Sunday, February 14, 2010

Pima County Jury awards $40 million in drunken driving case


A 14 year old boy was killed by a female who was intoxicated. This happened 1/12/08. The award was assessed against the city of Tucson, Chuy restaurant and the driver. The cities share was $13 million as the jury felt the road was poorly designed. Evidently a lawyer was able to convince the members of the jury to award as they did. I find fault with it and have the following comments to make.
I-It is not the city that will pay, it is the taxpaying citizens. A city that is deep in debt to where it is taking drastic measures to stay afloat does not have the means to pay a frivolous penalty like this.
2-It is my opinion that the city is not bound by some State mandate to design roads to every persons liking. We could be driving on gravel. An engineer makes a decision and somehow that translates to irresponsibility on the part of the city leaders.
3-The driver in question had driven on this road many times before and even in her inebriated state should have known what the road was like.
4-Perhaps a waiter or bartender recognized that the woman had drunk to much alcohol but again why place such a heavy burden on an eating establishment, one of which is struggling to survive in this down economy.
5-This is for the grieving parents; after paying legal expenses you should take any thing over that and give to the charity of your choice. To rake in millions from the death of a loved one is not morally acceptable. There was no mention in the headline article regarding this. If that was their intent then I apologize for this comment.


Pima County Jury awards $40 million in drunken driving case

A 14 year old boy was killed by a female who was intoxicated. This happened 1/12/08. The award was assessed against the city of Tucson, Chuy restaurant and the driver. The cities share was $13 million as the jury felt the road was poorly designed. Evidently a lawyer was able to convince the members of the jury to award as they did. I find fault with it and have the following comments to make.
I-It is not the city that will pay, it is the taxpaying citizens. A city that is deep in debt to where it is taking drastic measures to stay afloat does not have the means to pay a frivolous penalty like this.
2-It is my opinion that the city is not bound by some State mandate to design roads to every persons liking. We could be driving on gravel. An engineer makes a decision and somehow that translates to irresponsibility on the part of the city leaders.
3-The driver in question had driven on this road many times before and even in her inebriated state should have known what the road was like.
4-Perhaps a waiter or bartender recognized that the woman had drunk to much alcohol but again why place such a heavy burden on an eating establishment, one of which is struggling to survive in this down economy.
5-This is for the grieving parents; after paying legal expenses you should take any thing over that and give to the charity of your choice. To rake in millions from the death of a loved one is not morally acceptable. There was no mention in the headline article regarding this. If that was their intent then I apologize for this comment.

Soil not Oil by Vandana Shiva - a book report

This is a small book, only 144 pages, but it is filled with dynamite. She clearly states her beliefs about the direction world leaders are taking on behalf of corporations. This is a theme I have been pushing on a personal basis for some time now. The difference is my thoughts are based on gut feelings; hers are based on incredible technical information that was very hard for me to understand. Perhaps you will do better?
Let me try to explain without resorting to the myriad of terms used by Ms. Shiva. She has particular animosity to the Monsanto and Cargill corporations. If you saw the documentary entitled Food Inc. you would understand her concern. These giants are on a world wide mission to have complete control of food production. With their “patents” they can demand that local farmers only purchase seeds from them. What the effect of this is that variety is sacrificed for increased productivity at an enormous expense for farmers. These patents were granted by our own Supreme Court, the same folks who just recently decided that corporations can spend any amount they wish on Federal elections.
Her premise is that the definition of productivity is all wrong. It is based on reducing the workforce on farms in favor of huge fuel driven machines. She points out the huge cost of transporting over thousands of miles by plane, ship and truck. All of which receive huge subsidies from the governments. The energy used to create the bio fuels, fertilizers and seed are immense. All of this adds to the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere which is accelerating global warming. The other tragedy occurring on a daily basis is the destruction of tropical forests to create land to produce bio fuels which in her and my opinion are not energy efficient.
She sees the return to farming worldwide as the solution to problems such as pollution, global warming and unemployment. I agree. In our own country huge giveaways are included in each year’s farm program with most going to the mega farms, sometimes just for leaving the ground idle. Her and my program would be just the opposite. Give the greatest assistance to the little guys. The acreage planted would be the same but millions of people could return to life on farms as it was just 30 or 40 years ago. Wouldn’t that be better than them migrating to cities searching for employment that doesn’t exist and going on the dole? What a man made tragedy and we sit idly by as if everything is OK.
Mrs. Shiva’s credentials are impressive. She was a leading physicist before becoming a world-renowned environmentalist. She won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. I found this book in the Public Library.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Crossers by Phillip Caputo- a book report

This is a very special novel for people living in Southern Arizona and particularly for hikers, mountain climbers, birders or just plain motor tourists. The reason is that it mentions places that are so familiar to many of us. It centers on the San Rafael Valley south of Patagonia. It includes the Canelo Hills, the Huachuca, Whetstones, Mustangs, Santa Rita’s and other mountain ranges. It mentions the Gadston Hotel in Douglas, the Steak Out Restaurant and the cattle shipping yard in Sonoita, Nogales in the USA and Mexico, the Holding Center in Florence where illegal immigrants are processed, Patagonia and south into Mexico. The Rialto Theatre, University Medical Center in Tucson and the Arizona Daily Star are made a part of the places visited and the newspaper read. All are familiar to me and friends from the Southern Arizona Hiking Club (SAHC).
It is a novel, but it is so close to the truth, that it is almost like reading a newspaper account of happenings today. It begins at the turn of the century of 1900 and ends in 2004. It follows the lives of families who settled down into ranching after exploits soldiering in the Mexican War of Independence. We get to know these people as they come to be embroiled into conflict with drug runners and illegal immigrants who use their ranch as the pathway into El Norte as they refer to America.
One of the main characters loses his wife as a victim of the flight from Boston that flew into one of the World Trade Towers. After contemplating suicide he opts instead to seclude himself in the wilds of Arizona living on the ranch owned by his uncle. After a time he comes alive again as he learns the life of a rancher and does find love. We learn much about the cattle industry in the desert country and ride horses into the canyons searching for livestock or hunting.
This is one of those books that stop the present day story by returning to the early 1900’s. This is the author’s way of tying it all together. The major conflict of the story is a consequence of what happened in earlier days.
The people seem real. You will care what happens to them. There is beauty, love, hatred and greed all mixed together.
If the story took place somewhere else it would still be interesting but when you add in the familiarity of the area, for those of us who have been there so often, it comes alive.

Jack B. Walters
February 2, 2010