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Resigning

Retired Army Colonel Tom Davis' recent guest editorial explaining why he retired from serving on Congressman Ciscomani's veterans advisory committee should be required reading for everyone, especially during this time. His explanations on what it means to serve honorably are clear and non-negotiable. Mr. Ciscomani clearly doesn't meet any of these qualities. Thank you, Col. Davis, for your extraordinary service to your country and for reminding everyone of what our Constitution is all about and what it means to be a leader in preserving the Constitution.

Terry Hawkins

Southeast side

NIL pay out of control

UA quarterback Noah Fifita has purchased a nearly million-dollar home in Tucson's foothills, complete with a pool, putting green and a pickleball court. Several other UA football players have been able to purchase expensive homes in Tucson. All of this courtesy of NIL money. I cannot blame these athletes for taking advantage of this very profitable system.

Coach Brent Brennan and other UA faculty have implored the residents of Tucson to show up for games, as we have not recently had a good attendance record. Meanwhile, the UA is raising ticket prices and fees and selling naming rights to our beloved venues.

Many UA fans I speak with are very aware of all of this activity, and are very reluctant to support college athletics in its current state.

I don't think the UA or any university should expect large crowds if this system continues in its current form.

Dan Egan

East side

Do what is right for District 6

Read Colonel Davis' Sept. 13 opinion and the Star's reporting on Juan Ciscomani's indecision on support for/against DJT's "dividend" plan. Buying votes has never been "right." Call it a dividend, a rebate, a sharing or whatever you wish, it is an effort to buy votes. Put as much lipstick on a pig as you want, it is still a pig.

Read also Jeannette Studer's Sept. 13 letter showing how Ciscomani's self-promotion ad about securing a million dollars for AZ road work is just fluff. What did he do to secure it? Just vote? What did other states get?

Her point applies to his self-promotional ad about voting for the anti-insider trading bill. Are we really impressed he voted for honesty instead of dishonesty? Even not voting would ratify insider trading.

Has he done anything to unfund the war? Lower prices on almost everything? Stop illegal and unsound tariffs?

Actually helped veterans? Or just voted for whatever DJT wants?

Is that lipstick on your collar, Juan?

Clarence Johnson

Oro Valley

The President

I do not hate Donald Trump, and I am not going to say anything bad about him. I will admit I find his political talents impressive, even bordering on awesome. It takes real political skill to get elected to the most exalted office on this planet, the U.S. Presidency, and Donald Trump did it. This is indeed an awesome political achievement for a felon, and it should scare all of us.

Robert Bishop

East side

For sale: your vote

You know how some things just don’t feel right? Like patiently waiting in the correct lane as your road narrows from two lanes to one only to have some yahoo zoom up in the disappearing lane and force his way in? Or maybe paying you to vote for certain candidates even if you have to hold your nose while doing it? Something about that stinks to high heaven. Even if the national debt is meaningless to you, you kinda know that doubling it is probably not a good idea. Something about interest rates. But boy, oh boy, you sure could put 5 Gs to work.

You know what’s right and what’s wrong. You’re hardwired to know it.

Stand up for something and say no to this flagrant misuse of money that should be funding disease control, meat inspections, firefighting, and about $1.35T worth of serious vetted public good Trump dynamited.

Enough is enough. Americans have moral values even if the law doesn’t.

Rick Rappaport

Oro Valley

Tucson Council opportunities 2027

Thanks to Nikki Lee and Paul Cunningham for their Tucson City Council service. During years lobbying for neighborhood interests, I always found them and their staffs respectful — just as their no votes on last week's moratorium on renaming parks reflected.

Their early departure announcements have given Ward 2 and 4 residents ample time to consider running for the open seats. Could their offices provide "consider being council candidate" information to encourage recruitment? Council members earn $96,600 per year, no longer that pitiful $24,000.

Tucson needs Council members who are objective, independent thinkers, people with diverse areas of expertise. The City of Tucson is big business: $2.5 billion annual budget. I agree with Tim Steller (8/30/26): "fluency in the language and culture of business" is vital.

Our community needs to seek strong candidates who bring balance to the Council, not simply to acquiesce to political machine choices.

I remember 2009. An unknown candidate ran in Ward 6. And he won! We need more Steve Kozachiks to surface in 2027.

Ruth Beeker

Midtown

Ciscomani's fake political ads

Juan Ciscomani has been claiming in his political advertisements that JoAnna Mendoza is a “radical corporate lobbyist.” There is no evidence to support that claim. Mendoza’s work history is as a US Marine Corps drill instructor and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. She also served as a veterans’ service representative for former US Representative Tom O’Halleran and worked as executive director for the Arizona Center for Economic Progress and VetsForward, which advocates for veterans’ issues. All nonprofit and advocacy based community work.

Meanwhile, Ciscomani stated that he “cannot and will not” cut Medicaid, yet he cast the deciding vote for the Big Beautiful Bill that spiked the Affordable Care Act premiums in Arizona by 30%. One in four Arizona farmers depend on the ACA.

Ciscomani brags about bringing millions of dollars to his district with “preliminary” funds. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, he can ask for those funds, but they may or may not be approved; yet he claims them as done deals.

Ed Doklan

Midtown