of the planet is breathing an audible sigh of relief.

— Lee Poole,

Volunteers can help our forests

A Sunday Viewpoints column, “A threatened landscape,” focused on increasing efforts to raise money and promote education to speed thinning of our overgrown forests. It neglected to raise a call to one of the most powerful forces for good in America: the volunteer spirit of our citizens.

Boy Scout troops, hunting and hiking clubs, amd environmental and civic groups of all kinds could provide uncounted hours of labor to reduce the ground-fuel load and “fire ladder” undergrowth in our forests.

Forest Lakes residents most likely would jump at the chance to remove the numerous stands of “dog hair” pines cur- rently proliferating on the Arizona 260 right of way through their forest retreat — if only they could get approval from all the government agencies involved.

The Adopt-A-Highway (or urban-forest interface segment) approach could be used but modified to allow the volunteers to do the work, not just pay for government employees to do it.

While actual logging must be left to professionals, volunteers using everyday gardening tools could make the difference between a fire that stays on the ground, bypassing old-growth trees, and one that crowns, devastating an entire forest.

Unfortunately, the rampant litigiousness currently infecting our society undoubtedly will preclude adoption of such a common-sense approach.

— J. Thompson,

Regarding “Dad who didn’t deserve prison finally free” (Valley & State, Tuesday):

Once again, Laurie Roberts has written a superb, accurate, correct-in-everyaspect column — except one small paragraph:

“Clearly, he didn’t understand how justice works in Arizona.”

This was most likely a typo. There was no justice for Shannon Connely, only a very grave injustice.

I must add that Laurie Roberts really should get into politics. She would have a landslide victory with any position she pursued.

— Sandi Ashton,

As the father of two young daughters, a former Tucson City Council member, and husband of a Madison Elementary School District governing board member, I am a staunch advocate for public schools.

One small, recent victory for our education community is the newly launched “Extraordinary Educators” license plate. Arizonans can now thank teachers, contribute to classrooms and highlight their commitment to “Support Our Schools.”

The “Extraordinary Educators” license plate is now available at service arizona.com.

With a dark-green chalkboard background, bright-red apple and the slogan “Support Our Schools,” these plates salute our educators and public schools.

Just 2 percent of Arizona drivers purchasing the plate will generate more than $1 million annually for K-8 teacher grants, distributed by Arizona’s elected county school superintendents, through the Arizona Community Foundation.

The “Extraordinary Educators” license plate is just one example of taking a small idea and making it a reality.

With creativity and a commitment to positive solutions, together we can make Arizona a better place for students, teachers and families!

— Rodney Glassman,

Another way to support schools

Laurie Roberts is superb – again