National parks need to be protected, even from politics

Thank you for bringing attention to our national parks.

For the life of me I can’t understand why Congress continues to pull money out of our national parks budget.

This is a non-partisan issue. Only Tea Partiers, like U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, would be against it, but it hurts them too.

We should never be on the brink of closing any one of them for lack of maintainence. They are for all Americans to enjoy and for many foreign travelers, too. Please tell your congressmen to support our national parks. Putting money into the parks by drilling and raiding them for the minerals would be a travesty too. Don’t let it happen!

— Christine Florendo, Wittmann

Save our children from the effects of climate change

Thanks for highlighting the urgency of taking climate action (“Hottest July ever has climate-change deniers pretending not to sweat,” Aug. 16). As a public health nurse who works with vulnerable children, I am ready for us to acknowledge what is happening right in front of us.

Children carry the heaviest burden as they are the most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and death, flooding, water contamination, vector-borne diseases such as Zika, food scarcity due to drought and extreme weather events, and are the least able to handle the dangers of migration when their families are forced to flee from flooding, fires and other climate change-exacerbated events.

We need to show our congressional representatives that Arizonans of all political persuasions are concerned about the effects of climate change, especially on our most vulnerable: children, the elderly and those who are poor or have health issues. Support solutions such as a carbon fee and dividend which can quickly reduce greenhouse gases while helping the economy and increasing jobs. Consider joining the movement to pass climate change solutions at citizensclimatelobby.change.org.

— Ronda Seifert, RN, Phoenix

Schmuck will have no problem fitting in with Arizona politicians

I see that Frank Schmuck is having fun with his name in running for the Arizona Senate. I’d just like to reassure him that if elected in a very right-wing conservative state, he will be surrounded by a large number of Schmucks, so he’ll feel right at home.

— Alvin Stein, Phoenix

Arpaio’s conviction will mean the end of fairness in the law

Although I live in Pinal County and will be unaffected by whatever the outcome may be, I can nevertheless from my distant remove sense the joy of management and staff at The Republic as they chipped in for extra ink, as needed for Saturday’s headline regarding Judge Snow’s referral of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and others for possible criminal prosecution (“Federal judge refers Sheriff Joe Arpaio for criminal contempt,” Aug. 20).

Good times, good times. No more law enforcement as desired by the voters. A partisan judge now writes the laws for Maricopa County, as well as the policies and practices of the Sheriff’s Office.

And I’m as sure as death and taxes that the judge’s timing, as election day approaches, was as entirely “coincidental” as was the timing of the administration’s hand-over of $400 million to the mullahs of Iran, just before four American hostages were set free by said mullahs.

The investments made by The Republic and by Channel 12 in six years of promoting Paul Penzone may yet produce a bought-and-paid-for public servant. One who will enforce the law in a manner which achieves some predetermined statistical “fairness” in outcomes. God help the innocent people of Maricopa County.

— B. L. Jorgensen, Gold Canyon