Ward 3 candidate finds holes in Prop 200 article
I am Mary DeCamp, the Green Party candidate for City Council in Ward 3, and I am writing to express my frustration with your newspaper following the “”Funding questions plague Prop 200″” article on Monday’s front page.
Nowhere in Monday’s Wildcat story is it mentioned that I was the first candidate to publicly take a stand against Prop. 200. In fact, nowhere is it mentioned that I am a candidate in next week’s city election. My roots with the UA run deep — I got my bachelor’s degree here, I received my master’s degree from UA and I am now completing my doctorate. I worked in various UA administrative units for over 10 years and I have been involved in numerous campus volunteer activities. Given my extensive involvement with UA, I feel I can best represent the interests of UA on Tucson’s City Council and I am asking for your vote.
Weeks ago I contacted your offices, in an e-mail and via telephone, to request coverage of my campaign, but I received nothing back from your paper. This is not the quality of journalism that I am sure is being taught by Professor Jim Nintzel over in the journalism department, so I am confused about your policy.
My message as a third party candidate is important. I have looked at global conditions (planetary warming, crumbling economy and fraying social fabric), and I have provided practical, affordable local solutions that rely on neighbors instead of turning to government or big business (retrofit Tucson’s older homes for energy efficiency, adopt a local currency and return to community-based policing).
The Green Party accepts no corporate donations. We have 10 key values that inform our policy stands beginning with grassroots democracy. We are the third largest political party in the United States and we are international in scope (gp.org). We also believe in future-focus, personal and global responsibility, ecological wisdom, non-violence, local economies and social justice.
Please provide your readers with a more rounded picture of local politics. This is an area that has a direct effect on the quality of their lives and ignoring one of the candidate choices is a disservice to our community.
Mary DeCamp
The Green Candidate and UA Adjunct Faculty
Rec Center needs more attention to pool temperature regulation
For the second Monday this month, the Student Recreation Center pool has lost its temperature control and is about 85 degrees. At that temperature, swimming is no fun — maybe even dangerous. Ever wonder who is paying for all this hot water? Does this call into question the management capabilities of the Rec Center staff as they are poised to double their size?
Jim Washburne
Associate director, Education of the NSF Science Technology Center
Football game temporarily closes bus stops closest to campus
I am a public bus commuter, and I work in the Student Union Memorial Center on the weekends. This weekend I came to find that all of the bus stops on Sixth Avenue between Euclid Avenue and Campbell Avenue were closed. This is completely ridiculous, especially when the buses only come once an hour on the weekends. The football games should not prohibit buses from picking people up on Sixth Avenue. Public transportation commuters have places to go that may not be the UA football game, God forbid. I think I speak for all commuters (especially the ones, like me, who purchased yearly bus passes through the parking and transportation office on campus) would just appreciate a little more respect from UA.
Sara Burke
Creative writing senior