Question of the Week: How are you observing Hispanic Heritage Month?

Arizona’s population of Hispanic or Latino heritage is 32.5% — nearly one-third, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. President Lyndon B. Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and …

Opinion

Why Stephanie Walsh is the state senator LD 14 deserves

OPINION — As a resident of Legislative District 14 for 20 years, I want leadership that reflects the everyday priorities of our community, not partisan talking points. That is why I am supporting Stephanie Walsh for the Arizona State Senate, and why I find it troubling that Mylie Biggs is being considered a viable candidate to represent our families.

Opinion

Speak up: Readers opine on voucher, Freestone, townhomes

Higley board approves journalism conference travel over DEI objection ESA schools are not the only "wasted education funds" Plenty of misuse of Public Education funding, too. — D and C D. …

Stephanie Walsh is a Democrat running for the Arizona Senate from Legislative District 14.

Opinion

Arizonans deserve more than family name

We are at a critical moment in Arizona. We face reduced water allocations, rising costs, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence. How we respond to these challenges will shape the future of our …

Opinion

More than a paycheck: The ripple effect of employment

OPINION — On a single night this year, 9,726 people were counted as experiencing homelessness across Maricopa County. Behind that number are thousands of individual stories of parents, children, veterans and neighbors navigating circumstances that can make stability difficult to reach.

Opinion

When efficiency meets resiliency in Gilbert

OPINION — For nearly 20 years, Gilbert had a reputation most communities would envy: we ran lean. We provided the services of a major American community without building the kind of expensive …

Opinion

AI is already making Valley travelers’ lives miserable

OPINION — All this talk about pacing the frontier of artificial intelligence overlooks a reality that travelers experience every day. An algorithm already determines your airfare. Another sets the hotel's rate. And another answers your complaint with a non-answer, hoping you'll give up.

Opinion

Arizona lawmakers should kill the legislative subpoena

OPINION — According to Arizona law, a subpoena can be issued by the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House and the chairman of any committee. The Legislature has over 30 committees.

Question of the Week: Are Valley communities planning wisely?

Metro Phoenix remains among the fast-growing areas in the country. But are its communities doing the best job of regulating growth and development? Are they planning wisely for housing, schools, …

Opinion

Gen Z women don’t owe America babies

OPINION — Gen Z women like me are having fewer babies. That shouldn’t be a surprise. With prices for everything going up, our parents’ steady jobs, white picket fences and retirement packages feel much less attainable for us.

Opinion

Speak up: Readers tackle Gilbert school spending, apartments, parks, water

Gilbert Public Schools details $36.2M override spending Wanna bet they give themselves raises and conferences before they fix maintenance problems. Never vote for teacher wage increases or …

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How to engage in respectful, honest & civil dialogue about public issues.

Checkmark Take the high road. Respond to the topic — not the person. Refrain from demonizing others for their opinions. Assume those you disagree with are, like you, genuinely interested in improving the community.

Checkmark Be respectful. Bullying, public humiliation, insults, name-calling, harassment, and threats directed at another person — or that person's race, gender, religion, ethnicity, etc. — have no place in civil discussions. Find ways to respectfully disagree without questioning someone's character or motives.

Checkmark Be truthful. Base your opinions/arguments on facts. Value honesty. Make only accurate statements when making your point and avoid exaggeration and stereotypes. When appropriate, cite your sources of information that others may question.

Checkmark Don't misrepresent. Always identify your opinions as opinions (not stating opinions as facts). Never misrepresent the views of others or falsely claim your opinions represent someone else. If quoting the words of others, identify and credit the source.

Checkmark Listen & learn. It's both polite and respectful to listen to those we disagree with (as well as those we support) and be genuine in our attempts to understand their point of view. Expand your mind by thoughtfully seeking out views that don't agree with your own.

Checkmark Look for common ground. When disagreeing with others, look for even small areas of agreement — which can be the gateway to working together for the greater good.

Checkmark Respect privacy. Keep private things private — whether it involves your own information or those with whom you disagree. Revealing private information about someone else is rude, unethical, potentially harmful and, in many cases, illegal.

Checkmark Set a good example. Practice civil behavior online as well as in public and in your interaction with others. Encourage others to practice these civil behaviors. And it's OK to challenge disrespectful behavior — but be courteous, respectful and helpful in your approach.

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Your Community Your Voice

The educator behind the library desk

OPINION — Public education has many people doing important work out of sight. I met one recently at Casteel High School after taking junior high students into the library to find books they might want to read. That sounds simple until you are standing next to a student who has no idea where to begin.

Substance abuse recovery isn’t the same for everyone

OPINION — Recovery on its own can mean a lot of things. Recovery after an injury. Recovery after a heartbreaking loss. Recovery after a bad flu. But this September, we’re acknowledging substance use recovery — a reality for millions of Americans and thousands of Arizonans.

Chandler school board should reconsider land acknowledgement

OPINION — To the Members of the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board: I am writing as a Chandler resident who is deeply concerned about the direction of our school district and, …

What will the Valley of the Sun look like in 2035?

OPINION — Greater Phoenix’s architectural landscape is ever-changing. For decades, we’ve seen business developments, lifestyle hubs and communities sprout up across the desert. But as we look toward 2035, the next chapter of Valley growth may look very different from the last.

Let’s make suicide something we discuss and prevent

OPINION — In my office, a conversation about suicide may start with a patient saying they cannot sleep, a parent mentioning that their teenager has withdrawn from friends or an older adult struggling with pain, illness or the loss of a spouse. None of these concerns necessarily means someone is considering suicide, but each is a reason to ask more questions.

Question of the Week: Are freeways the best way to get from here to there?

Since the mid-1980s, the Valley has built its regional freeway system, which moves tens of thousands of people every day. Population continues to grow. Lane expansion is inevitable. New freeways are …

Speak up: Gilbert readers sound off on podcast, Higley vouchers

Gilbert council members release first episode of political comedy podcast Confirms my suspicions about their motivation for public “service”. Sounds more like ego than anything else. — …

As Valley heat keeps rising, it takes all hands to keep pace

OPINION — A few weeks ago, a family of four was brought to our doors by a Phoenix firefighter who had responded to a heat-distress call in a parking lot where the family had been living out of their car. That handoff, from first responder to shelter provider, happens more often than most people realize.

Grandparents shouldn’t have to choose between running A/C, enjoying retirement

OPINION — Many Arizonans spent decades working, raising families and planning for a retirement they hoped would bring some financial security. But for too many, retirement has become another exercise in stretching every dollar. Housing, groceries, prescriptions and utility bills all compete for the same fixed income.

9/11 memories: The Valley looks back on terror attacks

You didn’t have to be in New York City, Washington, D.C, or rural Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, to be profoundly impacted by the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and changed both America and the world forever. Here are memories shared by 14 current and former Valley residents.

Is the Independent on political podcasters’ payroll?

OPINION — Is the paper on (defeated council members) Chuck Bongiovanni and Jim Torgeson’s payroll?

Question of the Week: Should the Trump administration move forward with its border wall project in Arizona over a Native American tribe’s objections?

The Trump administration has resumed construction of a stretch of border wall in southern Arizona along part of the Tohono O’odham tribal land, despite protests from the tribe. U.S. Customs and …

Speak up: Gilbert readers have say on wells, lottery, Higley seat

Gilbert completes five new drinking water wells 715376 Are they just for humans or AI cooling? This explains the incredibly costly water increases in Gilbert. — Greg K. Since 1940 the …

Young Arizonans can contribute to their college savings — here’s how

OPINION — School is back in session across the state, making September a busy time for many Arizona families. September is also College Savings Month, and the start of the seventh-annual statewide essay writing contest where students can jumpstart college dreams by winning $529 for their AZ529 education savings plan.

Preventing burnout in the growing caregiver landscape

OPINION — For more than 63 million Americans, daily life includes providing ongoing care for adult or minor family members with a medical condition or disability. This extraordinary act of service provides much-needed support for a loved one, but it can also lead family caregivers to put their own well-being to the side, leading to burnout that affects physical and mental health.

Valley kids’ psychological assessments should be accessible, affordable

OPINION — When a child struggles in school, some of the first advice they, and usually their parents, may hear is to study harder, pay closer attention or spend more time on homework. For many students, those strategies help. For others, the problem has nothing to do with the effort being made.

Rallying against hunger in Arizona

OPINION — September is a time when food banks and meal programs across the country shine a spotlight on a problem that never takes a month off. Food insecurity in America has reached its highest level in more than a decade, affecting more than 47 million people, including 14 million children ... the Valley is no exception.

Question of the Week: Should Arizona gubernatorial candidates cross the political aisle in selecting running mates?

For the first time, Arizonans will select a lieutenant governor in November. The new office will be the No. 2 position in state government. Gov. Katie Hobbs raised eyebrows when she named former Mesa …

Speak up: Gilbert readers chime in on land acknowledgement, write-in candidacy

East Valley school leaders debate land acknowledgement This is a ridiculous waste of time. — Tom S. Get over it! Heritage is important and should be honored, but it does not have to be …

How to spot an AI-powered scam

OPINION — Early this summer, an “advertisement” about a big sale — $1 books at Barnes & Noble — was all over social media. Any voracious reader would hoist an eyebrow. Last spring, there were widespread “offers” on the internet of deeply discounted tickets and travel packages to see the University of Arizona men’s basketball team play at the Final Four.

Question of the Week: Have rising prices affected your back-to-school spending this year?

For many Valley families, back to school means updating their students’ wardrobes, buying backpacks, assorted gear, books, electronics and school supplies. According to reports, the average …

Gilbert readers give their say on Flock, gas, CTE fees

Gilbert keeping Flock cameras as council members weigh crime-fighting benefits, privacy By taking this position publicly, the Town of Gilbert has just opened the door to a flood of privacy act …

Asbestos, forever chemicals kill — Congress must renew Toxic Substances Control Act fees

OPINION — 9/11. The date is seared into our consciousness forever. We all know where we were and what we were doing when it happened. Some of us are still dealing with its aftermath.

Question of the Week: Should Arizona clergy be required to report privileged sex-abuse confessions?

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in July that religious institutions have the absolute right to define protected confessions, exempting clergy from mandatory child-abuse reporting if deemed necessary …

Biggs is campaigning for governor like it’s 1986

OPINION — In choosing a lieutenant governor running mate, Andy Biggs was boxed in. He didn’t have the political space to choose someone who might marginally improve his general election chances. …

Civility is a valuable, indispensable core value in these contentious times

OPINION — Kudos to Lee Shappell and the wonderful (as well as timely) article on civility. I teach a Humanities course entitled “Leadership and Ethics.” With the challenges we face in all sectors, Lee's article addressing the critical importance of civility serves as a valuable and indispensable core value.

ICYMI: Why civility matters

OPINION — We live in an era of normalized boorish behavior. It has become OK to call an opponent names. To sway an argument with inflamed, hateful and often false rhetoric. The result may elicit a response in kind. The exchange quickly spirals out of control.

Question of the Week: How can Valley schools keep students safe from sexual predators on campus?

Valley school districts are among those put on notice that they may lose funding if they fail to comply with federal laws on sexual predators in schools. During the past year: The investigation …

Policymakers should give women the maternal care they deserve

OPINION — Women nationwide are thriving in ways previous generations could only imagine, but in one area, progress has stalled: maternal health.

Has silence replaced accountability at Chandler Unified School District?

OPINION — Public schools often talk about transparency. But transparency is more than answering the phone or acknowledging that a public records request was received. It means giving citizens real answers to reasonable questions.

Every Arizona school should be prepared to save a life

OPINION — Each year, thousands of Arizonans experience sudden cardiac arrest, with the vast majority happening outside of a hospital setting. When the heart stops, blood flow to the brain is cut off, and every minute without cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival. Too often, the outcome depends on whether a bystander knows CPR and whether an automated external defibrillator is nearby.

The truth behind Tempe Union's dispute with EVIT

OPINION — For months, our community has watched a very public disagreement unfold between the East Valley Institute of Technology and nine East Valley school districts, including Tempe Union. Many parents have understandably asked a simple question: Why are two longtime partners suddenly at an impasse?

We can't leave veterans behind as America makes progress against suicide

OPINION — For the first time in several years, America has encouraging news in the fight against suicide. New data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, based on the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that suicides have declined modestly since reaching a record high in 2022. Expanded access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, greater public awareness and improvements in crisis response may all be contributing to that progress.

Question of the Week: How will higher Medicare Part D prescription drug plan premiums impact you?

The Trump administration has announced it is ending a temporary Biden-era Medicare Part D premium stabilization subsidy on Dec. 31, eliminating roughly $3.6 billion in insurer subsidies. That could …

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