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

Grand resident weighs in on coyotes in Surprise

OPINION — Regarding Jason’s Stone’s article, Surprise woman wants Grand solution to coyote problem: I seldom see coyotes in the Grand while out walking and they have never approached me; but if I am walking my dog it goes crazy.

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

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

Why I’m voting Coniam over Densmore for DUSD board

OPINION — I agree with Bob Doyle that Bill Coniam’s national political views are unwanted. He is running for a local office and should stick to the issues confronting the Dysart Unified School District.

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

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.”

Opinion

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.”

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.

Opinion

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.

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Your Community Your Voice

Dysart candidate should set a better example for students, reader says

OPINION — I recently saw a photo that appeared to show Dysart Governing Board candidate William Coniam wearing a “No Kings” shirt.

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?”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grateful that Hamadeh supports veterans

OPINION — Our freedom depends on the men and women who serve in uniform. Less than 1% of our population serve. Without them, we would not have a free country. That’s why I’m grateful …

Is Turning Point’s pull in the West Valley elections eroding?

OPINION — A recent Valley news report indicated that candidates and voters are pushing back against Turning Point USA’s growing influence in Arizona elections. As West Valley voters, we should understand its involvement in our own races.

Why Rep. Hamadeh has my vote

OPINION — I have read some recent negative opinions in your editorials about Rep. Abe Hamadeh and I just say they obviously don’t know what this man has done for Congressional District 8.

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.

Can Abe Hamadeh properly represent CD 8?

OPINION — Re: Arizona deserves the full story on Abe Hamadeh: The full story, like the fact he was born in this country to parents who were here illegally? Like the full story that he doesn’t live in the district he represents?

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 …

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.

Thanks to Hamadeh for One Big Beautiful Bill support

OPINION — I've been hearing a lot of negative comments about President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. Thank God for it.

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.

Disappointed in Hamadeh’s voting record

OPINION — In preparation of the forthcoming midterm election, I reviewed the voting record of my 8th District Congressman and disappointingly found he had voted or “rubber stamped” every Trump-backed expenditure.

Couldn’t Dysart Unified sell assets to raise money instead of going for a $71M bond?

OPINION — This fall, Dysart Unified School District is attempting to obtain funding for their schools via Proposition 421. I am not against a good-quality education, and I recognize it takes money for a good-quality education.

There are better immigration solutions than ICE

OPINION — I disagree with Ron Moe, who recently disagreed with me and others regarding ICE as an immigration solution.

Dysart Unified needs to share academic successes to support bond request

OPINION — I read Delarita Ford’s front-page article: DUSD teaches voters about latest bond proposition. We have lived in Surprise for more than a decade and I believe few district propositions have been successful.

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 …

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.

Vote this November to calm political environment

OPINION — I finally had a free day and sat down to watch the news on TV and discovered the president and Congressional District 8 Rep. Abe Hamadeh appear to think I have a fatal personality disorder just because I do not believe anything they say and I will not follow their every whim and fancy.

Voting is a right and a responsibility

OPINION — I am writing in response to Jason Stone’s front-page article in the Aug. 12, 2026, edition of the Surprise Independent titled: About 21% of eligible voters in Surprise cast a ballot.

Surprise reader disagrees with Massie perspective

OPINION — Regarding Jason Stone’s article, Massie still waiting for closure 2 years after Surprise arrest : I’m sorry, my vantage point is a little different. I saw this as a …

Reader takes issue with letter about Hamadeh’s full story

OPINION — In her letter, Arizona deserves the full story on Abe Hamadeh, Analyn Megison demands the “complete story” about the congressman, yet her letter largely repeats Hamadeh’s own talking points while attacking the press.

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.

Time for real representation for CD 8

OPINION — As I read Nikki Colletti’s letter, I was struck by her tone concerning our perpetually absent representative and what a “breath of fresh air” he is for Congressional District 8. I wouldn’t know about this fresh air because I have never seen him be accessible.

Why I’m voting for Bernadette Greene-Placentia in November

OPINION — When I read Abe Hamadeh’s recent newsletter, I see that he has been very helpful to individuals struggling with the bureaucracy (otherwise known as our hardworking, understaffed Civil Service) and supportive of the military and police. But what about the 400,000 Arizonans who lost their SNAP food benefits and those who will not be able to afford health insurance after the election because of the Big Beautiful Bill his vote helped put into law?

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: Massie arrest draws passionate opinions in Surprise

Here are some comments about stories happening in Surprise.

Arizona deserves the full story on Abe Hamadeh

OPINION — As an Arizona citizen, I believe we should recognize public officials who demonstrate genuine servant leadership. Congressman Abe Hamadeh deserves that recognition.

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.

Brain injuries from blasts driving too many young vets to suicide

OPINION — We all get a warm glow when we hear the airline gate agent inviting active-duty service members to board early. What isn’t said, isn’t known, is that some of those young men and women will die eventually by their own hands, and at nearly three times the rate of civilians in the same under-34 age group.

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 …

Why is Hamadeh calling out Hobbs when he won’t debate opponent?

OPINION — Arizona Congressional District 8 Rep. Abe Hamadeh sure likes to throw stones at glass houses, but runs away afterward. He called out Gov. Katie Hobbs for not debating his fellow House Republican gubernatorial candidate, Andy Biggs, while Hamadeh running away from CD 8 opponent Bernadette Greene-Placentia’s debate challenge.

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