OUR VIEWPOINT EDITORIAL


Attorney general should rethink voter-law appeal


In our Friday paper, we published a Cronkite News Service article about the 9th U.S. Circuit Court’s ruling regarding Arizona’s voter law. The federal appeals court said it’s OK for the state to require voters to show identifi cation at the polls, but rejected the part of the law that requires Arizonans to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. That part of the state law confl icts with the National Voter Registration Act, the judges said. We agree with the court that requiring voters to


provide ID does not hinder their rights or the voting process. After all, by now Americans are accustomed to showing ID for far less serious endeavors than voting (such as buying a six-pack of beer at your local grocery). We also agree that requiring people to prove their citizenship when registering to vote might be going a bit too far. For many people, the thought of tracking down proof (“Where’d I put my birth certifi cate?”) might be too much of a hassle. As voter registration numbers drop, such a requirement will undoubtedly discourage many people from registering. We need more voters, not fewer. Unfortunately, our state attorney general, Tom Horne, said he plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Our state is already awash in unnecessary court cases. Each one of them costs us taxpayers a lot of money. We certainly don’t need another one. If Horne thinks a large number of non-citizens are


voting in Arizona elections, he should provide some hard proof to back up his claims. How many are there? If the state is going to spend tens of thousands or millions of dollars on an appeal, how much is it going to cost us taxpayers per illegal voter — $5 per illegal voter or $10,000 per illegal voter? This isn’t the fi rst time this issue has come up.


Previously, we’ve said that if non-citizens are voting in Arizona elections, they’re acting as better citizens than a huge number of real citizens. Perhaps rather than prosecuting them when we root them out, we should grant these illegal voters immediate citizenship as a reward for being better citizens than most true-blue Americans. According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Offi ce, as of January 2012, Arizona had 3,138,327 registered voters, a decrease of 27,231 since the previous report in October 2011. In other words, real Arizona citizens are not registering to vote in droves. Unlike Horne, we don’t think a large number of non- citizens, if any, are illegally voting in Arizona elections. Even if there are rare cases, does that justify a costly appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court? If Horne thinks otherwise, he should provide the documentation before spending our money.


OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINTS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR L


etters to the editor are published without any editing. Any errors in


spelling, punctuation or grammar are those of the author. Two online reader polls have indicated that a majority of View readers prefer that the letters not be edited.


Neighborhood


is under siege E ditor:


On March 29, John was hauling dirt to fi ll in where the dogs had been trying to access our property. Several of them charged our chain link fence and one managed to bite him on his left fore arm. He did not hear the “pack” approach. He has been unable to wear his hearing aids due to a medical condition. We called Animal Control and they, in turn, contacted our local area Fire Department. The wound was cleaned and dressed. When the Animal Control offi cer arrived he observed the dogs from our back patio. They were continuing to exhibit very aggressive behavior. No one was at home, so the offi cer said someone would be back in the morning. The next morning, they arrived and once again tenant not at home. A card was left with instructions to call the offi ce. The next morning Animal Control arrived, tenant eventually appeared at residence. Since that time information has been scant. After calling the offi ce, we were informed that some of the dogs were quarantined. We received 4 letters, dated April 9, stating that


the offending dogs did not have rabies. This was welcome news. Our right to enjoy our property that we have owned for many hears has been greatly diminished. I am on oxygen, however I try to maintain a reasonably active life style. This has been greatly hampered by sleep loss, excessive odors and dust, and the fear of even walking to our mail box. Ms. Elford we are so glad that you, your caretaker and pets were unharmed. Since anyone is rarely home in the daytime, it was fortunate someone was there to restrain the dogs. We feel the area is under siege and urge strong precautions to our neighbors.


John and Muffi e Dunning Buckeye


Here’s why hay


costs so much Editor:


Reference “Hay farmers are too greedy.”


Before accusing any farmer of being greedy, I would respectfully ask Ms. Duran to consider the following: • Land Cost


• Equipment Cost • Irrigation Cost


Cost • Seed, Fertilizer & Chemical


• Employee Cost • Fuel & Utility Cost • Transportation Cost • Insurance Cost


money to run the farm • Taxes


Maybe with less bureaucracy and wiser decisions in Government , commodity prices would be at a level we could all accept.


Finally, I would ask Ms. Duran to ponder the word profi t. Profi t is not a dirty word. Any business owner willing to accept all the risk should certainly enjoy some benefi t.


Butch Whittington Goodyear


Republican


Party has left me Editor:


Where is David Rogers getting his info on this subject? Oh I know — Fox News, otherwise known as “Factured Fairy Tale News!”. Facts are that Obama has approved many permits for resuming drilling in the Gulf (permits for deep water drilling which I certainly would not have approved in light of the recent disaster). Facts are that Obama has signifi cantly increased oil production in the U.S. during his tenure. I am a life long Republican who responds to countless calls from the Party with, “I have not left the Party — the Party has left me!” I hope the Teabaggers are happy with leaving so many previous Party faithful in the dust!


• Maintenance & Repair Costs • Interest Cost for all borrowed


Karen Shumway Litchfi eld Park


(See Letters on Page 7)


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Th h THIS WEEK'S QUESTION


Do you think the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) requirement is benefi cial to students?


• Yes • No


LAST WEEK’S RESULTS Are you pro-life or pro-choice? 137 total Votes


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West Valley View, Avondale, Arizona, Tuesday, April 24, 2012


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