Opinion

Contract negotiations between unions, school boards bolster education

OPINION — I am writing in response to Joe Pasta’s recent letter citing his opposition to labor unions in Arizona, specifically in the area of education. He alleges that the nation’s second-largest education union “has done little to promote better education practices or better classroom conditions,” but he offers no proof for that claim.

Opinion

Walsh supports increased accountability for ESAs

OPINION — Education is foundational to our community and economy, which is why I am voting for Stephanie Walsh for State Senate to represent Legislative District 14. She will provide a strong and consistent voice supporting our public schools.

Opinion

Crossroads: Where does America go from here?

OPINION — The liberal American democracy we all grew up in is under severe strain. The America of strong middle class, stable jobs, predictable two big-tent party politics and national confidence has been seriously compromised. The economic and political choices of the past 40-plus years reshaped American life, and those choices are now being questioned.

Opinion

Trump the only threat to mail-in voting

OPINION — When I became eligible to vote by mail, I did it. Voting by mail originally was restricted to active-duty military personnel, the disabled and elderly, election workers and voters who were temporarily out of town.

Opinion

Surprise reader: Hamadeh understands importance of water security

OPINION — I am a lifelong Arizonan. Arizona’s water future is among the most urgent issues facing our state, and Congressman Abe Hamadeh has shown he understands that.  

Opinion

AI companies want to self-regulate, but they’ve already proven themselves unfit

OPINION — Concerns about possible dangers of artificial intelligence are everywhere — from fear of costly data centers, to chatbots that devastate users’ mental health, to the industrial-scale theft of creative works that made these products possible. What’s less clear is how to address them.

Opinion

Jobs are coming to the West Valley; our community colleges need to be ready

OPINION — The West Valley is in a period of tremendous growth. TSMC is producing advanced semiconductors in north Phoenix. Amkor is building a major semiconductor packaging and testing campus in Peoria. VAI Resort is taking shape in Glendale. Hospitals and medical facilities are expanding along with our population.

Opinion

Conserving Arizona’s water one drop and one major initiative at a time

OPINION — Water is always top of mind for Arizonans, and that has never been truer than now. Our state stands to lose 760,000 acre-feet of water each year beginning in 2027 due to mandatory cuts to the Colorado River water supply under a plan from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Opinion

Vote with confidence, Maricopa County elections are secure

OPINION — Free and fair elections must be protected like critical infrastructure. Those were my thoughts as I toured the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, the nerve center where ballots are processed, verified and counted.

Opinion

Governor Hobbs successes on securing the border

OPINION — Securing Arizona’s border matters and requires coordination among federal, state, county, Tribal and local law enforcement. This takes collaborative leadership and Governor Katie …

Opinion

Why I’m taking my mail-in ballot to be ID-verified

OPINION — I will take my completed mail-in ballot to a voting center, have the sealed envelope ID-verified, drop the ballot in the drop box and await acknowledgements from the sign-up tracking system that my ballot has arrived at the processing center and has been counted.

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Your Community Your Voice

Hamadeh fights for West Valley

OPINION — As a West Valley resident, I support U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh’s reelection because he has focused on results here at home.

Walsh believes in Arizona children, healthcare, schools

OPINION — As a pediatric registered nurse, I have spent much of my life caring for children and advocating for their well-being. I believe healthcare should be accessible to everyone, and I believe just as strongly that every child deserves access to a quality public education.

Proposition 320 is not an investment in our public schools

OPINION — Don’t be fooled. Proposition 320 is an attack on public education. It applies only to public district schools, not to charter schools or private schools accepting tax-funded vouchers. …

Glendale reader favors Howard for House in LD 27, but urges ‘just vote’

OPINION — I feel a need for pom-poms to get this message across. Had you seen me try out for cheer in 1970, you’d know that I have the voice but not the moves. I am an optimist, one who honestly gets excited by the prospect of voting. I have voted in every general election since 1972.

Hold out until the November election

OPINION — A regime that has been willing to slaughter as many as 36,500 of its own subjects should never, ever have a nuclear weapon. When our US bombing started, the Trump administration …

When did MAGA become the price of being Republican?

OPINION — Steve Grogan’s recent letter, Trump, GOP don’t embody the Cowboy Code, struck a chord. He wrote that he once voted Republican and supported Ronald Reagan, but no longer recognizes what the party has become. He isn’t alone.

Arizonans: Vote carefully amid accusations of socialism and communism

OPINION — We have seen and heard a lot about both socialism and communism since the 2026 election has gotten heated up. Much of it is inaccurate at best.

I vote early, but not by mail

OPINION — I have been voting by mail since Arizona instituted it. Before that, most of my voting was by mail because I was first active-duty Air Force, then a spouse and voting absentee. I have …

Reader urges vote for change Nov. 3

OPINION — I have to admit I have failed to do my research and am suffering the consequences. It’s time to stop voting along party lines without really knowing what candidates stand for.

Greene-Placentia’s campaign finance issues raise serious questions

OPINION — We expect our representatives to handle the big picture. That doesn’t mean they get a free pass on the basics. Bernadette Greene-Placentia’s campaign-finance mess raises serious questions about her potential as a representative for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.

Why Arizonans must take charge of their health as they age

OPINION — Maintaining your health is a lifelong commitment. It’s always crucial but becomes increasingly important as we age and our health needs naturally evolve. And a big part of keeping up with these evolving needs can be more-frequent visits with your doctor.

What a 100th birthday taught me about caring for seniors

OPINION — When one of my patients recently reached the remarkable milestone of turning 100, our care team invited him in for a special celebration. As is his nature, he expressed appreciation, but truth be told, we were the grateful ones.

Arizona voters deserve a gubernatorial debate

OPINION — Why are we not insisting that Governor Katie Hobbs publicly debate her opponents before the November election? Arizonans, we live in the home of the Wild West. Questioning authority, …

Rep. Hamadeh supports the SAVE America Act; I don’t support him

OPINION — This is in response to the writer enthralled with the One Big Beautiful Bill. I didn’t get a penny off my taxes; I checked with my accountant. And, it is temporary, as the reduction ends in two years.

‘Governor Biggs’ signs set off Surprise reader

OPINION — I am amazed at the many, many campaign signs Andy Biggs has had on most every Surprise-area street corner, even three or four on some corners. I saw a flashing neon billboard sign for him in Sun City on Grand Avenue. I get a kick out of his “Biggs will fix it” signs. He sure will fix it and in any way his leader King Trump wishes!

What comes after secularism?

OPINION — France was supposed to be finished with Christianity. Apparently, Christianity wasn’t finished with France. That is the surprising story now emerging from one of Europe’s most …

Honest people make for honest elections

OPINION — I have volunteered in elections since the 1960s. There is one truth: honest people make honest elections. The government can “modernize” and spend millions of our tax dollars, but only honest people can give us fair elections. It’s priceless and costs us no tax dollars.

County treasurer’s tax delays anger Sun Citian

OPINION — I read with disgust the article, Sun City Fire yet to receive full county tax money. I am a programmer. I bought property tax liens for eight years. No more!

I’m voting again for Abe Hamadeh; here’s why

OPINION — I wanted to meet with Congressional District 8’s Rep. Abe Hamadeh to form my own opinion and ask some questions which I felt were important before I could give this man my vote.

Grandparents hold Arizona families together; we must show up for them

OPINION — After my family marked the first anniversary of my grandfather’s passing in September, I found myself thinking about him, my “güelo,” more than usual.

Arizona needs problem-solvers and cooperation

OPINION — For the last 10 years, my wife Jamie and I have proudly called Paradise Valley home. We’ve raised our two boys here, built lasting friendships and come to love the unique spirit of this …

What’s next for integrity of home health and hospice?

OPINION — Fraud in home health and hospice care is real, and it hurts everyone who touches this industry — patients, who deserve care they can trust, taxpayers, who fund the Medicare program, and the honest providers, whose reputations are dragged down every time a bad actor makes headlines.

Question of the Week: Are you voting by mail this year or going to the polls Nov. 3?

There has been plenty of bluster about mail-in voting, some of the negative coming from President Trump — who votes by mail himself. Do you believe in the integrity of voting by mail through …

They’re coming for our pets

OPINION — Just when you thought the cost of healthcare couldn’t rise any further, they’re coming for our pets.

Photographer Ernest Hopkins’ captured this image of the British Royal Navy’s torpedo gunboat HMS Hussar during World War I. It’s part of the Imperial War Museum’s Admiralty Official Collection.

Holy cow! History — The Central Park Cannon’s secret was a literal bombshell

OPINION — They’re common from The Battery in Charleston, S.C., to Seattle’s Hamlin Park: Military relics retired to public places such as county courthouses and public parks to commemorate America’s wartime history.

What students understand about AI that adults miss

OPINION — New teachers, new classes, new notebooks and, increasingly, new conversations about artificial intelligence. With the school year underway, before we tell students how AI will transform their education and their future, perhaps we should listen to what they are telling us.

When cancer affects the whole family

OPINION — A cancer diagnosis can change the rhythm of an entire household. Parents, grandparents, siblings and caregivers often find themselves navigating new responsibilities, emotions and uncertainties while adjusting to an unfamiliar reality. For children and teens, these changes can be especially difficult to process when they sense something is different.

Rep. David Livingston’s record: Conservative or extreme?

OPINION — David Livingston entered the Arizona Legislature as a conservative voice. Fourteen years later, his record has moved beyond traditional conservatism toward extremism. His positions on disability services and reproductive rights — and his use of a term-limit loophole — show why Legislative District 28 needs a change.

Why I’m not voting Andy Biggs for governor

OPINION — As a Sun City resident, I am always happy to walk and drive through my neighborhood and see lots of solar panels and a growing number of hybrid cars and electric cars. ... Andy Biggs has fought this forward movement in sustainable energy.

Finding a home is only half the dream

OPINION — Long before a home is permitted or built, someone has imagined a life inside it. Sometimes that dream arrives at 28. Sometimes at 68. It may mean a first set of keys, a smaller home for retirement, a few quiet acres or remaining in a house that has grown unsafe without becoming any less loved.

10 things I’m not thanking Rep. Hamadeh for right now

OPINION — In response to the recent letter thanking Abe Hamadeh for his support of the One Big Beautiful Bill, I’m not thanking him for these 10 things:

U.S. vs. Mexico: ‘War’ that ends at final whistle in Glendale

OPINION — On Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m., the United States’ men’s soccer team will play Mexico at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. On paper, it is a friendly. Nobody in my family has ever used that word for this game. Mexico can lose to the United States in almost any sport and take it well. Basketball, baseball, a bad night in the ring. We shake hands and go to dinner. Soccer is different.

Trump, GOP don’t embody the Cowboy Code

OPINION — I used to be a Republican. I voted for Ronald Reagan. To me, Reagan embodied the Cowboy Code of actor singer Gene Autry. The code included that the cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man or take unfair advantage. He must always tell the truth. He must help people in distress.

Goodyear is building; D.C. keeps getting in the way

OPINION — Goodyear is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. Every month we approve homes, break ground on employment sites and work to keep power and water ahead of demand.

Will the real Republicans please step forward?

OPINION — I have a question for Paul Cahill, who wondered in a recent letter to the editor where America’s real Democrats are. ... I’ll ask: Will the real Republicans please step forward?

America's Charters of Freedom give Arizonans the power to bargain

OPINION — I’m replying to Annarose Lilly’s labor bargaining comments. America's Charters of Freedom already give Arizonans the power to bargain, so why would they pay a third party to negotiate their individual labor that would be in the union's best interest as a collective for all? The end doesn’t seem to justify the means for an individual.

Why I’m voting Scianna over Montenegro for LD 29 House

OPINION — Legislative District 29’s Steve Montenegro has used his power as speaker of the state House to promote the nation’s most expensive voucher system at the same time Arizona is second-to-lowest in support of education.

No need to expand collective-bargaining efforts in Arizona

OPINION — This is a response to Annarose Lilly's recent letter, Arizonans deserve real bargaining power. I read Ms. Lilly’s opinion with great interest. She seems to be advocating for labor unions either to be formed or expanded. In any event, my vote is firmly no.

We know where Andy Biggs really stands

OPINION — Andy Biggs wants Arizonans to forget what he did after the 2020 election. We shouldn't, and I for certain have not. The organizer of the Jan. 6 rally said Biggs helped come up with …

Why Phoenicians can count on Ashley Harder

OPINION — I have worked alongside Ashley Harder for more than a decade on projects that brought together art, history, veterans and communities across Phoenix. In all those years, one thing has remained constant: When Ashley commits to something, she shows up and does the work.

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