����Ӱ��AV

Closed borders, opened prisons

On his inauguration day, Trump began granting full pardons to people convicted of every crime you can imagine. From murder to tax evasion to drug dealing to political corruption. These pardons were granted by Trump for various reasons, such as million-dollar donations and retribution against previous administrations, but none for reasonable doubt or fraudulent testimony. These acts of clemency began with the 1,500 individuals convicted in the Jan. 6 riots. They also included 14 leaders of the far-right groups that attacked the U.S. Capitol. Listed here are some recent pardons that he has granted, Andrew Zabavsky and Terence Dale Sutton, Jr., Rod Blagojevich, Brian Kelsey, Devon Archer, Trevor Milton, Benjamin Delo, Arthur Hayes, Samuel Reed, Michele Fiore, Paul Walczak, Scott Jenkins, Todd and Julie Chrisley, and the list goes on. If you take a moment to Google these convicted criminals, you will be shocked by the crimes they have committed.

James Johnson

Marana

Sour liberal

The recent opinion of liberal Democrat Jerry Wilkerson sounds more like a childish loser who wants to take his ball and go home. He criticizes President Trump by sarcastically calling him “King Donald”, among other names, and even attacks his wife by calling her a “trophy wife.” President Trump has barely been in office for five months. Wilkerson apparently feels Trump should just let the past four years of horrible policies and ignorance stay in place as we watch our country swirl further into the toilet. Sorry, Jerry, not going to happen. President Trump is fixing this country as quickly as possible, as long as the Democrats don’t mess up the plan. Sometimes bad things can’t get repaired overnight. Wilkerson claims the Trump family is corrupt. Really? And the Biden family is angelic? Yeah, right. Being a press secretary seems to have made him more clueless and blind. I am also disappointed the Star would print his crybaby letter.

Nate Baker

Northwest side

The Year 2525

Political disgraces seldom last long, but shameful political policies and edicts may go on forever. Shameful policies, appointments, and edicts appear to be the hallmark of the current administration. They may possibly go on for a minimum of four years. The president persists in throwing chaos from coast to coast and across the globe. How long until others push back? Our current political climate is as much a state of mind as it is an attitude about our American government. It is also a question of whether we can survive as a constitutional democracy.

Toni Kane

Oro Valley

Debt and retirement

Concerning debt problem/retirement problem written by Allison Schrager, she obviously is not close to retirement age. There is a reason why police and firefighters are asked to retire at 55 because they develop health issues just like the rest of us. In my 40s, I started to wear glasses, in my 50s, I started wearing hearing aids, in my 60s, I developed tendinitis and bursitis. Others I know find it difficult to work on multiple projects as they age. We are not living longer. US life expectancy has declined since COVID.

I agree with Ms. Schrager that payroll taxes need to be increased. People should be given the opportunity to retire at age 60; full retirement back to age 65. Medicare eligible at age 60. This will enable younger people to advance earlier in their careers.

Donna Hefley

East side

Governance retribution

Canada’s view of the “Golden Dome” program offer as a “protection racket,” needs a little background on our defenses during the Cold War. As a staff officer assigned to the contracting office for the DEW Line and also the performance inspector for the early warning system of 32 radar stations well above the Arctic Circle, the system provided both early warning of Soviet bomber threats and communication to NORAD of this information, including missile attacks reported from Alaska and Greenland. The DEW Line had replaced the earlier “Pine Tree Line” in mid-Canada. Both Canada and the U.S. benefited immensely from these contracts. We paid the bills, and Canada supported the Defense Command’s charter, plus it allowed the desired development of 20 or so of its Eskimo communities. With the exception of 4-5 Air Force officers, the manning of the Line employed significant numbers of Canadian technicians and support personnel. We paid $200M/year for this support. $61B is a pipe dream, if it ever becomes a reality.

John Foltz

Northeast side

It used to be …

It used to be that when you lied and were called out for it, you were subject to the consequences. Those were imposed by morally responsible individuals and a free press. The punishment or banishment depended on how contrite one was when your lie or falsehood was exposed. Now it seems that lies are celebrated. Case in point: the HHS report that quotes articles as proof of a theory when those articles don’t even exist, cases before the Supreme Court that are based on bogus studies (mispristone studies), and, of course, the daily lies from the current administration. But for Comer and Jordan to ignore the outright criminal activity of the Trump family and still refer to the “Biden crime family” is unbelievable. I know they don’t care about the hypocrisy and lies because they have the votes, but come on, MAGA (Republicans and independents) people: when will you find a moral and ethical backbone and speak up for your country and call out all the lies?

Mike Dai

Midtown

Casting the first stone?

Occasionally, I hear slip through the news one of TFGs haranguing “tapes” of how “millions” of people crossing our borders “freely” are not the best people. He describes them with great bravado as being law-breaking felons, rapists and pedophiles, with low IQs, not worthy to be in the United States. I live in hope that one day he might actually listen to his own words and self-deport to another country.

Alan Barreuther

Foothills

Ciscomani’s betrayal

Criticism of Ciscomani’s vote for the Big Beautiful Bill focuses on his betrayal of a pledge with 12 other Republicans written in April.

“We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.”

More disturbing are provisions hidden in the bill to undermine Ciscomani’s oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

These are:

— Forbid courts to charge Trump and other government officials with contempt for defying court orders.

— Block court-ordered national injunctions.

— Fire government workers for political disloyalty.

— And most egregious to his constituency, Sec. 80121 (h)

“No court shall have jurisdiction to review any action taken by the Secretary, the EPA Administrator, a State or Municipal agency or other Federal agency to issue a lease, permit, biological opinion or other approval.”

Native Tribes, environmental groups, citizens or even states lose the right to challenge these approvals in a court of law.

Oil wells in the Grand Canyon?

Strip mines on sacred land?

Disgraceful!

Ed Doklan

Midtown

The war in Gaza

To support continuation of the war in Gaza as a proper defense against the admittedly indefensible atrocities of Hamas can no longer be a viable excuse for continuing a war that has now itself turned indefensible.

As the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert wrote in decrying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition: “The government of Israel is currently waging a war without purpose, without goals or clear planning and with no chances of success.” He lamented: “What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of extermination: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians.” His unequivocal conclusion: “Yes, Israel is committing war crimes.”

Every step to end this senseless war must be taken, and every means must be pursued to stop the killing, end the starvation, and build the structures that will sustain a lasting peace.

Steven Goldzwig

Oro Valley

Trump conservatism?

Jeffery McConnell’s LTE re: Voting regrets (May 28) begs for clarification. Among Mr. McConnell’s points about Trumpian conservatism:

1) Sovereign borders (do you mean like Canada’s sovereignty?)

2) Fiscal restraint (like $45M for Trump’s birthday military parade? ... the latest tax cut adding approximately $3.8T to our national deficit? ... $6M in taxpayer money paid to El Salvador’s president to house unconstitutionally deported prisoners? ... his countless trips to his golf courses?)

3) Safety nets: (since when do millionaires and trillionaires need them?)

4) Peace through strength: (aren’t you still waiting for Trump’s promise to end both the Russia-Ukraine war and the bloodshed in Gaza?

5) Empowerment of state and local authorities: (seriously? ...trying to legislate California’s water situation isn’t top-down federal governance?)

As Frasier Crane once famously asked Cliff Clavin on “Cheers”: “What color is the sky in your world?”

Jorge Tapia

Midtown

Non-political local issue

I was riding my bicycle on the Loop last weekend, starting on the Rillito River Loop westbound from Campbell. The riverbed was littered with tons of trash, innumerable blue and white drink cups, and many people without homes, living in tents. Trash had accumulated under the overpasses, especially at Oracle, Stone and La Canada.

The other day, I rode the Santa Cruz River Loop heading south and found that it too had accumulated a large amount of trash, especially under the Grant overpass. In contrast, the Canada del Oro Wash Shared Use Path has virtually no garbage.

The Pima County’s Regional Flood Control District needs to find a way of ridding our waterways of these eyesores and pollution. I have previously suggested enlisting people without homes who are willing to work and need income to help in the clean-up.

Edward Weil

North side

Canceled prenatal care for Tucsonans

I am 18 weeks into a high-risk pregnancy, and I just got a call from El Rio Health telling me: “Centering Pregnancy services have been canceled, due to budget cuts.” I am heartbroken. Centering is group-based prenatal care for pregnant people and their partners, creating a supportive environment to gather and learn with and from each other. This is my first pregnancy; I am also a family doctor who provides prenatal care. Pregnancy is a difficult time for many. The camaraderie of being surrounded by people navigating similar experiences is not only therapeutic, but also an evidence-based and cost-effective model of care that improves health outcomes for both parents and babies. It is tragic that this service is being suddenly ended halfway through my group members’ pregnancies. These “budget cuts” always hurt the most vulnerable first. Community-based prenatal care is a pillar of reproductive justice. Funding this continuity of care should be a top priority.

Christina Bourne

Foothills

Let’s not fall for this one

The Trump administration has stated that businesses will be reimbursed any tariff costs if the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court determines that the tariffs are unconstitutional. Here are my questions.

Do we really believe that Trump will repay the businesses, or will this be another broken promise by Trump (you know the answer)? If businesses pass along those tariff costs to their customers, will those businesses reimburse those customers, and how will those customers be fairly and accurately reimbursed?

Trump will do and say anything to ensure that businesses charge the tariffs and quickly pass this money to the federal government. After this, the Trump administration could care less what happens or to whom it happens.

To paraphrase the adage: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Let’s not be stupid enough to believe the Trump administration on this one.

Craig Whaley

Oro Valley

Cabinet competence

On May 30, Mr. Loyal Johnson opined that criticisms of Mr. Trump’s cabinet competence had no basis save “hatred.”

So, Mr. Hegseth, why was it at all reasonable or competent to use a non-secure platform to share and discuss details of then-pending military action, which would place our service personnel at risk? That doesn’t look like competence, does it? And is it hatred to expect Ms. Noem to have an adult’s understanding of “habeas corpus”? She obviously doesn’t. Is that competence? Neither case has anything to do with hatred. “Middle voters” didn’t act out of hatred when they faulted Mr. Biden’s handling of both immigration and inflation — their fault was based upon what they could see with their own eyes, going on right in front of them. So, I say, time for Mr. Johnson to open his eyes.

Michael Price

Midtown