contributor to The DGT 
by AJ Flick Democrats have long dominated political races in Tucson, but that isn’t the case in surrounding areas. “Once you leave the city limits of Tucson, we’re outnumbered,” said Catalina Hall, a longtime Picture Rocks resident and chair of LD11 Democrats. Hall described the struggles of living in a legislative district that includes Marana, … Read more
by Alison Jones Things are moving fast and furiously, and monthly just isn’t often enough. In upcoming weekly letters, I will be talking about what will be on your ballot. This week: countywide races. There will be six countywide races on every ballot in Pima County: Sheriff, Treasurer, Assessor, Recorder, Attorney, and Schools Superintendent. Excellent … Read more
by Gabriella Cázares-Kelly With your help, last month I won 65% of the vote in my primary election and I am now on my way towards making history in Pima County. When I am elected, I will become the first Native American to hold an elected Pima County office and only the third Native American … Read more
by Ann Kirkpatrick Suffice to say, last week was a challenging one for our community. The tragic, heartless, and unjust murder of George Floyd led to a nationwide outcry — an outcry sadly not unfamiliar to us. There is systemic racism still embedded in our country’s fabric, and more must be done to address it. … Read more
by Barack Obama As millions of people across the country take to the streets and raise their voices in response to the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, many people have reached out asking how we can sustain momentum to bring about real change. Ultimately, it’s going to be up … Read more
by Alison Jones Pima County GOP Chairman David Eppihimer railed against mail-in ballots in a recent Op-Ed (“The left’s all-mail voting fantasy must be put to rest,” April 25). While Eppihimer is parroting Trump dogma, most voters — including most Republicans — disagree. Eppihimer’s arguments against all-mail voting are deeply flawed. Let us count the … Read more
by Ann Kirkpatrick There has been an explosion of scams including robocalls, texts, and emails with people posing as government officials or businesses offering refunds for missed vacations or virus-testing kits. Financial regulators and consumer groups are warning people about scams disguised as social security, medical, charity, and stimulus check information. It is disheartening knowing … Read more
by Luci Messing The Legislature passed an $11.8 billion ‘skinny’ contingency budget and has adjourned until April 13. There are both good and not so good included in the details of what was passed. Public education will be receiving funding to support all staff throughout school closures. This will allow our teachers to work on … Read more
by Bob Lord It was early on in the Trump presidency when Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico. We watched in angry horror as the vicious combination of Trump’s ineptitude, pettiness, narcissism, corruption, and callous disregard for human life were on full display in his non-response. He shot off angry tweets at San Juan Mayor Carmen … Read more
