Tucson speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Jun. 27, 2025
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Glenn Lippman, Midtown
It has frequently been said that "words matter" and yet there is an increasing frequency of national leaders seemingly forgetting that statement. Not to present myself as "thin0skinned," but I mention two recent examples.
The first was Wednesday's expletive uttered by President Trump in reference to the continuation of attacks despite his announced cease fire between Israel and Iran. He stated, "We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.â€
Another example of an ignorant choice of words was manifested by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who stated that California Governor Gavin Newsom should be "tarred and feathered" for his response to the recent calling out of the National Guard.
Both comments set a "low bar" for what our most important leaders should speak. I wonder where the next generation is going to learn a better mode of communication if they are presented such poor role models.
Glenn Lippman
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sue Thompson, SaddleBrooke
Does anyone ever question why it is that the only country ever to drop a nuclear bomb, or two, considers itself to be the “watchdog†of the world and “credibly†responsible regarding its God-given right to determine which other country can and cannot protect itself by making that very same bomb?
And let us not forget that those who were affected by those two bombs had absolutely no prior warning -- something that very well may have saved many ordinary citizens' lives. By “ordinary citizens,†I assume you realize that the list includes many children, pet cats, dogs, etc., not just “non-military†adults. And yet we Americans have a difficult time understanding why it is that other countries hate us.
Sue Thompson
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- John Brown, East side
Let me remind your readers that our society still operates under laws that are created to maintain order and these laws are only effective if they are enforced. So Mr. Trump has expressed empathy for those farmers/businessmen who have lost employees due to ICE personnel rounding up undocumented persons. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (passed during the Reagan administration) stipulates that any employer that knowingly employs an undocumented person is subject to fines and/or imprisonment. Verification of a person's legal status to work in this country is documented on a federal form I-9 which employers are required to complete and maintain. So how can Trump express his compassion for farmers and travel/leisure employers when they violated the very law that should have kept the illegals from being hired in the first place? Why does Trump want to enable the illegals by allowing them to be employed in violation of current law? Does anyone care that this criminal practice goes unchecked?
John Brown
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jennifer Prileson, Foothills
Re: Sunday's LTE regarding Christian messaging that focuses solely on the afterlife as opposed to addressing today's societal needs. I want to assure the author that many Christians put faith into practice with our time, labor and money to do the work that Jesus advocates in Matthew 25:35-40: feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit those who are sick or in prison. It ends 'Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.' We should applaud any faith group's work to improve our world, whether it's Rincon UCC's support for the Apache tribe's legal fight for its sacred land; 'Workship', an ecumenical group actively helping the homeless, hungry, disabled and displaced; or St. Maximilian Kolbe Prison and Bridge Prison Ministries, which mentor the incarcerated and recently paroled. Food pantries and refugee services exist at many Tucson churches; and globally, Church World Services provides humanitarian and disaster relief.
Jennifer Prileson
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Bruce Kaplan, Northwest side
In light of Trump’s military fascination, it’s good to remember that neither he nor his children served. Considering his disgraceful politicization of young troops at Ft. Bragg (and the Army birthday parade), it’s time for the Trumps to stop freeloading on the American Dream.
I’m a purple-heart combat veteran. I have many friends and relatives who have served, going back to WWI. One uncle was a WWII prisoner of war. My late brother-in-law honorably resisted the Vietnam war, spending two years in federal prison for his beliefs. Note: he was not a draft dodger. He stood up for principle.
So, as things get more and more edgy around the world, it’s time for the Trump family to put some skin into the game. From now on, no one goes in the military until Barron Trump goes in.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Teresa Jenkins, SaddleBrooke
Would you be angry if Joe Biden illegally attacked a country without Congressional approval or turned the U.S. military on U.S. citizens? Then you should be angry at President Trump as he’s done this and more.
Trump hijacked an event meant for our military squandering $45 million. Three days after this military parade fizzled and millions turned out to reject his presidency, Trump bombed Iran. Doctrines of Christianity shaped his decision and provided a bridge to religious and political extremists.
The Iranian strike depicts Trump’s preference for American dominance including the use of force, lying, and manipulation with religious overtones. The MAGA-Christian right’s agenda to end the separation of church and state and advocate holy war defines Trump’s words and deeds: “…God, I want to just say, we love you God…"
These destructive actions are a danger to our society. We must move away from Trump's corruption and destruction and loudly say no to war in the Middle East.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Tom Hruska, West side
Iran has “retaliated†for the bombing of its nuclear sites, and now it seems willing to accept a ceasefire. But we should remember that Iran has been playing a long game for many years. It has been seeking to develop nuclear weapons for at least 20 years. It has been seeking to destroy Israel for much longer than that. The United States has long been the “Great Satan.†They have a much longer time horizon that most leaders in the United States have. They understand the meaning of the saying, “Revenge is best served cold.â€
Tom Hruska
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Alan Doan, SaddleBrooke
I recently saw a clip of Marco Rubio being asked about the discrepancy between the president's statements and the intelligence community's assessment of Iran's nuclear capabilities. His response was, "Forget about intelligence." That made me laugh out loud.
Alan Doan
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Eric Weiss, Foothills
Ciscomani has discontinued his TV ad in which he promised to protect seniors’ benefits. His vote in favor of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill†made this lie so glaringly obvious that this ad became Exhibit A for his duplicity.
Ciscomani’s new TV ad stresses that he “is fighting alongside Trump to deliver real results for Arizona.†Several hundred thousand Arizonans of all ages losing their health insurance and/or SNAP benefits as Trump’s bill would require is certainly “a real result,†just not a good one. The ad also claims that this bill “cements the largest tax cut in history,†but doesn’t mention that these cuts would go overwhelmingly to those who don’t need them at the expense of those who do.
This new ad is simply a rhetorical sleight of hand in which Ciscomani tries to recast his continuing betrayal of his constituents as support for a supposedly embattled President and his agenda. I call BS.
Eric Weiss
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
Kevin Dahl op-ed
Thank you, Kevin. It was great to hear my Ward 3 rep explain his vote that didn’t go along with other members of the council. Eradicating homelessness is a very complex issue, as Kevin explained. It would be nice if a law could be passed that would solve all the issues, but that is not possible. Criminalizing the victims is not a solution. I will be voting for Kevin to keep fighting the good fight and to keep us informed of his thinking.
David Rubin
Midtown
Pay attention
Let me remind your readers that our society still operates under laws that are created to maintain order, and these laws are only effective if they are enforced. So Mr. Trump has expressed empathy for those farmers/businessmen who have lost employees due to ICE personnel rounding up undocumented persons. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (passed during the Reagan administration) stipulates that any employer that knowingly employs an undocumented person is subject to fines and/or imprisonment. Verification of a person’s legal status to work in this country is documented on a federal form I-9, which employers are required to complete and maintain. So how can Trump express his compassion for farmers and travel/leisure employers when they violated the very law that should have kept the illegals from being hired in the first place? Why does Trump want to enable the illegals by allowing them to be employed in violation of current law? Does anyone care that this criminal practice goes unchecked?
John Brown
East side
Sites for homeless unresolved
Kevin Dahl’s “Why I voted against wash ordinance†clarified why Miramonte Park remains a homeless haven. He sees homelessness as a complex social issue. Agreed, but it can be broken down into two primary components: why an individual is homeless and where those now homeless can legally camp.
The easier component is providing City space where homeless build their shelters, keep their carts and have lavatory facilities. The harder concern is addressing an individual’s mental, social, and housing needs.
The futile efforts of police and park workers to carry out current city policy is hard to watch. Chasing people and picking up their trash is endless, but solves nothing — not for the homeless, Tucson employees, and residents who have lost the use of their public areas. With Miramonte, neighbors worked with the city for two decades, creating a cherished park. Each invested considerable monies and effort. For the past several years, homeless use has become the priority.
Time for Mayor/Council to find homeless site solutions so neighbors get back their spaces.
Ruth Beeker
Midtown
Perspective on nuclear weapons
Does anyone ever question why it is that the only country ever to drop a nuclear bomb, or two, considers itself to be the “watchdog†of the world and “credibly†responsible regarding its God-given right to determine which other country can and cannot protect itself by making that very same bomb?
And let us not forget that those who were affected by those two bombs had absolutely no prior warning — something that very well may have saved many ordinary citizens’ lives. By “ordinary citizens,†I assume you realize that the list includes many children, pet cats, dogs, etc., not just “non-military†adults. And yet we Americans have a difficult time understanding why it is that other countries hate us.
Sue Thompson
SaddleBrooke
Words matter
It has frequently been said that “words matter,†and yet there is an increasing frequency of national leaders seemingly forgetting that statement. Not to present myself as “thin-skinned,†but I mention two recent examples.
The first was Wednesday’s expletive uttered by President Trump in reference to the continuation of attacks despite his announced ceasefire between Israel and Iran. He stated, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.â€
Another example of an ignorant choice of words was manifested by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who stated that California Governor Gavin Newsom should be “tarred and feathered†for his response to the recent calling out of the National Guard.
Both comments set a “low bar†for what our most important leaders should speak. I wonder where the next generation is going to learn a better mode of communication if they are presented such poor role models.
Glenn Lippman
Midtown
Re ‘Help to understand’
As a Professor, I teach a class in critical thinking. The author poses questions asking Democrats to “simply justify the following with reason.†However, his questions contain claims without credible evidence in support. For example, Johnson claims, there are “10 million unvetted, illegal aliensâ€. To support that you would need empirical evidence such as a database with ten million names and a column for “vetted†yes or no. Doubt if that exists. Johnson implies a relationship between “border crossers†and “terrorizing our communities.†However, the recent murder of Minnesota, State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband was committed by a US citizen, not a “border crosserâ€. The same is true for the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim on May 21, 2025 in Washington DC. On March 8, 2024, NPR reported that the Marshall Foundation found no link between undocumented immigrants and a rise in violent or property crime. A a reasonable response requires a reasonable question.
Richard Wood
Midtown
Supply and Demand
A water crisis like the current Arizona drought, and over-allocation of resources, resembles a bankruptcy. They go slowly — until they crash like a garage door with a broken spring. Our Legislature hasn’t responded to our situation in any meaningful way.
During campaigns, we hear wild ideas about desalination and pipelines over the Rockies, but our trajectory is desecration during their working hours. Conservation is our quickest way to achieve balance between supply and demand.
— Change the actual price for this rare and precious commodity
— Enact statewide regulations and monitoring
— Help farmers to use drip irrigation and other modern water technologies — or buy them out
— Curb development
—Aand, most importantly, use experts instead of vested interests and politicians to make the rules
We also need a legislative majority willing to face this reality, and work for all of us.
Emily Morrison
Midtown
Destructive actions
Would you be angry if Joe Biden illegally attacked a country without Congressional approval or turned the U.S. military on U.S. citizens? Then you should be angry at President Trump as he’s done this and more.
Trump hijacked an event meant for our military squandering $45 million. Three days after this military parade fizzled and millions turned out to reject his presidency, Trump bombed Iran. Doctrines of Christianity shaped his decision and provided a bridge to religious and political extremists.
The Iranian strike depicts Trump’s preference for American dominance, including the use of force, lying, and manipulation with religious overtones. The MAGA-Christian right’s agenda to end the separation of church and state and advocate holy war defines Trump’s words and deeds: “… God, I want to just say, we love you God …â€
These destructive actions are a danger to our society. We must move away from Trump’s corruption and destruction and loudly say no to war in the Middle East.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Revenge is best served cold
Iran has “retaliated†for the bombing of its nuclear sites, and now it seems willing to accept a ceasefire. But we should remember that Iran has been playing a long game for many years. It has been seeking to develop nuclear weapons for at least 20 years. It has been seeking to destroy Israel for much longer than that. The United States has long been the “Great Satan.†They have a much longer time horizon that most leaders in the United States have. They understand the meaning of the saying, “Revenge is best served cold.â€
Tom Hruska
West side
Not until Barron goes
In light of Trump’s military fascination, it’s good to remember that neither he nor his children served. Considering his disgraceful politicization of young troops at Ft. Bragg (and the Army birthday parade), it’s time for the Trumps to stop freeloading on the American Dream.
I’m a Purple Heart combat veteran. I have many friends and relatives who have served, going back to WWI. One uncle was a WWII prisoner of war. My late brother-in-law honorably resisted the Vietnam War, spending two years in federal prison for his beliefs. Note: he was not a draft dodger. He stood up for principle.
So, as things get more and more edgy around the world, it’s time for the Trump family to put some skin into the game. From now on, no one goes in the military until Barron Trump goes in.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Marco, you said a mouthful
I recently saw a clip of Marco Rubio being asked about the discrepancy between the president’s statements and the intelligence community’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. His response was, “Forget about intelligence.†That made me laugh out loud.
Alan Doan
SaddleBrooke
Re: ‘Out of touch with reality’
Re: Sunday’s LTE regarding Christian messaging that focuses solely on the afterlife as opposed to addressing today’s societal needs. I want to assure the author that many Christians put faith into practice with our time, labor and money to do the work that Jesus advocates in Matthew 25:35-40: feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit those who are sick or in prison. It ends ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.’ We should applaud any faith group’s work to improve our world, whether it’s Rincon UCC’s support for the Apache tribe’s legal fight for its sacred land; ‘Workship’, an ecumenical group actively helping the homeless, hungry, disabled and displaced; or St. Maximilian Kolbe Prison and Bridge Prison Ministries, which mentor the incarcerated and recently paroled. Food pantries and refugee services exist at many Tucson churches; and globally, Church World Services provides humanitarian and disaster relief.
Jennifer Prileson
Foothills
- Robert Gavlak, Midtown
Respectfully Mr. Johnson, thank you for identifying yourself as a “simple-minded fascist.†That saves us all a lot of time. There’s a familiar saying about a pot and a kettle that has particular relevance here. Few letter contributors so consistently cast recriminatory aspersions like you. Name-calling? Character assassination? Why, isn’t that you?
The sophistry of sweeping demagogy is the impression it gives of having far-reaching importance. Does anyone actually believe ten million illegal border crossers are “terrorizing†our communities? Or that the recent isolated unrest in LA warranted a full military retaliation? Or that the loss of Palestinian lives by the Israeli response to October 7th is justifiably as disproportionate as it is? Does someone other than the Iranians actually want Iran to have a nuke? Men playing women’s sports? Prison sex-change operations? Just how prevalent do you think these are? Genital mutilation of children? Please! To borrow from Shakespeare: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.â€
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sherry Massie, East side
The EPA is reconsidering a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the US. Asbestos is a killer and cancers caused by it are a horrendous way to die. I know, because my husband, a 30-year Marine Corps veteran died in 2011 at 66 from mesothelioma. Exposure happened somewhere in his long military career. It disproportionately affected military personnel, but can be deadly to anyone with exposure. Asbestos is linked to an estimated 40,000 deaths annually in the US. Asbestos production in the US stopped in 2002 but the material is still imported, mostly from Brazil. It has been banned in more than 50 countries around the world. Extensive information can be found at ADAO, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Please contact your legislators and demand they do what they can to reverse this proposed action.
Sherry Massie
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Walter Ramsley, East side
It’s accepted wisdom. Artificial Intelligence will turn the world upside down in 2-3 years. Based on what you’ve seen to date, who’d think that? Then there’s the energy part. Nuclear power is the new black dress. “You look marvelous darling.†Who needs water. Burn gas for electricity. Global warming is yesterday’s news. We need that AI. Write me an email nobody reads. Draw a funny picture. Come up with a NYT headline. Give us a break. There are applications where automation boosts performance or reduces cost. That’s been happening for 50 years. Computers are here to stay. Right on brother. Artificial Intelligence is just another step in the process. The risk isn’t that in the near-term AI technology will ruin the world. It’s that producing all that AI will stress the environment. Not to mention the price of basic utilities.
Walter Ramsley
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- James Abels, Midtown
Various sources state net immigration was 6-8 million during Biden’s administration. I do not have any problems with deporting criminals while adhering to due process. My community is not being terrorized.
It is appropriate to arrest protesters for illegal acts. It is inappropriate for the military to engage in law enforcement. There is no insurrection. No Posse Comitatus Act.
Does Israel have a right to exist? Palestinian land was taken to create Israel. Why is it acceptable for some nations to have nuclear weapons?
Create transgender sports leagues.
The judicial system requires medically necessary care for prisoners. Gender reassignment may be necessary.
Rational and honest.
James Abels
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Irene Badilla, Southwest side
Like many families in Southern Arizona, I’ve spent a lifetime making memories outdoors, especially on Mount Lemmon. From picnics with my students to stargazing with my grandchildren, it has always been a place of learning, laughter, and love.
That’s why it’s alarming that Congress and the White House are considering selling over 14 million acres of Arizona public lands, including Mount Lemmon and Sabino Canyon to pay for tax cuts mostly benefiting the wealthy. This is more than bad policy; it betrays generations of Arizonans who rely on these lands for connection, recreation, and relief from the heat.
Public lands belong to all of us, not just a privileged few. My family has lived here four generations. My father, a WWII veteran, loved this land. Once these lands are sold, they’re gone forever.
I urge Representative Ciscomani and our delegation to vote no on threats to public lands. Protect these places for future generations.
Irene Badilla
Southwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Rees Lee, Foothills
Trump has a pattern of executing policies in a most aggressive way without consideration for consequences nor the legality of such decisions. His decision to bomb Iran seems no different. As a military officer, I have been proud to serve under both Republican and Democrat Presidents. Prior to our current President, I always had faith that the elected leaders of the U.S. would use our capabilities for well-considered operations advancing the goals of the United States and our democratic allies. Unfortunately, for this current President, I haven't seen the careful and well-articulated consideration prior to using military force. I am aware of no intelligence information documenting Iran's imminent development of a functional nuclear device nor has he verbalized an argument for the breakdown of diplomatic avenues. This is alarming. As a naval officer, I am proud of the professionalism of our sailors and airmen in the execution of this complex mission. As a citizen, I am concerned that our President is using the military without clear justification.
Marine Corps, U.S. Navy Captain, retired.
Rees Lee
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sherry Ivester, Midtown
Mr. Johnson, in your recent LTE you asked TADS readers for help. I am happy to oblige. First let me reassure you that immigrants are not "terrorizing our communities." That would be masked ICE agents who abduct innocent men, women and children who are just trying to make a living. A lot of your fellow Americans and the courts object to their tactics. That is one reason millions peacefully protested last week. We won't be silenced. We can ask questions. Just so you know, the GOP lost all law-and-order creds when it nominated the felon DJT for President. It did not make distrust less palpable when he pardoned 1600 J6 rioters either. Therefore, many of us are rightly skeptical that a one-off military action will stop the production of nuclear weapons in Iran. Remember the GOP entered us into 20 years of war in the Middle East under false pretenses. Most of us don't think they really care about women's sports either.
Sherry Ivester
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Ed LeGendre, East side
Of course, the actions taken by the United States and Israel over the past few days and weeks regarding Iran are concerning. I hear condemnation and praise from all sides of the political spectrum.
Armchair quarterbacks abound with opinions without knowing the intimate details of what our defense and intelligence community knows. I am sure Israel would have liked to know the October 7th attack was coming.
This attack was as barbaric as 9-11.
Has America forgotten this horrific day? The President and the intelligence services acted in what they believed was in the best interest of the “Western World.â€
Imagine Israel, Europe, or America receiving a nuclear attack. Remember the "sleeper cells" of Saudis learning how to fly airplanes under our nose. Of the tens of millions of foreigners coming under the radar, how many are intending us harm? To have Iran possess a nuclear weapon would put the Western World in jeopardy.
Remember 9-11 and October 7th. A nuclear bomb would kill tens of thousands.
Ed LeGendre
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Michael Mount, Foothills
In the late 1700s, Adam Smith wrote “Wealth of Nations†which stressed the importance of the market economy to the growth of society’s wealth. It was predicated on non-interference of the free market, which promoted competition. The net worth of our society today is $160 trillion. It is not evenly distributed. The top 1% of our population has 31% of the wealth, or $49 trillion including 756 mostly multi-billionaires. The bottom 50% has less than $4 trillion. How did our society develop such an imbalance? It is because manipulation of the free market by powerful players. What’s the result? Average wealth for the top one percent is $12.7 million. The bottom 50% average wealth is $23.53, the same people who rely on food stamps, Medicaid and other government programs to survive. These are the programs that Trump and the Republicans want to kill for his big beautiful? spending bill giving more tax breaks to the rich and increasing our national debt.
Michael Mount
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
Veteran responds to bombing of Iran
Trump has a pattern of executing policies in a most aggressive way without consideration for consequences nor the legality of such decisions. His decision to bomb Iran seems no different. As a military officer, I have been proud to serve under both Republican and Democrat Presidents. Prior to our current President, I always had faith that the elected leaders of the U.S. would use our capabilities for well-considered operations advancing the goals of the United States and our democratic allies. Unfortunately, for this current President, I haven’t seen the careful and well-articulated consideration prior to using military force. I am aware of no intelligence information documenting Iran’s imminent development of a functional nuclear device nor has he verbalized an argument for the breakdown of diplomatic avenues. This is alarming. As a naval officer, I am proud of the professionalism of our sailors and airmen in the execution of this complex mission. As a citizen, I am concerned that our President is using the military without clear justification.
Rees Lee
Marine Corps,
U.S. Navy Captain, retired
Foothills
PCC: No tuition or property tax increase
As families and communities face rising costs and economic uncertainty, the Pima Community College Governing Board is proud to stand for stability, access, and fiscal responsibility.
This month, the Board formally adopted the College’s FY26 budget — without raising tuition or increasing property taxes. This decision is supported by all five Board members — myself, incumbent Theresa Riel, and three recently elected colleagues, Karla Bernal Morales, Dr. Nicole Barraza and Kristen Randall.
What makes this decision significant is the broader context. Many government and educational entities are confronting serious financial pressures. At the same time, our students, families, and businesses are navigating their own challenges. In this environment, the College’s board is choosing a different path. We are demonstrating that it is possible to uphold quality and expand opportunity without asking more of those we serve.
In a time often defined by disruption and instability, we are choosing to provide reassurance, consistency, and opportunity. That’s what public education should do. And that’s what responsible, community-centered governance looks like.
Greg Taylor
East side
Free market?
In the late 1700s, Adam Smith wrote “Wealth of Nations†which stressed the importance of the market economy to the growth of society’s wealth. It was predicated on non-interference of the free market, which promoted competition. The net worth of our society today is $160 trillion. It is not evenly distributed. The top 1% of our population has 31% of the wealth, or $49 trillion including 756 mostly multi-billionaires. The bottom 50% has less than $4 trillion. How did our society develop such an imbalance? It is because manipulation of the free market by powerful players. What’s the result? Average wealth for the top one percent is $12.7 million. The bottom 50% average wealth is $23.53, the same people who rely on food stamps, Medicaid and other government programs to survive. These are the programs that Trump and the Republicans want to kill for his big beautiful? spending bill giving more tax breaks to the rich and increasing our national debt.
Michael Mount
Foothills
Say no to public land sell-offs
Like many families in Southern Arizona, I’ve spent a lifetime making memories outdoors, especially on Mount Lemmon. From picnics with my students to stargazing with my grandchildren, it has always been a place of learning, laughter, and love.
That’s why it’s alarming that Congress and the White House are considering selling over 14 million acres of Arizona public lands, including Mount Lemmon and Sabino Canyon to pay for tax cuts mostly benefiting the wealthy. This is more than bad policy; it betrays generations of Arizonans who rely on these lands for connection, recreation, and relief from the heat.
Public lands belong to all of us, not just a privileged few. My family has lived here four generations. My father, a WWII veteran, loved this land. Once these lands are sold, they’re gone forever.
I urge Representative Ciscomani and our delegation to vote no on threats to public lands. Protect these places for future generations.
Irene Badilla
Southwest side
We forget 9-11
Of course, the actions taken by the United States and Israel over the past few days and weeks regarding Iran are concerning. I hear condemnation and praise from all sides of the political spectrum.
Armchair quarterbacks abound with opinions without knowing the intimate details of what our defense and intelligence community knows. I am sure Israel would have liked to know the October 7th attack was coming.
This attack was as barbaric as 9-11.
Has America forgotten this horrific day? The President and the intelligence services acted in what they believed was in the best interest of the “Western World.â€
Imagine Israel, Europe, or America receiving a nuclear attack. Remember the “sleeper cells†of Saudis learning how to fly airplanes under our nose. Of the tens of millions of foreigners coming under the radar, how many are intending us harm? To have Iran possess a nuclear weapon would put the Western World in jeopardy.
Remember 9-11 and October 7th. A nuclear bomb would kill tens of thousands.
Ed LeGendre
East side
Five answers
Various sources state net immigration was 6-8 million during Biden’s administration. I do not have any problems with deporting criminals while adhering to due process. My community is not being terrorized.
It is appropriate to arrest protesters for illegal acts. It is inappropriate for the military to engage in law enforcement. There is no insurrection. No Posse Comitatus Act.
Does Israel have a right to exist? Palestinian land was taken to create Israel. Why is it acceptable for some nations to have nuclear weapons?
Create transgender sports leagues.
The judicial system requires medically necessary care for prisoners. Gender reassignment may be necessary.
Rational and honest.
James Abels
Midtown
Vigorous, not elderly, describes victim
In a recent article the use of the word “elderly†to describe the 72-year-old victim of an accident gave the connotation that he was weak, frail or ill, suggesting his condition was a contributing factor to the accident. I know the gentleman. He was a fit 72-year-old who walked daily, swam multiple times each week and wrote computer software for an engineering firm. Men of his father’s generation may fit the stereotype of elderly, but many of your 70- to 80-year-old readers are offended by this label. Please continue to list ages as needed, but do not infer a person’s condition through an age-related adjective.
Thank you for your consideration.
Linda Warren
Oro Valley
Really – AI is the future?
It’s accepted wisdom. Artificial Intelligence will turn the world upside down in 2-3 years. Based on what you’ve seen to date, who’d think that? Then there’s the energy part. Nuclear power is the new black dress. “You look marvelous darling.†Who needs water. Burn gas for electricity. Global warming is yesterday’s news. We need that AI. Write me an email nobody reads. Draw a funny picture. Come up with a NYT headline. Give us a break. There are applications where automation boosts performance or reduces cost. That’s been happening for 50 years. Computers are here to stay. Right on brother. Artificial Intelligence is just another step in the process. The risk isn’t that in the near-term AI technology will ruin the world. It’s that producing all that AI will stress the environment. Not to mention the price of basic utilities.
Walter Ramsley
East side
Happy to help
Mr. Johnson, in your recent LTE you asked TADS readers for help. I am happy to oblige. First let me reassure you that immigrants are not “terrorizing our communities.†That would be masked ICE agents who abduct innocent men, women and children who are just trying to make a living. A lot of your fellow Americans and the courts object to their tactics. That is one reason millions peacefully protested last week. We won’t be silenced. We can ask questions. Just so you know, the GOP lost all law-and-order creds when it nominated the felon DJT for President. It did not make distrust less palpable when he pardoned 1600 J6 rioters either. Therefore, many of us are rightly skeptical that a one-off military action will stop the production of nuclear weapons in Iran. Remember the GOP entered us into 20 years of war in the Middle East under false pretenses. Most of us don’t think they really care about women’s sports either.
Sherry Ivester
Midtown
EPA reconsiders asbestos ban
The EPA is reconsidering a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the US. Asbestos is a killer and cancers caused by it are a horrendous way to die. I know, because my husband, a 30-year Marine Corps veteran died in 2011 at 66 from mesothelioma. Exposure happened somewhere in his long military career. It disproportionately affected military personnel, but can be deadly to anyone with exposure. Asbestos is linked to an estimated 40,000 deaths annually in the US. Asbestos production in the US stopped in 2002 but the material is still imported, mostly from Brazil. It has been banned in more than 50 countries around the world. Extensive information can be found at ADAO, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Please contact your legislators and demand they do what they can to reverse this proposed action.
Sherry Massie
East side
Re letter: ‘Help to understand’
Respectfully Mr. Johnson, thank you for identifying yourself as a “simple-minded fascist.†That saves us all a lot of time. There’s a familiar saying about a pot and a kettle that has particular relevance here. Few letter contributors so consistently cast recriminatory aspersions like you. Name-calling? Character assassination? Why, isn’t that you?
The sophistry of sweeping demagogy is the impression it gives of having far-reaching importance. Does anyone actually believe ten million illegal border crossers are “terrorizing†our communities? Or that the recent isolated unrest in LA warranted a full military retaliation? Or that the loss of Palestinian lives by the Israeli response to October 7th is justifiably as disproportionate as it is? Does someone other than the Iranians actually want Iran to have a nuke? Men playing women’s sports? Prison sex-change operations? Just how prevalent do you think these are? Genital mutilation of children? Please! To borrow from Shakespeare: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.â€
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
- Ray Omdahl, Green Valley
In the Green Valley news there was lengthy article on how our Social Security program would soon run out of funds. It didn’t mention the cap.
The cap is set at $176,100 for 2025. Once someone has earned that much they no longer have to contribute to the fund.
Jon Winkelried earned $191,044 in 2 hours as CEO of TPG Inc. in 2023. After that he no longer had to contribute. While that was the top CEO pay in 2023, the average CEO of the S&P 500 made $17.7 million. The poor fellows would have to work 21 hours before they reached the cap. Then they could keep all that hard-earned cash without the SSA deduction.
This doesn’t seem to bother our elected officials. It bothers the hell out of me. Please let our congressmen know if it bothers you.
Ray Omdahl
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Tom Van Devender, North side
Trump’s joining Israel in bombing Iran without Congressional approval raises frightening possibilities. He exaggerates threats to increase his power -- immigrant invasion, protests in Los Angeles, Haitians eating pets, etc. He broke a serviceable treaty with Iran in his first administration and has now lost patience with diplomacy. I remember George Bush starting the Iraq war because Saddam Hussein was a "bad guy" and non-existent WMDs. Now its Iran’s Ayatollah Khameini and nuclear weapons (so far domestic). Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has stayed in power in Israel as a war Prime Minister by killing 55,000 people in Gaza and attacking Syria and Iran. Trump thinks that starting several wars could help reelect him in 2028 to an unconstitutional third term as a wartime President (not a dictator or king) like Franklin Roosevelt in WW2, regardless of the damage to the U.S. and loss of American lives.
Tom Van Devender
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- John Prugh, Foothills
Blowing up churches, schools and hospitals; depriving people of food and killing children by exposing them to the cold; herding people into "safe zones" and then bombing them; assassinating scientists in a foreign country - these are acts of terrorism. And who supports such activities? The United States does. Our President may call Iran the biggest supporter of terrorism in the Middle East, but he would be wrong.
John Prugh
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jean Meconi, Oro Valley
First, Marc Rubio took on the unprecedented dual role as Secretary of State and head of the National Security Council (NSC). Then the NSC was stripped of policy experts who used data to inform diplomatic and security decisions. In March, Intelligence Director Gabbard testified to Congress that, “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.†Despite previously working on an Iranian/Israeli peace deal, President Trump authorized US strikes in Iran. Gabbard later revised her statement, but sources within the intelligence community confirm that there was no new information. Most recently, JD Vance claimed that, “it was our intelligence that motivated us to act.â€
This leaves US citizens with a heightened terrorism threat in the hands of a newly appointed 22-year-old with no threat prevention experience as the head of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. This is a disaster in the making.
Jean Meconi
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Warren Popa, Southwest side
An article in the 06/22/2025 edition of the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV told of Teresa Alvarez being deported in April of this year. She lived in the U.S. for 48 years, since she was 16 years old. According to the article she worked 40 years as a nursing assistant, adding to our economy and making our country a better place. She is one of the "criminals" that has been deported. Where is the justice, the compassion, that in the past was the United States of America? This kind of treatment of a person like this is sinful. I agree that if an individual is truly a criminal, and not a U.S citizen, that person does not belong here. But a person like Teresa Alvarez, working and adding to our quality of life, whether here legally or not, should be praised and rewarded with citizenship rather than being rounded up and banished from the only life she knows.
Warren Popa
Southwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Loran Hancock, Northwest side
For years, under the administration of Biden and Obama, we have seen a lot of talk from the leaders of Iran and various terrorists, wishing for the destruction of Israel and the US. Saturday night, President Trump made an international statement regarding what the US will accept regarding the Iran support of terrorism and the threats of destruction of others.
The question is simple, why can't everyone in the world live in peace? The loss of peace is the result of leaders and activists pushing murder and death of others. So, where do the terrorists get the money to continue the terrorists' activity? Do you think there is still money left over from the $1.7 billion that Obama delivered to Iran? We rely on the government to protect the citizens from criminals and illegals, so why do liberals want to give freedoms to criminals and illegals. Each citizen has a right to feel safe, not only at home but in the real world, but alas.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jerry Lujan, Oro Valley
Donald Trump unilaterally started a war with Iran. He didn't even consult with the Congress. He was persuaded by Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu. If this war will involve American ground troops, it would only be fair that DOD Secretary Hegsbeth commission Donald's two oldest boys, Donald Jr and Eric, as First Lieutenants, and that they be involved in the ground fighting. This might redeem their father's name for the medial deferment he received during the Vietnam conflict.
Jerry Lujan
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- William Winkelman, Southeast side
Section 8 of Article II specifies that the President is to be designated Commander in Chief when called upon by Congress. When not called upon by Congress, he lacks the authority to engage the United States in a war. That is the job of Congress.
Mr. Trump has authorized a military attack on Iran, an act of war, without any Congressional declaration of war. Iran has not engaged in any overt attacks on the United States like Japan did at Pearl Harbor. If is far-fetched to say that Iran is at war against the United States. Mr. Trump has therefore initiated a war without the necessary and sufficient provocation required, or with the say-so of the branch of government that the Constitution designates for that task.
If this is not an impeachable offense, then nothing is. Mr. Trump is not a king. This nation was conceived as a democratic republic, not a monarchy, where kings could start wars at their whim.
William Winkelman
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Margarita Bernal, West side
ICE agents in masks have become disturbingly routine. All over the country, LA, Phoenix, NYC, Chicago, Tucson, ICE agents have been wearing masks: ski masks, surgical masks, balaclavas and sunglasses on sworn officers of the US government. There is no uniformity and it undermines sound policing practices. Masked agents can confuse both bystanders and ICE targets, which then will result in unnecessary violence by people interfering with enforcement actions.
The rationale: officers are identified, placing them and their families at risk. But not only criminals are being targeted and now impersonating agents, are kidnapping innocent people, assaulting and robbing them at gun point.
Law enforcement jobs with the assumption of risk: the overwhelming majority of police officers, sheriff's deputies, FBI, corrections officers who deal with prisoners do not wear masks, nor do judges and prosecutors who administer our laws. Because these are public employees have such power, their roles require full transparency. The public's need for accountability strongly outweighs any reasoning for their use of masks.
Margarita Bernal
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Charles Hammond, Northwest side
I am just amazed that members of Congress have let another sitting president take a war action against a country that has not directly attacked the United States. With Bush, it was weeks of Weapons of Mass Destruction talk, which were never found. Now with the lie of consideration on his lips, we hear the attack on Iran was in planning for months. At least Bush had Congressional agreement for his attack. Where is the balance of power that a small, angry, easily persuaded, weak man is to take an aggressive action without a clear and present danger? Even his own security advisor said he was wrong and was summarily silenced. It is time that this person be removed. Do your job Congress and get this ludicrous and absurd excuse for president gone.
Charles Hammond
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Keith Shelman, North side
The tax cuts in the current budget bill are paid for by taking Medicaid health insurance away from 11 million people (according to the Congressional Budget Office) and by borrowing money.
Throwing people off health insurance, borrowing trillions, adding to the national debt and loading our children with a larger national debt burden to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy is immoral.
This current legislation steals money from the next generation by adding trillions ($2.4 trillion according to the CBO over 10 years) to the national debt in addition to taking health care away from millions of people.
Although my taxes would be lower with this legislation, I don’t want lower taxes at the expense of our children and people on Medicaid -- it is blood money paid for by other people’s healthcare and a larger national debt. This bill is not conservative, is not moral and is not right. We are better than this and we can do better.
Keith Shelman
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Stanley Steik, Midtown
It's an old story. Perhaps it's Donald Trump's latest desperate distraction from sinking poll numbers and millions protesting his authoritarianism and use of the of the military against citizens. Or maybe it's because of his absurd trade wars and his obscene budget proposal. So let's bomb Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu has been lying regularly since 1992 about Iran's imminent nuclear threat. It's taken over 30 years for him to find a weak and ignorant President to intervene on his behalf. He found his tool in Donald Trump, who was so obviously and easily manipulated into action. Iraq 2.0? After the U.S. attacks, the head of the IAEA said, in his last report "he indicated very clearly that we (IAEA) did not have elements to prove Iran had planned or systematic efforts towards a nuclear weapon." And remember, brilliant Trump backed out of the Iran nuclear deal. So now, what's the plan? Typically with Trump, there isn't one. All in on another war?
Stanley Steik
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Dan Rusciolelli, East side
In 2022, there were an estimated 8.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. workforce. Biden and Mayorkas, who purposely ignored our immigration laws, allowed some 15 to 20 million illegals in during 4 years. That leaves 10 to 12 million illegals living off the taxpayer. If this is untrue, why were cities crying for more federal money to handle the burden? Another liberal complaint is that Trump spends all his time golfing. But not a peep from liberals during the 40 percent of his presidency that Biden spent on vacation - attempting to hide his mental decline. And liberal complaints about Trump not ending the Ukraine war on day one. But at least he is pushing for talks and communication. How often did Biden speak with Putin? Never. Just kept shoveling money to Ukraine with no accountability, and letting the war drag on. Seems TDS is alive and well.
Dan Rusciolelli
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Howard Strause, Foothills
First, let me say I am totally against the bombing of Iran. Diplomacy, if allowed to work could have accomplished more. But this is not a LTE about that, it is about how our Constitution is perhaps, fatally flawed in this fast-moving world.
Our Constitution says, in Article 1, only Congress can declare war, but that has not been the practice for decades, Congress never declared war against Vietnam, under both Republican and Democrat presidents. No war was declared in Bosnian Serbia when we bombed it under Clinton. We did not declare war under Obama when we sent our troops to Pakistan to find and kill Bin Laden. We did not declare war against Iraq when we invaded it under Bush, on the basis of a lie.
And now we have not declared war against Iran, and probably never will, after we invaded that country with our planes and bombs.
Howard Strause
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- John Riley, Oro Valley
I thought President Obama entered us into the Iran Accords years ago for the purpose of determining Iran's progress in developing "the bomb." Later President Trump, during his first term, pulled the U.S. out of the Iran Accords without any explanation I can recall, except to Make America Great Again (a meaningless, absurd catchall phrase if there ever was one). It appears to me now that the recent bombings directed by President Trump could well have been avoided had he kept us a member of the Accords in the first place. We have just thrown the ball into Iran's court and who knows what retaliation we will suffer due to Trump's earlier irresponsibility. But as always, I am sure his thoughts and prayers are with us.
John Riley
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Philip Reinecker, East side
Let me understand, Iran does not have nuclear weapons but we believe they may soon have them. We, of course, have many nuclear weapons and that is fine, just no one else. Somehow, we believe that we may decide who has what and when they may have them. So now the self-described peacemaker (AKA Trump) made war on Los Angelas and Iran in a one-week period. What's next, Canada or Paris? This man wants and needs war to satisfy his ultra ego. He will not be satisfied until we are in a larger conflict and he can have his weekly fireside chats to explain his Big Beautiful Fight. Can no one, with the interests of our country in mind, stop this never-ending train wreck?
Philip Reinecker
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
CD 7 primary voters check your sources
As I sort through information deciding how to vote, I check the sources. Saturday I received an attack flyer in the mail on a CD7 primary candidate. In its disclaimer it says “Paid for by Tucson Families Fed Up Pac (520) 305-9912 and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee†with a return address of 1830 E Broadway, Ste 124, Box 130, Tucson AZ 85719-5967.
I learned FEC registration was June 12, 2025, the treasurer is Jennifer May, and the address is PO Box 15320, Washington DC 20003. Jennifer May is the founder of Next Level Partners, LLC, described by Linkedin as “focused on compliance and accounting for political organizations including candidate committees, leadership PACs, issue PACs, joint committees, and 501c(3)/c(4) organizations.†The return address on the flyer is a Tucson UPS store.
What I don’t know is who is funding the PAC. Don’t trust a source that does not disclose its funding to the public! Dark money must be outlawed.
Kay Davis
Southwest side
War
Let me understand, Iran does not have nuclear weapons but we believe they may soon have them. We, of course, have many nuclear weapons and that is fine, just no one else. Somehow, we believe that we may decide who has what and when they may have them. So now the self-described peacemaker (AKA Trump) made war on Los Angeles and Iran in a one-week period. What’s next, Canada or Paris? This man wants and needs war to satisfy his ultra ego. He will not be satisfied until we are in a larger conflict and he can have his weekly fireside chats to explain his Big Beautiful Fight. Can no one, with the interests of our country in mind, stop this never-ending train wreck?
Philip Reinecker
East side
Bombing Iran
For years, under the administration of Biden and Obama, we have seen a lot of talk from the leaders of Iran and various terrorists, wishing for the destruction of Israel and the US. Saturday night, President Trump made an international statement regarding what the US will accept regarding the Iran support of terrorism and the threats of destruction of others.
The question is simple, why can’t everyone in the world live in peace? The loss of peace is the result of leaders and activists pushing murder and death of others. So, where do the terrorists get the money to continue the terrorists’ activity? Do you think there is still money left over from the $1.7 billion that Obama delivered to Iran? We rely on the government to protect the citizens from criminals and illegals, so why do liberals want to give freedoms to criminals and illegals. Each citizen has a right to feel safe, not only at home but in the real world, but alas.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
TEP fiddles while Tucson burns
Tim Steller’s column combined with Bruce Plenk’s Guest Opinion (Sunday, June 22) should give readers a much better view of the bigger picture of higher and higher electricity rates, the picture that shows Tucson being painted into a corner.
TEP has never been and never will be this so called “partner†that has Tucson’s back in facing the devastating effects of rising temperatures and diminishing water resources. TEP’s communications team is second to none in spinning straw into gold, making their steady stream of blah blah shine like the sun they’re so averse to using for our electricity needs.
Their parent company Fortis’ CEO David Hutchens (UA graduate by the way — we’re turning out leaders who turn against us) earned over $15,700,000 in 2024 from salary and bonuses.
Let them eat cake comes to mind — or whatever you want to substitute for cake that’s brown and indigestible.
Rick Rappaport
Oro Valley
30% rate increase in 4 years?
I think one of the inherent problems in having a literally foreign owner of a local business, in this case, Canadian Fortis owning local TEP, is how easy it is to miscalculate what the local business’s customers are willing to put up with. If TEP’s current 14% rate hike were to be approved, that would make a total of a 30% rate increase in four years. That would absolutely lead me to vote against renewing/extending TEP’s current franchise and lead me to support either a City TEP buyout or condemnation. I hardly think I would be alone in that reaction to what Fortis/TEP is doing here.
Michael Price
Midtown
Criminal deported?
An article in the 06/22/2025 edition of the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV told of Teresa Alvarez being deported in April of this year. She lived in the U.S. for 48 years, since she was 16 years old. According to the article she worked 40 years as a nursing assistant, adding to our economy and making our country a better place. She is one of the “criminals†that has been deported. Where is the justice, the compassion, that in the past was the United States of America? This kind of treatment of a person like this is sinful. I agree that if an individual is truly a criminal, and not a U.S citizen, that person does not belong here. But a person like Teresa Alvarez, working and adding to our quality of life, whether here legally or not, should be praised and rewarded with citizenship rather than being rounded up and banished from the only life she knows.
Warren Popa
Southwest side
Our Constitution
First, let me say I am totally against the bombing of Iran. Diplomacy, if allowed to work could have accomplished more. But this is not a LTE about that, it is about how our Constitution is perhaps, fatally flawed in this fast-moving world.
Our Constitution says, in Article 1, only Congress can declare war, but that has not been the practice for decades, Congress never declared war against Vietnam, under both Republican and Democrat presidents. No war was declared in Bosnia/Serbia when we bombed it under Clinton. We did not declare war under Obama when we sent our troops to Pakistan to find and kill Bin Laden. We did not declare war against Iraq when we invaded it under Bush, on the basis of a lie.
And now we have not declared war against Iran, and probably never will, after we invaded that country with our planes and bombs.
Howard Strause
Foothills
Disaster timeline
First, Marco Rubio took on the unprecedented dual role as Secretary of State and head of the National Security Council (NSC). Then the NSC was stripped of policy experts who used data to inform diplomatic and security decisions. In March, Intelligence Director Gabbard testified to Congress that, “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.†Despite previously working on an Iranian/Israeli peace deal, President Trump authorized US strikes in Iran. Gabbard later revised her statement, but sources within the intelligence community confirm that there was no new information. Most recently, JD Vance claimed that, “it was our intelligence that motivated us to act.â€
This leaves US citizens with a heightened terrorism threat in the hands of a newly appointed 22-year-old with no threat prevention experience as the head of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. This is a disaster in the making.
Jean Meconi
Oro Valley
The cost of illegals
In 2022, there were an estimated 8.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. workforce. Biden and Mayorkas, who purposely ignored our immigration laws, allowed some 15 to 20 million illegals in during 4 years. That leaves 10 to 12 million illegals living off the taxpayer. If this is untrue, why were cities crying for more federal money to handle the burden? Another liberal complaint is that Trump spends all his time golfing. But not a peep from liberals during the 40 percent of his presidency that Biden spent on vacation — attempting to hide his mental decline. And liberal complaints about Trump not ending the Ukraine war on day one. But at least he is pushing for talks and communication. How often did Biden speak with Putin? Never. Just kept shoveling money to Ukraine with no accountability, and letting the war drag on. Seems TDS is alive and well.
Dan Rusciolelli
East side
Iran bombing
I thought President Obama entered us into the Iran Accords years ago for the purpose of determining Iran’s progress in developing “the bomb.†Later President Trump, during his first term, pulled the U.S. out of the Iran Accords without any explanation I can recall, except to Make America Great Again (a meaningless, absurd catchall phrase if there ever was one). It appears to me now that the recent bombings directed by President Trump could well have been avoided had he kept us a member of the Accords in the first place. We have just thrown the ball into Iran’s court and who knows what retaliation we will suffer due to Trump’s earlier irresponsibility. But as always, I am sure his thoughts and prayers are with us.
John Riley
Oro Valley
Let’s join in
It’s an old story. Perhaps it’s Donald Trump’s latest desperate distraction from sinking poll numbers and millions protesting his authoritarianism and use of the military against citizens. Or maybe it’s because of his absurd trade wars and his obscene budget proposal. So let’s bomb Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu has been lying regularly since 1992 about Iran’s imminent nuclear threat. It’s taken over 30 years for him to find a weak and ignorant president to intervene on his behalf. He found his tool in Donald Trump, who was so obviously and easily manipulated into action. Iraq 2.0? After the U.S. attacks, the head of the IAEA said, in his last report “he indicated very clearly that we (IAEA) did not have elements to prove Iran had planned or systematic efforts towards a nuclear weapon.†And remember, brilliant Trump backed out of the Iran nuclear deal. So now, what’s the plan? Typically with Trump, there isn’t one. All in on another war?
Stanley Steik
Midtown
Budget bill
The tax cuts in the current budget bill are paid for by taking Medicaid health insurance away from 11 million people (according to the Congressional Budget Office) and by borrowing money.
Throwing people off health insurance, borrowing trillions, adding to the national debt and loading our children with a larger national debt burden to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy is immoral.
This current legislation steals money from the next generation by adding trillions ($2.4 trillion according to the CBO over 10 years) to the national debt in addition to taking healthcare away from millions of people.
Although my taxes would be lower with this legislation, I don’t want lower taxes at the expense of our children and people on Medicaid — it is blood money paid for by other people’s healthcare and a larger national debt. This bill is not conservative, is not moral and is not right. We are better than this and we can do better.
Keith Shelman
North side
Who supports terrorism
Blowing up churches, schools and hospitals; depriving people of food and killing children by exposing them to the cold; herding people into “safe zones†and then bombing them; assassinating scientists in a foreign country — these are acts of terrorism. And who supports such activities? The United States does. Our President may call Iran the biggest supporter of terrorism in the Middle East, but he would be wrong.
John Prugh
Foothills
Path to 2028
Trump’s joining Israel in bombing Iran without Congressional approval raises frightening possibilities. He exaggerates threats to increase his power — immigrant invasion, protests in Los Angeles, Haitians eating pets, etc. He broke a serviceable treaty with Iran in his first administration and has now lost patience with diplomacy. I remember George Bush starting the Iraq war because Saddam Hussein was a “bad guy†and non-existent WMDs. Now its Iran’s Ayatollah Khameini and nuclear weapons (so far domestic). Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has stayed in power in Israel as a war Prime Minister by killing 55,000 people in Gaza and attacking Syria and Iran. Trump thinks that starting several wars could help reelect him in 2028 to an unconstitutional third term as a wartime President (not a dictator or king) like Franklin Roosevelt in WW2, regardless of the damage to the U.S. and loss of American lives.
Tom Van Devender
North side
Real government actions
I am just amazed that members of Congress have let another sitting president take a war action against a country that has not directly attacked the United States. With Bush, it was weeks of weapons of mass destruction talk, which were never found. Now with the lie of consideration on his lips, we hear the attack on Iran was in planning for months. At least Bush had Congressional agreement for his attack. Where is the balance of power that a small, angry, easily persuaded, weak man is to take an aggressive action without a clear and present danger? Even his own security advisor said he was wrong and was summarily silenced. It is time that this person be removed. Do your job Congress and get this ludicrous and absurd excuse for president gone.
Charles Hammond
Northwest side
Social Security
In the Green Valley News there was lengthy article on how our Social Security program would soon run out of funds. It didn’t mention the cap.
The cap is set at $176,100 for 2025. Once someone has earned that much they no longer have to contribute to the fund.
Jon Winkelried earned $191,044 in two hours as CEO of TPG Inc. in 2023. After that he no longer had to contribute. While that was the top CEO pay in 2023, the average CEO of the S&P 500 made $17.7 million. The poor fellows would have to work 21 hours before they reached the cap. Then they could keep all that hard-earned cash without the SSA deduction.
This doesn’t seem to bother our elected officials. It bothers the hell out of me. Please let our congressmen know if it bothers you.
Ray Omdahl
Green Valley
Masks undermine our democracy
ICE agents in masks have become disturbingly routine. All over the country, LA, Phoenix, NYC, Chicago, Tucson, ICE agents have been wearing masks: ski masks, surgical masks, balaclavas and sunglasses on sworn officers of the US government. There is no uniformity and it undermines sound policing practices. Masked agents can confuse both bystanders and ICE targets, which then will result in unnecessary violence by people interfering with enforcement actions.
The rationale: officers are identified, placing them and their families at risk. But not only criminals are being targeted and now impersonating agents, are kidnapping innocent people, assaulting and robbing them at gunpoint.
Law enforcement jobs with the assumption of risk: the overwhelming majority of police officers, sheriff’s deputies, FBI, corrections officers who deal with prisoners do not wear masks, nor do judges and prosecutors who administer our laws. Because these are public employees have such power, their roles require full transparency. The public’s need for accountability strongly outweighs any reasoning for their use of masks.
Margarita Bernal
West side
Democrats and ballpark billionaire
Half of the Democrats in the AZ House of Representatives voted to give $500 million to a ballpark owner worth $1.2 billion. Is it any wonder why the Dems have problems? Our border district LD21 is mostly working class and fixed income, yet Consuelo Hernandez is voting to give tax money to a billionaire owner. And Alma Hernandez repping Pima county also thinks that $500 million is better spent on a ballpark. With all the problems in S. AZ that legislators have to deal with, what are they messing around with this kind of giveaway? And those Dems in LD 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 17, 22, 24, 26 what’s the matter with these people that they can’t see through PR BS? New leadership is badly needed for Democrats.
Fred Miller
Bisbee
War with Iran
Donald Trump unilaterally started a war with Iran. He didn’t even consult with Congress. He was persuaded by Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu. If this war will involve American ground troops, it would only be fair that DOD Secretary Hegseth commission Donald’s two oldest boys, Donald Jr and Eric, as First Lieutenants, and that they be involved in the ground fighting. This might redeem their father’s name for the medial deferment he received during the Vietnam conflict.
Jerry Lujan
Oro Valley
The constitutional limit on the president
Section 8 of Article II specifies that the President is to be designated Commander in Chief when called upon by Congress. When not called upon by Congress, he lacks the authority to engage the United States in a war. That is the job of Congress.
Mr. Trump has authorized a military attack on Iran, an act of war, without any Congressional declaration of war. Iran has not engaged in any overt attacks on the United States like Japan did at Pearl Harbor. If is far-fetched to say that Iran is at war against the United States. Mr. Trump has therefore initiated a war without the necessary and sufficient provocation required, or with the say-so of the branch of government that the Constitution designates for that task.
If this is not an impeachable offense, then nothing is. Mr. Trump is not a king. This nation was conceived as a democratic republic, not a monarchy, where kings could start wars at their whim.
William Winkelman
Southeast side
- Spencer Elliott, Oro Valley
Americans' understanding of finance and society is woefully lacking. A pervasive unwillingness to recognize the lifeblood of our society abounds. We balk at the idea of paying taxes. Claims flourish that taxes are theft, not an expression of shared responsibility. Money grows on bountiful credit cards.
Our politicians have mollified our ignorance. They cut our civic contributions (taxes) to make everyone feel good. No more sending money directly to governing bodies. Yet the foundation (and schools, roads, police, fire, etc.) cracks without our collective contributions. Solution – tariffs. In our interdependent global economy, everyone buying anything pays the tariff. The top governing body collects all the tariff money. We ignorantly enjoy our tax breaks, and governing bodies have money to do the things we take for granted. We all stealthily, obliviously share the cost. We whine about increased prices, we pay, and we get the benefits of civilization without the annoying taxes for society’s upkeep. Magic!
Spencer Elliott
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Loyal M. Johnson Jr., Oro Valley
Obviously, the plea to Democrats to help simple-minded fascists understand your actions is rhetorical. You Democrats have failed to respond to our simple questions. As usual, you counter with name-calling and character assassination but no reply. Simply justify the following with reason. Why is allowing 10 million plus unvetted, illegal aliens to enter the country and not removing known illegal criminal border crossers who are terrorizing our communities acceptable? Why is it bad to prevent demonstrators from attacking law enforcement, burning property, and looting? Why does Israel have no right to defend itself from annihilation? Why should Iran be allowed to have a nuclear bomb? Why should biological men compete unfairly in competitive women’s sports? Why should genital mutilation of children and teenagers be allowed? Why should we, the taxpayers, pay for sex-change operations for incarcerated prisoners? By failing to address rationally and honestly the above questions, you demonstrate that your entire mindset is left-wing political dogma that cares little for American citizens.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- George Timson, Midtown
"Do you support the idea of the government paying for the medical care of illegal immigrants?" Seems like most Americans answer "no" to that question. But let's ask the question this way: "Do you support the idea of the government paying for adequate hospital services for the general population?" Maybe now the answer is "yes".
Remember that when we "give" people money (poor people, people from far away) to pay for their health care in this country, we aren't handing them a fistful of cash. They never personally see a dime. The cash goes directly to hospitals and providers, which in almost all our communities are dangerously underfunded and can use the money.
And these are the same care facilities that you will have to go to one of these days, my friend.
George Timson
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Clyde R. Steele, Oro Valley
Who makes the distinction between a good atomic bomb and a bad bomb? If one is not informed, one would think that only Iran is a threat of making an atomic bomb.
Also, who makes the distinction between what country is allowed to have it or what religion? Argentina between 1963 and 1966, sold about 90 tons of yellowcake that were allegedly shipped to Israel from Argentina in secret. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Golda Meir authorized a nuclear alert and ordered 13 atomic bombs to be ready. Israel also is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. If a Muslim bomb is bad, why isn’t Pakistan, a Muslim country with the bomb (1998) threatened? Why is Iran called out for perhaps having the ability to make a bomb but with Israel, no questions are ever asked?
Clyde R. Steele
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jim Rapp, Southeast side
I find it curious that a story about Iran’s bombing an Israeli hospital is featured on the front page of the AZD, right under the masthead, when stories about Israel’s bombing hospitals in Gaza — a not unusual occurrence — are printed with little fanfare in the daily story that features how many Palestinian civilians Israel killed yesterday.
Jim Rapp
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Roger Shanley, East side
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, tries to explain the erratic shenanigans of President Donald Trump. From the yo-yo nature of Trump’s tariffs to the conflicting messages promising wealthy supporters he would postpone work and farm ICE activities to allow more wealth acquisition, Leavitt “spins†these fiascoes to make them sound planned and sensible. Recently, President Trump has returned to his pattern of TWT, or “Two Week Trump,†as he proclaimed he will wait two weeks to make a decision about America’s role in the Israel/Iran conflict. Trump established his TWT pattern while dealing with Vladimir Putin’s trust factor, as well as dealing with ISIS, health care policies, opening of coal mines, all put on the two-week solution pattern. I suggest Karoline Leavitt have a slick sign created with TWT embossed on it as a more efficient response to questions about Trump’s absence of taking responsibility for the chaos he has created in national and international issues.
Roger Shanley
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Mike Dai, Midtown
How about people who are U.S. citizens start to congregate with immigrants at a Home Depot or another likely spot where these poor people gather to try and earn a living? This will cause ICE to delay some arrests if they are arresting anyone in that crowd. It might even give them pause if enough Americans are rounded up illegally.
Mike Dai
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
Adelita Grijalva is ready to represent
I’m a volunteer in Adelita Grijalva’s campaign to win the current primary election to be our next representative in Congress for District 7. She’s the most qualified candidate to serve the needs of the people of Southern Arizona.
As the past chair of the TUSD governing board and the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Adelita has the experience to work effectively to undo the disastrous Trump agenda. She is not beholden to corporate PAC donations. Thus, she will work to lower prices on groceries and housing, to restore cuts to Medicare and Medicaid — and to protect our water and environment.
Many of us have the highest regard for former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Sen. Mark Kelly. They each know what it takes to be an effective member of Congress. They are endorsing Adelita Grijalva in this election because she “has it.â€
Vote for Adelita Grijalva by mail now or in person July 15.
Frank Sotomayor
West side
TEP and Tucson’s well-being
Daniel Dempsey’s opinion piece on TEP is right on! TEP’s ridiculous 14% increase is par for the course for a foreign-owned utility whose primary goal is to increase profits for its investors. TEP bills itself as a hometown partner by donating to various local causes and plastering their name on anything and everything. They think that by providing free nightlights and led bulbs that Tucsonans will be OK with endless ridiculous increases and accept placement of above-ground transmission lines in our most sensitive areas. In the end, all they care about is their bottom line. It’s time to seriously start planning for a public-owned utility in order to control our future growth and mitigate these crazy increases in the name of profits. We cannot and should not depend on the ACC to look out for our interests. They have proven time and again that they are shills for the utilities with a rubber stamp at the ready for any increase, no matter how outrageous.
Alexis Raptis
West side
Data center
In a state suffering drought much of the time and attempts to conserve water are endless, why on earth would a big data center be a good idea? I do not think the case has been made. We should never believe anyone who tells us water rates will not increase. The same for electricity. The data centers use lots of both, and we don’t have excesses of either. The details of usage, replenishing, and cost to residential consumers are not forthcoming. Just after approval of the land sale by supervisors, TEP announces another rate increase. They say it’s not related to the data center proposal, but who believes that? It’s not hard to find states where data centers have moved in and electricity rates increase 15-50%. This is a very bad idea for Tucson; we will all pay dearly for.
Denise Walker
Midtown
Citizens stand with immigrants
How about people who are U.S. citizens start to congregate with immigrants at a Home Depot or another likely spot where these poor people gather to try and earn a living? This will cause ICE to delay some arrests if they are arresting anyone in that crowd. It might even give them pause if enough Americans are rounded up illegally.
Mike Dai
Midtown
Health care for ‘those people’
“Do you support the idea of the government paying for the medical care of illegal immigrants?†Seems like most Americans answer “no†to that question. But let’s ask the question this way: “Do you support the idea of the government paying for adequate hospital services for the general population?†Maybe now the answer is “yes.â€
Remember that when we “give†people money (poor people, people from far away) to pay for their health care in this country, we aren’t handing them a fistful of cash. They never personally see a dime. The cash goes directly to hospitals and providers, which in almost all our communities are dangerously underfunded and can use the money.
And these are the same care facilities that you will have to go to one of these days, my friend.
George Timson
Midtown
Good bomb vs. bad bomb
Who makes the distinction between a good atomic bomb and a bad bomb? If one is not informed, one would think that only Iran is a threat of making an atomic bomb.
Also, who makes the distinction between what country is allowed to have it, or what religion? Argentina, between 1963 and 1966, sold about 90 tons of yellowcake that were allegedly shipped to Israel from Argentina in secret. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Golda Meir authorized a nuclear alert and ordered 13 atomic bombs to be ready. Israel also is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. If a Muslim bomb is bad, why isn’t Pakistan, a Muslim country with the bomb (1998) threatened? Why is Iran called out for perhaps having the ability to make a bomb, but with Israel, no questions are ever asked?
Clyde R. Steele
Oro Valley
Education, taxes, tariffs
Americans’ understanding of finance and society is woefully lacking. A pervasive unwillingness to recognize the lifeblood of our society abounds. We balk at the idea of paying taxes. Claims flourish that taxes are theft, not an expression of shared responsibility. Money grows on bountiful credit cards.
Our politicians have mollified our ignorance. They cut our civic contributions (taxes) to make everyone feel good. No more sending money directly to governing bodies. Yet the foundation (and schools, roads, police, fire, etc.) cracks without our collective contributions. Solution – tariffs. In our interdependent global economy, everyone buying anything pays the tariff. The top governing body collects all the tariff money. We ignorantly enjoy our tax breaks, and governing bodies have money to do the things we take for granted. We all stealthily, obliviously share the cost. We whine about increased prices, we pay, and we get the benefits of civilization without the annoying taxes for society’s upkeep. Magic!
Spencer Elliott
Oro Valley
RE: Local public lands could be sold
After a professional life spent in promoting a high-end restaurant group and hotel lodgings, I am shocked to learn that the Senate is actually considering selling away all rights to God-given natural features of our land, including Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, and Madera Canyon. These areas are both tourist attractions and provide recreational opportunities for local residents and families.
These state and federal lands are used as prime promotion attractions by all types of tourism businesses. Call our senators today and insist they vote against this irreversible tragedy that is buried in a humongous, ugly bill.
Bob Moreillon
East side
TWT
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, tries to explain the erratic shenanigans of President Donald Trump. From the yo-yo nature of Trump’s tariffs to the conflicting messages promising wealthy supporters he would postpone work and farm ICE activities to allow more wealth acquisition, Leavitt “spins†these fiascoes to make them sound planned and sensible. Recently, President Trump has returned to his pattern of TWT, or “Two Week Trump,†as he proclaimed he will wait two weeks to make a decision about America’s role in the Israel/Iran conflict. Trump established his TWT pattern while dealing with Vladimir Putin’s trust factor, as well as dealing with ISIS, health care policies, opening of coal mines, all put on the two-week solution pattern. I suggest Leavitt have a slick sign created with TWT embossed on it as a more efficient response to questions about Trump’s absence of taking responsibility for the chaos he has created in national and international issues.
Roger Shanley
East side
Good for the goose; good for the gander?
I find it curious that a story about Iran’s bombing an Israeli hospital is featured on the front page of the Star, right under the masthead, when stories about Israel’s bombing hospitals in Gaza — a not unusual occurrence — are printed with little fanfare in the daily story that features how many Palestinian civilians Israel killed yesterday.
Jim Rapp
Southeast side
Help to understand
Obviously, the plea to Democrats to help simple-minded fascists understand your actions is rhetorical. You Democrats have failed to respond to our simple questions. As usual, you counter with name-calling and character assassination, but no reply. Simply justify the following with reason. Why is allowing 10 million-plus unvetted, illegal aliens to enter the country and not removing known illegal criminal border crossers who are terrorizing our communities acceptable? Why is it bad to prevent demonstrators from attacking law enforcement, burning property, and looting? Why does Israel have no right to defend itself from annihilation? Why should Iran be allowed to have a nuclear bomb? Why should biological men compete unfairly in competitive women’s sports? Why should genital mutilation of children and teenagers be allowed? Why should we, the taxpayers, pay for sex-change operations for incarcerated prisoners? By failing to address rationally and honestly the above questions, you demonstrate that your entire mindset is left-wing political dogma that cares little for American citizens.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
16.5 megawatt array at DM gone
I will admit I might have missed the announcement. With the current discussion of the TEP rate increase and the City of Tucson franchise, I’d really like to know what genius thought it would be a good idea to order the 16.5-megawatt solar farm at DM along Golf Links Road to be dismantled.
Ted Frohling
Northeast side
Project Blue is a very bad idea
Our water use already exceeds the amount of rain and CAP water. To bring in a company that requires huge amounts of water will hasten the inevitable water shortage we face.
Project Blue can’t honestly say it will “replenish 100 percent of consumptive water losses in partnership with Tucson Water.†That defies the laws of physics. Water “consumed†has to be replaced by water from CAP and our aquifer.
The proposed open-air “recreational†catchment will be subject to a massive rate of evaporation in the extreme heat and low humidity of our desert.
This contract must be walked back. It’s a disaster. And when our water is gone, the out-of-state investor/owners will have the company declare bankruptcy, leaving us holding an empty aquifer and unemployed workers.
Plus, TEP will have to build infrastructure to accommodate the Center. Those costs will definitely be passed on to all Pima County residents.
Lee Stanfield
East side
- James Abels, Midtown
The 6/18/25, page 1 article about telehealth prescribing abortion pills for residents of states with restrictive abortion laws gave me an ironic laugh.
“…shield laws violate a constitutional requirement that states respect the laws and legal judgments of other states.†The implication is that shield laws of other states do not have the same “…constitutional requirement that states respect the†shield “laws and judgments of other states.â€
Ironic, ain’t it?
James Abels
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Kenneth Haber, Northwest side
The Supremes continued the lunacy -- and made it worse. Slightly more than 20 states discriminate against trans persons and deny them care and treatment prescribed by medical professionals. The Supremes decreed that that discrimination is okay. But the remaining states have not enacted similar discriminatory legislation. So trans persons, and their parents, must "shop" for a state that is accepting of their medical condition. In order to obtain treatment for a medical condition their medical provider decided requires treatment. Something about uniformity of laws between the states escapes me.
Kenneth Haber
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- David E. Leon, Vail
The wannabe dictator #1 sent a Naval Carrier Task Force to the Middle East?? Doesn't he know that only Congress can declare War? Unless the gutless Congress will not stand up to him? Oh yeah, they won't. Israel bombed Iran not us let them fight in the desert. They have been fighting for a few thousand years. I have Jewish cousins. Mexican American Jews. I was named after my father's best friend, who was KIA in New Guinea in 1943. David Newman's family owned a Jewish deli and restaurant in Los Angeles.
I just don't want to see American sailors and infantry killed for nothing like Korea, Vietnam. I'm a wounded Nam vet. And all those other desert wars that we got involved in. I'm sure Israel can handle Iran. Our allies are no longer. After what our #1 Dictator has said to them and siding with Russia, North Korea, and other dictator-led countries.
Let's live in peace.
David E. Leon
Vail
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Ronald Pelech, Midtown
Donald Trump's mass deportation drive is political theater with touches of racism that will eventually be a costly failure by not addressing the root causes. When there is demand for cheap migrant workers, which our economy depends on, people will enter and be welcomed to supply that need. That is capitalism Republicans love so much.
If Los Angeles had many white South African undocumented migrants, ICE would be there handing out green cards like candy. Trump rolled out the red carpet for white South African alleged refugees, while he previously falsely accused Black Haitians of eating people's pets. Racism.
If you appear to be Latino in Trump's regime, masked thugs have probable cause to harass you in violation of the Constitution. Did we vote for such abuse of power? This is Sheriff Joe run amok on a vast scale that will not be tolerated and ultimately will be defeated. Enforcement alone is not the answer.
Ronald Pelech
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sheldon Metz, Northeast side
America's most incompetent leader faces a decision. Good luck with your children. Knowing deep down (his unsettled decisions and reversals) that he's not qualified for the job, refusing to quit before destroying American democracy and humanity, is boringly and sadistically evil. Smug "Maybe I will, maybe I won't" responses insult all.
Despite his bizarre words, sentences and denials, there is no question that the administration's cutbacks to aid programs have killed about 96,000 adults and 200,000 children worldwide since May 28. As a diversion, he's considering heading to war, in of all places, the Middle East, maybe?
American tastes for war have changed. After tossing a Bitcoin, the "draft dodger" will call heads or tails.
It could be the final straw. My fraternity house held watch parties when the lottery struck. Watching quietly and praying, as we sat in front of the TV for the draw. Hoping we’d be overlooked. I wasn’t.
When the draft is reinstated, that could be Trump’s term-ending decision.
Sheldon Metz
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
The immigration morass
Illegal immigration is, well, illegal. Our laws should be enforced. Where inadequate, Congress should pass new ones as it tried to in 2024 before Trump’s intervention. Refugees/asylum seekers are a different category. They wait for adjudication and do periodic check-ins. Anyone suspected of a crime should be afforded due process and properly penalized if found guilty. If we allow people of any status to be detained or deported without due process, none of us is protected from rogue law enforcement.
In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid almost $100 billion in taxes while often working at some of the toughest jobs for less than minimum wage. Want to stop them? Crack down on employers. Prosecute CEOs and guilty farming, food processing, and construction corporations. Of course, these are the exact industries where Trump said he is not going to enforce the law. Why? Because prices would increase, voters would turn against their GOP Representatives, and he would lose a chunk of his base.
Hollace Lyon
SaddleBrooke
Why no MS-13 arrests?
Why isn’t ICE rolling up the gangs from Mexico, Central, and South America? Trump campaigned on capturing brutal MS-13 immigrants, engaging in major criminal activities, drug trafficking, violent crime and murder.
I have served as a police commissioner. Police departments have organized gang squads and narcotics units with embedded undercover officers conducting complex criminal investigations of these dangerous illegal immigrants. Local cops know names and addresses.
Yet, people in plain clothes with guns, their faces covered, no badges, name tags, or sworn law enforcement IDs, are seizing people on the streets of America. Arrests occur at courthouses, Home Depot stores, schools, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and cabbage patches.
Nearly 65% of those taken into custody are working non-violent migrants with no arrests, easy targets for ICE, low-hanging fruit, ordered arrested by Steven Miller, Trump’s “Minister of Deportation,†for headlines.
So, why isn’t ICE arresting major gang criminals? Hint: It’s dangerous! Trump wants easy, immediate seizure headlines from working, undocumented labor at Home Depot.
Jerry Wilkerson
SaddleBrooke
Water vs. growth
Thanks again to Tony Davis for his informative and alarming report on the reality of our water crisis. I have to wonder if our politicians and decision-makers are paying attention. As Edward Abbey said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cellâ€. You can’t drink data, and you can’t drink copper.
Stanley Steik
Midtown
Suggested medical malpractice reform
David Walker includes a request for medical malpractice tort reform in his faulty Medicaid reform analysis.
Why limit the liability of doctors who hurt patients by providing negligent care? The poor care results in increased medical bills for those they harm and reform would place the burden of the injuries on the victim rather than the negligent provider.
Arizona has already enacted requirements making it so expensive to pursue a claim that only those patients with serious long-term disabilities and future medical expenses can find a competent lawyer who can afford to front the litigation costs and put in the 100s of hours needed to even prepare a case for trial. The doctors and insurers refuse to negotiate a settlement, even in obvious cases of negligence, until they are facing a jury. As an attorney who has been asked by clients to help them find a lawyer, I have repeatedly had to tell them that their case is too small. Most malpractice gets a free pass already as a result.
Kenneth Graham
West side
We tend to emulate our leaders
Have you noticed that In all various fields of human activity, we tend to emulate the people whom we follow.
In the case of politics in the U.S., many people emulate DJT. His “no respect†for any opponent at any level, person, party or nation, has greatly influenced how we collectively respond to things like: Woke, DEI, immigrants, environmental concerns/issues, etc. DJT, by his no respect approach makes him by definition a barbarian.
He has now joined our sole ally in the Middle East in their barbaric (no respect) approach to the Palestinians, and now Iran. The consequences for his actions are yet to be known, but by our silence in Congress and personally, we are condoning and confirming our guilt as co-barbarians.
Vincent Allen
Northwest side
No vote on Grijalva
Adelita Grijalva seeks to inherit the Congressional seat held by her father. I oppose her election as she, like her father, is a career politician. They claim to have lived a life of service but I feel that it was really a life of sucking at the public teat and avoiding any real work. Both began their careers with the TUSD school board. moved up to the Pima County board of supervisors and finally Raul’s election to Congress, a position he would not relinquish until his death. Once you start feeding at the DC trough, it’s hard to let it go. Now with her father’s seat vacant and 23 years of taxpayer-paid paychecks under her belt, Adelita believes it her turn at the big time and based on her family name, is the right choice for Congress and if elected will most likely remain there until death do us part. Politics should not be a family business, and seats in Congress should not be an inheritance.
Bill Clifford
Midtown
Ciscomani’s new TV ad
Juan Ciscomani has discontinued his TV ad in which he promised to protect seniors’ benefits. His vote in favor of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill†made this lie so glaringly obvious that this ad became Exhibit A for his duplicity.
Ciscomani’s new TV ad stresses that he “is fighting alongside Trump to deliver real results for Arizona.†Several hundred thousand Arizonans of all ages losing their health insurance and/or SNAP benefits as Trump’s bill would require is certainly “a real result,†just not a good one. The ad also claims that this bill “cements the largest tax cut in history,†but doesn’t mention that these cuts would go overwhelmingly to those who don’t need them at the expense of those who do.
This new ad is simply a rhetorical sleight of hand in which Ciscomani tries to recast his continuing betrayal of his constituents as support for a supposedly embattled president and his agenda. I call BS.
Eric Weiss
Foothills
Watch the other hand
A grifter will distract you with one hand and pick your pocket with the other. Examples of the former: Gulf of Mexico, Canada as the 51st state, and Greenland. But, the other hand? Now the Administration has bombed an adversary in order to distract us from ... what?
Let’s follow the money.
The proposed Big Ugly Bill passed in the House by ONE vote. Now it’s in the Senate.
It would strip 8.5 million people of healthcare, gut clean energy legislation, privatize public lands, and (worst of all) give the Administration $350,000,000,000.00 (billion dollars) to “militarize the border,†not necessary. This money will be used to police citizens who dissent.
Call the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (24/7). They will direct you to your Senator’s office, then share with those in other states. This bill has something to hurt everyone, except rich people.
Gaye Adams
Midtown
Beware of wolves
I admire 25-year-old Deja Foxx and believe there is a place for her in the Democratic Party. However, congressional candidate Adelita Grijalva has proven herself to be a skilled leader for longer than Foxx has been alive, serving with distinction on both the TUSD Board and the Pima County Board of Supervisors. If Foxx and Grijalva were to split the vote among women, the person who would benefit most from Deja’s candidacy is Dan Hernandez. Hernandez paints himself as a progressive, but this portrayal is false; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, much like “Democratic†Senator Kyrsten Sinema was. It speaks volumes that Gabrielle Giffords, the person he interned for, and whose life he claims to have saved, does not endorse him. Instead, she supports the proven progressive Democrat, Adelita Grijalva. My vote is for Grijalva.
Louis Hollingsworth
West side
Twirling moral compasses
Charles Borla’s June 24 description of seven Congressional hopefuls’ reactions to the Iran bombing was revealing. Grijalva was succinct and straightforward, focusing on crises here. Rivas spoke Trumpese. Harris was confusing, possibly confused: He doesn’t have the same information as Trump. No one has the same information as Trump, since he makes it up as he goes along, outright dismissing Director of National Intelligence Gabbard’s input.
Most interesting was Butierez’s response: gung ho for the bombing until he learned his daughter might be deployed.
Such is the MAGA attitude: Me First trumps the greater good.
Sherry Machen
Green Valley
Solar games
While it is easy to support solar energy, should companies misrepresent the conditions to try and win market share? There are U.S. manufacturers that are running a commercial trying to get you to contact Congress and change the laws about China’s production of solar panels. While not supporting China in the production of solar panels, what I don’t support is using a grant from the taxpayer to underwrite the U.S. production costs. The U.S. has the capability to produce the solar panels at a cost that can be sold at a profit and compete with China’s production, but what is critical is that U.S. manufacturing should not be supported in the production costs. From the beginning, there have been grants for anyone installing solar panels, distorting the actual cost of the installation, all supported by the taxpayer. This brings us back to the original question as to whether solar panels are actually a worthwhile alternative. Funny, NY state has shifted back to nuclear energy as a viable alternative.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
We need great and free transit
Tucson has the worthy goal of accommodating the development of 35,000 housing units by the year 2033. This could mean the addition of tens of thousands of vehicles to our current traffic situation. But continuously widening and adding roadways does not make sense. It’s expensive, ugly, environmentally unsound, and only encourages more traffic. Endless hot lanes of asphalt and moonscape parking lots do not make for a desirable city. Now is the time to promote and nurture alternatives. Keep mass transit free, build new developments along transit routes, and use the money that would be spent on new roads to create a world-class transit system and tree-lined bike paths and sidewalks.
As we all know, cars are crazy expensive — gas, insurance, registration, maintenance, parking, tires, on top of the purchase price. We can save a lot by living without car ownership, or at least two-car ownership, but it’s up to the city to make that possible.
Linda Dobbyn
Midtown
A non-Barbarian response
McConnell, in his opinion piece recently, responded to a debate challenge with his Barbarian viewpoint. It consisted of a litany of issues that offended him, all ascribed to the Democrats. It reminded me of Trump’s response when asked about the economy and he responded that the bad points were all Biden’s and the good parts were all his. Both seem to misunderstand the nature of a debate. There was a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program that was working before Trump unilaterally withdrew and then bombed Iran for not complying. There was a bipartisan proposal in Congress to the immigration problem before the last election that Trump torpedoed as it removed his primary campaign issue. If the Republican positions are so strong, why does Trump have to lie on a daily basis and about such trivial issues? And why the abject meanness of many actions? If the Republican positions are so strong, can they not survive with asking for both honesty and empathy?
Tim Helentjaris
Northwest side
Homeless arrested
Cost of keeping someone in the county jail for one year, $50,983. Median cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment, $10,620 per year. Did anyone think about that before it was decided to put all the homeless in jail? Or is the intent to just arrest them, take all their belongings and then let them all loose again? Or maybe the police will walk around giving out tickets and expecting the people to show up in court? Or maybe they will be fined for being homeless and all just pay a fine? Get real.
Bette Bunker Richards
Midtown
- Paula Palotay, Marana
In light of the recent bombing of Iran I would like to ask: Is Israel giving us compensation? Our President sure expected Ukraine to give the US something in exchange for assisting in its defense. What is he getting in exchange? He also expects all our NATO members to pay for defense.
I want to know. Also, Congress should have been apprised of this attack before it took place.
Paula Palotay
Marana
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Gaye Adams, Midtown
A grifter will distract you with one hand and pick your pocket with the other. Examples of the former: Gulf of Mexico, Canada as the 51st state, and Greenland. But, the other hand? Now the Administration has bombed an adversary in order to distract us from ... what?
Let's follow the money.
The proposed Big Ugly Bill passed in the House by ONE vote. Now it's in the Senate.
It would strip 8.5m people of healthcare, gut clean energy legislation, privatize public lands, and (worst of all) give the Administration $350,000,000,000.00 (billion dollars) to "militarize the border," not necessary. This money will be used to police citizens who dissent.
Call the Senate switchboard at 202 224 3121 (24/7). They will direct you to your Senator's office, then share with those in other states. This bill has something to hurt everyone, except rich people.
Gaye Adams
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Vincent Allen, Northwest side
Have you noticed that In all various fields of human activity, we tend to emulate the people whom we follow.
In the case of politics in the US, many people emulate DJT. His "no respect" for any opponent at any level, person, party or nation, has greatly influenced how we collectively respond to things like: Woke, DEI, immigrants, environmental concerns/issues, etc. DJT, by his no respect approach makes him by definition a barbarian.
He has now joined our sole ally in the Middle East in their barbaric (no respect) approach to the Palestinians, and now Iran. The consequences for his actions are yet to be known, but by our silence in Congress and personally, we are condoning and confirming our guilt as co-barbarians.
Vincent Allen
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Loran Hancock, Northwest side
While it is easy to support solar energy, should companies misrepresent the conditions to try and win market share? There are U.S. manufacturers that are running a commercial trying to get you to contact Congress and change the laws about China production of solar panels. While not supporting China in the production of solar panels, what I don't support is using a grant from the taxpayer to underwrite the U.S. production costs. The U.S. has the capability to produce the solar panels at a cost that can be sold at a profit and compete with China's production, but what is critical is that U.S. manufacturing should not be supported in the production costs. From the beginning, there have been grants for anyone installing solar panels, distorting the actual cost of the installation, all supported by the taxpayer. This brings us back to the original question as to whether solar panels are actually a worthwhile alternative. Funny, NY state has shifted back to nuclear energy as a viable alternative.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Kenneth Graham, West side
David Walker includes a request for medical malpractice tort reform in his faulty Medicaid reform analysis.
Why limit the liability of doctors who hurt patients by providing negligent care? The poor care results in increased medical bills for those they harm and reform would place the burden of the injuries on the victim rather then the negligent provider.
Arizona has already enacted requirements making it so expensive to pursue a claim that only those patients with serious long term disabilities and future medical expenses can find a competent lawyer who can afford to front the litigation costs and put in the 100s of hours needed to even prepare a case for trial. The doctors and insurers refuse to negotiate a settlement, even in obvious cases of negligence, until they are facing a jury. As an attorney who has been asked by clients to help the find a lawyer, I have repeatedly had to tell them that their case is too small. Most malpractice gets a free pass already as a result.
Kenneth Graham
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Hollace Lyon, SaddleBrooke
Illegal immigration is, well, illegal. Our laws should be enforced. Where inadequate, Congress should pass new ones as they tried to in 2024 before Trump's intervention. Refugees/asylum seekers are a different category. They wait for adjudication and do periodic check-ins. Anyone suspected of a crime should be afforded due process and properly penalized if found guilty. If we allow people of any status to be detained or deported without due process, none of us is protected from rogue law enforcement.
In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid almost $100 billion in taxes while often working at some of the toughest jobs for less than minimum wage. Want to stop them? Crack down on employers. Prosecute CEOs and guilty farming, food processing, and construction corporations. Of course, these are the exact industries where Trump said he is not going to enforce the law. Why? Because prices would increase, voters would turn against their GOP Representatives, and he would lose a chunk of his base.
Hollace Lyon
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Tim Helentjaris, Northwest side
McConnell in his opinion piece this morning responded to a debate challenge with his Barbarian viewpoint. It consisted of a litany of issues that offended him, all ascribed to the Democrats. It reminded me of Trump’s response when asked about the economy and he responded that the bad points were all Biden’s and the good parts were all his. Both seem to misunderstand the nature of a debate. There was a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program that was working before Trump unilaterally withdrew and then bombed Iran for not complying. There was a bipartisan proposal in Congress to the immigration problem before the last election that Trump torpedoed as it removed his primary campaign issue. If the Republican positions are so strong, why does Trump have to lie on a daily basis and about such trivial issues? And why the abject meanness of many actions? If the Republican positions are so strong, can they not survive with asking for both honesty and empathy?
Tim Helentjaris
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Chuck Barrett, Midtown
This week, House Appropriations Committee members backed an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security funding bill that would dramatically expand H-2A guestworker programs.
Guestworkers in agriculture can’t leave abusive workplaces because their visas tie them to their employers. They face wage theft, retaliation, violence, discrimination and even human trafficking at truly alarming rates.
The reckless expansion of guestworker programs is a band-aid to the havoc wrought by DHS’s workplace raids that have exacerbated labor shortages.
There is an alternative: the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA), which reforms H-2A into stable, electronically vetted Certified Agricultural Worker visas that open legal agricultural work to currently undocumented veteran agricultural workers as well as nonimmigrant foreign workers. The bill gives employers more flexibility and workers more agency, including the right to challenge conditions and change employers.
Arizona, a top ten user of H-2As, needs the FWMA.
Representative Ciscomani should vote no to DHS, yes to FWMA.
Chuck Barrett
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jeffrey McConnell, West side
The political dust is settling regarding the 2022 Roe v Wade reversal. Conservatives believe that the 1973 progressive SCOTUS decision usurped Congress with legislation from the bench and are pleased to have the federal government partially out of the abortion business since it’s not in our Constitution and this power is returned to the "several states."
Now most states have made their decisions, and the results are exactly what we would expect in a messy democratic republic: no consensus and our state tap-dancing through a bizarre jungle of ancient law, new law, and a successful ballot proposition.
I sadly accept Arizona’s democratic decision but there’s a federal funding issue still on the table: whether our federal income tax dollars must continue to fund Unplanned Parenthood abortions in Arizona.
So licking my wounds I soldier on, asking the Arizona federal legislators of both parties to defund it with the Big Beautiful Bill.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Mort Ganeles, Foothills
The NYC mayoral primaries have shaken up political calculations.
The apparent victory of socialist NY state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani may have been a significant political change, or it may have been a local anomaly because voters could not stomach Andrew Cuomo and there was little support for the other Democrats.
Some Mamdani supporters doubt that his apparent victory will change either Democratic or U.S. politics. Have we learned any lessons from the Mamdani campaign? If so, what? Or were the Mamdani proposals tailor-made for the Big Apple?
Americans should study and give careful consideration to the variety of expressed criticisms of current policies and practices as they shape their voting preferences for 2026 and beyond.
Enough U.S. voters have had enough of the harsh Trump and congressional autocracy to turn them out in 2026. Where might future voters look since so many had turned their backs on Democrats in 2024?
Mort Ganeles
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- James Johnson, Marana
While DJT adorns the Oval Office in gold and sits on a gold toilet he has cut off aid to the poorest people in over 120 countries. These cuts were done to provide more tax cuts for the richest people and corporations in America. It is estimated that over 300,000 people, mostly children have died from malnutrition, disease, and lack of medications that USAID had been providing to these drought- and war-torn countries. America’s nutritional program was reaching over 39 million women and children with these lifesaving nutritional supplements, which are now sitting in warehouses rotting. When DJT’s congress passes the BBB it will be our children, our poor, and our veterans who go without health care and nutritional food, all so the super-rich can gain more gold. Wake up people! Is this how we make America great? I hope not.
James Johnson
Marana
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Bill Dowdall, Oro Valley
Iran who has for decades had a mantra "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" has been degraded to a no-threat country. The U.S. demonstrated peace through strength with the judicious use of our military's capabilities to defuse Iran's desire for nuclear weapons. NATO thanked Trump's leadership in convincing our allies to increase military spending from 2% GDP to 5%. The stock market is at record levels, inflation is at 2+%. Unemployment is low, average wages are up. There is a resurgence of patriotism and love of our country. The Democratic Party continues their journey to define who they are. They nominated a Communist/Socialist to run for Mayor of NYC. Jasmine Crockett continues in the spotlight demeaning the President as well as AOC. It is unfortunate that we are so polarized, it continues to divide us. To make America Great again is a positive statement which all Americans should want. Trump will continue on his agenda. The left needs to accept it.
Bill Dowdall
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
More like this...
- Glenn Lippman, Midtown
It has frequently been said that "words matter" and yet there is an increasing frequency of national leaders seemingly forgetting that statement. Not to present myself as "thin0skinned," but I mention two recent examples.
The first was Wednesday's expletive uttered by President Trump in reference to the continuation of attacks despite his announced cease fire between Israel and Iran. He stated, "We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.â€
Another example of an ignorant choice of words was manifested by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who stated that California Governor Gavin Newsom should be "tarred and feathered" for his response to the recent calling out of the National Guard.
Both comments set a "low bar" for what our most important leaders should speak. I wonder where the next generation is going to learn a better mode of communication if they are presented such poor role models.
Glenn Lippman
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sue Thompson, SaddleBrooke
Does anyone ever question why it is that the only country ever to drop a nuclear bomb, or two, considers itself to be the “watchdog†of the world and “credibly†responsible regarding its God-given right to determine which other country can and cannot protect itself by making that very same bomb?
And let us not forget that those who were affected by those two bombs had absolutely no prior warning -- something that very well may have saved many ordinary citizens' lives. By “ordinary citizens,†I assume you realize that the list includes many children, pet cats, dogs, etc., not just “non-military†adults. And yet we Americans have a difficult time understanding why it is that other countries hate us.
Sue Thompson
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- John Brown, East side
Let me remind your readers that our society still operates under laws that are created to maintain order and these laws are only effective if they are enforced. So Mr. Trump has expressed empathy for those farmers/businessmen who have lost employees due to ICE personnel rounding up undocumented persons. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (passed during the Reagan administration) stipulates that any employer that knowingly employs an undocumented person is subject to fines and/or imprisonment. Verification of a person's legal status to work in this country is documented on a federal form I-9 which employers are required to complete and maintain. So how can Trump express his compassion for farmers and travel/leisure employers when they violated the very law that should have kept the illegals from being hired in the first place? Why does Trump want to enable the illegals by allowing them to be employed in violation of current law? Does anyone care that this criminal practice goes unchecked?
John Brown
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jennifer Prileson, Foothills
Re: Sunday's LTE regarding Christian messaging that focuses solely on the afterlife as opposed to addressing today's societal needs. I want to assure the author that many Christians put faith into practice with our time, labor and money to do the work that Jesus advocates in Matthew 25:35-40: feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit those who are sick or in prison. It ends 'Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.' We should applaud any faith group's work to improve our world, whether it's Rincon UCC's support for the Apache tribe's legal fight for its sacred land; 'Workship', an ecumenical group actively helping the homeless, hungry, disabled and displaced; or St. Maximilian Kolbe Prison and Bridge Prison Ministries, which mentor the incarcerated and recently paroled. Food pantries and refugee services exist at many Tucson churches; and globally, Church World Services provides humanitarian and disaster relief.
Jennifer Prileson
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Bruce Kaplan, Northwest side
In light of Trump’s military fascination, it’s good to remember that neither he nor his children served. Considering his disgraceful politicization of young troops at Ft. Bragg (and the Army birthday parade), it’s time for the Trumps to stop freeloading on the American Dream.
I’m a purple-heart combat veteran. I have many friends and relatives who have served, going back to WWI. One uncle was a WWII prisoner of war. My late brother-in-law honorably resisted the Vietnam war, spending two years in federal prison for his beliefs. Note: he was not a draft dodger. He stood up for principle.
So, as things get more and more edgy around the world, it’s time for the Trump family to put some skin into the game. From now on, no one goes in the military until Barron Trump goes in.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Teresa Jenkins, SaddleBrooke
Would you be angry if Joe Biden illegally attacked a country without Congressional approval or turned the U.S. military on U.S. citizens? Then you should be angry at President Trump as he’s done this and more.
Trump hijacked an event meant for our military squandering $45 million. Three days after this military parade fizzled and millions turned out to reject his presidency, Trump bombed Iran. Doctrines of Christianity shaped his decision and provided a bridge to religious and political extremists.
The Iranian strike depicts Trump’s preference for American dominance including the use of force, lying, and manipulation with religious overtones. The MAGA-Christian right’s agenda to end the separation of church and state and advocate holy war defines Trump’s words and deeds: “…God, I want to just say, we love you God…"
These destructive actions are a danger to our society. We must move away from Trump's corruption and destruction and loudly say no to war in the Middle East.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Tom Hruska, West side
Iran has “retaliated†for the bombing of its nuclear sites, and now it seems willing to accept a ceasefire. But we should remember that Iran has been playing a long game for many years. It has been seeking to develop nuclear weapons for at least 20 years. It has been seeking to destroy Israel for much longer than that. The United States has long been the “Great Satan.†They have a much longer time horizon that most leaders in the United States have. They understand the meaning of the saying, “Revenge is best served cold.â€
Tom Hruska
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Alan Doan, SaddleBrooke
I recently saw a clip of Marco Rubio being asked about the discrepancy between the president's statements and the intelligence community's assessment of Iran's nuclear capabilities. His response was, "Forget about intelligence." That made me laugh out loud.
Alan Doan
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Eric Weiss, Foothills
Ciscomani has discontinued his TV ad in which he promised to protect seniors’ benefits. His vote in favor of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill†made this lie so glaringly obvious that this ad became Exhibit A for his duplicity.
Ciscomani’s new TV ad stresses that he “is fighting alongside Trump to deliver real results for Arizona.†Several hundred thousand Arizonans of all ages losing their health insurance and/or SNAP benefits as Trump’s bill would require is certainly “a real result,†just not a good one. The ad also claims that this bill “cements the largest tax cut in history,†but doesn’t mention that these cuts would go overwhelmingly to those who don’t need them at the expense of those who do.
This new ad is simply a rhetorical sleight of hand in which Ciscomani tries to recast his continuing betrayal of his constituents as support for a supposedly embattled President and his agenda. I call BS.
Eric Weiss
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
Kevin Dahl op-ed
Thank you, Kevin. It was great to hear my Ward 3 rep explain his vote that didn’t go along with other members of the council. Eradicating homelessness is a very complex issue, as Kevin explained. It would be nice if a law could be passed that would solve all the issues, but that is not possible. Criminalizing the victims is not a solution. I will be voting for Kevin to keep fighting the good fight and to keep us informed of his thinking.
David Rubin
Midtown
Pay attention
Let me remind your readers that our society still operates under laws that are created to maintain order, and these laws are only effective if they are enforced. So Mr. Trump has expressed empathy for those farmers/businessmen who have lost employees due to ICE personnel rounding up undocumented persons. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (passed during the Reagan administration) stipulates that any employer that knowingly employs an undocumented person is subject to fines and/or imprisonment. Verification of a person’s legal status to work in this country is documented on a federal form I-9, which employers are required to complete and maintain. So how can Trump express his compassion for farmers and travel/leisure employers when they violated the very law that should have kept the illegals from being hired in the first place? Why does Trump want to enable the illegals by allowing them to be employed in violation of current law? Does anyone care that this criminal practice goes unchecked?
John Brown
East side
Sites for homeless unresolved
Kevin Dahl’s “Why I voted against wash ordinance†clarified why Miramonte Park remains a homeless haven. He sees homelessness as a complex social issue. Agreed, but it can be broken down into two primary components: why an individual is homeless and where those now homeless can legally camp.
The easier component is providing City space where homeless build their shelters, keep their carts and have lavatory facilities. The harder concern is addressing an individual’s mental, social, and housing needs.
The futile efforts of police and park workers to carry out current city policy is hard to watch. Chasing people and picking up their trash is endless, but solves nothing — not for the homeless, Tucson employees, and residents who have lost the use of their public areas. With Miramonte, neighbors worked with the city for two decades, creating a cherished park. Each invested considerable monies and effort. For the past several years, homeless use has become the priority.
Time for Mayor/Council to find homeless site solutions so neighbors get back their spaces.
Ruth Beeker
Midtown
Perspective on nuclear weapons
Does anyone ever question why it is that the only country ever to drop a nuclear bomb, or two, considers itself to be the “watchdog†of the world and “credibly†responsible regarding its God-given right to determine which other country can and cannot protect itself by making that very same bomb?
And let us not forget that those who were affected by those two bombs had absolutely no prior warning — something that very well may have saved many ordinary citizens’ lives. By “ordinary citizens,†I assume you realize that the list includes many children, pet cats, dogs, etc., not just “non-military†adults. And yet we Americans have a difficult time understanding why it is that other countries hate us.
Sue Thompson
SaddleBrooke
Words matter
It has frequently been said that “words matter,†and yet there is an increasing frequency of national leaders seemingly forgetting that statement. Not to present myself as “thin-skinned,†but I mention two recent examples.
The first was Wednesday’s expletive uttered by President Trump in reference to the continuation of attacks despite his announced ceasefire between Israel and Iran. He stated, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.â€
Another example of an ignorant choice of words was manifested by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who stated that California Governor Gavin Newsom should be “tarred and feathered†for his response to the recent calling out of the National Guard.
Both comments set a “low bar†for what our most important leaders should speak. I wonder where the next generation is going to learn a better mode of communication if they are presented such poor role models.
Glenn Lippman
Midtown
Re ‘Help to understand’
As a Professor, I teach a class in critical thinking. The author poses questions asking Democrats to “simply justify the following with reason.†However, his questions contain claims without credible evidence in support. For example, Johnson claims, there are “10 million unvetted, illegal aliensâ€. To support that you would need empirical evidence such as a database with ten million names and a column for “vetted†yes or no. Doubt if that exists. Johnson implies a relationship between “border crossers†and “terrorizing our communities.†However, the recent murder of Minnesota, State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband was committed by a US citizen, not a “border crosserâ€. The same is true for the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim on May 21, 2025 in Washington DC. On March 8, 2024, NPR reported that the Marshall Foundation found no link between undocumented immigrants and a rise in violent or property crime. A a reasonable response requires a reasonable question.
Richard Wood
Midtown
Supply and Demand
A water crisis like the current Arizona drought, and over-allocation of resources, resembles a bankruptcy. They go slowly — until they crash like a garage door with a broken spring. Our Legislature hasn’t responded to our situation in any meaningful way.
During campaigns, we hear wild ideas about desalination and pipelines over the Rockies, but our trajectory is desecration during their working hours. Conservation is our quickest way to achieve balance between supply and demand.
— Change the actual price for this rare and precious commodity
— Enact statewide regulations and monitoring
— Help farmers to use drip irrigation and other modern water technologies — or buy them out
— Curb development
—Aand, most importantly, use experts instead of vested interests and politicians to make the rules
We also need a legislative majority willing to face this reality, and work for all of us.
Emily Morrison
Midtown
Destructive actions
Would you be angry if Joe Biden illegally attacked a country without Congressional approval or turned the U.S. military on U.S. citizens? Then you should be angry at President Trump as he’s done this and more.
Trump hijacked an event meant for our military squandering $45 million. Three days after this military parade fizzled and millions turned out to reject his presidency, Trump bombed Iran. Doctrines of Christianity shaped his decision and provided a bridge to religious and political extremists.
The Iranian strike depicts Trump’s preference for American dominance, including the use of force, lying, and manipulation with religious overtones. The MAGA-Christian right’s agenda to end the separation of church and state and advocate holy war defines Trump’s words and deeds: “… God, I want to just say, we love you God …â€
These destructive actions are a danger to our society. We must move away from Trump’s corruption and destruction and loudly say no to war in the Middle East.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Revenge is best served cold
Iran has “retaliated†for the bombing of its nuclear sites, and now it seems willing to accept a ceasefire. But we should remember that Iran has been playing a long game for many years. It has been seeking to develop nuclear weapons for at least 20 years. It has been seeking to destroy Israel for much longer than that. The United States has long been the “Great Satan.†They have a much longer time horizon that most leaders in the United States have. They understand the meaning of the saying, “Revenge is best served cold.â€
Tom Hruska
West side
Not until Barron goes
In light of Trump’s military fascination, it’s good to remember that neither he nor his children served. Considering his disgraceful politicization of young troops at Ft. Bragg (and the Army birthday parade), it’s time for the Trumps to stop freeloading on the American Dream.
I’m a Purple Heart combat veteran. I have many friends and relatives who have served, going back to WWI. One uncle was a WWII prisoner of war. My late brother-in-law honorably resisted the Vietnam War, spending two years in federal prison for his beliefs. Note: he was not a draft dodger. He stood up for principle.
So, as things get more and more edgy around the world, it’s time for the Trump family to put some skin into the game. From now on, no one goes in the military until Barron Trump goes in.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Marco, you said a mouthful
I recently saw a clip of Marco Rubio being asked about the discrepancy between the president’s statements and the intelligence community’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. His response was, “Forget about intelligence.†That made me laugh out loud.
Alan Doan
SaddleBrooke
Re: ‘Out of touch with reality’
Re: Sunday’s LTE regarding Christian messaging that focuses solely on the afterlife as opposed to addressing today’s societal needs. I want to assure the author that many Christians put faith into practice with our time, labor and money to do the work that Jesus advocates in Matthew 25:35-40: feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit those who are sick or in prison. It ends ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.’ We should applaud any faith group’s work to improve our world, whether it’s Rincon UCC’s support for the Apache tribe’s legal fight for its sacred land; ‘Workship’, an ecumenical group actively helping the homeless, hungry, disabled and displaced; or St. Maximilian Kolbe Prison and Bridge Prison Ministries, which mentor the incarcerated and recently paroled. Food pantries and refugee services exist at many Tucson churches; and globally, Church World Services provides humanitarian and disaster relief.
Jennifer Prileson
Foothills
- Robert Gavlak, Midtown
Respectfully Mr. Johnson, thank you for identifying yourself as a “simple-minded fascist.†That saves us all a lot of time. There’s a familiar saying about a pot and a kettle that has particular relevance here. Few letter contributors so consistently cast recriminatory aspersions like you. Name-calling? Character assassination? Why, isn’t that you?
The sophistry of sweeping demagogy is the impression it gives of having far-reaching importance. Does anyone actually believe ten million illegal border crossers are “terrorizing†our communities? Or that the recent isolated unrest in LA warranted a full military retaliation? Or that the loss of Palestinian lives by the Israeli response to October 7th is justifiably as disproportionate as it is? Does someone other than the Iranians actually want Iran to have a nuke? Men playing women’s sports? Prison sex-change operations? Just how prevalent do you think these are? Genital mutilation of children? Please! To borrow from Shakespeare: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.â€
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sherry Massie, East side
The EPA is reconsidering a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the US. Asbestos is a killer and cancers caused by it are a horrendous way to die. I know, because my husband, a 30-year Marine Corps veteran died in 2011 at 66 from mesothelioma. Exposure happened somewhere in his long military career. It disproportionately affected military personnel, but can be deadly to anyone with exposure. Asbestos is linked to an estimated 40,000 deaths annually in the US. Asbestos production in the US stopped in 2002 but the material is still imported, mostly from Brazil. It has been banned in more than 50 countries around the world. Extensive information can be found at ADAO, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Please contact your legislators and demand they do what they can to reverse this proposed action.
Sherry Massie
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Walter Ramsley, East side
It’s accepted wisdom. Artificial Intelligence will turn the world upside down in 2-3 years. Based on what you’ve seen to date, who’d think that? Then there’s the energy part. Nuclear power is the new black dress. “You look marvelous darling.†Who needs water. Burn gas for electricity. Global warming is yesterday’s news. We need that AI. Write me an email nobody reads. Draw a funny picture. Come up with a NYT headline. Give us a break. There are applications where automation boosts performance or reduces cost. That’s been happening for 50 years. Computers are here to stay. Right on brother. Artificial Intelligence is just another step in the process. The risk isn’t that in the near-term AI technology will ruin the world. It’s that producing all that AI will stress the environment. Not to mention the price of basic utilities.
Walter Ramsley
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- James Abels, Midtown
Various sources state net immigration was 6-8 million during Biden’s administration. I do not have any problems with deporting criminals while adhering to due process. My community is not being terrorized.
It is appropriate to arrest protesters for illegal acts. It is inappropriate for the military to engage in law enforcement. There is no insurrection. No Posse Comitatus Act.
Does Israel have a right to exist? Palestinian land was taken to create Israel. Why is it acceptable for some nations to have nuclear weapons?
Create transgender sports leagues.
The judicial system requires medically necessary care for prisoners. Gender reassignment may be necessary.
Rational and honest.
James Abels
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Irene Badilla, Southwest side
Like many families in Southern Arizona, I’ve spent a lifetime making memories outdoors, especially on Mount Lemmon. From picnics with my students to stargazing with my grandchildren, it has always been a place of learning, laughter, and love.
That’s why it’s alarming that Congress and the White House are considering selling over 14 million acres of Arizona public lands, including Mount Lemmon and Sabino Canyon to pay for tax cuts mostly benefiting the wealthy. This is more than bad policy; it betrays generations of Arizonans who rely on these lands for connection, recreation, and relief from the heat.
Public lands belong to all of us, not just a privileged few. My family has lived here four generations. My father, a WWII veteran, loved this land. Once these lands are sold, they’re gone forever.
I urge Representative Ciscomani and our delegation to vote no on threats to public lands. Protect these places for future generations.
Irene Badilla
Southwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Rees Lee, Foothills
Trump has a pattern of executing policies in a most aggressive way without consideration for consequences nor the legality of such decisions. His decision to bomb Iran seems no different. As a military officer, I have been proud to serve under both Republican and Democrat Presidents. Prior to our current President, I always had faith that the elected leaders of the U.S. would use our capabilities for well-considered operations advancing the goals of the United States and our democratic allies. Unfortunately, for this current President, I haven't seen the careful and well-articulated consideration prior to using military force. I am aware of no intelligence information documenting Iran's imminent development of a functional nuclear device nor has he verbalized an argument for the breakdown of diplomatic avenues. This is alarming. As a naval officer, I am proud of the professionalism of our sailors and airmen in the execution of this complex mission. As a citizen, I am concerned that our President is using the military without clear justification.
Marine Corps, U.S. Navy Captain, retired.
Rees Lee
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sherry Ivester, Midtown
Mr. Johnson, in your recent LTE you asked TADS readers for help. I am happy to oblige. First let me reassure you that immigrants are not "terrorizing our communities." That would be masked ICE agents who abduct innocent men, women and children who are just trying to make a living. A lot of your fellow Americans and the courts object to their tactics. That is one reason millions peacefully protested last week. We won't be silenced. We can ask questions. Just so you know, the GOP lost all law-and-order creds when it nominated the felon DJT for President. It did not make distrust less palpable when he pardoned 1600 J6 rioters either. Therefore, many of us are rightly skeptical that a one-off military action will stop the production of nuclear weapons in Iran. Remember the GOP entered us into 20 years of war in the Middle East under false pretenses. Most of us don't think they really care about women's sports either.
Sherry Ivester
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Ed LeGendre, East side
Of course, the actions taken by the United States and Israel over the past few days and weeks regarding Iran are concerning. I hear condemnation and praise from all sides of the political spectrum.
Armchair quarterbacks abound with opinions without knowing the intimate details of what our defense and intelligence community knows. I am sure Israel would have liked to know the October 7th attack was coming.
This attack was as barbaric as 9-11.
Has America forgotten this horrific day? The President and the intelligence services acted in what they believed was in the best interest of the “Western World.â€
Imagine Israel, Europe, or America receiving a nuclear attack. Remember the "sleeper cells" of Saudis learning how to fly airplanes under our nose. Of the tens of millions of foreigners coming under the radar, how many are intending us harm? To have Iran possess a nuclear weapon would put the Western World in jeopardy.
Remember 9-11 and October 7th. A nuclear bomb would kill tens of thousands.
Ed LeGendre
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Michael Mount, Foothills
In the late 1700s, Adam Smith wrote “Wealth of Nations†which stressed the importance of the market economy to the growth of society’s wealth. It was predicated on non-interference of the free market, which promoted competition. The net worth of our society today is $160 trillion. It is not evenly distributed. The top 1% of our population has 31% of the wealth, or $49 trillion including 756 mostly multi-billionaires. The bottom 50% has less than $4 trillion. How did our society develop such an imbalance? It is because manipulation of the free market by powerful players. What’s the result? Average wealth for the top one percent is $12.7 million. The bottom 50% average wealth is $23.53, the same people who rely on food stamps, Medicaid and other government programs to survive. These are the programs that Trump and the Republicans want to kill for his big beautiful? spending bill giving more tax breaks to the rich and increasing our national debt.
Michael Mount
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
Veteran responds to bombing of Iran
Trump has a pattern of executing policies in a most aggressive way without consideration for consequences nor the legality of such decisions. His decision to bomb Iran seems no different. As a military officer, I have been proud to serve under both Republican and Democrat Presidents. Prior to our current President, I always had faith that the elected leaders of the U.S. would use our capabilities for well-considered operations advancing the goals of the United States and our democratic allies. Unfortunately, for this current President, I haven’t seen the careful and well-articulated consideration prior to using military force. I am aware of no intelligence information documenting Iran’s imminent development of a functional nuclear device nor has he verbalized an argument for the breakdown of diplomatic avenues. This is alarming. As a naval officer, I am proud of the professionalism of our sailors and airmen in the execution of this complex mission. As a citizen, I am concerned that our President is using the military without clear justification.
Rees Lee
Marine Corps,
U.S. Navy Captain, retired
Foothills
PCC: No tuition or property tax increase
As families and communities face rising costs and economic uncertainty, the Pima Community College Governing Board is proud to stand for stability, access, and fiscal responsibility.
This month, the Board formally adopted the College’s FY26 budget — without raising tuition or increasing property taxes. This decision is supported by all five Board members — myself, incumbent Theresa Riel, and three recently elected colleagues, Karla Bernal Morales, Dr. Nicole Barraza and Kristen Randall.
What makes this decision significant is the broader context. Many government and educational entities are confronting serious financial pressures. At the same time, our students, families, and businesses are navigating their own challenges. In this environment, the College’s board is choosing a different path. We are demonstrating that it is possible to uphold quality and expand opportunity without asking more of those we serve.
In a time often defined by disruption and instability, we are choosing to provide reassurance, consistency, and opportunity. That’s what public education should do. And that’s what responsible, community-centered governance looks like.
Greg Taylor
East side
Free market?
In the late 1700s, Adam Smith wrote “Wealth of Nations†which stressed the importance of the market economy to the growth of society’s wealth. It was predicated on non-interference of the free market, which promoted competition. The net worth of our society today is $160 trillion. It is not evenly distributed. The top 1% of our population has 31% of the wealth, or $49 trillion including 756 mostly multi-billionaires. The bottom 50% has less than $4 trillion. How did our society develop such an imbalance? It is because manipulation of the free market by powerful players. What’s the result? Average wealth for the top one percent is $12.7 million. The bottom 50% average wealth is $23.53, the same people who rely on food stamps, Medicaid and other government programs to survive. These are the programs that Trump and the Republicans want to kill for his big beautiful? spending bill giving more tax breaks to the rich and increasing our national debt.
Michael Mount
Foothills
Say no to public land sell-offs
Like many families in Southern Arizona, I’ve spent a lifetime making memories outdoors, especially on Mount Lemmon. From picnics with my students to stargazing with my grandchildren, it has always been a place of learning, laughter, and love.
That’s why it’s alarming that Congress and the White House are considering selling over 14 million acres of Arizona public lands, including Mount Lemmon and Sabino Canyon to pay for tax cuts mostly benefiting the wealthy. This is more than bad policy; it betrays generations of Arizonans who rely on these lands for connection, recreation, and relief from the heat.
Public lands belong to all of us, not just a privileged few. My family has lived here four generations. My father, a WWII veteran, loved this land. Once these lands are sold, they’re gone forever.
I urge Representative Ciscomani and our delegation to vote no on threats to public lands. Protect these places for future generations.
Irene Badilla
Southwest side
We forget 9-11
Of course, the actions taken by the United States and Israel over the past few days and weeks regarding Iran are concerning. I hear condemnation and praise from all sides of the political spectrum.
Armchair quarterbacks abound with opinions without knowing the intimate details of what our defense and intelligence community knows. I am sure Israel would have liked to know the October 7th attack was coming.
This attack was as barbaric as 9-11.
Has America forgotten this horrific day? The President and the intelligence services acted in what they believed was in the best interest of the “Western World.â€
Imagine Israel, Europe, or America receiving a nuclear attack. Remember the “sleeper cells†of Saudis learning how to fly airplanes under our nose. Of the tens of millions of foreigners coming under the radar, how many are intending us harm? To have Iran possess a nuclear weapon would put the Western World in jeopardy.
Remember 9-11 and October 7th. A nuclear bomb would kill tens of thousands.
Ed LeGendre
East side
Five answers
Various sources state net immigration was 6-8 million during Biden’s administration. I do not have any problems with deporting criminals while adhering to due process. My community is not being terrorized.
It is appropriate to arrest protesters for illegal acts. It is inappropriate for the military to engage in law enforcement. There is no insurrection. No Posse Comitatus Act.
Does Israel have a right to exist? Palestinian land was taken to create Israel. Why is it acceptable for some nations to have nuclear weapons?
Create transgender sports leagues.
The judicial system requires medically necessary care for prisoners. Gender reassignment may be necessary.
Rational and honest.
James Abels
Midtown
Vigorous, not elderly, describes victim
In a recent article the use of the word “elderly†to describe the 72-year-old victim of an accident gave the connotation that he was weak, frail or ill, suggesting his condition was a contributing factor to the accident. I know the gentleman. He was a fit 72-year-old who walked daily, swam multiple times each week and wrote computer software for an engineering firm. Men of his father’s generation may fit the stereotype of elderly, but many of your 70- to 80-year-old readers are offended by this label. Please continue to list ages as needed, but do not infer a person’s condition through an age-related adjective.
Thank you for your consideration.
Linda Warren
Oro Valley
Really – AI is the future?
It’s accepted wisdom. Artificial Intelligence will turn the world upside down in 2-3 years. Based on what you’ve seen to date, who’d think that? Then there’s the energy part. Nuclear power is the new black dress. “You look marvelous darling.†Who needs water. Burn gas for electricity. Global warming is yesterday’s news. We need that AI. Write me an email nobody reads. Draw a funny picture. Come up with a NYT headline. Give us a break. There are applications where automation boosts performance or reduces cost. That’s been happening for 50 years. Computers are here to stay. Right on brother. Artificial Intelligence is just another step in the process. The risk isn’t that in the near-term AI technology will ruin the world. It’s that producing all that AI will stress the environment. Not to mention the price of basic utilities.
Walter Ramsley
East side
Happy to help
Mr. Johnson, in your recent LTE you asked TADS readers for help. I am happy to oblige. First let me reassure you that immigrants are not “terrorizing our communities.†That would be masked ICE agents who abduct innocent men, women and children who are just trying to make a living. A lot of your fellow Americans and the courts object to their tactics. That is one reason millions peacefully protested last week. We won’t be silenced. We can ask questions. Just so you know, the GOP lost all law-and-order creds when it nominated the felon DJT for President. It did not make distrust less palpable when he pardoned 1600 J6 rioters either. Therefore, many of us are rightly skeptical that a one-off military action will stop the production of nuclear weapons in Iran. Remember the GOP entered us into 20 years of war in the Middle East under false pretenses. Most of us don’t think they really care about women’s sports either.
Sherry Ivester
Midtown
EPA reconsiders asbestos ban
The EPA is reconsidering a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the US. Asbestos is a killer and cancers caused by it are a horrendous way to die. I know, because my husband, a 30-year Marine Corps veteran died in 2011 at 66 from mesothelioma. Exposure happened somewhere in his long military career. It disproportionately affected military personnel, but can be deadly to anyone with exposure. Asbestos is linked to an estimated 40,000 deaths annually in the US. Asbestos production in the US stopped in 2002 but the material is still imported, mostly from Brazil. It has been banned in more than 50 countries around the world. Extensive information can be found at ADAO, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Please contact your legislators and demand they do what they can to reverse this proposed action.
Sherry Massie
East side
Re letter: ‘Help to understand’
Respectfully Mr. Johnson, thank you for identifying yourself as a “simple-minded fascist.†That saves us all a lot of time. There’s a familiar saying about a pot and a kettle that has particular relevance here. Few letter contributors so consistently cast recriminatory aspersions like you. Name-calling? Character assassination? Why, isn’t that you?
The sophistry of sweeping demagogy is the impression it gives of having far-reaching importance. Does anyone actually believe ten million illegal border crossers are “terrorizing†our communities? Or that the recent isolated unrest in LA warranted a full military retaliation? Or that the loss of Palestinian lives by the Israeli response to October 7th is justifiably as disproportionate as it is? Does someone other than the Iranians actually want Iran to have a nuke? Men playing women’s sports? Prison sex-change operations? Just how prevalent do you think these are? Genital mutilation of children? Please! To borrow from Shakespeare: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.â€
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
- Ray Omdahl, Green Valley
In the Green Valley news there was lengthy article on how our Social Security program would soon run out of funds. It didn’t mention the cap.
The cap is set at $176,100 for 2025. Once someone has earned that much they no longer have to contribute to the fund.
Jon Winkelried earned $191,044 in 2 hours as CEO of TPG Inc. in 2023. After that he no longer had to contribute. While that was the top CEO pay in 2023, the average CEO of the S&P 500 made $17.7 million. The poor fellows would have to work 21 hours before they reached the cap. Then they could keep all that hard-earned cash without the SSA deduction.
This doesn’t seem to bother our elected officials. It bothers the hell out of me. Please let our congressmen know if it bothers you.
Ray Omdahl
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Tom Van Devender, North side
Trump’s joining Israel in bombing Iran without Congressional approval raises frightening possibilities. He exaggerates threats to increase his power -- immigrant invasion, protests in Los Angeles, Haitians eating pets, etc. He broke a serviceable treaty with Iran in his first administration and has now lost patience with diplomacy. I remember George Bush starting the Iraq war because Saddam Hussein was a "bad guy" and non-existent WMDs. Now its Iran’s Ayatollah Khameini and nuclear weapons (so far domestic). Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has stayed in power in Israel as a war Prime Minister by killing 55,000 people in Gaza and attacking Syria and Iran. Trump thinks that starting several wars could help reelect him in 2028 to an unconstitutional third term as a wartime President (not a dictator or king) like Franklin Roosevelt in WW2, regardless of the damage to the U.S. and loss of American lives.
Tom Van Devender
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- John Prugh, Foothills
Blowing up churches, schools and hospitals; depriving people of food and killing children by exposing them to the cold; herding people into "safe zones" and then bombing them; assassinating scientists in a foreign country - these are acts of terrorism. And who supports such activities? The United States does. Our President may call Iran the biggest supporter of terrorism in the Middle East, but he would be wrong.
John Prugh
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jean Meconi, Oro Valley
First, Marc Rubio took on the unprecedented dual role as Secretary of State and head of the National Security Council (NSC). Then the NSC was stripped of policy experts who used data to inform diplomatic and security decisions. In March, Intelligence Director Gabbard testified to Congress that, “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.†Despite previously working on an Iranian/Israeli peace deal, President Trump authorized US strikes in Iran. Gabbard later revised her statement, but sources within the intelligence community confirm that there was no new information. Most recently, JD Vance claimed that, “it was our intelligence that motivated us to act.â€
This leaves US citizens with a heightened terrorism threat in the hands of a newly appointed 22-year-old with no threat prevention experience as the head of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. This is a disaster in the making.
Jean Meconi
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Warren Popa, Southwest side
An article in the 06/22/2025 edition of the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV told of Teresa Alvarez being deported in April of this year. She lived in the U.S. for 48 years, since she was 16 years old. According to the article she worked 40 years as a nursing assistant, adding to our economy and making our country a better place. She is one of the "criminals" that has been deported. Where is the justice, the compassion, that in the past was the United States of America? This kind of treatment of a person like this is sinful. I agree that if an individual is truly a criminal, and not a U.S citizen, that person does not belong here. But a person like Teresa Alvarez, working and adding to our quality of life, whether here legally or not, should be praised and rewarded with citizenship rather than being rounded up and banished from the only life she knows.
Warren Popa
Southwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Loran Hancock, Northwest side
For years, under the administration of Biden and Obama, we have seen a lot of talk from the leaders of Iran and various terrorists, wishing for the destruction of Israel and the US. Saturday night, President Trump made an international statement regarding what the US will accept regarding the Iran support of terrorism and the threats of destruction of others.
The question is simple, why can't everyone in the world live in peace? The loss of peace is the result of leaders and activists pushing murder and death of others. So, where do the terrorists get the money to continue the terrorists' activity? Do you think there is still money left over from the $1.7 billion that Obama delivered to Iran? We rely on the government to protect the citizens from criminals and illegals, so why do liberals want to give freedoms to criminals and illegals. Each citizen has a right to feel safe, not only at home but in the real world, but alas.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jerry Lujan, Oro Valley
Donald Trump unilaterally started a war with Iran. He didn't even consult with the Congress. He was persuaded by Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu. If this war will involve American ground troops, it would only be fair that DOD Secretary Hegsbeth commission Donald's two oldest boys, Donald Jr and Eric, as First Lieutenants, and that they be involved in the ground fighting. This might redeem their father's name for the medial deferment he received during the Vietnam conflict.
Jerry Lujan
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- William Winkelman, Southeast side
Section 8 of Article II specifies that the President is to be designated Commander in Chief when called upon by Congress. When not called upon by Congress, he lacks the authority to engage the United States in a war. That is the job of Congress.
Mr. Trump has authorized a military attack on Iran, an act of war, without any Congressional declaration of war. Iran has not engaged in any overt attacks on the United States like Japan did at Pearl Harbor. If is far-fetched to say that Iran is at war against the United States. Mr. Trump has therefore initiated a war without the necessary and sufficient provocation required, or with the say-so of the branch of government that the Constitution designates for that task.
If this is not an impeachable offense, then nothing is. Mr. Trump is not a king. This nation was conceived as a democratic republic, not a monarchy, where kings could start wars at their whim.
William Winkelman
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Margarita Bernal, West side
ICE agents in masks have become disturbingly routine. All over the country, LA, Phoenix, NYC, Chicago, Tucson, ICE agents have been wearing masks: ski masks, surgical masks, balaclavas and sunglasses on sworn officers of the US government. There is no uniformity and it undermines sound policing practices. Masked agents can confuse both bystanders and ICE targets, which then will result in unnecessary violence by people interfering with enforcement actions.
The rationale: officers are identified, placing them and their families at risk. But not only criminals are being targeted and now impersonating agents, are kidnapping innocent people, assaulting and robbing them at gun point.
Law enforcement jobs with the assumption of risk: the overwhelming majority of police officers, sheriff's deputies, FBI, corrections officers who deal with prisoners do not wear masks, nor do judges and prosecutors who administer our laws. Because these are public employees have such power, their roles require full transparency. The public's need for accountability strongly outweighs any reasoning for their use of masks.
Margarita Bernal
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Charles Hammond, Northwest side
I am just amazed that members of Congress have let another sitting president take a war action against a country that has not directly attacked the United States. With Bush, it was weeks of Weapons of Mass Destruction talk, which were never found. Now with the lie of consideration on his lips, we hear the attack on Iran was in planning for months. At least Bush had Congressional agreement for his attack. Where is the balance of power that a small, angry, easily persuaded, weak man is to take an aggressive action without a clear and present danger? Even his own security advisor said he was wrong and was summarily silenced. It is time that this person be removed. Do your job Congress and get this ludicrous and absurd excuse for president gone.
Charles Hammond
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Keith Shelman, North side
The tax cuts in the current budget bill are paid for by taking Medicaid health insurance away from 11 million people (according to the Congressional Budget Office) and by borrowing money.
Throwing people off health insurance, borrowing trillions, adding to the national debt and loading our children with a larger national debt burden to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy is immoral.
This current legislation steals money from the next generation by adding trillions ($2.4 trillion according to the CBO over 10 years) to the national debt in addition to taking health care away from millions of people.
Although my taxes would be lower with this legislation, I don’t want lower taxes at the expense of our children and people on Medicaid -- it is blood money paid for by other people’s healthcare and a larger national debt. This bill is not conservative, is not moral and is not right. We are better than this and we can do better.
Keith Shelman
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Stanley Steik, Midtown
It's an old story. Perhaps it's Donald Trump's latest desperate distraction from sinking poll numbers and millions protesting his authoritarianism and use of the of the military against citizens. Or maybe it's because of his absurd trade wars and his obscene budget proposal. So let's bomb Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu has been lying regularly since 1992 about Iran's imminent nuclear threat. It's taken over 30 years for him to find a weak and ignorant President to intervene on his behalf. He found his tool in Donald Trump, who was so obviously and easily manipulated into action. Iraq 2.0? After the U.S. attacks, the head of the IAEA said, in his last report "he indicated very clearly that we (IAEA) did not have elements to prove Iran had planned or systematic efforts towards a nuclear weapon." And remember, brilliant Trump backed out of the Iran nuclear deal. So now, what's the plan? Typically with Trump, there isn't one. All in on another war?
Stanley Steik
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Dan Rusciolelli, East side
In 2022, there were an estimated 8.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. workforce. Biden and Mayorkas, who purposely ignored our immigration laws, allowed some 15 to 20 million illegals in during 4 years. That leaves 10 to 12 million illegals living off the taxpayer. If this is untrue, why were cities crying for more federal money to handle the burden? Another liberal complaint is that Trump spends all his time golfing. But not a peep from liberals during the 40 percent of his presidency that Biden spent on vacation - attempting to hide his mental decline. And liberal complaints about Trump not ending the Ukraine war on day one. But at least he is pushing for talks and communication. How often did Biden speak with Putin? Never. Just kept shoveling money to Ukraine with no accountability, and letting the war drag on. Seems TDS is alive and well.
Dan Rusciolelli
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Howard Strause, Foothills
First, let me say I am totally against the bombing of Iran. Diplomacy, if allowed to work could have accomplished more. But this is not a LTE about that, it is about how our Constitution is perhaps, fatally flawed in this fast-moving world.
Our Constitution says, in Article 1, only Congress can declare war, but that has not been the practice for decades, Congress never declared war against Vietnam, under both Republican and Democrat presidents. No war was declared in Bosnian Serbia when we bombed it under Clinton. We did not declare war under Obama when we sent our troops to Pakistan to find and kill Bin Laden. We did not declare war against Iraq when we invaded it under Bush, on the basis of a lie.
And now we have not declared war against Iran, and probably never will, after we invaded that country with our planes and bombs.
Howard Strause
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- John Riley, Oro Valley
I thought President Obama entered us into the Iran Accords years ago for the purpose of determining Iran's progress in developing "the bomb." Later President Trump, during his first term, pulled the U.S. out of the Iran Accords without any explanation I can recall, except to Make America Great Again (a meaningless, absurd catchall phrase if there ever was one). It appears to me now that the recent bombings directed by President Trump could well have been avoided had he kept us a member of the Accords in the first place. We have just thrown the ball into Iran's court and who knows what retaliation we will suffer due to Trump's earlier irresponsibility. But as always, I am sure his thoughts and prayers are with us.
John Riley
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Philip Reinecker, East side
Let me understand, Iran does not have nuclear weapons but we believe they may soon have them. We, of course, have many nuclear weapons and that is fine, just no one else. Somehow, we believe that we may decide who has what and when they may have them. So now the self-described peacemaker (AKA Trump) made war on Los Angelas and Iran in a one-week period. What's next, Canada or Paris? This man wants and needs war to satisfy his ultra ego. He will not be satisfied until we are in a larger conflict and he can have his weekly fireside chats to explain his Big Beautiful Fight. Can no one, with the interests of our country in mind, stop this never-ending train wreck?
Philip Reinecker
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
CD 7 primary voters check your sources
As I sort through information deciding how to vote, I check the sources. Saturday I received an attack flyer in the mail on a CD7 primary candidate. In its disclaimer it says “Paid for by Tucson Families Fed Up Pac (520) 305-9912 and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee†with a return address of 1830 E Broadway, Ste 124, Box 130, Tucson AZ 85719-5967.
I learned FEC registration was June 12, 2025, the treasurer is Jennifer May, and the address is PO Box 15320, Washington DC 20003. Jennifer May is the founder of Next Level Partners, LLC, described by Linkedin as “focused on compliance and accounting for political organizations including candidate committees, leadership PACs, issue PACs, joint committees, and 501c(3)/c(4) organizations.†The return address on the flyer is a Tucson UPS store.
What I don’t know is who is funding the PAC. Don’t trust a source that does not disclose its funding to the public! Dark money must be outlawed.
Kay Davis
Southwest side
War
Let me understand, Iran does not have nuclear weapons but we believe they may soon have them. We, of course, have many nuclear weapons and that is fine, just no one else. Somehow, we believe that we may decide who has what and when they may have them. So now the self-described peacemaker (AKA Trump) made war on Los Angeles and Iran in a one-week period. What’s next, Canada or Paris? This man wants and needs war to satisfy his ultra ego. He will not be satisfied until we are in a larger conflict and he can have his weekly fireside chats to explain his Big Beautiful Fight. Can no one, with the interests of our country in mind, stop this never-ending train wreck?
Philip Reinecker
East side
Bombing Iran
For years, under the administration of Biden and Obama, we have seen a lot of talk from the leaders of Iran and various terrorists, wishing for the destruction of Israel and the US. Saturday night, President Trump made an international statement regarding what the US will accept regarding the Iran support of terrorism and the threats of destruction of others.
The question is simple, why can’t everyone in the world live in peace? The loss of peace is the result of leaders and activists pushing murder and death of others. So, where do the terrorists get the money to continue the terrorists’ activity? Do you think there is still money left over from the $1.7 billion that Obama delivered to Iran? We rely on the government to protect the citizens from criminals and illegals, so why do liberals want to give freedoms to criminals and illegals. Each citizen has a right to feel safe, not only at home but in the real world, but alas.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
TEP fiddles while Tucson burns
Tim Steller’s column combined with Bruce Plenk’s Guest Opinion (Sunday, June 22) should give readers a much better view of the bigger picture of higher and higher electricity rates, the picture that shows Tucson being painted into a corner.
TEP has never been and never will be this so called “partner†that has Tucson’s back in facing the devastating effects of rising temperatures and diminishing water resources. TEP’s communications team is second to none in spinning straw into gold, making their steady stream of blah blah shine like the sun they’re so averse to using for our electricity needs.
Their parent company Fortis’ CEO David Hutchens (UA graduate by the way — we’re turning out leaders who turn against us) earned over $15,700,000 in 2024 from salary and bonuses.
Let them eat cake comes to mind — or whatever you want to substitute for cake that’s brown and indigestible.
Rick Rappaport
Oro Valley
30% rate increase in 4 years?
I think one of the inherent problems in having a literally foreign owner of a local business, in this case, Canadian Fortis owning local TEP, is how easy it is to miscalculate what the local business’s customers are willing to put up with. If TEP’s current 14% rate hike were to be approved, that would make a total of a 30% rate increase in four years. That would absolutely lead me to vote against renewing/extending TEP’s current franchise and lead me to support either a City TEP buyout or condemnation. I hardly think I would be alone in that reaction to what Fortis/TEP is doing here.
Michael Price
Midtown
Criminal deported?
An article in the 06/22/2025 edition of the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV told of Teresa Alvarez being deported in April of this year. She lived in the U.S. for 48 years, since she was 16 years old. According to the article she worked 40 years as a nursing assistant, adding to our economy and making our country a better place. She is one of the “criminals†that has been deported. Where is the justice, the compassion, that in the past was the United States of America? This kind of treatment of a person like this is sinful. I agree that if an individual is truly a criminal, and not a U.S citizen, that person does not belong here. But a person like Teresa Alvarez, working and adding to our quality of life, whether here legally or not, should be praised and rewarded with citizenship rather than being rounded up and banished from the only life she knows.
Warren Popa
Southwest side
Our Constitution
First, let me say I am totally against the bombing of Iran. Diplomacy, if allowed to work could have accomplished more. But this is not a LTE about that, it is about how our Constitution is perhaps, fatally flawed in this fast-moving world.
Our Constitution says, in Article 1, only Congress can declare war, but that has not been the practice for decades, Congress never declared war against Vietnam, under both Republican and Democrat presidents. No war was declared in Bosnia/Serbia when we bombed it under Clinton. We did not declare war under Obama when we sent our troops to Pakistan to find and kill Bin Laden. We did not declare war against Iraq when we invaded it under Bush, on the basis of a lie.
And now we have not declared war against Iran, and probably never will, after we invaded that country with our planes and bombs.
Howard Strause
Foothills
Disaster timeline
First, Marco Rubio took on the unprecedented dual role as Secretary of State and head of the National Security Council (NSC). Then the NSC was stripped of policy experts who used data to inform diplomatic and security decisions. In March, Intelligence Director Gabbard testified to Congress that, “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.†Despite previously working on an Iranian/Israeli peace deal, President Trump authorized US strikes in Iran. Gabbard later revised her statement, but sources within the intelligence community confirm that there was no new information. Most recently, JD Vance claimed that, “it was our intelligence that motivated us to act.â€
This leaves US citizens with a heightened terrorism threat in the hands of a newly appointed 22-year-old with no threat prevention experience as the head of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. This is a disaster in the making.
Jean Meconi
Oro Valley
The cost of illegals
In 2022, there were an estimated 8.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. workforce. Biden and Mayorkas, who purposely ignored our immigration laws, allowed some 15 to 20 million illegals in during 4 years. That leaves 10 to 12 million illegals living off the taxpayer. If this is untrue, why were cities crying for more federal money to handle the burden? Another liberal complaint is that Trump spends all his time golfing. But not a peep from liberals during the 40 percent of his presidency that Biden spent on vacation — attempting to hide his mental decline. And liberal complaints about Trump not ending the Ukraine war on day one. But at least he is pushing for talks and communication. How often did Biden speak with Putin? Never. Just kept shoveling money to Ukraine with no accountability, and letting the war drag on. Seems TDS is alive and well.
Dan Rusciolelli
East side
Iran bombing
I thought President Obama entered us into the Iran Accords years ago for the purpose of determining Iran’s progress in developing “the bomb.†Later President Trump, during his first term, pulled the U.S. out of the Iran Accords without any explanation I can recall, except to Make America Great Again (a meaningless, absurd catchall phrase if there ever was one). It appears to me now that the recent bombings directed by President Trump could well have been avoided had he kept us a member of the Accords in the first place. We have just thrown the ball into Iran’s court and who knows what retaliation we will suffer due to Trump’s earlier irresponsibility. But as always, I am sure his thoughts and prayers are with us.
John Riley
Oro Valley
Let’s join in
It’s an old story. Perhaps it’s Donald Trump’s latest desperate distraction from sinking poll numbers and millions protesting his authoritarianism and use of the military against citizens. Or maybe it’s because of his absurd trade wars and his obscene budget proposal. So let’s bomb Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu has been lying regularly since 1992 about Iran’s imminent nuclear threat. It’s taken over 30 years for him to find a weak and ignorant president to intervene on his behalf. He found his tool in Donald Trump, who was so obviously and easily manipulated into action. Iraq 2.0? After the U.S. attacks, the head of the IAEA said, in his last report “he indicated very clearly that we (IAEA) did not have elements to prove Iran had planned or systematic efforts towards a nuclear weapon.†And remember, brilliant Trump backed out of the Iran nuclear deal. So now, what’s the plan? Typically with Trump, there isn’t one. All in on another war?
Stanley Steik
Midtown
Budget bill
The tax cuts in the current budget bill are paid for by taking Medicaid health insurance away from 11 million people (according to the Congressional Budget Office) and by borrowing money.
Throwing people off health insurance, borrowing trillions, adding to the national debt and loading our children with a larger national debt burden to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy is immoral.
This current legislation steals money from the next generation by adding trillions ($2.4 trillion according to the CBO over 10 years) to the national debt in addition to taking healthcare away from millions of people.
Although my taxes would be lower with this legislation, I don’t want lower taxes at the expense of our children and people on Medicaid — it is blood money paid for by other people’s healthcare and a larger national debt. This bill is not conservative, is not moral and is not right. We are better than this and we can do better.
Keith Shelman
North side
Who supports terrorism
Blowing up churches, schools and hospitals; depriving people of food and killing children by exposing them to the cold; herding people into “safe zones†and then bombing them; assassinating scientists in a foreign country — these are acts of terrorism. And who supports such activities? The United States does. Our President may call Iran the biggest supporter of terrorism in the Middle East, but he would be wrong.
John Prugh
Foothills
Path to 2028
Trump’s joining Israel in bombing Iran without Congressional approval raises frightening possibilities. He exaggerates threats to increase his power — immigrant invasion, protests in Los Angeles, Haitians eating pets, etc. He broke a serviceable treaty with Iran in his first administration and has now lost patience with diplomacy. I remember George Bush starting the Iraq war because Saddam Hussein was a “bad guy†and non-existent WMDs. Now its Iran’s Ayatollah Khameini and nuclear weapons (so far domestic). Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has stayed in power in Israel as a war Prime Minister by killing 55,000 people in Gaza and attacking Syria and Iran. Trump thinks that starting several wars could help reelect him in 2028 to an unconstitutional third term as a wartime President (not a dictator or king) like Franklin Roosevelt in WW2, regardless of the damage to the U.S. and loss of American lives.
Tom Van Devender
North side
Real government actions
I am just amazed that members of Congress have let another sitting president take a war action against a country that has not directly attacked the United States. With Bush, it was weeks of weapons of mass destruction talk, which were never found. Now with the lie of consideration on his lips, we hear the attack on Iran was in planning for months. At least Bush had Congressional agreement for his attack. Where is the balance of power that a small, angry, easily persuaded, weak man is to take an aggressive action without a clear and present danger? Even his own security advisor said he was wrong and was summarily silenced. It is time that this person be removed. Do your job Congress and get this ludicrous and absurd excuse for president gone.
Charles Hammond
Northwest side
Social Security
In the Green Valley News there was lengthy article on how our Social Security program would soon run out of funds. It didn’t mention the cap.
The cap is set at $176,100 for 2025. Once someone has earned that much they no longer have to contribute to the fund.
Jon Winkelried earned $191,044 in two hours as CEO of TPG Inc. in 2023. After that he no longer had to contribute. While that was the top CEO pay in 2023, the average CEO of the S&P 500 made $17.7 million. The poor fellows would have to work 21 hours before they reached the cap. Then they could keep all that hard-earned cash without the SSA deduction.
This doesn’t seem to bother our elected officials. It bothers the hell out of me. Please let our congressmen know if it bothers you.
Ray Omdahl
Green Valley
Masks undermine our democracy
ICE agents in masks have become disturbingly routine. All over the country, LA, Phoenix, NYC, Chicago, Tucson, ICE agents have been wearing masks: ski masks, surgical masks, balaclavas and sunglasses on sworn officers of the US government. There is no uniformity and it undermines sound policing practices. Masked agents can confuse both bystanders and ICE targets, which then will result in unnecessary violence by people interfering with enforcement actions.
The rationale: officers are identified, placing them and their families at risk. But not only criminals are being targeted and now impersonating agents, are kidnapping innocent people, assaulting and robbing them at gunpoint.
Law enforcement jobs with the assumption of risk: the overwhelming majority of police officers, sheriff’s deputies, FBI, corrections officers who deal with prisoners do not wear masks, nor do judges and prosecutors who administer our laws. Because these are public employees have such power, their roles require full transparency. The public’s need for accountability strongly outweighs any reasoning for their use of masks.
Margarita Bernal
West side
Democrats and ballpark billionaire
Half of the Democrats in the AZ House of Representatives voted to give $500 million to a ballpark owner worth $1.2 billion. Is it any wonder why the Dems have problems? Our border district LD21 is mostly working class and fixed income, yet Consuelo Hernandez is voting to give tax money to a billionaire owner. And Alma Hernandez repping Pima county also thinks that $500 million is better spent on a ballpark. With all the problems in S. AZ that legislators have to deal with, what are they messing around with this kind of giveaway? And those Dems in LD 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 17, 22, 24, 26 what’s the matter with these people that they can’t see through PR BS? New leadership is badly needed for Democrats.
Fred Miller
Bisbee
War with Iran
Donald Trump unilaterally started a war with Iran. He didn’t even consult with Congress. He was persuaded by Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu. If this war will involve American ground troops, it would only be fair that DOD Secretary Hegseth commission Donald’s two oldest boys, Donald Jr and Eric, as First Lieutenants, and that they be involved in the ground fighting. This might redeem their father’s name for the medial deferment he received during the Vietnam conflict.
Jerry Lujan
Oro Valley
The constitutional limit on the president
Section 8 of Article II specifies that the President is to be designated Commander in Chief when called upon by Congress. When not called upon by Congress, he lacks the authority to engage the United States in a war. That is the job of Congress.
Mr. Trump has authorized a military attack on Iran, an act of war, without any Congressional declaration of war. Iran has not engaged in any overt attacks on the United States like Japan did at Pearl Harbor. If is far-fetched to say that Iran is at war against the United States. Mr. Trump has therefore initiated a war without the necessary and sufficient provocation required, or with the say-so of the branch of government that the Constitution designates for that task.
If this is not an impeachable offense, then nothing is. Mr. Trump is not a king. This nation was conceived as a democratic republic, not a monarchy, where kings could start wars at their whim.
William Winkelman
Southeast side
- Spencer Elliott, Oro Valley
Americans' understanding of finance and society is woefully lacking. A pervasive unwillingness to recognize the lifeblood of our society abounds. We balk at the idea of paying taxes. Claims flourish that taxes are theft, not an expression of shared responsibility. Money grows on bountiful credit cards.
Our politicians have mollified our ignorance. They cut our civic contributions (taxes) to make everyone feel good. No more sending money directly to governing bodies. Yet the foundation (and schools, roads, police, fire, etc.) cracks without our collective contributions. Solution – tariffs. In our interdependent global economy, everyone buying anything pays the tariff. The top governing body collects all the tariff money. We ignorantly enjoy our tax breaks, and governing bodies have money to do the things we take for granted. We all stealthily, obliviously share the cost. We whine about increased prices, we pay, and we get the benefits of civilization without the annoying taxes for society’s upkeep. Magic!
Spencer Elliott
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Loyal M. Johnson Jr., Oro Valley
Obviously, the plea to Democrats to help simple-minded fascists understand your actions is rhetorical. You Democrats have failed to respond to our simple questions. As usual, you counter with name-calling and character assassination but no reply. Simply justify the following with reason. Why is allowing 10 million plus unvetted, illegal aliens to enter the country and not removing known illegal criminal border crossers who are terrorizing our communities acceptable? Why is it bad to prevent demonstrators from attacking law enforcement, burning property, and looting? Why does Israel have no right to defend itself from annihilation? Why should Iran be allowed to have a nuclear bomb? Why should biological men compete unfairly in competitive women’s sports? Why should genital mutilation of children and teenagers be allowed? Why should we, the taxpayers, pay for sex-change operations for incarcerated prisoners? By failing to address rationally and honestly the above questions, you demonstrate that your entire mindset is left-wing political dogma that cares little for American citizens.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- George Timson, Midtown
"Do you support the idea of the government paying for the medical care of illegal immigrants?" Seems like most Americans answer "no" to that question. But let's ask the question this way: "Do you support the idea of the government paying for adequate hospital services for the general population?" Maybe now the answer is "yes".
Remember that when we "give" people money (poor people, people from far away) to pay for their health care in this country, we aren't handing them a fistful of cash. They never personally see a dime. The cash goes directly to hospitals and providers, which in almost all our communities are dangerously underfunded and can use the money.
And these are the same care facilities that you will have to go to one of these days, my friend.
George Timson
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Clyde R. Steele, Oro Valley
Who makes the distinction between a good atomic bomb and a bad bomb? If one is not informed, one would think that only Iran is a threat of making an atomic bomb.
Also, who makes the distinction between what country is allowed to have it or what religion? Argentina between 1963 and 1966, sold about 90 tons of yellowcake that were allegedly shipped to Israel from Argentina in secret. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Golda Meir authorized a nuclear alert and ordered 13 atomic bombs to be ready. Israel also is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. If a Muslim bomb is bad, why isn’t Pakistan, a Muslim country with the bomb (1998) threatened? Why is Iran called out for perhaps having the ability to make a bomb but with Israel, no questions are ever asked?
Clyde R. Steele
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jim Rapp, Southeast side
I find it curious that a story about Iran’s bombing an Israeli hospital is featured on the front page of the AZD, right under the masthead, when stories about Israel’s bombing hospitals in Gaza — a not unusual occurrence — are printed with little fanfare in the daily story that features how many Palestinian civilians Israel killed yesterday.
Jim Rapp
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Roger Shanley, East side
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, tries to explain the erratic shenanigans of President Donald Trump. From the yo-yo nature of Trump’s tariffs to the conflicting messages promising wealthy supporters he would postpone work and farm ICE activities to allow more wealth acquisition, Leavitt “spins†these fiascoes to make them sound planned and sensible. Recently, President Trump has returned to his pattern of TWT, or “Two Week Trump,†as he proclaimed he will wait two weeks to make a decision about America’s role in the Israel/Iran conflict. Trump established his TWT pattern while dealing with Vladimir Putin’s trust factor, as well as dealing with ISIS, health care policies, opening of coal mines, all put on the two-week solution pattern. I suggest Karoline Leavitt have a slick sign created with TWT embossed on it as a more efficient response to questions about Trump’s absence of taking responsibility for the chaos he has created in national and international issues.
Roger Shanley
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Mike Dai, Midtown
How about people who are U.S. citizens start to congregate with immigrants at a Home Depot or another likely spot where these poor people gather to try and earn a living? This will cause ICE to delay some arrests if they are arresting anyone in that crowd. It might even give them pause if enough Americans are rounded up illegally.
Mike Dai
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
Adelita Grijalva is ready to represent
I’m a volunteer in Adelita Grijalva’s campaign to win the current primary election to be our next representative in Congress for District 7. She’s the most qualified candidate to serve the needs of the people of Southern Arizona.
As the past chair of the TUSD governing board and the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Adelita has the experience to work effectively to undo the disastrous Trump agenda. She is not beholden to corporate PAC donations. Thus, she will work to lower prices on groceries and housing, to restore cuts to Medicare and Medicaid — and to protect our water and environment.
Many of us have the highest regard for former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Sen. Mark Kelly. They each know what it takes to be an effective member of Congress. They are endorsing Adelita Grijalva in this election because she “has it.â€
Vote for Adelita Grijalva by mail now or in person July 15.
Frank Sotomayor
West side
TEP and Tucson’s well-being
Daniel Dempsey’s opinion piece on TEP is right on! TEP’s ridiculous 14% increase is par for the course for a foreign-owned utility whose primary goal is to increase profits for its investors. TEP bills itself as a hometown partner by donating to various local causes and plastering their name on anything and everything. They think that by providing free nightlights and led bulbs that Tucsonans will be OK with endless ridiculous increases and accept placement of above-ground transmission lines in our most sensitive areas. In the end, all they care about is their bottom line. It’s time to seriously start planning for a public-owned utility in order to control our future growth and mitigate these crazy increases in the name of profits. We cannot and should not depend on the ACC to look out for our interests. They have proven time and again that they are shills for the utilities with a rubber stamp at the ready for any increase, no matter how outrageous.
Alexis Raptis
West side
Data center
In a state suffering drought much of the time and attempts to conserve water are endless, why on earth would a big data center be a good idea? I do not think the case has been made. We should never believe anyone who tells us water rates will not increase. The same for electricity. The data centers use lots of both, and we don’t have excesses of either. The details of usage, replenishing, and cost to residential consumers are not forthcoming. Just after approval of the land sale by supervisors, TEP announces another rate increase. They say it’s not related to the data center proposal, but who believes that? It’s not hard to find states where data centers have moved in and electricity rates increase 15-50%. This is a very bad idea for Tucson; we will all pay dearly for.
Denise Walker
Midtown
Citizens stand with immigrants
How about people who are U.S. citizens start to congregate with immigrants at a Home Depot or another likely spot where these poor people gather to try and earn a living? This will cause ICE to delay some arrests if they are arresting anyone in that crowd. It might even give them pause if enough Americans are rounded up illegally.
Mike Dai
Midtown
Health care for ‘those people’
“Do you support the idea of the government paying for the medical care of illegal immigrants?†Seems like most Americans answer “no†to that question. But let’s ask the question this way: “Do you support the idea of the government paying for adequate hospital services for the general population?†Maybe now the answer is “yes.â€
Remember that when we “give†people money (poor people, people from far away) to pay for their health care in this country, we aren’t handing them a fistful of cash. They never personally see a dime. The cash goes directly to hospitals and providers, which in almost all our communities are dangerously underfunded and can use the money.
And these are the same care facilities that you will have to go to one of these days, my friend.
George Timson
Midtown
Good bomb vs. bad bomb
Who makes the distinction between a good atomic bomb and a bad bomb? If one is not informed, one would think that only Iran is a threat of making an atomic bomb.
Also, who makes the distinction between what country is allowed to have it, or what religion? Argentina, between 1963 and 1966, sold about 90 tons of yellowcake that were allegedly shipped to Israel from Argentina in secret. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Golda Meir authorized a nuclear alert and ordered 13 atomic bombs to be ready. Israel also is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. If a Muslim bomb is bad, why isn’t Pakistan, a Muslim country with the bomb (1998) threatened? Why is Iran called out for perhaps having the ability to make a bomb, but with Israel, no questions are ever asked?
Clyde R. Steele
Oro Valley
Education, taxes, tariffs
Americans’ understanding of finance and society is woefully lacking. A pervasive unwillingness to recognize the lifeblood of our society abounds. We balk at the idea of paying taxes. Claims flourish that taxes are theft, not an expression of shared responsibility. Money grows on bountiful credit cards.
Our politicians have mollified our ignorance. They cut our civic contributions (taxes) to make everyone feel good. No more sending money directly to governing bodies. Yet the foundation (and schools, roads, police, fire, etc.) cracks without our collective contributions. Solution – tariffs. In our interdependent global economy, everyone buying anything pays the tariff. The top governing body collects all the tariff money. We ignorantly enjoy our tax breaks, and governing bodies have money to do the things we take for granted. We all stealthily, obliviously share the cost. We whine about increased prices, we pay, and we get the benefits of civilization without the annoying taxes for society’s upkeep. Magic!
Spencer Elliott
Oro Valley
RE: Local public lands could be sold
After a professional life spent in promoting a high-end restaurant group and hotel lodgings, I am shocked to learn that the Senate is actually considering selling away all rights to God-given natural features of our land, including Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, and Madera Canyon. These areas are both tourist attractions and provide recreational opportunities for local residents and families.
These state and federal lands are used as prime promotion attractions by all types of tourism businesses. Call our senators today and insist they vote against this irreversible tragedy that is buried in a humongous, ugly bill.
Bob Moreillon
East side
TWT
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, tries to explain the erratic shenanigans of President Donald Trump. From the yo-yo nature of Trump’s tariffs to the conflicting messages promising wealthy supporters he would postpone work and farm ICE activities to allow more wealth acquisition, Leavitt “spins†these fiascoes to make them sound planned and sensible. Recently, President Trump has returned to his pattern of TWT, or “Two Week Trump,†as he proclaimed he will wait two weeks to make a decision about America’s role in the Israel/Iran conflict. Trump established his TWT pattern while dealing with Vladimir Putin’s trust factor, as well as dealing with ISIS, health care policies, opening of coal mines, all put on the two-week solution pattern. I suggest Leavitt have a slick sign created with TWT embossed on it as a more efficient response to questions about Trump’s absence of taking responsibility for the chaos he has created in national and international issues.
Roger Shanley
East side
Good for the goose; good for the gander?
I find it curious that a story about Iran’s bombing an Israeli hospital is featured on the front page of the Star, right under the masthead, when stories about Israel’s bombing hospitals in Gaza — a not unusual occurrence — are printed with little fanfare in the daily story that features how many Palestinian civilians Israel killed yesterday.
Jim Rapp
Southeast side
Help to understand
Obviously, the plea to Democrats to help simple-minded fascists understand your actions is rhetorical. You Democrats have failed to respond to our simple questions. As usual, you counter with name-calling and character assassination, but no reply. Simply justify the following with reason. Why is allowing 10 million-plus unvetted, illegal aliens to enter the country and not removing known illegal criminal border crossers who are terrorizing our communities acceptable? Why is it bad to prevent demonstrators from attacking law enforcement, burning property, and looting? Why does Israel have no right to defend itself from annihilation? Why should Iran be allowed to have a nuclear bomb? Why should biological men compete unfairly in competitive women’s sports? Why should genital mutilation of children and teenagers be allowed? Why should we, the taxpayers, pay for sex-change operations for incarcerated prisoners? By failing to address rationally and honestly the above questions, you demonstrate that your entire mindset is left-wing political dogma that cares little for American citizens.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
16.5 megawatt array at DM gone
I will admit I might have missed the announcement. With the current discussion of the TEP rate increase and the City of Tucson franchise, I’d really like to know what genius thought it would be a good idea to order the 16.5-megawatt solar farm at DM along Golf Links Road to be dismantled.
Ted Frohling
Northeast side
Project Blue is a very bad idea
Our water use already exceeds the amount of rain and CAP water. To bring in a company that requires huge amounts of water will hasten the inevitable water shortage we face.
Project Blue can’t honestly say it will “replenish 100 percent of consumptive water losses in partnership with Tucson Water.†That defies the laws of physics. Water “consumed†has to be replaced by water from CAP and our aquifer.
The proposed open-air “recreational†catchment will be subject to a massive rate of evaporation in the extreme heat and low humidity of our desert.
This contract must be walked back. It’s a disaster. And when our water is gone, the out-of-state investor/owners will have the company declare bankruptcy, leaving us holding an empty aquifer and unemployed workers.
Plus, TEP will have to build infrastructure to accommodate the Center. Those costs will definitely be passed on to all Pima County residents.
Lee Stanfield
East side
- James Abels, Midtown
The 6/18/25, page 1 article about telehealth prescribing abortion pills for residents of states with restrictive abortion laws gave me an ironic laugh.
“…shield laws violate a constitutional requirement that states respect the laws and legal judgments of other states.†The implication is that shield laws of other states do not have the same “…constitutional requirement that states respect the†shield “laws and judgments of other states.â€
Ironic, ain’t it?
James Abels
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Kenneth Haber, Northwest side
The Supremes continued the lunacy -- and made it worse. Slightly more than 20 states discriminate against trans persons and deny them care and treatment prescribed by medical professionals. The Supremes decreed that that discrimination is okay. But the remaining states have not enacted similar discriminatory legislation. So trans persons, and their parents, must "shop" for a state that is accepting of their medical condition. In order to obtain treatment for a medical condition their medical provider decided requires treatment. Something about uniformity of laws between the states escapes me.
Kenneth Haber
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- David E. Leon, Vail
The wannabe dictator #1 sent a Naval Carrier Task Force to the Middle East?? Doesn't he know that only Congress can declare War? Unless the gutless Congress will not stand up to him? Oh yeah, they won't. Israel bombed Iran not us let them fight in the desert. They have been fighting for a few thousand years. I have Jewish cousins. Mexican American Jews. I was named after my father's best friend, who was KIA in New Guinea in 1943. David Newman's family owned a Jewish deli and restaurant in Los Angeles.
I just don't want to see American sailors and infantry killed for nothing like Korea, Vietnam. I'm a wounded Nam vet. And all those other desert wars that we got involved in. I'm sure Israel can handle Iran. Our allies are no longer. After what our #1 Dictator has said to them and siding with Russia, North Korea, and other dictator-led countries.
Let's live in peace.
David E. Leon
Vail
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Ronald Pelech, Midtown
Donald Trump's mass deportation drive is political theater with touches of racism that will eventually be a costly failure by not addressing the root causes. When there is demand for cheap migrant workers, which our economy depends on, people will enter and be welcomed to supply that need. That is capitalism Republicans love so much.
If Los Angeles had many white South African undocumented migrants, ICE would be there handing out green cards like candy. Trump rolled out the red carpet for white South African alleged refugees, while he previously falsely accused Black Haitians of eating people's pets. Racism.
If you appear to be Latino in Trump's regime, masked thugs have probable cause to harass you in violation of the Constitution. Did we vote for such abuse of power? This is Sheriff Joe run amok on a vast scale that will not be tolerated and ultimately will be defeated. Enforcement alone is not the answer.
Ronald Pelech
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Sheldon Metz, Northeast side
America's most incompetent leader faces a decision. Good luck with your children. Knowing deep down (his unsettled decisions and reversals) that he's not qualified for the job, refusing to quit before destroying American democracy and humanity, is boringly and sadistically evil. Smug "Maybe I will, maybe I won't" responses insult all.
Despite his bizarre words, sentences and denials, there is no question that the administration's cutbacks to aid programs have killed about 96,000 adults and 200,000 children worldwide since May 28. As a diversion, he's considering heading to war, in of all places, the Middle East, maybe?
American tastes for war have changed. After tossing a Bitcoin, the "draft dodger" will call heads or tails.
It could be the final straw. My fraternity house held watch parties when the lottery struck. Watching quietly and praying, as we sat in front of the TV for the draw. Hoping we’d be overlooked. I wasn’t.
When the draft is reinstated, that could be Trump’s term-ending decision.
Sheldon Metz
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
The immigration morass
Illegal immigration is, well, illegal. Our laws should be enforced. Where inadequate, Congress should pass new ones as it tried to in 2024 before Trump’s intervention. Refugees/asylum seekers are a different category. They wait for adjudication and do periodic check-ins. Anyone suspected of a crime should be afforded due process and properly penalized if found guilty. If we allow people of any status to be detained or deported without due process, none of us is protected from rogue law enforcement.
In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid almost $100 billion in taxes while often working at some of the toughest jobs for less than minimum wage. Want to stop them? Crack down on employers. Prosecute CEOs and guilty farming, food processing, and construction corporations. Of course, these are the exact industries where Trump said he is not going to enforce the law. Why? Because prices would increase, voters would turn against their GOP Representatives, and he would lose a chunk of his base.
Hollace Lyon
SaddleBrooke
Why no MS-13 arrests?
Why isn’t ICE rolling up the gangs from Mexico, Central, and South America? Trump campaigned on capturing brutal MS-13 immigrants, engaging in major criminal activities, drug trafficking, violent crime and murder.
I have served as a police commissioner. Police departments have organized gang squads and narcotics units with embedded undercover officers conducting complex criminal investigations of these dangerous illegal immigrants. Local cops know names and addresses.
Yet, people in plain clothes with guns, their faces covered, no badges, name tags, or sworn law enforcement IDs, are seizing people on the streets of America. Arrests occur at courthouses, Home Depot stores, schools, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and cabbage patches.
Nearly 65% of those taken into custody are working non-violent migrants with no arrests, easy targets for ICE, low-hanging fruit, ordered arrested by Steven Miller, Trump’s “Minister of Deportation,†for headlines.
So, why isn’t ICE arresting major gang criminals? Hint: It’s dangerous! Trump wants easy, immediate seizure headlines from working, undocumented labor at Home Depot.
Jerry Wilkerson
SaddleBrooke
Water vs. growth
Thanks again to Tony Davis for his informative and alarming report on the reality of our water crisis. I have to wonder if our politicians and decision-makers are paying attention. As Edward Abbey said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cellâ€. You can’t drink data, and you can’t drink copper.
Stanley Steik
Midtown
Suggested medical malpractice reform
David Walker includes a request for medical malpractice tort reform in his faulty Medicaid reform analysis.
Why limit the liability of doctors who hurt patients by providing negligent care? The poor care results in increased medical bills for those they harm and reform would place the burden of the injuries on the victim rather than the negligent provider.
Arizona has already enacted requirements making it so expensive to pursue a claim that only those patients with serious long-term disabilities and future medical expenses can find a competent lawyer who can afford to front the litigation costs and put in the 100s of hours needed to even prepare a case for trial. The doctors and insurers refuse to negotiate a settlement, even in obvious cases of negligence, until they are facing a jury. As an attorney who has been asked by clients to help them find a lawyer, I have repeatedly had to tell them that their case is too small. Most malpractice gets a free pass already as a result.
Kenneth Graham
West side
We tend to emulate our leaders
Have you noticed that In all various fields of human activity, we tend to emulate the people whom we follow.
In the case of politics in the U.S., many people emulate DJT. His “no respect†for any opponent at any level, person, party or nation, has greatly influenced how we collectively respond to things like: Woke, DEI, immigrants, environmental concerns/issues, etc. DJT, by his no respect approach makes him by definition a barbarian.
He has now joined our sole ally in the Middle East in their barbaric (no respect) approach to the Palestinians, and now Iran. The consequences for his actions are yet to be known, but by our silence in Congress and personally, we are condoning and confirming our guilt as co-barbarians.
Vincent Allen
Northwest side
No vote on Grijalva
Adelita Grijalva seeks to inherit the Congressional seat held by her father. I oppose her election as she, like her father, is a career politician. They claim to have lived a life of service but I feel that it was really a life of sucking at the public teat and avoiding any real work. Both began their careers with the TUSD school board. moved up to the Pima County board of supervisors and finally Raul’s election to Congress, a position he would not relinquish until his death. Once you start feeding at the DC trough, it’s hard to let it go. Now with her father’s seat vacant and 23 years of taxpayer-paid paychecks under her belt, Adelita believes it her turn at the big time and based on her family name, is the right choice for Congress and if elected will most likely remain there until death do us part. Politics should not be a family business, and seats in Congress should not be an inheritance.
Bill Clifford
Midtown
Ciscomani’s new TV ad
Juan Ciscomani has discontinued his TV ad in which he promised to protect seniors’ benefits. His vote in favor of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill†made this lie so glaringly obvious that this ad became Exhibit A for his duplicity.
Ciscomani’s new TV ad stresses that he “is fighting alongside Trump to deliver real results for Arizona.†Several hundred thousand Arizonans of all ages losing their health insurance and/or SNAP benefits as Trump’s bill would require is certainly “a real result,†just not a good one. The ad also claims that this bill “cements the largest tax cut in history,†but doesn’t mention that these cuts would go overwhelmingly to those who don’t need them at the expense of those who do.
This new ad is simply a rhetorical sleight of hand in which Ciscomani tries to recast his continuing betrayal of his constituents as support for a supposedly embattled president and his agenda. I call BS.
Eric Weiss
Foothills
Watch the other hand
A grifter will distract you with one hand and pick your pocket with the other. Examples of the former: Gulf of Mexico, Canada as the 51st state, and Greenland. But, the other hand? Now the Administration has bombed an adversary in order to distract us from ... what?
Let’s follow the money.
The proposed Big Ugly Bill passed in the House by ONE vote. Now it’s in the Senate.
It would strip 8.5 million people of healthcare, gut clean energy legislation, privatize public lands, and (worst of all) give the Administration $350,000,000,000.00 (billion dollars) to “militarize the border,†not necessary. This money will be used to police citizens who dissent.
Call the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (24/7). They will direct you to your Senator’s office, then share with those in other states. This bill has something to hurt everyone, except rich people.
Gaye Adams
Midtown
Beware of wolves
I admire 25-year-old Deja Foxx and believe there is a place for her in the Democratic Party. However, congressional candidate Adelita Grijalva has proven herself to be a skilled leader for longer than Foxx has been alive, serving with distinction on both the TUSD Board and the Pima County Board of Supervisors. If Foxx and Grijalva were to split the vote among women, the person who would benefit most from Deja’s candidacy is Dan Hernandez. Hernandez paints himself as a progressive, but this portrayal is false; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, much like “Democratic†Senator Kyrsten Sinema was. It speaks volumes that Gabrielle Giffords, the person he interned for, and whose life he claims to have saved, does not endorse him. Instead, she supports the proven progressive Democrat, Adelita Grijalva. My vote is for Grijalva.
Louis Hollingsworth
West side
Twirling moral compasses
Charles Borla’s June 24 description of seven Congressional hopefuls’ reactions to the Iran bombing was revealing. Grijalva was succinct and straightforward, focusing on crises here. Rivas spoke Trumpese. Harris was confusing, possibly confused: He doesn’t have the same information as Trump. No one has the same information as Trump, since he makes it up as he goes along, outright dismissing Director of National Intelligence Gabbard’s input.
Most interesting was Butierez’s response: gung ho for the bombing until he learned his daughter might be deployed.
Such is the MAGA attitude: Me First trumps the greater good.
Sherry Machen
Green Valley
Solar games
While it is easy to support solar energy, should companies misrepresent the conditions to try and win market share? There are U.S. manufacturers that are running a commercial trying to get you to contact Congress and change the laws about China’s production of solar panels. While not supporting China in the production of solar panels, what I don’t support is using a grant from the taxpayer to underwrite the U.S. production costs. The U.S. has the capability to produce the solar panels at a cost that can be sold at a profit and compete with China’s production, but what is critical is that U.S. manufacturing should not be supported in the production costs. From the beginning, there have been grants for anyone installing solar panels, distorting the actual cost of the installation, all supported by the taxpayer. This brings us back to the original question as to whether solar panels are actually a worthwhile alternative. Funny, NY state has shifted back to nuclear energy as a viable alternative.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
We need great and free transit
Tucson has the worthy goal of accommodating the development of 35,000 housing units by the year 2033. This could mean the addition of tens of thousands of vehicles to our current traffic situation. But continuously widening and adding roadways does not make sense. It’s expensive, ugly, environmentally unsound, and only encourages more traffic. Endless hot lanes of asphalt and moonscape parking lots do not make for a desirable city. Now is the time to promote and nurture alternatives. Keep mass transit free, build new developments along transit routes, and use the money that would be spent on new roads to create a world-class transit system and tree-lined bike paths and sidewalks.
As we all know, cars are crazy expensive — gas, insurance, registration, maintenance, parking, tires, on top of the purchase price. We can save a lot by living without car ownership, or at least two-car ownership, but it’s up to the city to make that possible.
Linda Dobbyn
Midtown
A non-Barbarian response
McConnell, in his opinion piece recently, responded to a debate challenge with his Barbarian viewpoint. It consisted of a litany of issues that offended him, all ascribed to the Democrats. It reminded me of Trump’s response when asked about the economy and he responded that the bad points were all Biden’s and the good parts were all his. Both seem to misunderstand the nature of a debate. There was a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program that was working before Trump unilaterally withdrew and then bombed Iran for not complying. There was a bipartisan proposal in Congress to the immigration problem before the last election that Trump torpedoed as it removed his primary campaign issue. If the Republican positions are so strong, why does Trump have to lie on a daily basis and about such trivial issues? And why the abject meanness of many actions? If the Republican positions are so strong, can they not survive with asking for both honesty and empathy?
Tim Helentjaris
Northwest side
Homeless arrested
Cost of keeping someone in the county jail for one year, $50,983. Median cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment, $10,620 per year. Did anyone think about that before it was decided to put all the homeless in jail? Or is the intent to just arrest them, take all their belongings and then let them all loose again? Or maybe the police will walk around giving out tickets and expecting the people to show up in court? Or maybe they will be fined for being homeless and all just pay a fine? Get real.
Bette Bunker Richards
Midtown
- Paula Palotay, Marana
In light of the recent bombing of Iran I would like to ask: Is Israel giving us compensation? Our President sure expected Ukraine to give the US something in exchange for assisting in its defense. What is he getting in exchange? He also expects all our NATO members to pay for defense.
I want to know. Also, Congress should have been apprised of this attack before it took place.
Paula Palotay
Marana
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Gaye Adams, Midtown
A grifter will distract you with one hand and pick your pocket with the other. Examples of the former: Gulf of Mexico, Canada as the 51st state, and Greenland. But, the other hand? Now the Administration has bombed an adversary in order to distract us from ... what?
Let's follow the money.
The proposed Big Ugly Bill passed in the House by ONE vote. Now it's in the Senate.
It would strip 8.5m people of healthcare, gut clean energy legislation, privatize public lands, and (worst of all) give the Administration $350,000,000,000.00 (billion dollars) to "militarize the border," not necessary. This money will be used to police citizens who dissent.
Call the Senate switchboard at 202 224 3121 (24/7). They will direct you to your Senator's office, then share with those in other states. This bill has something to hurt everyone, except rich people.
Gaye Adams
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Vincent Allen, Northwest side
Have you noticed that In all various fields of human activity, we tend to emulate the people whom we follow.
In the case of politics in the US, many people emulate DJT. His "no respect" for any opponent at any level, person, party or nation, has greatly influenced how we collectively respond to things like: Woke, DEI, immigrants, environmental concerns/issues, etc. DJT, by his no respect approach makes him by definition a barbarian.
He has now joined our sole ally in the Middle East in their barbaric (no respect) approach to the Palestinians, and now Iran. The consequences for his actions are yet to be known, but by our silence in Congress and personally, we are condoning and confirming our guilt as co-barbarians.
Vincent Allen
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Loran Hancock, Northwest side
While it is easy to support solar energy, should companies misrepresent the conditions to try and win market share? There are U.S. manufacturers that are running a commercial trying to get you to contact Congress and change the laws about China production of solar panels. While not supporting China in the production of solar panels, what I don't support is using a grant from the taxpayer to underwrite the U.S. production costs. The U.S. has the capability to produce the solar panels at a cost that can be sold at a profit and compete with China's production, but what is critical is that U.S. manufacturing should not be supported in the production costs. From the beginning, there have been grants for anyone installing solar panels, distorting the actual cost of the installation, all supported by the taxpayer. This brings us back to the original question as to whether solar panels are actually a worthwhile alternative. Funny, NY state has shifted back to nuclear energy as a viable alternative.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Kenneth Graham, West side
David Walker includes a request for medical malpractice tort reform in his faulty Medicaid reform analysis.
Why limit the liability of doctors who hurt patients by providing negligent care? The poor care results in increased medical bills for those they harm and reform would place the burden of the injuries on the victim rather then the negligent provider.
Arizona has already enacted requirements making it so expensive to pursue a claim that only those patients with serious long term disabilities and future medical expenses can find a competent lawyer who can afford to front the litigation costs and put in the 100s of hours needed to even prepare a case for trial. The doctors and insurers refuse to negotiate a settlement, even in obvious cases of negligence, until they are facing a jury. As an attorney who has been asked by clients to help the find a lawyer, I have repeatedly had to tell them that their case is too small. Most malpractice gets a free pass already as a result.
Kenneth Graham
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Hollace Lyon, SaddleBrooke
Illegal immigration is, well, illegal. Our laws should be enforced. Where inadequate, Congress should pass new ones as they tried to in 2024 before Trump's intervention. Refugees/asylum seekers are a different category. They wait for adjudication and do periodic check-ins. Anyone suspected of a crime should be afforded due process and properly penalized if found guilty. If we allow people of any status to be detained or deported without due process, none of us is protected from rogue law enforcement.
In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid almost $100 billion in taxes while often working at some of the toughest jobs for less than minimum wage. Want to stop them? Crack down on employers. Prosecute CEOs and guilty farming, food processing, and construction corporations. Of course, these are the exact industries where Trump said he is not going to enforce the law. Why? Because prices would increase, voters would turn against their GOP Representatives, and he would lose a chunk of his base.
Hollace Lyon
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Tim Helentjaris, Northwest side
McConnell in his opinion piece this morning responded to a debate challenge with his Barbarian viewpoint. It consisted of a litany of issues that offended him, all ascribed to the Democrats. It reminded me of Trump’s response when asked about the economy and he responded that the bad points were all Biden’s and the good parts were all his. Both seem to misunderstand the nature of a debate. There was a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program that was working before Trump unilaterally withdrew and then bombed Iran for not complying. There was a bipartisan proposal in Congress to the immigration problem before the last election that Trump torpedoed as it removed his primary campaign issue. If the Republican positions are so strong, why does Trump have to lie on a daily basis and about such trivial issues? And why the abject meanness of many actions? If the Republican positions are so strong, can they not survive with asking for both honesty and empathy?
Tim Helentjaris
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Chuck Barrett, Midtown
This week, House Appropriations Committee members backed an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security funding bill that would dramatically expand H-2A guestworker programs.
Guestworkers in agriculture can’t leave abusive workplaces because their visas tie them to their employers. They face wage theft, retaliation, violence, discrimination and even human trafficking at truly alarming rates.
The reckless expansion of guestworker programs is a band-aid to the havoc wrought by DHS’s workplace raids that have exacerbated labor shortages.
There is an alternative: the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA), which reforms H-2A into stable, electronically vetted Certified Agricultural Worker visas that open legal agricultural work to currently undocumented veteran agricultural workers as well as nonimmigrant foreign workers. The bill gives employers more flexibility and workers more agency, including the right to challenge conditions and change employers.
Arizona, a top ten user of H-2As, needs the FWMA.
Representative Ciscomani should vote no to DHS, yes to FWMA.
Chuck Barrett
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Jeffrey McConnell, West side
The political dust is settling regarding the 2022 Roe v Wade reversal. Conservatives believe that the 1973 progressive SCOTUS decision usurped Congress with legislation from the bench and are pleased to have the federal government partially out of the abortion business since it’s not in our Constitution and this power is returned to the "several states."
Now most states have made their decisions, and the results are exactly what we would expect in a messy democratic republic: no consensus and our state tap-dancing through a bizarre jungle of ancient law, new law, and a successful ballot proposition.
I sadly accept Arizona’s democratic decision but there’s a federal funding issue still on the table: whether our federal income tax dollars must continue to fund Unplanned Parenthood abortions in Arizona.
So licking my wounds I soldier on, asking the Arizona federal legislators of both parties to defund it with the Big Beautiful Bill.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Mort Ganeles, Foothills
The NYC mayoral primaries have shaken up political calculations.
The apparent victory of socialist NY state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani may have been a significant political change, or it may have been a local anomaly because voters could not stomach Andrew Cuomo and there was little support for the other Democrats.
Some Mamdani supporters doubt that his apparent victory will change either Democratic or U.S. politics. Have we learned any lessons from the Mamdani campaign? If so, what? Or were the Mamdani proposals tailor-made for the Big Apple?
Americans should study and give careful consideration to the variety of expressed criticisms of current policies and practices as they shape their voting preferences for 2026 and beyond.
Enough U.S. voters have had enough of the harsh Trump and congressional autocracy to turn them out in 2026. Where might future voters look since so many had turned their backs on Democrats in 2024?
Mort Ganeles
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- James Johnson, Marana
While DJT adorns the Oval Office in gold and sits on a gold toilet he has cut off aid to the poorest people in over 120 countries. These cuts were done to provide more tax cuts for the richest people and corporations in America. It is estimated that over 300,000 people, mostly children have died from malnutrition, disease, and lack of medications that USAID had been providing to these drought- and war-torn countries. America’s nutritional program was reaching over 39 million women and children with these lifesaving nutritional supplements, which are now sitting in warehouses rotting. When DJT’s congress passes the BBB it will be our children, our poor, and our veterans who go without health care and nutritional food, all so the super-rich can gain more gold. Wake up people! Is this how we make America great? I hope not.
James Johnson
Marana
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
- Bill Dowdall, Oro Valley
Iran who has for decades had a mantra "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" has been degraded to a no-threat country. The U.S. demonstrated peace through strength with the judicious use of our military's capabilities to defuse Iran's desire for nuclear weapons. NATO thanked Trump's leadership in convincing our allies to increase military spending from 2% GDP to 5%. The stock market is at record levels, inflation is at 2+%. Unemployment is low, average wages are up. There is a resurgence of patriotism and love of our country. The Democratic Party continues their journey to define who they are. They nominated a Communist/Socialist to run for Mayor of NYC. Jasmine Crockett continues in the spotlight demeaning the President as well as AOC. It is unfortunate that we are so polarized, it continues to divide us. To make America Great again is a positive statement which all Americans should want. Trump will continue on his agenda. The left needs to accept it.
Bill Dowdall
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV.
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