OPINION
THE MESA TRIBUNE | AUGUST 8, 2021
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Giles: Mesa needs infrastructure measure BY MAYOR JOHN GILES Tribune Guest Writer
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n Mesa, we’ve seen the extraordinary impact that infrastructure investment can have on our local economy. Since the Valley Metro Rail �irst opened in 2008, the Phoenix Metropolitan area saw over $11 billion in development along the light rail route and the creation of over 50 million square feet of new housing, of�ice, and retail space while downtown Mesa welcomed a state-of-the-art Arizona State University lab center. Mesa is proof that investment in infrastructure is critical to strengthening local economies. It’s vital that our Congressional delegation vote to advance the bipartisan infrastructure framework and commit real in-
vestment in transportation infrastructure. Spearheaded by Senator Sinema and a bipartisan coalition of Senators, the package is the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in nearly a century and will drastically improve our country’s transportation, water infrastructure, electric grids and more. By delivering $109 billion for roads and bridges, the deal will allow Arizona to �inally make major improvements to our 132 bridges and 3,100 miles of highway in poor condition. This generational investment will boost our local economy, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen connections between our cities and towns. Passing the bipartisan infrastructure framework will be transformative for Arizona. The bill would deliver $49 billion in public transit investment and allow us to expand the Metro Valley Rail system, improve and expand bus services, and con-
nect more Arizonans to jobs and essential services. The infrastructure framework will also invest $66 billion in our nation’s passenger and freight rail. With these funds, Arizona will �inally be able to resume rail service between our largest cities for the �irst time since the mid 1990s. Reliable passenger rail service between Phoenix and Tucson, our state’s major economic hubs, will increase travel options for millions of Arizonans and be an economic driver for the region. While investing in transportation infrastructure is key, the bipartisan infrastructure framework goes beyond investing in physical infrastructure and provides Arizona with the resources it needs to succeed in a digital economy. This past year has made it clear, access to the internet is essential for small businesses to be competitive in the 21st century global economy. Furthermore, It’s
unacceptable that 14% of Arizonans live in areas where there is no reliable broadband infrastructure in 2021. The Senate must advance the bipartisan infrastructure deal that will make critical investments in broadband infrastructure and bring universal, reliable, high-speed, and affordable coverage to every community in our nation. We need the bipartisan infrastructure package to put us on the right path. My city and others like it desperately need robust investment in transportation infrastructure, expanded broadband, and additional investments that will keep us competitive in the global economy. I urge Senators Sinema and Kelly to advance the bipartisan infrastructure framework and deliver the infrastructure investments Arizona needs to support our local economies. John Giles is the mayor of Mesa. ■
Pastor Henning Jacobson, one of our nation’s original anti-vaxxers, refused, saying he’d suffered serious medical maladies from past vaccines. Jacobson lost at the highest court in the land by a 7-2 vote. Writing for the majority, Justice Marshall Harlan opined: “Upon the principle of self-defense, of paramount necessity, a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.” Thus, state government has all the authority it needs to mandate vaccines. Our elected leaders simply won’t do so, especially in Arizona. Our Legislature passed multiple bills this past session forbidding vaccine mandates, vaccine passports and mask mandates, and prohibiting schools from forcing teachers and students to get a vaccine to participate in in-person classes. Regardless, some Valley and Tucson school districts have passed mask mandates anyway, a move that undoubtedly will end up litigated to death. Where do I stand? Well, given the evi-
dence that vaccines work – like the fact that 165 million Americans have been fully vaccinated and haven’t dropped dead or been hospitalized en masse – I believe it’s foolish not to get one, absent a religious objection or some serious medical condition. At the same time, I support your right to do things I believe are foolish. That’s the price of freedom: Because we live in a country where the government doesn’t nanny us on every little thing, or big things like a pandemic that to date has killed 612,000 people, sometimes our friends and neighbors will do things we deeply wish they would not. Like refusing to get a shot that can diminish your risk of getting COVID-19, getting extremely ill if you do, or dying from the virus. “This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control, explained at a July press brie�ing. “Our biggest concern is we are going to continue to see preventable cases, hospitalizations
and sadly deaths among the unvaccinated.” Here in Arizona, where about half the state has been fully vaccinated, 95 percent of nearly 17,000 reported COVID-19 cases in May were among people who were not fully vaccinated. In June, it was 92% of 12,911 reported cases. The capper? Since the start of 2021, approximately 99 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Arizona were people not fully vaccinated. Maybe you want to prove you’re tough. Maybe you’re afraid, or you don’t believe the Arizona Department of Health Services statistics cited in the above paragraph. You don’t need to explain your reasoning, not to anyone. That’s the beauty of America. To a greater extent than any society on this great green Earth, you can say what you want, believe what you want, and do with your body what you want. In America, we don’t rely on our government to legislate foolishness out of existence. Besides, it seems COVID-19 and its deadly variants have that well in hand. ■
Americans have the right to do stupid things BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
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merica has long been a stronghold of freedom. The �irst few amendments to the Constitution guarantee freedom of speech and religion, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble, the right to bear arms, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, the right to due process, and the right not to incriminate ourselves. Unwritten among our fundamental rights – but still alive and thriving – is the freedom to do stupid things. For proof, look no further than the ongoing debate over COVID-19 vaccinations. State governments unquestionably have the power to mandate vaccines. This authority dates to a 1905 Supreme Court case, Jacobson v. Massachusetts. With smallpox raging in 1902, the city of Cambridge passed a law mandating that every resident over age 21 get vaccinated or face a $5 �ine.
