Opinion

What a coyote might say to its neighbors

OPINION — If a coyote could have a cordial conversation with its neighbors in The Grand, I imagine that this is what it might say: My name is Wyly, and I would like you to know that I have as much right to be here as any of you, perhaps more.

Opinion

Our community is fabulous; RCSCW master plan isn’t

The “unveiling” of the Recreation Centers of Sun City West comprehensive 10-year master plan is over, the “celebration” has ended. What did we get for our $275,000 that we paid a consultant to do it? I’ll tell you: The emperor has no clothes is what we have.

Opinion

Are Gingrich, McConnell and Roberts king-makers?

OPINION — What would a dairy farmer do with a stool that had one or more broken legs? The Constitution established our Democratic Republic like a three-legged stool: Executive, Legislative and Judicial legs to provide a strong foundation for the freedom of all Americans.

Question of the Week: Does your family participate in Halloween traditions and fun?

There was a time when nothing signaled the onset of autumn like Halloween, the annual cultural celebration observed on Oct. 31, which features trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and carving …

Opinion

Can’t we all come together as Americans?

OPINION — Paul Cahill’s recent letter in the Independent left me feeling sad. I think we want the same things, but I feel like we live in two different worlds.

Opinion

Arizonans with dementia shouldn’t be driving

OPINION — I’ve lived in Sun City West for 17 years. I recently had a strange encounter at the Post Office. The drive-thru drop box for mail has one entrance and one exit. I was in it when suddenly there was a woman in a large sedan facing me.

Opinion

Peoria reader: My values align with Rep. Hamadeh’s

OPINION — My most cherished freedom is the freedom to openly serve my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Next is my freedom to vote, a right that gives each of us a voice in the direction of our nation. This election requires each of us to exercise that freedom and choose leaders who will stand for the principles we believe in.

Opinion

Arizonans should vote out Republicans who failed us

OPINION — I think most will agree that it's time for a change. I come from a family where most, but not all, leaned Republican. I am an independent and believe that our leaders should work to benefit the people they represent over large contributors who try to buy their votes. I miss true bipartisanship, where both sides would meet and try to resolve issues together, even by compromise when needed.

Opinion

Are things worse now than under Biden? I think not

OPINION — Jeff Hostetler’s recent letter regarding the state of the country argues that most things are now worse than during the previous administration. These statements require some objective review.

Opinion

Why I must vote Republican

OPINION — I believe in God, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. I also believe in capitalism, where hard working people can get ahead. Most people of the world don’t have that choice. Many want to come here for that reason.

Opinion

Fighting hunger also means prioritizing nutrition

OPINION — When most people think about hunger, they picture an empty pantry or fridge. Yet, for families struggling to make ends meet, the challenge is often more complicated than simply having enough food to eat.

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Your Community Your Voice

Four years of tax hikes and one new cop; our community colleges need new priorities

OPINION — Most voters never reach the bottom of their ballot. This year, the Maricopa County Community College District board race deserves the trip.

Congress should pass the Major Richard Star Act to keep its promise to combat-injured veterans

OPINION — When Americans are injured in combat, we have a responsibility to make sure they receive the benefits they earned through their service and sacrifice. For tens of thousands of veterans, we are falling short of that promise.

Urging voters to vote out MAGA Trump loyalists

OPINION — To vote is the greatest privilege and responsibility that goes with living in a democracy. I am perplexed by the fact that many Americans will sit on their hands in the face of the greatest threat to our democracy: President Trump’s willingness to break rules to hold power.

Fears new federal rule will harm seniors who get prescriptions by mail

OPINION — U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a dangerous new rule with an Oct. 22 compliance date that will threaten the healthcare of millions of Americans. The rule, “Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments,” will effectively end Americans’ ability to personally import their prescription medicines.

Senior thanks Rep. Hamadeh for tax relief

OPINION — After working and paying taxes for many years, seniors deserve a break on taxation of their retirement financial resources. Many live on fixed incomes that are affected by rising costs. Tax relief can provide the extra cushion to make the “golden years” a little more stress-free.

Will you vote in your own self-interest this year?

OPINION — Why do we continue to vote against our own self-interest? Is it because we are from a family of life-long Republicans or Democrats, or do we pay attention to political commercials that are fabricated and paid for by billionaires? Are we pouring all of our attention into media that manufactures outrage dividing us as a nation?

Military widow: Rep. Hamadeh’s office solved my problem

OPINION — I’m not really into opinions. Facts and actions are what count. My experience as a 40-year military widow was mightily reaffirmed recently. I must share.

EPCOR consolidation, rate hike aren’t a done deal; let’s fight

OPINION — I don’t blame Sun City and Sun City West residents who are ticked off because EPCOR is pushing to raise our water costs by roughly 30%, or maybe I do!

Question of the Week: Should the Pentagon livestream the execution of former U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan?

Former Army Medical Corps psychiatrist Nidal Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, for the 2009 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 13 soldiers and wounded …

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

Why Democrats will not get our votes on Nov. 3

OPINION — The Democratic Party is not the party that it once was. The Democratic Socialists of America has grown significantly and exerts a strong influence on the party’s left, thus enabling …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Kennedy Center flap: A great president vs. one of our worst

OPINION — The battle over the name on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts provides opportunity to contrast a great president with the worst president in our country’s history.

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?

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.

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.

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?”

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.

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