Rep. Debbie Lesko helped save my son. We need more like her in Congress

I was especially saddened by the announcement U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko is leaving Congress. Let me tell you why.

As a mom of a baby diagnosed with a rare disease, I reached out to Rep. Lesko in a desperate plea for help.

There was an available life-saving drug for this disease that would benefit my son Woodrow, but we could not access it.

Rep. Lesko heard my plea. She went straight to the top and found the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and asked him directly if it made sense to him, and he said no.

She must have gotten the right people’s attention because Woodrow then got access to the drug therapy. She gathered more than 200 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to educate them.

Rep. Lesko said Washington is broken. For families like mine, when Washington doesn’t work it is literally a matter of life and death, so we are grateful for members like Rep. Lesko who are willing to cut through the noise and red tape and demand answers on behalf of our children.

If we can fix Washington and get them to make sense of how we approve therapies and do so faster and with far more attention to the children living today, then that is a measure by which we can all agree we will know that Washington is no longer broken.

Denise Miller, Sun City West

Lesko helped break D.C.

One can only laugh at Debbie Lesko’s retirement announcement when she said, “Washington, D.C., is broken ... it is hard to get anything done.”

Really? She actually said that?

Has Rep. Lesko looked in the mirror lately at herself and the members of the so-called Freedom Caucus? Which, by the way, has absolutely nothing to do with freedom.

The disarray in Washington, D.C., is 100% the fault of Debbie Lesko and most of the Republican members of Congress.

Who will replace Rep. Lesko? Here are some to watch

It’s almost comical if it weren’t so dangerous. Government has ground to a halt because Republicans don’t govern. Instead, they are involved in political games that only make things worse.

They removed the speaker of the House, and as I write this, still have not been able to appoint anyone else. Of course, considering the candidate pool they’ve presented, we are probably better off.

Lesko and many others refused to accept the results of a fair and legal election because the candidate they backed lost. She stood silently by when traitors tried to overthrow the government.

“Washingon, D.C., is broken.”

Yes, it is, Debbie, and you helped break it.

Good riddance.

Patrick Mazzarella, Scottsdale

Where's the respect, Scottsdale?

I’m thankful that Scottsdale Unified School District governing meetings aren’t like the toxic circuses held elsewhere. Still, there’s room for improvement, and it starts with respect.

Our community needs to show more respect for teachers. These professionals make sacrifices every day. They deserve our appreciation, not our wrath as though they are attempting to carry out some kind of subversive, hidden agenda.

Parents need to be more respectful of board members. These are leaders giving their time and energy. Also, to the small but loud group that disrupts these meetings with personal politics and culture wars, remember that these are not town halls or open-mic forums, so knock off the grandstanding.

Board members need to be more respectful, too. To all, but Carine Werner and Amy Carney in particular, please accept the will of the majority vote instead of actively undermining earlier decisions, and yield to the recommendations made by district leadership who immerse themselves in the details of each issue.

Don’t act as though you know better.

If we can remain respectful and keep focused on what teachers need to be successful, our children will thrive.

David Patchen, Scottsdale

Don't let them kill rooftop solar

Don’t let the utility companies’ corporate greed get in the way of Arizona’s opportunity to maximize one of its greatest natural resources.

Arizona ranks second in the nation for potential solar energy. Yet, we are currently fifth in net generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Now the Arizona Corporation Commission is considering reducing the amount utility companies must pay residential solar panel homeowners for extra energy produced by their home systems.

Not only does this reduce the incentive for homeowners to invest in installing rooftop solar, but it also reduces the number of companies and subsequent employment opportunities in this green industry.

The result? Utility companies make ever-increasing, record-breaking profits at the expense of our environment and consumers of electricity.

Nick Caruso, Phoenix

What’s on your mind? Send us a letter to the editor online or via email at opinions@arizonarepublic.com. And consider joining our moderated Voices: Engaging Arizona group on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rep. Debbie Lesko helped save my son. We need her in Congress