Unruly, uncivilized, underage drinking, unfulfilled, unable to see the headliner act and "U" paid too much money for this ("Stage Fright," David Holthouse, October 17).
I paid $30 to see the headliner act Type O Negative, but I left this concert feeling angry and upset at the behavior of the crowd. My thanks to music editor David Holthouse for exposing the blatant immaturity of the Deftones and their kiddy fans!
Hopefully, someone will book Type O Negative and future U fests will be for the 21-and-older set in order to protect the rights of us civilized listeners from the antics of spoiled, angry children.
Rita M. Rueth
Gilbert
Stay Away, Joe
Maricopa County's unopposed, unchallenged, unprincipled, unlawful and apparently uncaring Sheriff Joe Arpaio misuses, misplaces, misappropriates or mistakenly pockets more than $100,000 of taxpayers' money while feeding jail inmates charity-supplied food donations and pursuing a totally false public posture to promote his own interests (Letters, September 26).
In 1996, our society allows parents to be punished for, on the one hand, not disciplining their children, by making them legally, financially, civilly and possibly criminally responsible for their misdeeds. Then this same society will also punish parents for disciplining this exact same child by making them subject to legal, financial, civil and, yes, even criminal consequences, if and when that child should claim any form of abuse.
If your child is merely suspected of some illegal wrongdoing, he is hustled off to the county jail, where Sheriff Joe's undertrained, overpaid legal thugs will chastise him, threaten him, physically abuse him, electrically zap him, or out and out kill him, only to refer any wrong back on that person for his arrest in the first place.
Sheriff Joe can abuse them, but it's his jail. If you are accused of abuse, you are placed in his jail. As an inmate at the jail, awaiting trial, I most sincerely appreciate New Times' open-policy airing of all sides of the issues.
Michael P. Saunders
Madison Street Jail
Phoenix
Rate of Return
While I appreciate New Times' coverage of the Arizona Corporation Commission race, I think Howard Stansfield's article glosses over important issues ("An Exercise in Utility," October 17). It is true that Barbara Sherman is not a pauper, nor am I. On the other hand, neither of us has had a business relationship with Arizona Public Service Company. As such, neither of us has received $19 million in business revenues from APS to fund our campaigns for a seat on the corporation commission to regulate APS. I was also disappointed that the article really didn't get to the essence of the two eras of commission stewardship: Republicans dominated from 1970 to 1985 and Democrats from 1985 to now.
The Republicans increased APS' average residential price per kilowatt hour (the real measure one should use to compare two equivalent periods) from 2.34 cents to 9.47 cents in 1985, or more than 300 percent. Now, at the end of 1996, and frozen through the year 2000, the price stands at 9.5 cents, or 3U100 of a cent higher than when Marcia Weeks and I came to the corporation commission in 1985. Additionally, because of the formula set in the last APS rate case, it is anticipated that this number will be even lower than the price we inherited from the Republican era. To make this more concrete, let's assume that a consumer used 2,000 kilowatt hours a month in 1970, 1985 and 1996. In 1970, his bill would have been $46.80; by 1985, $189.40; and by 1996, $190. The differences are $142.60 between 1970 and 1985 and 60 cents in 1996.
I suspect the reason so many Republicans and Independents have kept a Democratic majority on the corporation commission during the past 12 years is because the Democratic majority has made utility companies accountable for their mistakes and pushed them hard to be more efficient. Because it is the kind of power plants built, such as the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, that drives utility rates, it is also worth noting that Governor Fife Symington cut his Arizona political teeth in the campaigns of lax commissioners with cozy relationships with utility companies. These commissioners authorized expensive power plants with inadequate oversight, resulting in huge increases in utility rates.
Finally, I appreciate New Times, after referring to me as balding and florid, using a photograph of me cropped in such a way as not to reveal the curse of baldness.
Renz D. Jennings, chairman
Arizona Corporation Commission
Phoenix
Straight From the Heart
This is in response to a letter printed in the October 10 issue regarding homosexual matchmaking. In the world today, it is imperative for socialization's sake to have an open mind. I have many homosexual friends (mostly males) who, just like the rest of us, want to be happy. More often than not (just like everybody else), that includes a lover or partner of some sort. People are people, regardless of color, gender, etc. Why should homosexuality be any different?
To the guy who wrote that piece of garbage, get over it. He is exactly the type of ignoramus that makes me ashamed to be part of the human race. Think that homosexuals are some type of minority? Not anymore, honey. Homosexuals are more comfortable about coming out now than ever before. To me, that says the world is just a little safer for the individual. The more I see straight people getting divorces, abusing children and making general hell out of life for others, I would rather be an infant growing up in a loving, secure home. Who would care if I had two mommies or two daddies? At least they would love me.
Carrie L. Williams
Apache Junction
Seeing as how letter writer Michael Brown has ceased patronizing everything in New Times, he might as well stop buying things with his credit cards or flying on the airlines. He shouldn't take his kids to Disneyland because there's a Gay Day there, too. He'd be surprised at who supports us. We're not going to go away just because Brown doesn't like us. Somehow, I don't think we're the ones who are confused. Perhaps a little self-reflection would be good in overcoming his problems.
Amanda Keylor
Phoenix
Rah, Rah
I am a writer on the Horizon High School yearbook staff in Phoenix. New Times runs a great newspaper. I love getting the hottest news about music and who's playing where. It's great to get the latest critiques on movies, too. Thanks for all the hard work.
A.M.
Phoenix
