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Opinion

Aug 24, 2017

Immigrants bring entrepreneurial spirit, fill critical health care jobs

One look at today’s U.S. immigration process reveals a broken and outdated system. While I’m encouraged to see that Congress would like to take steps to modernize it, the recently proposed RAISE Act would be a step backward in the efforts of encouraging economic prosperity for all Americans. The bill leaves immigrants with fewer options than they already had and fails to address the economic c[...]

Aug 24, 2017

Flake’s cynical attempt to break up the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

Don’t be fooled by Flake’s innocuous reasons he professes for splitting up the 9th Circuit. Targeting our courts based on ideological disagreement is profoundly dangerous to this country and a threat to each and every one of us.

Aug 24, 2017

Drug defendants are getting a raw deal, facing harsh penalties

Not only has American society come a long way since the so-called war on drugs began during the Reagan administration, but our attitudes toward drugs have changed as well. When harsher enforcement and penalties began during the 1980s, “opioid epidemic” had not entered our lexicon and prescription drug abuse was nascent.

Aug 17, 2017

Drug sentencing in Arizona – reality versus rhetoric

The American Friends Service Committee’s (AFSC) recent report, “Drug Sentencing in Arizona: A Prescription for Failure,” relies upon faulty analysis and inadequate research to inaccurately depict Arizona as an incarceration-first state, and blames our sentencing statutes for our substance abuse problems. Arizona’s sentencing statutes are not responsible for our substance abuse problems. P[...]

Aug 17, 2017

Sen. Debbie Lesko should seriously reconsider ‘noxious’ voucher bill no one likes

This is an open letter to Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria. My name is Jeff Fortney. I live in Cave Creek. Since 2004 I have been a public school teacher, teaching students to help them progress toward becoming good members of our Arizona society.

Aug 17, 2017

Reporter biased, unbalanced, impugns research

A recent piece criticized my being hired to update a report on the Arizona prison system (Ben Giles, "Controversial researcher hired to update prison population study," August 11). I am indeed best known for my work on gun control. But the report, produced by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC), has nothing to do with gun control.

Aug 17, 2017

Make midterm elections referendum on education

Elections in Arizona from now until 2018 midterms must become referendums on education funding, not on the president. Nearly every candidate in Arizona running for office publishes their stance on education on their website, and multiple organizations have stated goals and deep war chests to push candidates and the electorate in one direction or the other on this very issue.

This Oct. 22, 2012, file photo shows a view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park in Ariz. The impending closure of a coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation could lend momentum to a project being considered by tribal leaders to build a tram at the Grand Canyon to fill the economic void. The Grand Canyon Escalade project was brought up to Navajo Nation lawmakers and tribal members last fall by former Navajo Nation President Albert Hale as a solution to shrinking revenues from nonrenewable energies, (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Aug 17, 2017

Monuments safeguard environment, history

Dear Editor: August 24 is the deadline for U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to give his recommendations to President Trump on whether 27 of our existing national monuments should be... […]

Aug 10, 2017

Trump reaches a new low in vow to sabotage Affordable Care Act

Recent polls indicate that 70-80 percent of Americans support cornerstones of the Affordable Care Act, including incentivizing states to expand Medicaid while concurrently assisting low- and moderate-income people in obtaining affordable health coverage, and prohibiting insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

Aug 10, 2017

Modernizing NAFTA will preserve benefits to Arizona consumers

The North American Free Trade Agreement has been a critical component to Arizona’s economic success over the last nearly 25 years. The deal between the U.S., Canada and Mexico has allowed businesses to boom and fueled tremendous job growth.

Aug 3, 2017

Thanks to McCain for vote that protects Arizonans over age 50

Let’s drop the attempts to penalize people over 50 years of age for being older or sicker. It’s not fair to charge them disproportionately more for coverage just because of their age. And it’s not fair – or right – to scale back or eliminate the tax credits and subsidies that help low-income older Americans afford health insurance.

Aug 3, 2017

Battle over health care continues, but children are still at risk

Moving forward, we hope to see states take a leadership role in reforming our nation’s health care. Bipartisan efforts by the nation’s governors give us hope that the lessons states have learned regarding Medicaid can be applied to the national debate.

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