Opinion

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?

Opinion

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.

Opinion

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.

Opinion

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.

Opinion

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.

Opinion

LD 7 House candidate condemns racist attacks against incumbent

OPINION — As a candidate for state representative in Legislative District 7, I feel an obligation to say something about the racist attacks directed at Rep. Walt Blackman. They have greatly disturbed me.

Opinion

A new era in learning

OPINION — A few years ago, online learning was almost always discussed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden shift to virtual classrooms delivered a huge range of experiences and reactions as parents, teachers and students adjusted to an unfamiliar setting. After all, the transition was abrupt and unexpected. But now, years after the return to in-person schooling, online education hasn’t faded as a passing trend.

Opinion

Arizona voters protected abortion rights, Washington can still threaten women’s health

OPINION — In 2024, nearly two million Arizonans voted for Proposition 139, amending our state Constitution to protect the fundamental right to abortion. It passed with nearly 62 percent of the …

Opinion

Howard, Clayton are my choices for LD 27

OPINION — “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!” Or is it “Knowledge is power?” It’s a bit of both. I felt uneasy telling people what I did for a living. At parties, “What do you do?” Me: “I am a public high school English teacher.” Reaction: “Oh … I hated English.” “Really?”

Opinion

Unhappy with Hamadeh despite support for veterans, responders

OPINION — I read with great interest the recent letter extolling the virtues of Congressman Abe Hamadeh’s many services to the constituents of Congressional District 8.

Opinion

Arizona parents face many challenges; help is one call/text away

OPINION — If you are a parent to a young child, you already know that no two parenting journeys look alike and no two days are ever the same. Since your baby was born, you have probably had many challenging days.

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Your Community Your Voice

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 …

Finding hope within heartbreak

OPINION — Our daughter Collyns Belle — “Colly” — was born in 2021 after an uneventful pregnancy. She joined her two brothers and sister, and when she arrived, our family felt complete. Her first year was very typical. She did everything her three older siblings did. She rolled, sat, smiled, babbled and even crawled. Colly was overflowing with life, and her personality sparkled.

Valley Gen Xers won’t be able to rely on Social Security

OPINION — For Gen Xers rapidly approaching retirement, the old playbook no longer applies. With Social Security nearing insolvency, Gen Xers will find they can’t retire as their parents did.

Your politics won’t protect you from the 'surveillance state'

OPINION — Erica Schwartz, the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control, made federal priorities clear during her recent confirmation hearings: “Abortion surveillance is absolutely a critical component of what the CDC is currently doing.” She assured members of Congress that she would ensure that states weren’t “hiding abortions” under the auspices of “emergency care.”

The Social Security time bomb is ticking

OPINION — Here we go as seniors waiting for our elected officials to fix Social Security finances. Otherwise, folks, we are going to get a discounted check. ... How did this happen and how do we fix it?

Wildlife advocate: Vote Catherine Miranda for state Senate

OPINION — Arizonans saw countless attacks on our state’s beautiful wildlife this year in Phoenix. Bills designed to weaken protections for native wildlife, decimate Mexican gray wolves and prioritize cruel management practices over scientifically backed ones were on the table this year.

Combating hunger in Arizona requires effort from all of us

OPINION — More than 1 million Arizonans currently face inadequate access to food. In some communities, about 1 in 4 residents experience food insecurity.

Strengthening Phoenix’s future during D.C. meetings

OPINION — I was in Washington, D.C., recently to advocate on behalf of Phoenix and District 8 residents. We held several productive meetings with the Arizona congressional delegation and representatives of national organizations and federal departments.

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.

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.

Reader: Rep. Hamadeh should follow Charlie Kirk’s example

OPINION — In a recent newsletter, Rep. Abe Hamadeh memorialized Charlie Kirk, writing, “Charlie was murdered on September 10, 2025, while doing precisely what he had done throughout his public life: peacefully engaging Americans in a discussion about the future of our country. He did not hide from people who disagreed with him. He invited them to the front of the line, handed them a microphone and listened.”

Reader defends conservatives' silence on rising prices

OPINION — My response to Will Resist’s letter, Where is conservative outrage over high prices? : Inflation is a current problem, but less so than during the Biden years when inflation …

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.

LD 27 challenger Howard: Fink shows she is an extremist

OPINION — Rep. Lisa Fink’s recent op-ed touting Andy Biggs as the gubernatorial candidate Arizonans should support was appalling, yet unsurprising. Fink has shown herself to be an out-of-touch extremist more interested in ideology than good governance.

A student’s perspective on Proposition 320

OPINION — Every morning, I walk into a public school in Mesa as a student. I go to class, learn from my teachers, work with my classmates and eventually go home. From the outside, it would be easy to think my education begins and ends in those classrooms. As a high school senior, I know it doesn’t.

Big Beautiful Bill letter praising Hamadeh doesn’t tell full story

OPINION — I’d like to offer a rebuttal to a recent letter-writer’s effusive praise for Rep. Abe Hamadeh’s support/vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill — OBBB.

The importance of routine PSA testing in combatting prostate cancer

OPINION — Prostate cancer often is called a “silent disease” because it rarely causes symptoms in its early, most treatable stages. Unlike a broken bone or a bad cough, there's no obvious signal that tells a man that something is wrong. And by the time symptoms like difficulty urinating, blood in the urine and pain occur, the disease often has progressed.

Arizona’s water providers are preparing today to protect our water tomorrow

OPINION — With federal cuts reducing Arizona’s Colorado River allocation by 27% each year through 2028, many people are coming to us concerned and asking: “Will I still have water?” “Will my tap run dry?” “What should we do?”

Zyriek understands firsthand the value of Kyrene schools

OPINION — As a lifelong educator, I am pleased to endorse Franklin Zyriek for Kyrene Governing Board.

Phoenix’s AI-era hiring needs a judgment test

OPINION — Metro Phoenix just hosted more than 900 semiconductor facilities professionals for UltraFacility 2026, while the city’s PHXWorks job fair brought statewide employers face to face with job seekers. Those events point to a hiring problem that will grow as artificial intelligence becomes routine.

Trump can’t buy my vote

OPINION — Trump threw paper towels to the crowd on 10/03/17 at Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo Puerto Rico during a relief visit after hurricane Maria. How demeaning that was. Now he is going to give me $5,000 of my own money to vote MAGA?

Where is conservative outrage over high prices?

OPINION — If you’ve visited the grocery store or gas station lately, you’ve probably noticed the continual increase in prices. Diesel is at the highest price in history. Almost everything we buy is transported by trucks that use diesel. This drives up the cost of everything.

Closed doors fueled Hamadeh protests

OPINION — Abe Hamadeh has built the largest protest movement in the history of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. He did it by refusing to let constituents in the room.

LD 27 Rep. Lisa Fink: Vote Andy Biggs for governor

OPINION — Arizona has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to elect a conservative governor who will fight for our values in the West Valley and deliver results for our entire state. Andy Biggs has shown he has the experience, the character and the vision to Restore the American Dream in our state and help Arizona reach its full potential.

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, …

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.

Reader agrees Congress must fund defense innovation

OPINION — I recently read Todd Jackson’s letter to the editor, Don’t forget local Army Reservists after 9/11 remembrances. I have to say I had no idea about many of our modern defenses such as the Integrated Battle Command System that are being built and designed to protect not only our nation, but our service members as well.

Is Trump sleepwalking to a U.S. bond market crisis?

OPINION — According to an adage, it is not a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you. Evidently, President Trump does not buy into this adage as he weaponizes U.S. financial policy and arbitrarily imposes punitive import tariffs even on traditional allies. Trump seems impervious to the fact that the U.S. government has enormous borrowing needs and depends heavily on the kindness of strangers to finance them.

School readiness goes beyond the ABCs

OPINION — A 4-year-old who can wait for his turn walks into kindergarten better prepared than one who can recite the alphabet. That claim surprises parents, but it doesn’t surprise kindergarten teachers.

92-year-old finds hope in Independent's medical reporting

OPINION — My name is Stuart Costello and I’ve lived in Surprise for the past 27 years. I just read Jason Stone’s wonderful article about Hector Garcia and the medical procedure that he underwent in January.

How we can expand support paths in suicide prevention

OPINION — For many people, suicide is not a distant issue. More than 2 in 5 U.S. adults report personally knowing someone who died by suicide, so it’s important to foster more open conversations about mental health and to make supportive resources easier to access.

The grandparents no one asks about

OPINION — There is a photograph on a refrigerator in Sun City that stopped updating four years ago. The child in the photo is 9. She is 13 now. Her grandmother knows this because she counts.

Retired educator backs Deborah Howard for LD 27 House

OPINION — For me, the Arizona Legislative District 27 races are very vital to the future of my neighborhood and state. I’m a retired public-school educator (high school English teacher and guidance counselor. I have a vested interest in education due to my grandkids, but also considering the effect public schools has on our community and quality of life.

Banning the kratom plant won’t protect children

OPINION — I want my children to grow up in a world where products marketed to them are safe, honestly labeled and held to meaningful standards. I also want lawmakers to address emerging threats before they become public health crises. That is why we must have an honest conversation about the growing market for synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine products and why simply banning kratom is the wrong solution.

Surprise reader: Hamadeh’s office failed us

OPINION — We submitted, for a nice refund, our e-file on April 2. In May, the IRS asked us to be verified. We did. Online it shows that they received our forms. It does not progress past received.

Take it from a blind guy: Impaired vision isn’t the obstacle

OPINION — What I can see today is not what I saw yesterday, and it will not be what I see tomorrow. That is the reality of living with retinitis pigmentosa: constant change and the need to adapt in a world not built with blind people in mind. Yet, with the little vision I have, I see systems and attitudes stuck in the past.

Data center incentive moratorium risking one of Arizona’s labor success stories

OPINION — Arizona earned its title as a national leader in data center development through smart, innovation-focused policies, a highly skilled workforce and union members who have proven they can build some of the most advanced infrastructure in the world. However, the Legislature’s three-year moratorium on data center tax incentives now risks the very momentum making Arizona one of the country’s greatest labor success stories.

Arizonans deserve real bargaining power

OPINION — Arizona workers deserve more than a “right to work.” They deserve the ability to bargain from a position of strength.

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.

ESA voucher decisions could cost Arizona GOP lawmakers political control

OPINION — I’ve seen this before. When the main character, Neo, sees the same black cat walk by twice in the original movie “The Matrix,” he asks his colleagues, “Do you ever have déjà vu?” His partners instantly know something is wrong. Déjà vu is usually not a good thing. In the political world, we see it all the time.

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