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No representation

One of the causes of the American Revolution was taxation without representation. I believe Adelita Grijalva’s constituents should be exempt from federal taxes for the amount of time they are without representation due to Speaker Johnson’s refusal to seat her.

Craig Miller

Northwest side

Wanting to or just pretending?

Adelita Grijalva has been fighting for over a month to represent Southern Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Juan Ciscomani, on the other hand, only pretends to represent us.

Fran McNeely

Northeast side

Poor Chicago coverage

The ����Ӱ��AV’s cover story, “ICE raid in Chicago” (Oct. 25), is misleading. This story makes events in my hometown Chicago only “a crime area” problem. Spending that many pages on one raid in Chicago erroneously portrays the “Midway Blitz” as targeted to a “slum” area, maybe addressing crime, even if ham-fistedly. However, affluent suburbs are also under ICE’s psychological warfare conditions. ICE pulls people from Home Depots as far as Evanston, Illinois.

In affluent Palatine, Illinois, WGN-TV interviewed Chappie’s owner, Judith Martinez, saying she will close on Nov. 2 because her Hispanic clientele fear dining there after ICE agents harassed customers. Many small businesses in Chicago are seeing a 40-50% drop in street traffic trade. Where is that coverage? Is this story echoing that lie about Chicago being a “hell hole?” While I credit the reporters in naming the “Wisconsin-based investor” slumlord of 7500 South Shore Drive, presenting that single ICE raid as the only Chicago story is incomplete, and misleading.

Gloria McMillan

Midtown

Vote yes on Prop 417

As a high school administrator rooted in Tucson for over a decade, I support Prop 417. Plan Tucson charts a path for a city where my students can build fulfilling lives.

Arizona law requires municipalities to manage growth thoughtfully. Plan Tucson does exactly that for our 242-square-mile city, addressing the needs of over half a million residents while planning for growth and protecting our cultural and natural resources.

Plan Tucson balances growth with preservation, economic vitality with social equity, and modern innovation with cultural heritage. It enables more residents to age in place and measures success by how well our city serves all, including those historically marginalized.

Our city’s future depends on thoughtful planning that preserves what makes Tucson unique while ensuring quality of life for generations. I urge fellow Tucsonans to support Plan Tucson 2025.

Jessica Janecek

Midtown

Steller covers for Conover

I am a former prosecutor. Tim Steller’s defense of Laura Conover’s plea in the Jameson case is outrageous. The claim of self-defense when Dr. Horner was shot in the back while walking away was very weak. Steller assumed the self-defense law was unfair and used this case to justify his position and Conover’s plea. He talked to Laura Conover, but no outside prosecutors. Conover’s excuse for dropping a mandatory prison sentence: they lost three similar cases, and they don’t have experienced lawyers. Steller never investigated these cases and never challenged Conover. Steller doesn’t hold Conover accountable for the lack of experienced lawyers, being fearful of losing cases, and giving a probation plea. Steller, without merit, blames the law, Judge Fell, but not Conover. Sometimes you take cases to trial. Better to lose than accept this result. Steller does a disservice by implying that any self-defense claim will defeat a competent prosecutor. A competent prosecutor wins this case most of the time. We deserve more from Tim Steller.

David Berkman

North side

King Trump punishes Canada

Supposedly, Trump uses tariffs as part of an economic plan to improve our economy. American consumers pay the cost of Tariffs through increased costs. Canada airs an advertisement quoting Ronald Reagan, who states tariffs are bad for America. Trump increases tariffs against Canada by 10% because of the TV ad. Is it part of his economic plan to punish countries that take political positions he doesn’t like? Does governing a nation require the President to punish countries, enemies and the opposition party? Real Presidents govern for all Americans. Kings punish their opposition and dissenters and demand loyalty or else. Trump doesn’t govern for all of America. Trump governs based on his ego. He is King because the Republican Congress and Supreme Court made him King, and won’t do their jobs and reel him in. A King and his sycophants are trying to destroy our Nation. They will fail. Wake up.

Richard Bechtold

West side

It’s not a Trump resort

Our White House was “pert near” invincible to attack, until Trump.

“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands … may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” — James Madison, Federalist 47.

Jerry Wilkerson

SaddleBrooke

Let’s stage a Berlin/Tucson airlift

On Nov. 1, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-food stamps) benefits will cease because of the government shutdown. No matter one’s political view, standing passively by while people go without food because elected representatives (who are still being paid and getting their three square meals a day) are unable to find a compromise that doesn’t endanger people is not acceptable and should not keep us from exercising our humanity. Life without food in the pantry is not patriotic, religious, moral or ethical. Let’s stage a Tucson-style Berlin Airlift — known back then as Operative Vittles (grub). The Food Bank can be our C-47s, and together, we can supply the fuel. While donations have the most buying power — every $1 buys three meals — healthy non-perishable food donations work too, and the website has dozens of food drop-off locations. Let’s keep this up until SNAP benefits are flowing again. And, write your representatives and tell them to get the budget done. Now.

Linda Heffernan

Midtown

Renovation vs. demolition

Linda Schaub, in her LTE on Oct. 26, gives examples of renovations done by past U.S. presidents. I am aware of those. But she is comparing apples to oranges. Renovations or additions are very different from demolitions.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that adding amenities and remodeling is far from taking a wrecking ball to an entire wing to build something that is twice the size of the rest of the White House. Even if the East Wing needs an upgrade (which it probably does), it could have been done with an addition rather than destroying the entire historic structure.

However, in the scheme of things, of all of the dangerous and outrageous acts of Trump and his administration, this has the least impact and harm to American citizens and the world. Hopefully, his attention will be focused on his building project in the future rather than allowing him to continue to demolish our democracy — something for which we can be grateful.

Sandra Katz

Foothills

What a word means

Words are used to obfuscate as well as to communicate, so we need to keep learning. For instance, I’ve learned to translate “artisanal” as “expensive” when I see it. Recently, I’ve been reading of our President that he is “transactional.” Hmm, what does “transactional” really mean? Why it means “corrupt,” of course. Obvious, when you think about it.

George Timson

Midtown

Monument to corruption letter

Bravo to Barbara Liguori’s “Monument To Corruption” letter, venting for at least 56% of America — and rising — what a completely self-absorbed egomaniac can do when given the keys to the kingdom and favor-currying support from show-me-the-money greed barons.

Only you can prevent fascism, and it must come from your vote and action to get out the vote. Contact the League of Women Voters, the Environmental Voter Project, and any organization that stands up to tyranny. It is your duty as a true American.

Rick Rappaport

Oro Valley

Supreme Court

Food for thought: I believe the time is quickly coming when Chief Justice John Roberts begins to feel the pain of his legacy, and the Supreme Court will then come to its senses.

Robert Nordmeyer

Northeast side

Dog poop

Silverado Hills lies on Tucson’s eastside, stretching north/south from Speedway to 22nd Street and is bisected by Ridgeside Drive.

Recently, Silverado Hills has gone to the dogs, as the old saying goes, because of all the dog poop. Up and down Ridgeside Drive, irresponsible dog owners are failing to pick up and bag their dog’s poop, which not only stinks, but is a healthcare issue as well. Even though plastic bags are free from many grocery stores, these irresponsible dog owners refuse to pick up the poop.

I have called our HOA, the City of Tucson, Pima County Health Department, only to be told there is nothing anyone can do about this poopy situation!

Being a pet owner comes with responsibility. You know who you are, Fido knows who you are, so bag it!

Tom Staab and Deb Holly

East side

Tearing down our House

The letter of Oct. 26 recounting additions and changes to the White House by former Presidents ignores an important factor. The same is true of every other news account I have read.

While others have added to the White House or made internal renovations, no other President has demolished a major addition that has stood for 123 years. This was done without any prior agency review, permitting or public discussion. Not surprisingly, the President clearly lied about the impact to the East Wing.

Even the British, in 1814, left the building standing after they burned it.

Bruce Hilpert

North side

He paved paradise

The lyrics in Joni Mitchell’s classic 1970 song Big Yellow Taxi: “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone. They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot” are relevant today. Trump paved the White House Rose Garden. Now he’s destroying the East Wing and Melania’s bedroom to build a 90,000-square-foot grand ballroom in Mar-a-Lago style — or like King George III’s 1770 court? I expect it to be multiple use — a Las Vegas style casino with lots of glitter and bright lights in summer. And the Ice Capades in winter featuring precision MAGA gun twirling and a public shooting gallery with video targets of fleeing immigrants. Donald’s eyes are teary, thinking of the tourist dollars. What is gone is our wonderful patriotic image of the White House. “What we got” is trashy Trumpism. So much to restore in the next, normal administration.

Tom Van Devender

North side