Big Change To the Editor, I am greatly disappointed with you. My spouse and I read on Thursday about how you covered your building with pennies and knew we had to see it ("Pennies For Our Thoughts," Tucson Weekly, March 14). Not knowing how long it would be in that state, we went across town on Saturday to view your building. We live on the eastside, so this was a special trip. We were very upset to discover the building was already cleaned up and not a penny to be found. Nowhere in your article was it implied, stated or alluded to that the pennies would not be on display for at least a week. I felt very letdown. This action was worthy of those you criticize in The Skinny--deceitful or at the very least misleading. --Mrs. Ron Larson Editor's note: Our apologies to everyone who didn't get a chance to see our spectacular penny-coated headquarters. Unfortunately, some troublesome cranks in our neighborhood association were not nearly as happy with the project as we were, and complained the half-million coins were not in keeping with the "historic nature" of our 'hood. After they made a complaint down at City Hall, we learned--get this--we needed some permit-in-triplicate to cover our building with pennies. Boy, talk about Big Brother! Anyway, the City Council had some "executive session emergency meeting" and ordered the coins stripped immediately. While we reluctantly went along with their order, we've also been in touch with our attorneys, and we can promise you this: We will fight City Hall and, one day, the pennies will rise again! Smoked To the Editor, I have never liked or understood why you run phone sex ads and support their contribution to emotional dissociation and psychological abuse. And then I pick up the latest Weekly and out falls a shiny little packet of cigarette advertising. You present yourself as a principled newspaper, shining a light into dark corporate corners. It's time to practice your own principles. If you sell space to phone-sex bucket shops or Joe Camel, how different is that really from county supervisors rolling over for SAHBA or congressmen talking dirty for PAC money? Maybe you need a more aggressive and discriminating ad manager. Maybe you need to ask your readers for donations. When you first started running your "Cum Stick It In Me" section, I called to object and was told such income makes a real difference to draw the paper's survival; if it truly does, maybe it's time to the line at relying on cellular hookers and peddlers of legal dope to keep on printing weekly outbursts of moral superiority. --Hallaj Bowman To the Editor, I find it absolutely amazing that the Tucson Weekly, which takes such a high moral ground with regard to local and state politicians, developers who scar the earth, and much else that is not right with society, agreed to not only run an ad for Camel cigarettes that research has shown is highly recognizable by children, but also included a fancy Camel drop-out ad that promotes cigarette use. Oddly enough, I came across this ad at a health-care facility. Sure, tobacco is legal (at least to those over 17), but we know that almost everyone who becomes addicted to nicotine does so before the age of 18. We also know that tobacco use (addiction) results in more premature death than alcohol, heroin, cocaine, and AIDS combined! With over 400,000 premature deaths per year in the U.S. alone due to tobacco, it is time for The Weekly to decide: Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? --Scott J. Leischow Sounding Off To the Editor, Regarding "Airwave Fave" (Tucson Weekly, March 7): I am an older radio listener who really liked the ECHO. I pass through Tucson about 10 times a year and even had them programmed into my car radio. But the new format sucks. It seems radio everywhere is the same: Greedy station owners keep changing the format to gain new listeners. I don't blame them for trying to make a buck, but I think they are all missing a very important fact: Many radio listeners are not bubble gummers, dopers, teeny boppers or gang-bangers. Some of us are over 40 (hard to believe) and grew up with radio, not Nintendo. Many of us do not listen to elevator music. The ECHO sure gave me an eclectic mix of new stuff, classic rock, reggae, and sometimes even folk. Surely I wasn't the only listener. Bring back good radio--please. --Marvin Kemel Loose Cannon To the Editor, I love the pulp you folks put out every week. Keep up the exceptional job! I would like to see more music reviews from you because I'm not sure I trust some joker at Rolling Stone for their impression of a band. The Skinny kicks ass! It reminds me of your Phoenix cousin New Times when it was a better paper (not that I've had a chance to read it recently). All of your writers are informative and rambunctious. Lastly, get that bum Max Cannon and his secret files out of this small town paper and into mass syndication elsewhere. That guy should be locked up and have his psyche examined. (Between you and me, I like the bugger, but I'm afraid "they" might find out and put me in the same cell with the demented genius.) He should be making millions exploiting his disturbingly humorous strip. --Joe Vazquez Editor's note: Red Meatheads, rejoice! Details are sketchy, but rumor has it Max Cannon has signed a deal with the enigmatic Black Springs Books to publish 100 prime slices of "Red Meat." in handsome book form this spring. We Want Letters! Thrilled by our brilliant insights? Sick of our mean-spirited attacks? Need to make something perfectly clear? Write: tucsonweekly@tucsonweekly.com

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