Tucson speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Feb. 28, 2025
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Arizona Daily Star.
- John Van Echo, West side
By the most recent vote at the United Nations regarding Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine, the current rogue and utterly clueless administration just abdicated the United States of America's role as the greatest and most powerful nation on earth. We just become a puppet of Putin, of Russia, and of their axis of evil co-conspirators. Just look up the countries that this UN vote aligned the US with. I am disgusted, embarrassed, and chagrined. To our worldwide, and especially European allies, please accept this patriot's most sincere apology.
John Van Echo
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Dave Abbott, Southeast side
Any person who has a sense of decency should be horrified at what is happening to our federal work force. They are being called members of the fictitious "Deep State," fraudsters, incompetents, worms, vermin and more. They do not deserve this. They also do not deserve to be fired because they happened to be working for the federal government at this time.
Federal workers were recruited because they were the best and the brightest. They work hard at their jobs and do their best to make a positive difference. They have not done anything wrong. They are being sacrificed by a soulless president, his sadistic henchman and a spineless Congress who care little about the consequences.
Many will never work in government again, might lose their homes and have to move to another city. Our neighbors, friends and families are suffering for no reason. Anyone who voted for Trump shares responsibility for this cruelty -- and Trump and Musk have only started. Who will be next?
Dave Abbott
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Robert Gavlak, Midtown
Excuse me while I wipe away my crocodile tears for the dispirited Mr. Taylor who has had a come-to-God moment a tad too late regarding his complicity in empowering the Trump regime. As the enchantment of Trump’s magic spell begins to wither, repentant MAGA dupes like him now find themselves desperately seeking exoneration for the cascade of recent events they claim have caught them by surprise. After all, all they wanted was less government, fewer non-American neighbors and cheaper eggs. It’s unfair, to be sure, to blame them for having been bewitched into facilitating the squandering of our democracy over shortsighted expedients.
But despite his claim of support for a mandate other than the one that has emerged, his feigned bewilderment at having been bamboozled by this blatant huckster-in-chief fails to muster much sympathy among those of us who declined to drink the Kool-Aid.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Larry Fleischman, North side
Re "voter's remorse" in 2/24 letters to the editor.
While I'm glad to see supporters of Trump maybe finally getting it, I have no sympathy for those who have responsibility for the chaos that has already occurred and worse yet to come.
What amazes me is that the letter writer and others have said they didn't realize what Trump intended to do.
Everything he's doing he said he would do during the campaign --just like Hitler did in the 1920s. Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
So, contrary to Mr. Taylor's letter, he did vote for the pardon of people who assaulted police, and for a billionaire to enlist his buddies to feather their nests and all the rest.
Glad to see you're finally getting the message but frankly you and the other Trumpers deserve everything that's likely to happen.
Let's just hope the center holds.
Larry Fleischman
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Melody Sears, North side
With the exception of a very few courageous souls, we have Republican majorities in House and Senate who so far seem unwilling? cowed? terrified? to combat the willful destruction of our government's administrative departments, and thus invite the ire of a president who has proven himself to care little about what this destruction will mean to the citizens he is supposed to protect.
Does this feel right to Congressional Republicans? Does it feel moral? Does it convince Republicans that it is OK to weaken our country, endanger the lives of our citizens, and show the world that the United States government doesn't much care about its own people?
Republicans: Find your inner constitution to defend the U.S. Constitution and refuse to be complicit!
Melody Sears
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Deb Klumpp, Oro Valley
Re: the Feb. 24 letter "Voter's Remorse". Mr. Taylor says he voted MAGA, but did NOT vote for pardoning cop beater thugs, ignoring the Constitution, abandoning allies, coveting other countries, billionaires buying the presidency, nor the president handing Musk free rein to wreak destruction on our country. I say that you and half the country did vote for this. You had to know. You should have known. It was your responsibility to know. Project 2025 was widely publicized. You saw Musk pouring many millions into Trump's campaign as he jumped up and down at rallies like the flaming fool he is. You saw all this yet still voted for Trump. Now, sit back and enjoy the show -- or not.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- James Stehn, Southwest side
Our democracy is clearly under attack. We cannot stand by as the institutions of our democracy are dismantled. Eliminating watchdogs and wholesale gutting of departments is only creating more inefficiencies. The current “bull in the china shop” approach will not end well. We the people cannot remain silent as “shock and awe” undoes decades of good government. We must speak up, organize, some must take a leadership role to resist this ongoing demise of our Democracy and freedoms. It is a takeover of our government by billionaires and oligarchs. Have no illusions, they do not have your best interests at heart. They are driven by the quest for power, plain and simple. Call, email, write your representative. Attend townhalls, schoolboards, community meetings and make your voices heard. The only thing necessary for this evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Do not sell our Democracy and freedoms for the price of a dozen eggs or a gallon of gas.
James Stehn
Southwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Donald Plummer, Northwest side
A successful organization has a culture of camaraderie all striving for a cooperative common goal.
The Trump departments are now being run by dictators like Trump... Trump's way or the highway.
Musk waving the chainsaw is the epitome of Simon Legree waving his whip over his slaves.
Simon Legree, a name applied to somebody who forces others to work very hard and is often cruel to them.
Do as you’re told without using your brain or you’re fired?
With all this chaos, what kind of government are we going to soon endure?
Donald Plummer
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Jim Dreis, East side
Donald Trump says Ukraine started the war against Russia by invading Russia. Everyone knows that's not true. Everyone knows Russia invaded Ukraine. So why aren't Republicans contesting this? Why are they such cowards?
Trump needs to know, U.S. soldiers won't turn against their families (parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews) if ordered to. They'll turn against their leaders instead. This is America.
Jim Dreis
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Hope Gastelum, East side
I thank you, Mr. Taylor, for your letter expressing regret for your apparent vote for Trump. What I must say, however, is that you did vote for all the things you said you didn't vote for. You heard Trump say he would pardon the J6 thugs. Did you miss that he views the Constitution/rule of law as merely annoying impediments to his grotesque impulses, and that he's been dissing our allies and pandering to billionaires since forever? It was also clearly his intention to abandon Ukraine to please Putin. All this and worse. As for Musk, did you watch this lunatic prance around the campaign stage with Trump, and did you really think this would lead to anything good? Please help us understand how rational people like you could have observed all this and still have participated in the horror show we are all now experiencing.
Hope Gastelum
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Melinda Sims, Catalina
When I was a kid, half my family worked for the US Forest Service, giving me an innate understanding of the important work done by the federal government. In my Air Force career, I worked with professionals from other Federal agencies. I was impressed by their dedication to our country and agencies they served. Many thousands of hard-working Americans have dedicated their lives to this country as employees of the federal government. Their work has guaranteed programs we rely on that support, protect, entertain, and sustain us will be available for us. The current Presidential administration is doing everything in its power to disrespect and demoralize these Americans, pretending their work is of no value by firing them under false pretenses. Write your Senators and Congressional Representatives requesting the bullying by unelected DOGE stop. Notice the services you use that are run by the Executive Branch; thank these fine Americans for the quiet and important work they do. (And why aren't we worried about the surge in unemployment?)
Melinda Sims
Catalina
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Sally Lee, Foothills
This past weekend there was an incident involving a summit held in DC by a group of conservative leaders. This group calls itself, “Principles First” and espouses many values that I imagine the conservative readers of this paper also espouse. However, the group’s founders are somewhat critical of MAGA. During their summit, the conference facility was evacuated due to a bomb threat delivered by email. The email mentioned the summit panelists by name, followed by the words, “[They all] deserve to die.” Given the recently confirmed head of the FBI, an investigation into this incident is very unlikely to go anywhere. This is unconscionable. The death threats have got to stop. But they will only get worse until we, as Americans, stand up together for decency, respect, integrity, and the rule of law in our nation. Please write to your congressmen and tell them so!
Sally Lee
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Leslie Kanberg, Downtown
It's obvious where our country is headed. Just look at what the president has accomplished in one, short month: Removed guardrails and installed loyalists, particularly in the military. Neutered the legislative branch & threatened to defy court orders. Betrayed allies, and voted with Russia, North Korea & Belarus.
This is not making America great again. This is the "To Do" list of an aspiring dictator.
How do we stop the assault on our Republic? We must act, and act quickly:
1) Do not spend a dime on Friday, 2/28 and on every "Economic Blackout" date that will follow. If you can also miss work on those days, do so.
2) Contact our political leaders. Urge Republicans to vote with their Democratic colleagues. Unless these "leaders" prefer to serve a king, rather than their constituents, they must honor their oath to our Constitution. In order to preserve our Republic, we just need a few Republicans, in both Houses of Congress, to show some moral courage.
Before it's too late.
Leslie Kanberg
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Sidney Hall, Oro Valley
You say that you voted for "Magas." Hmm, somehow I missed "Magas" as an option on the ballot. No, you voted for Trump. And everything that you complain about, Trump promised to do. So that means that somehow you didn't know that. How did you miss that? Maybe you didn't know that Fox news is not a news show, but is, in fact, an entertainment show. I don't know if there is a cure for your level of ignorance. You voted for a known monster and that is what you got.
Sidney Hall
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Luther Creed, Foothills
The Trump administration is now showing that what Trump he said he would do he is doing. What he denied he would do, Project 2025, he is doing. He is punishing our allies everywhere. He is extorting our, neighbors Canada and Mexico with tariffs. Counter-tariffs await. All of this hurts you.
He changes history. Ukraine started the war. He emboldens Fascists in Europe. He threatens taking Canada, Panama, Greenland, Gaza -- imperialism.
Now he is moving to make the military his own. Can suppression of free speech and dissent be far away?
He is liar and a traitor. They hanged those people in other eras.
Call or go online now and write your representative, ie Republican Ciscomani, to stand up for the country and not his career. If he can't, then don't send him back to Washington, send him to Russia.
MAGAs, the corruption will ultimately get to you too. It all is for the oligarchs.
Luther Creed
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Bruce Kaplan, Northwest side
John Taylor of Green Valley writes to let us know that even though he voted Maga, he is shocked, shocked, at what Magaloons are doing to the government and the country. While I appreciate your conversion, John, I’m wondering what you did vote for, in the face of a movement telling you for years exactly what they were going to do. At what point in your political calculus did you decide to place your life in the hands of a self-centered, non-repentant, multiple felon with a proven record of financial misdealings and personal faults hot enough to scorch my grandparents’ bible? And you thought Musk bought Felonious Don for what reason? Welcome to the rational center, John. I hope you take the opportunity to reevaluate more than your misguided vote.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Cynthia Schiesel, East side
Elon Musk reposted a meme stating that anyone who took federal funds was a "parasite." Here is a partial list of groups in this country that get federal monies: schools; veterans; farmers; homeowners after catastrophes through FEMA; scientists who create cures; small businesses; hospitals; researchers; social security recipients; people with disabilities; the elderly; people with catastrophic diseases; Medicare recipients; students seeking a better life; and so on. Well, fellow parasites, it's time to join together and stand up for each other. Before Musk's cuts become irreversible and fatal, speak up. Call our Congressional representatives and those representatives who serve on Congressional committees that can stop Musk. Our voices count and our Congressional representatives rely on our votes. We are not parasites and to be characterized as such speaks volumes about the man in charge of cutting costs.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Intolerant and intolerable
I watched the U of A men’s basketball game against BYU this past weekend, and, like all Wildcats fans, I was disappointed in the result. Sadly, my disappointment was compounded by discovering that the truly bad news from that night had nothing to do with the home team losing a basketball game but with the loss of decency exhibited after the game. Too bad that the whole endeavor was polluted by a bunch of brutish, foul-mouthed sore losers in the student section at McKale Center who taunted and cursed at the BYU players in the most intolerant and intolerable way by chanting “F— the Mormons” in a coordinated manner. What a despicable display of poor sportsmanship and bigotry. Shame on those students, anyone present who remained silent, and those who think it funny. Shame on all of us if we don’t condemn it in the harshest terms.
Gregory Berger
North side
Winning TEP battle
I am so proud of how multiple midtown neighborhoods, in different Wards, collaborated and fought for underground electric wires and finally won the battle with Tucson Electric Power. Jefferson Park, Blenman Elm, West University, Iron Horse, Pie Allen, Feldmans, Sam Hughes, Catalina Vista, and others surrounding the “Midtown reliability project” were faced with being defaced with 150-foot monstrosities, even though city ordinances called for undergrounding. Other neighbors who weren’t on or near the path chimed in with their support as well.
When the rate hike was floated last year, many talked about “rich” neighborhoods wanting everyone to pay higher rates for undergrounding. These neighborhoods worked hard to show that rate hikes weren’t needed. Letters were written, meetings attended, and public testimony was made about safety, fire hazards, durability, and yes, darn ugliness. Why underground in Phoenix and not Tucson?
TEP will likely appeal. I have faith that this outstanding group of people will be ready for that too.
Cindy Doklan
Midtown
Spilt milk, pass the popcorn
Re: the Feb. 24 letter “Voter’s Remorse.” Mr. Taylor says he voted MAGA, but did notvote for pardoning cop beater thugs, ignoring the Constitution, abandoning allies, coveting other countries, billionaires buying the presidency, nor the president handing Musk free rein to wreak destruction on our country. I say that you and half the country did vote for this. You had to know. You should have known. It was your responsibility to know. Project 2025 was widely publicized. You saw Musk pouring many millions into Trump’s campaign as he jumped up and down at rallies like the flaming fool he is. You saw all this yet still voted for Trump. Now, sit back and enjoy the show — or not.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
U of A basketball
Regarding the “missed call” at the BYU basketball game, there is a standard axiom: unless blatant, let the players, not the refs, determine the outcome in the final moments. The reason there are three officials is that each monitors play in a specific area. Most bad calls are because a ref is out of position. The official under the basket had a clear view 4 feet from the action and didn’t blow the whistle. The ref who made the call was at mid-court, 40 feet away. The NBA has a rule that one call can be challenged. Maybe college should institute something similar.
Thomas Rothe
Foothills
Bigotry by U of A fans
I was deeply disappointed by the behavior of some University of Arizona fans following the men’s basketball game against Brigham Young University on February 22, 2025. Reports indicate that members of the student section chanted “F... the Mormons,” using an explicit slur. This is unacceptable and disrespectful to an entire religious community.
While the University of Arizona’s athletic director condemned this behavior, stronger action is needed. The university should place additional security in the student section when BYU returns and remove anyone engaging in similar chants. Offenders should lose ticket privileges and be banned from future athletic events.
These measures are necessary to uphold the university’s values and demonstrate that Tucson stands for respect and civility in sports.
Allen Desmond
Oro Valley
Parasites unite
Elon Musk reposted a meme stating that anyone who took federal funds was a “parasite.” Here is a list of groups in this country that get federal monies: schools; veterans; farmers; homeowners after catastrophes through FEMA; scientists who create cures; small businesses; hospitals; researchers; social security recipients; people with disabilities; the elderly; people with catastrophic diseases; Medicare recipients; students seeking a better life; and so on. Well, fellow parasites, it’s time to join together and stand up. Before Musk’s cuts become irreversible and fatal, speak up. Call our Congressional representatives and those representatives who serve on Congressional committees that can stop Musk. Our voices count and our Congressional representatives rely on our votes. We are not parasites and to be characterized as such speaks volumes about the man in charge of cutting costs.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Need more than remorse
John Taylor of Green Valley writes to let us know that even though he voted Maga, he is shocked, shocked, at what Magaloons are doing to the government and the country. While I appreciate your conversion, John, I’m wondering what you did vote for, in the face of a movement telling you for years exactly what they were going to do. At what point in your political calculus did you decide to place your life in the hands of a self-centered, non-repentant, multiple felon with a proven record of financial misdealings and personal faults hot enough to scorch my grandparents’ bible? And you thought Musk bought Felonious Don for what reason? Welcome to the rational center, John. I hope you take the opportunity to reevaluate more than your misguided vote.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Legalized abortion in AZ
What does “We the People” mean to Representative and lawmaker Keshel? Me “The Republican” thinks “I” know more than them “We the Voters”. More than sixty percent of the voters in Arizona and the United States of America know what they want but evidently, we do not know anything of our desires according to Representative Keshel. Proposition 139 was approved by the voters by over 60 percent, no question, “We the People” have spoken. Now ask yourselves why is the country so divided when our elected representatives and lawmakers want to change the words of “We the People” to “What We Think They Want” in our Constitution?
Curtis Urban
Corona de Tucson
Courage versus complicity
With the exception of a very few courageous souls, we have Republican majorities in House and Senate who so far seem unwilling? cowed? terrified? to combat the willful destruction of our government’s administrative departments, and thus invite the ire of a president who has proven himself to care little about what this destruction will mean to the citizens he is supposed to protect.
Does this feel right to Congressional Republicans? Does it feel moral? Does it convince Republicans that it is OK to weaken our country, endanger the lives of our citizens, and show the world that the United States government doesn’t much care about its own people?
Republicans: Find your inner constitution to defend the U.S. Constitution and refuse to be complicit!
Melody Sears
North side
Rebel against the fascists
The Trump administration is now showing that what Trump he said he would do he is doing. What he denied he would do, Project 2025, he is doing. He is punishing our allies everywhere. He is extorting our, neighbors Canada and Mexico with tariffs. Counter-tariffs await. All of this hurts you.
He changes history. Ukraine started the war. He emboldens Fascists in Europe. He threatens taking Canada, Panama, Greenland, Gaza — imperialism.
Now he is moving to make the military his own. Can suppression of free speech and dissent be far away?
He is liar and a traitor. They hanged those people in other eras.
Call or go online now and write your representative, ie Republican Ciscomani, to stand up for the country and not his career. If he can’t, then don’t send him back to Washington, send him to Russia.
MAGAs, the corruption will ultimately get to you too. It all is for the oligarchs.
Luther Creed
Foothills
Failed apology from U of A
After the BYU at Arizona men’s basketball game, some students chanted, “F- — the Mormons,” a slur that targeted Latter-day Saints like me, even though I am not a BYU grad or fan. Absent the slur, I would have been delighted to watch the Wildcats beat BYU. The University of Arizona’s subsequent, obligatory apology missed the mark in two ways. First, it dismissed responsibility with the tired excuse, “this is not who we are” — even though the chanted slur, broadcast to millions on ESPN, came from a critical mass of Arizona students. Second, the apology was limited to “BYU, their student-athletes, coaches and fans” ignoring the slurs actual target: Latter-day Saints. Apparently, if, in the future, Arizona students chant the slurs “F- — the Catholics,” or “F- — the Jews,” the University of Arizona will not apologize to those groups either.
Thomas Grover
Las Vegas
When decency, respect die
This past weekend there was an incident involving a summit held in DC by a group of conservative leaders. This group calls itself, “Principles First” and espouses many values that I imagine the conservative readers of this paper also espouse. However, the group’s founders are somewhat critical of MAGA. During their summit, the conference facility was evacuated due to a bomb threat delivered by email. The email mentioned the summit panelists by name, followed by the words, “[They all] deserve to die.” Given the recently confirmed head of the FBI, an investigation into this incident is very unlikely to go anywhere. This is unconscionable. The death threats have got to stop. But they will only get worse until we, as Americans, stand up together for decency, respect, integrity, and the rule of law in our nation. Please write to your congressmen and tell them so!
Sally Lee
Foothills
Thank you for service
When I was a kid, half my family worked for the US Forest Service, giving me an innate understanding of the important work done by the federal government. In my Air Force career, I worked with professionals from other Federal agencies. I was impressed by their dedication to our country and agencies they served. Many thousands of hard-working Americans have dedicated their lives to this country as employees of the federal government. Their work has guaranteed programs we rely on that support, protect, entertain, and sustain us will be available for us. The current Presidential administration is doing everything in its power to disrespect and demoralize these Americans, pretending their work is of no value by firing them under false pretenses. Write your Senators and Congressional Representatives requesting the bullying by unelected DOGE stop. Notice the services you use that are run by the Executive Branch; thank these fine Americans for the quiet and important work they do. (And why aren’t we worried about the surge in unemployment?)
Melinda Sims
Catalina
Display of bigotry
In yet another display of bigotry and hatred that should not exist in 21st Century America, UA fans embarrassed themselves and their university with a vile chant directed at the BYU basketball team (and all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) at the end of Saturday night’s game. Angered by perceived poor calls by the referees, particularly at a critical point with two seconds left on the clock, fans showed a complete lack of logic by directing their ire at the members of a church (including an LDS player on the UA team) rather than at those who supposedly caused their team to lose — the refs. Go figure. Only mob mentality and an absence of critical thinking can explain the childish temper tantrum thrown by Wildcat fans.
Ray Evans
Montrose, Colorado
- Robert Bishop, East side
Elon is threatening every federal employee with termination if they do not respond tout de suite to his email, and the House and Senate are mute in the face of Musk's threat. What’s going on here? Have Trump and Musk sent every member of the House and Senate to the Happy Valley Spay and Neuter Clinic for a quick surgical procedure?
Robert Bishop
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Kathy Krucker, Midtown
The GOP has betrayed America: our middle class, our Constitution, our rule of law, our allies, and our competent apolitical federal workers. Trump and the GOP must find $4 trillion to extend the 2017 tax cuts – cuts that benefit the very wealthy, corporations that are making record profits, and cost taxpayers $100 billion a year in interest.
So, the unelected unvetted Elon Musk and his DOGE bros have started a blood bath at our federal agencies by making astonishing cuts: to veterans, national parks, science, health care, food and nuclear safety, environmental protections, NIH, Inspector Generals and the CFPB. Musk and Trump are destroying all the institutions and programs that have made America great.
Claims that there are “billions and billions” of waste, fraud, and corruption has produced zero evidence with zero accountability or transparency. DOGE cuts will do nothing to fund GOP tax cuts or reduce our deficit. It’s all lies, damn lies, and leading to the destruction of America as we know it. The GOP just acquiesces.
Kathy Krucker
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Chuck Barrett, North side
Picture a cartoon in two frames, Donald.
The first frame begins upper left with a lumpy shoulder, then, slanting down and across the frame, an arm, then, resting on a desktop, a hand holding a pen. Just beyond the pen, right of frame, lies a paper. It is titled, “USAID Embargo,” and bears your messy signature at the bottom.
The shoulder, arm and hand angle gently, as if relaxed, satisfied.
The second frame depicts a kneeling woman in a burka. She is doubled over, her face creased in anguish, tears streaking her cheeks. At her knees lies a blanket barely concealing the contours of a prone child. It covers even the face. Beside the child sits an empty shallow bowl.
There are initials on the blanket of the child, partly hidden in its folds.
Ask not by whom the blanket is inscribed, Donald.
The signature is yours.
--apologies to Donne
Chuck Barrett
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Ronald Cohen, East side
Everyone complains about taxes but forgets what the government accomplishes with the money received. We only have to look at roads, medical and other research, education etc. Tax increases are normal, occur because of inflation and new demands of government. People with stock portfolios have had large tax increases as the stock market has had a huge increase in value and has paid more in interest and dividends over the past few years. Special interest groups are just that and depending on their interest do obtain some funding. I agree that the national debt is too high and believe that the best way to reduce it is to hire more IRS employees to audit those who cheat on their tax responsibility. Close the many tax loopholes Congress has allowed wealthy taxpayers and corporations to help lower their tax responsibilities. DOGE is doing exactly the opposite by firing large groups of IRS employees planning to benefit by their absence. Our President’s companies will benefit by what DOGE is doing.
Ronald Cohen
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Cindy Rupp, Southeast side
Recently, the paper had an article reporting Rep. Ciscomani’s support for maintaining the Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, and Pell grants. I commend Rep. Ciscomani for his written support of these programs. However, what really counts is how he votes when a bill cutting these programs comes before the House. It will be interesting to see if he supports his party or all of the people in the district that he represents. This is the same person who was filmed at the border talking about the crisis with people crossing, blaming Biden for the problem. When it came for a vote on a bipartisan border bill, he voted no. Apparently, the border crisis was no longer important. I expect the same thing will happen with any bill making cuts to people who are low income. Tax cuts that benefit the wealthy are more important than funding programs that benefit low-income people such as medical care including prescriptions, food and education.
Cindy Rupp
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Peter Bourque, Midtown
Thank you for Kathleen Walker’s excellent piece on the work of US AID. I too was a Peace Corps Volunteer, but in West Africa. Foreign aid in some of the poorest parts of the world works to not only save lives but to help the countries to become more self-sufficient. The Niger Resilience and Agribusiness Masters Program is a perfect example of helping one of the world’s poorest countries be able to feed itself and develop viable systems for agricultural sustainability.
And does it not make sense to spread goodwill and give the U.S. a good name? I remember riding in the back of a truck in southern Niger, sitting on top of bags of grain with a U.S. emblem and “A gift of the United States of America” printed on them.The Trump/Musk chainsaw approach to eliminating vital USAID programs is unconscionable.
Peter Bourque
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Tom McGorray, Northwest side
I would like to see a return and a renewal of patriotism in America with all our divisiveness.
I define patriotism as love and devotion to country. Patriotism can be found in our patriotic music. I would like to see our patriotic music taught to our school children, a new song for each day of the week, a new song for each school year from K through 12.
I would like our music to be taught to our new immigrants as part of their civics training.
Patriotic music like “America the Beautiful” and “This land is your land-this land my land," "My Country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
I would like to see every day to begin with “God Bless America," and end with “America the Beautiful.” “America, America, God shed his Grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea."
Because I am proud to be an American.
God bless the USA.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gerald Schwartz, Foothills
Who do you trust?
A recent LTE published 2/22/25 commented on DOGE access to personal information held by the US Government and the Treasury department in particular. It mentioned abuse by leaking of President Trump’s tax records. The abuse was not by a civil service employee but the employee of a third party, an IRS contractor. The individual also released the information of many other wealthy people. The individual received a five-year prison sentence last year. The Chair of the House Judiciary Committee asked the DOJ why the person was sentenced for only the one case. If the letter writer is interested, it all is online. As a former CPA I sometimes had to deal with both difficult IRS agents and clients. As for PayPal, it has had its share of problems with data release via third parties. That information is also online.
Gerald Schwartz
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Updated
Re: Voter’s remorse
I thank you, Mr. Taylor, for your letter expressing regret for your apparent vote for Trump. What I must say, however, is that you did vote for all the things you said you didn’t vote for. You heard Trump say he would pardon the J6 thugs. Did you miss that he views the Constitution/rule of law as merely annoying impediments to his grotesque impulses, and that he’s been dissing our allies and pandering to billionaires since forever? It was also clearly his intention to abandon Ukraine to please Putin. All this and worse. As for Musk, did you watch this lunatic prance around the campaign stage with Trump, and did you really think this would lead to anything good? Please help us understand how rational people like you could have observed all this and still have participated in the horror show we are all now experiencing.
Hope Gastelum
East side
Chaos ahead
Donald Trump says Ukraine started the war against Russia by invading Russia. Everyone knows that’s not true. Everyone knows Russia invaded Ukraine. So why aren’t Republicans contesting this? Why are they such cowards?
Trump needs to know, U.S. soldiers won’t turn against their families (parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews) if ordered to. They’ll turn against their leaders instead. This is America.
Jim Dreis
East side
Fired workers are honest and competent
Any person who has a sense of decency should be horrified at what is happening to our federal work force. They are being called members of the fictitious “Deep State,” fraudsters, incompetents, worms, vermin and more. They do not deserve this. They also do not deserve to be fired because they happened to be working for the federal government at this time.
Federal workers were recruited because they were the best and the brightest. They work hard at their jobs and do their best to make a positive difference. They have not done anything wrong. They are being sacrificed by a soulless president, his sadistic henchman and a spineless Congress who care little about the consequences.
Many will never work in government again, might lose their homes and have to move to another city. Our neighbors, friends and families are suffering for no reason. Anyone who voted for Trump shares responsibility for this cruelty — and Trump and Musk have only started. Who will be next?
Dave Abbott
Southeast side
Ukraine and democracy
By the most recent vote at the United Nations regarding Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine, the current rogue and utterly clueless administration just abdicated the United States of America’s role as the greatest and most powerful nation on earth. We just become a puppet of Putin, of Russia, and of their axis of evil co-conspirators. Just look up the countries that this UN vote aligned the US with. I am disgusted, embarrassed, and chagrined. To our worldwide, and especially European allies, please accept this patriot’s most sincere apology.
John Van Echo
West side
State “greeting”
Since our Arizona legislators are so busy with important business like coming up with a State “greeting”, how about instead of “Howdy” (which makes us sound like a bunch of Texans) we use something with more historical relevance like “Hola!” That seems far more appropriate.
I also came up with the idea that in order to serve in the Arizona Legislature, the representatives should have been born in Arizona. Maybe they would show a little more sensitivity to Arizona history and what makes us truly unique and beautiful.
Betsy Werhane
Northeast side
Musk, modern-day Simon Legree
A successful organization has a culture of camaraderie all striving for a cooperative common goal.
The Trump departments are now being run by dictators like Trump ... Trump’s way or the highway.
Musk waving the chainsaw is the epitome of Simon Legree waving his whip over his slaves.
Simon Legree, a name applied to somebody who forces others to work very hard and is often cruel to them.
Do as you’re told without using your brain or you’re fired?
With all this chaos, what kind of government are we going to soon endure?
Donald Plummer
Northwest side
Poor reporting and editing
Two recent Sports articles have perplexed me regarding editing and accompanying photos.
The Sunday Feb-21 lead article is the Rodeo livestock supplier’s battle to overcome devastating animal losses in 2024 in order to support Tucson’s 100th anniversary rodeo. Instead of a current photo showing their livestock at the 2025 rodeo, the Star uses an 8-year-old photo (2017) showing a horse biting another horse. What was the purpose of that photo? Surely your photographer could go to the grounds for a current photo.
In Feb-17 article reports Arizona women’s basketball strong effort against TCU, albeit in a losing cause. The article compliments players’ efforts — Skylar Jones, Paulina Paris and Lauryn Swann. Yet the accompanying photo and caption is from a completely different game on January 11, saying Paulina sheds a few tears in final five minutes. That’s no compliment to the TCU game effort.
These are but 2 examples of poor reporting, editing and photography that is becoming too common in the Star.
Jim Cummins
Midtown
Resist dismantling of democracy
Our democracy is clearly under attack. We cannot stand by as the institutions of our democracy are dismantled. Eliminating watchdogs and wholesale gutting of departments is only creating more inefficiencies. The current “bull in the china shop” approach will not end well. We the people cannot remain silent as “shock and awe” undoes decades of good government. We must speak up, organize, some must take a leadership role to resist this ongoing demise of our Democracy and freedoms. It is a takeover of our government by billionaires and oligarchs. Have no illusions, they do not have your best interests at heart. They are driven by the quest for power, plain and simple. Call, email, write your representative. Attend town halls, school boards, community meetings and make your voices heard. The only thing necessary for this evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Do not sell our Democracy and freedoms for the price of a dozen eggs or a gallon of gas.
James Stehn
Southwest side
Reply to “Voter’s remorse”
You say that you voted for “Magas.” Hmm, somehow I missed “Magas” as an option on the ballot. No, you voted for Trump. And everything that you complain about, Trump promised to do. So that means that somehow you didn’t know that. How did you miss that? Maybe you didn’t know that Fox news is not a news show, but is, in fact, an entertainment show. I don’t know if there is a cure for your level of ignorance. You voted for a known monster and that is what you got.
Sidney Hall
Oro Valley
Comic section revision request
I read your Sunday Arizona Daily Star, Editor McCumber, and was delighted with your decision that what we’ve been reading is not the “new normal.” Further along in your writing, I celebrated another promise to loyal readers: “You want all the features you love…and we will not stop working until we bring everything back to you.”
Recently, I submitted a letter to the Star, requesting that the dated, obsolete cartoon page drawings, characters, and situations be shelved. I do not read and recycle on delivery.
Please return the cartoonists of today that you featured before. These “astute” artists’ and observers’ imaginations deliver characters and situations that are more true “funnies” of the world today, which would surely increase your subscribers’ laughs and giggles and also expand your newspaper’s comic section.
Deborah Clifford Gessaman
Northwest side
Who are we?
It’s obvious where our country is headed. Just look at what the president has accomplished in one, short month: Removed guardrails and installed loyalists, particularly in the military. Neutered the legislative branch & threatened to defy court orders. Betrayed allies, and voted with Russia, North Korea & Belarus.
This is not making America great again. This is the “To Do” list of an aspiring dictator.
How do we stop the assault on our Republic? We must act, and act quickly:
1. Do not spend a dime on Friday, 2/28 and on every “Economic Blackout” date that will follow. If you can also miss work on those days, do so.
2. Contact our political leaders. Urge Republicans to vote with their Democratic colleagues. Unless these “leaders” prefer to serve a king, rather than their constituents, they must honor their oath to our Constitution. In order to preserve our Republic, we just need a few Republicans, in both Houses of Congress, to show some moral courage.
Before it’s too late.
Leslie Kanberg
Downtown
Really? Voter’s remorse
Excuse me while I wipe away my crocodile tears for the dispirited Mr. Taylor who has had a come-to-God moment a tad too late regarding his complicity in empowering the Trump regime. As the enchantment of Trump’s magic spell begins to wither, repentant MAGA dupes like him now find themselves desperately seeking exoneration for the cascade of recent events they claim have caught them by surprise. After all, all they wanted was less government, fewer non-American neighbors and cheaper eggs. It’s unfair, to be sure, to blame them for having been bewitched into facilitating the squandering of our democracy over shortsighted expedients.
But despite his claim of support for a mandate other than the one that has emerged, his feigned bewilderment at having been bamboozled by this blatant huckster-in-chief fails to muster much sympathy among those of us who declined to drink the Kool-Aid.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Didn’t realize?
Re “voter’s remorse” in 2/24 letters to the editor.
While I’m glad to see supporters of Trump maybe finally getting it, I have no sympathy for those who have responsibility for the chaos that has already occurred and worse yet to come.
What amazes me is that the letter writer and others have said they didn’t realize what Trump intended to do.
Everything he’s doing he said he would do during the campaign — just like Hitler did in the 1920s. Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.
So, contrary to Mr. Taylor’s letter, he did vote for the pardon of people who assaulted police, and for a billionaire to enlist his buddies to feather their nests and all the rest.
Glad to see you’re finally getting the message but frankly you and the other Trumpers deserve everything that’s likely to happen.
Let’s just hope the center holds.
Larry Fleischman
North side
Tucson rodeo
I wish the Arizona Daily Star along with the City of Tucson and Pima County would stop promoting the Tucson Rodeo. This activity is a bad tradition because it abuses animals. The pain and suffering these animals go through is totally unnecessary. Hopefully, people will look at the rodeo for what it is and stop going to see animals treated in a cruel and inhumane fashion.
Hal Holtkamp
Southwest side
- Teresa Jenkins, SaddleBrooke
Because Russian president Putin is worshipped by the U.S. president, the security of Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe has become uncertain. Ukraine was attacked and lost thousands of troops but was not invited to a meeting to end that war. As a result, Putin has been empowered to attack the Baltic states and Poland.
The Secretary of Defense told European allies Ukrainian territories taken by the Russians would not be returned. Not only was Ukraine sidelined, but also European leaders as Ukraine is their neighbor and ally.
Our president has disrespected Colombia, claimed Canada has no right to exist, suggested seizing the Panama Canal and Greenland, and threatened tariffs on Mexico. All of which endangers long-held alliances that have made the world safe.
Almost overnight the U.S. has become a gangster nation, stabbing our allies in the back, and tarnishing our national character.
Tyranny requires fear and compliance. Speak out. Raise awareness. Our country needs us.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Patricia Scanlan, Oro Valley
I read with interest Representative Ciscomani's newsletter of Feb. 20, 2025. Addressing the recent flurry of EOs he wrote:
"While Congress, as the Legislative Branch, is charged with writing and passing legislation, this process is often deliberative and drawn out. EOs are a tool for the President to deliver on their promises and start implementing their agenda from day one."
This statement says to me that the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, both of which have a Republican majority, do not choose to work as a third branch in our government. Sounds like the U.S. legislature is sidestepping its responsibility. Perhaps Ciscomani and other legislators do not wish to challenge their president. The more than 75 Executive Orders that have been issued are about creating chaos and selectively targeting our country's people. It's time that Ciscomani and others take their responsibilities to represent their constituents seriously instead of kowtowing to a chaos-driven administration. And what about those grocery prices?
Patricia Scanlan
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Rick Jones, Downtown
We all know that some people “don’t suffer fools lightly.” But what about the fools themselves? Should they suffer? As it relates to the fools that voted for Trump, the answer is yes. The following fools, and more, should suffer with the rest of us:
*The fools that voted for him because they thought culture war issues should be our highest national priority.
*The fools who believed he could reduce egg & gas prices, and inflation itself, by simply waving his Magical Thinking wand.
*The foolish citizens with immigrants in their families who somehow believed his policies would never affect them.
*The foolish Arab-Americans, so mad at Biden/Harris, who somehow believed he would be better for Palestine.
*The foolish federal employees who never thought his arbitrary cuts would affect them.
*Any fool who believes tariffs can magically fund the government.
*And sadly, many more.
The court jester has become the king, thanks to the fools, and suffering is the new coin of the realm. Time to pay up.
Rick Jones
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Mary Zimmerman, SaddleBrooke
This past Tuesday, after golfing all morning, Trump signed another executive order stating that only he or his Attorney General can say what the law is. He obviously never heard of the separation of powers where the Judicial Branch interprets what the laws and the Constitution of the United States says. This goes right along with his post of himself wearing a crown and gleefully stating, "long live the king!" I know he promised all you Trump voters a prosperous MAGA paradise, but is this really the path you want our country to take? You were warned so many times. Democrats did everything but set their hair on fire and hold up a sign. It's too late for an "I told you so." All of us, no matter what our political affiliation, are living with this horror, and we have to resist in any way we can.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Hollis Moore, Oro Valley
Where else but in America can an unrepentant draft dodger enter an elected office that has the power to summarily discharge professional, accomplished, patriotic, and competent servicemen and servicewomen to fit his undemocratic and anti-America agenda? But then, we knew before that Trump was a low-level coward for whom self-interest was the driving force. His phony salutes are an affront to everyone who has worn the uniform. Piss off, Donald.
Hollis Moore
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Richard Kimball, South Tucson
Van Winkle!
Wake me up in 20 years when the wicked are dead and I can know that democracy pulled through.
229 years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote “All men are created equal” and enterprise by the free was unleashed on a global scale. There is not one of us that would not marvel at what came of it.
List what advances you can those first 250,000 years of despots and compare it with the last 000.01% of it, when free. Any list would make those first 250,000 years seem devoid of advance in either human comfort, health, convenience, or nourishment. Life today is with benefits beyond the imaginations of all those before, claiming to be above the law. This relationship between freedom and despotism isn’t coincidence.
Pride in our forebears should ooze from every American pore while the return of a despot boil everyone’s blood.
I’m going to doze off now, but with a hacksaw, on the chance I wake in prison.
.
Richard Kimball
South Tucson
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Douglas R. Holm, East side
President Donald Trump is rude, a liar and an egotist; but many people don't understand that he also is a very shrewd negotiator. Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino has made a quick concession to head off the possibility of the U.S. taking back the Panama Canal by force. Molino said Panama will not renew China's Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, when it expires in 2027. Trump is doing the same thing in Canada and Gaza. He said Canada will be our 51st state and the U.S. will take a long-term ownership interest in Gaza. I predict Trump, the negotiator, will settle with some substantial long-term benefits for the U.S. in both of these areas.
Douglas R. Holm
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Kathleen Dubbs, West side
According to a Government Accountability Office report in 2019 (who knows if this office even exists anymore), each trip Trump takes to play golf at one of his properties costs the taxpayers $3.38 million. That means that since he took office this year we, the taxpayers, have paid $10.7 million for the nine trips he has taken. Since he has handed over governing duties to Elon Musk, I expect he will be spending even more time at his favorite pastime, where he charges the Secret Service exorbitant fees to house its agents in the resorts he owns.
For some reason, this irritates me no end. The rest of the stuff he and Musk are doing is ruining the country and disrupting the world order, but that is too much to contemplate. It's the massive grift that gets my blood boiling.
Kathleen Dubbs
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Richard Bechtold, West side
I saw Musk on TV waving around a shiny chainsaw bragging about how he is cutting employees out of the government. Government employees were hired to do a job just like anyone else who applies, interviews and gets a job. Musk is making fun of people who now have no income, no health insurance, no money to feed their kids, and will probably lose the home they live in. Federal employees didn't cause the national deficit. Musk sees the money, but not the people. Musk is the most heartless person I know, except for Trump, who put Musk in a position to hurt so many people. Have you ever lost a job? It is the most gut-wrenching experience a person can have. All of a sudden, a person has lost whatever they had dreamed of doing with their life. Musk's Karma will be a giant payback for being heartless.
Richard Bechtold
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Jose Salgado, Northeast side
Our very savvy President Trump wants to limit or stop the US from building electric charging stations because he wants to drill, drill, drill. He wants gas-driven vehicles.
Then our very savvy President wants to buy $400 million worth of armored Tesla trucks.
Maybe he doesn’t realize that Tesla trucks are electric vehicles. Are we going to have these things stuck along our roads because of dead batteries?
Remember this is the guy whose businesses has filed for bankruptcy six times. Do we want him to make business decisions?
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- John Taylor, Green Valley
I voted for Magas.
I did not vote for pardoning cop beaters, nor ignoring the Constitution, nor abandoning our allies, nor coveting foreign lands, nor billionaires to buy the presidency, nor the president to mandate "Elon muck
up the government."
I am disappointed that Johnson, Thune,
and the magas continue to guzzle "nospineatol."
As conservative Republicans who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law we must organize and primary every Maga candidate in the 2026 election. By then the president's endorsement will be worthless. Maga leadership realizes they will lose the House in 2026. They will screw with the voting. They will try to cancel the elections or not certify the loss of a Maga candidate. Be prepared for this eventuality.
Please consider avoiding: X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, Facebook, Amazon and any company whose billionaire contributed to purchase of our president.
If we have to partner with centrist Democrats to defeat the Magas, so be it.
John Taylor
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Norma Reis, West side
As a microbiologist who proudly served our heroic veterans for 33 years, I am appalled at the future of our health care system. Access to public health related information is now being curtailed or denied by Trump. He is silencing our government agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and NIH among others in order to prevent Americans from knowledge of any health issues. Remember Trump's recommendation to drink bleach and insert a light inside the body to kill the Covid 19 virus? Now, RF Kennedy, a brain-dead drug addict with no knowledge of even basic health issues, has been confirmed as our national health secretary.
What a disgrace.
Norma Reis
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Kim Miklofsky Bayne, Foothills
For decades, Americans have paid into Social Security under the promise that it would be there when they needed it. It’s not a handout — it’s an earned benefit, a commitment to future stability. Now, Musk and Trump aim to break that promise.
Despite his endless claims of protecting Social Security, Trump handed Musk the power to gut it, along with Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance, all so billionaires can pocket even more tax breaks.
Musk is running the classic MAGA con: Invent a fake crisis, flood the zone with lies, and use it as cover to dismantle programs millions rely on. This is a bipartisan issue: Red-state voters, who depend on Social Security the most, will be hit just as hard, if not harder.
Social Security belongs to the people who paid for it — not to billionaires on a looting spree.
Kim Miklofsky Bayne
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Dr Pamela Farris, Oro Valley
I called my congressman and told him that Musk defunded the Blount Alzheimer’s Research Center. Blount was a longtime GOP Senator. Also Musk defunded St Jude’s Children’s Hospital which does cancer research for kids, especially on leukemia. Over 70% of the leukemia research findings are based on research from a 3-yr-old girl whose parents, Barbara and George, donated her body so other families and children wouldn’t have to go through this. George Herbert Walker Bush went on to become President. The girl’s brother, George, also became President and he invested taxpayer money in prevention of HIV virus spreading and feeding the poor in Africa via USAID.
Alzheimer’s, cancer, and HIV political issues. All of us know people who’ve been affected by these horrible diseases. Research is needed to save lives and billions of dollars in treatments.
Please share with your Congressman.
Dr Pamela Farris
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Updated
Voter’s remorse
I voted for Magas.
I did not vote for pardoning cop beaters, nor ignoring the Constitution, nor abandoning our allies, nor coveting foreign lands, nor billionaires to buy the presidency, nor the president to mandate “Elon muck up the government.”
I am disappointed that Johnson, Thune, and the Magas continue to guzzle “nospineatol.”
As conservative Republicans who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law we must organize and primary every Maga candidate in the 2026 election. By then the president’s endorsement will be worthless. Maga leadership realizes they will lose the House in 2026. They will screw with the voting. They will try to cancel the elections or not certify the loss of a Maga candidate. Be prepared for this eventuality.
Please consider avoiding: X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, Facebook, Amazon and any company whose billionaire contributed to purchase of our president.
If we have to partner with centrist Democrats to defeat the Magas, so be it.
John Taylor
Green Valley
Reply to Tucson car dealers on 414
Well Neil, there’s a simple solution; move out of the City where “many” of your customers live.
Tucsonans vote for sales taxes to improve our quality of life and become a smarter, more economically vibrant City. By passing Prop 414 and defeating RTA Next we keep our tax rate at 8.7% and generate $800 million to fund a comprehensive list of municipal projects that leverage even greater participation from the non-profit sector.
The car dealers’ shilling for RTA Next is patently misleading to get Tucson voters to subsidize suburban road widening outside of Tucson. The RTA plan is nothing more than a wish list of projects from each regional jurisdiction in search of a sales tax funding source.
RTA has no regional vision for what a 21st Century regional transportation system should look like. Only the City of Tucson has engaged in planning for our increasingly uncertain future and identified social fairness and climate/energy challenges as key to future mobility and overall quality of life.
Robert Cook
Midtown
Musk cut Alzheimer’s and kids’ cancer research
I called my congressman and told him that Musk defunded the Blount Alzheimer’s Research Center. Blount was a longtime GOP Senator. Also Musk defunded St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital which does cancer research for kids, especially on leukemia. Over 70% of the leukemia research findings are based on research from a 3-year-old girl whose parents, Barbara and George, donated her body so other families and children wouldn’t have to go through this. George Herbert Walker Bush went on to become President. The girl’s brother, George, also became President and he invested taxpayer money in prevention of HIV virus spreading and feeding the poor in Africa via USAID.
Alzheimer’s, cancer, and HIV political issues. All of us know people who’ve been affected by these horrible diseases. Research is needed to save lives and billions of dollars in treatments.
Please share with your Congressman.
Dr Pamela Farris
Oro Valley
No on Prop 414 — Tucson can do better
As a property manager, I see firsthand how Tucson housing policies impact both renters & homeowners. Prop 414 may have good intentions, it will ultimately hurt the people it aims to help by increasing housing costs & discouraging property investment.
To promote affordable housing & expand options for renters, we must reject Prop 414. This measure not only imposes a tax increase that burdens renters with higher living costs, but small landlords who provide much of our community’s housing, could pass on the increased costs, further straining tenants already struggling to afford everyday necessities. Increased regulations & financial burdens on housing providers lead to fewer rental options & higher prices for tenants, including fixed-income seniors. Instead of making housing more accessible, Prop 414 risks making it harder for families to find & afford a home.
We need real solutions that encourage housing supply & affordability, not tax increases that further burden renters while pushing property owners out of the market. To protect renters, seniors, and first-time homebuyers, I urge voters to reject Prop 414.
Susan Creedon
East side
Pentagon purge
Where else but in America can an unrepentant draft dodger enter an elected office that has the power to summarily discharge professional, accomplished, patriotic, and competent servicemen and servicewomen to fit his undemocratic and anti-America agenda? But then, we knew before that Trump was a low-level coward for whom self-interest was the driving force. His phony salutes are an affront to everyone who has worn the uniform. Piss off, Donald.
Hollis Moore
Oro Valley
Billionaires win, you lose
For decades, Americans have paid into Social Security under the promise that it would be there when they needed it. It’s not a handout — it’s an earned benefit, a commitment to future stability. Now, Musk and Trump aim to break that promise.
Despite his endless claims of protecting Social Security, Trump handed Musk the power to gut it, along with Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance, all so billionaires can pocket even more tax breaks.
Musk is running the classic MAGA con: Invent a fake crisis, flood the zone with lies, and use it as cover to dismantle programs millions rely on. This is a bipartisan issue: Red-state voters, who depend on Social Security the most, will be hit just as hard, if not harder.
Social Security belongs to the people who paid for it — not to billionaires on a looting spree.
Kim Miklofsky Bayne
Foothills
Back to the Middle Ages
As a microbiologist who proudly served our heroic veterans for 33 years, I am appalled at the future of our health care system. Access to public health related information is now being curtailed or denied by Trump. He is silencing our government agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and NIH among others in order to prevent Americans from knowledge of any health issues. Remember Trump’s recommendation to drink bleach and insert a light inside the body to kill the Covid-19 virus? Now, RF Kennedy, a brain-dead drug addict with no knowledge of even basic health issues, has been confirmed as our national health secretary.
What a disgrace.
Norma Reis
West side
This is how a coup starts
This past Tuesday, after golfing all morning, Trump signed another executive order stating that only he or his Attorney General can say what the law is. He obviously never heard of the separation of powers where the Judicial Branch interprets what the laws and the Constitution of the United States says. This goes right along with his post of himself wearing a crown and gleefully stating, “long live the king!” I know he promised all you Trump voters a prosperous MAGA paradise, but is this really the path you want our country to take? You were warned so many times. Democrats did everything but set their hair on fire and hold up a sign. It’s too late for an “I told you so.” All of us, no matter what our political affiliation, are living with this horror, and we have to resist in any way we can.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Pennies from heaven or hell
Boy Howdy! While the City of Tucson’s constituents are debating the merits of a measly half-cent sales tax increase to promote public safety, Sen. Jake Hoffman has introduced a taxation without representation scheme that is 10 times greater. He wants to tax money that is sent abroad and turn our law enforcement officers into bounty hunters. Who knows how or who would be responsible for monitoring the presumed cash flow. Thankfully, the chances of SB1111 passage are remote, but the message is clear. The MAGA crew is not conservative. They value neither family nor community. Their umbrellas are just upside down.
Sherry Ivester
Midtown
Rep. Ciscomani’s recent newsletter
I read with interest Representative Ciscomani’s newsletter of Feb. 20, 2025. Addressing the recent flurry of EOs he wrote:
“While Congress, as the Legislative Branch, is charged with writing and passing legislation, this process is often deliberative and drawn out. EOs are a tool for the President to deliver on their promises and start implementing their agenda from day one.”
This statement says to me that the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, both of which have a Republican majority, do not choose to work as a third branch in our government. Sounds like the U.S. legislature is sidestepping its responsibility. Perhaps Ciscomani and other legislators do not wish to challenge their president. The more than 75 Executive Orders that have been issued are about creating chaos and selectively targeting our country’s people. It’s time that Ciscomani and others take their responsibilities to represent their constituents seriously instead of kowtowing to a chaos-driven administration. And what about those grocery prices?
Patricia Scanlan
Oro Valley
Does he really know what he is doing?
Our very savvy President Trump wants to limit or stop the U.S. from building electric charging stations because he wants to drill, drill, drill. He wants gas-driven vehicles.
Then our very savvy President wants to buy $400 million worth of armored Tesla trucks.
Maybe he doesn’t realize that Tesla trucks are electric vehicles. Are we going to have these things stuck along our roads because of dead batteries?
Remember this is the guy whose businesses has filed for bankruptcy six times. Do we want him to make business decisions?
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
A national security failure
Because Russian president Putin is worshipped by the U.S. president, the security of Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe has become uncertain. Ukraine was attacked and lost thousands of troops but was not invited to a meeting to end that war. As a result, Putin has been empowered to attack the Baltic states and Poland.
The Secretary of Defense told European allies Ukrainian territories taken by the Russians would not be returned. Not only was Ukraine sidelined, but also European leaders as Ukraine is their neighbor and ally.
Our president has disrespected Colombia, claimed Canada has no right to exist, suggested seizing the Panama Canal and Greenland, and threatened tariffs on Mexico. All of which endangers long-held alliances that have made the world safe.
Almost overnight the U.S. has become a gangster nation, stabbing our allies in the back, and tarnishing our national character.
Tyranny requires fear and compliance. Speak out. Raise awareness. Our country needs us.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Musk’s chainsaw video
I saw Musk on TV waving around a shiny chainsaw bragging about how he is cutting employees out of the government. Government employees were hired to do a job just like anyone else who applies, interviews and gets a job. Musk is making fun of people who now have no income, no health insurance, no money to feed their kids, and will probably lose the home they live in. Federal employees didn’t cause the national deficit. Musk sees the money, but not the people. Musk is the most heartless person I know, except for Trump, who put Musk in a position to hurt so many people. Have you ever lost a job? It is the most gut-wrenching experience a person can have. All of a sudden, a person has lost whatever they had dreamed of doing with their life. Musk’s Karma will be a giant payback for being heartless.
Richard Bechtold
West side
Trump’s golf costs
According to a Government Accountability Office report in 2019 (who knows if this office even exists anymore), each trip Trump takes to play golf at one of his properties costs the taxpayers $3.38 million. That means that since he took office this year we, the taxpayers, have paid $10.7 million for the nine trips he has taken. Since he has handed over governing duties to Elon Musk, I expect he will be spending even more time at his favorite pastime, where he charges the Secret Service exorbitant fees to house its agents in the resorts he owns.
For some reason, this irritates me no end. The rest of the stuff he and Musk are doing is ruining the country and disrupting the world order, but that is too much to contemplate. It’s the massive grift that gets my blood boiling.
Kathleen Dubbs
West side
Fools’ paradise?
We all know that some people “don’t suffer fools lightly.” But what about the fools themselves? Should they suffer? As it relates to the fools that voted for Trump, the answer is yes. The following fools, and more, should suffer with the rest of us:
*The fools that voted for him because they thought culture war issues should be our highest national priority.
*The fools who believed he could reduce egg & gas prices, and inflation itself, by simply waving his Magical Thinking wand.
*The foolish citizens with immigrants in their families who somehow believed his policies would never affect them.
*The foolish Arab-Americans, so mad at Biden/Harris, who somehow believed he would be better for Palestine.
*The foolish federal employees who never thought his arbitrary cuts would affect them.
*Any fool who believes tariffs can magically fund the government.
*And sadly, many more.
The court jester has become the king, thanks to the fools, and suffering is the new coin of the realm. Time to pay up.
Rick Jones
Downtown
Trump the negotiator
President Donald Trump is rude, a liar and an egotist; but many people don’t understand that he also is a very shrewd negotiator. Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino has made a quick concession to head off the possibility of the U.S. taking back the Panama Canal by force. Molino said Panama will not renew China’s Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, when it expires in 2027. Trump is doing the same thing in Canada and Gaza. He said Canada will be our 51st state and the U.S. will take a long-term ownership interest in Gaza. I predict Trump, the negotiator, will settle with some substantial long-term benefits for the U.S. in both of these areas.
Douglas R. Holm
East side
Rip Van Winkle
Van Winkle!
Wake me up in 20 years when the wicked are dead and I can know that democracy pulled through.
229 years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote “All men are created equal” and enterprise by the free was unleashed on a global scale. There is not one of us that would not marvel at what came of it.
List what advances you can those first 250,000 years of despots and compare it with the last 000.01% of it, when free. Any list would make those first 250,000 years seem devoid of advance in either human comfort, health, convenience, or nourishment. Life today is with benefits beyond the imaginations of all those before, claiming to be above the law. This relationship between freedom and despotism isn’t coincidence.
Pride in our forebears should ooze from every American pore while the return of a despot boil everyone’s blood.
I’m going to doze off now, but with a hacksaw, on the chance I wake in prison.
Richard Kimball
South Tucson
- John Kromko, Downtown
Before he was president, Trump bragged that he could end the Ukraine war in one day. I scoffed. I didn't realize he meant he could surrender in one day.
John Kromko
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Frank Flasch, North side
Let's see, Boeing has been working for several years on 2 new Presidential planes. I can only imagine how many work change orders had to be dealt with before the final versions were agreed upon. With all these change orders can you imagine the challenges to Boeing? And lo and behold Boeing has either asked or more likely had Musk forced upon them to help with "project management." And by golly the wizard from the White House has pulled a rabbit out of his hat and suddenly the program is well on track. At least that is according to the CEO of Boeing. So you mean to tell me that Boeing does not have any of their own project managers? I think suddenly the Boeing CEO has been drinking the Kool-aid and realized that to stay in good standing with the "new occupant," they better be kissing Musk's you know what. Next thing will hear is that Boeing is being bought by SpaceX. Oh what tangled webs we weave.
Frank Flasch
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Judi Moreillon, Northeast side
For the last sixty years (since I was a high school student), every time I studied World War II and the Holocaust my reoccurring question has been: How could the “good” people of Germany do nothing to stop Adolf Hitler from exterminating millions of people and destroying their country?
Now, I’m beginning to understand.
Judi Moreillon
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Bea Quiroga, Midtown
Dear President Trump,
My Ancestry DNA says that I am 60% British. Does this mean that I will be deported to the UK? Maybe you should have everyone in the US submit the results of their DNA tests.
Only people who are 80% Native American will not be deported to their countries of DNA origin.
The Tribes could decide to grant work permits or voting rights to those allowed to stay!
I wonder which country you will be deported to: "Trump is the son, and grandson, of immigrants: German on his father’s side, and Scottish on his mother’s. None of his grandparents, and only one of his parents, was born in the United States or spoke English as their mother tongue. (His mother’s parents, from the remote Scottish Outer Hebrides, lived in a majority Gaelic-speaking community.)
Bea Quiroga
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Ellen Marshall, North side
I would like to express my gratitude to so many Star readers who have so eloquently expressed their disagreement with our current presidential administration. Thank you for calling out their many, many lies and self-serving actions that are hurting the American people, and for allowing an unelected person, Elon Musk, to make significant decisions to serve his own best interests. I could not have expressed this better myself, and I appreciate reading your letters and knowing that I am not alone.
Ellen Marshall
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Dianne Lethaby, East side
Instead of having all these signing ceremonies for his Executive Actions, why doesn't Trump just put an official Presidential Binder on Project 2025, sign it, and get it over with?
Dianne Lethaby
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Christie Cummins, Midtown
It is no surprise that Trump is now in his own war with Ukraine, a war of words. His lies and childish name-calling. He isn't able to end the war in 24 hours. That lie was to garner votes. It was never his intention to negotiate with anyone other than Putin to make that happen. Because of the embarrassing phone call with President Zelensky in 2019 when he asked him to "look into" Joe Biden and his son Hunter, this is Trump's revenge against Ukraine, and a possible reason to ignore Ukraine's participation in a life-changing decision. Trump's presidency is about revenge and not responsibility. What gives Trump the right to manipulate another country's fate without their voice in that outcome?
Christie Cummins
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Updated
What’s the end game?
Representative Ciscomani appears to be a full supporter of the anti-American antics in Washington D.C., as he voted for the draconian Republican House budget which provides tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while severing a lifeline for many Americans. The new budget makes drastic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs. What is the end game here? Have the consequences of these decisions been considered? People who have received Medicaid will still need to see doctors, even when their funding is cut. Hospitals will end up bearing the burden of treating people without any reimbursement. Our already tenuous healthcare system will be stressed beyond its limits. What about the elderly whose nursing home stays are funded by Medicaid? Will they all be pushed out onto the street to fend for themselves? Will family members have to quit their jobs to care for their elderly relatives? How will they make ends meet? Are we making America great or just making America cruel?
Gina Chorover
Foothills
The war on women continues
Admiral Lisa Franchetti, highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy, was fired by Trump. Of the thousands of federal employees fired by Musk (many not on early probation), the majority in most departments were women. Locally, Tucson Rep. Rachel Keshel has proposed HR 2058, to overturn Prop 139 passed affirmatively by over 60% of Arizona voters in November, giving women a “fundamental right to abortion.” I assure Ms. Keshel that we were not “misled,” as she claims. We knew exactly what we were voting for. But somehow, we can’t convince Republicans that women have brains, can manage employees, do efficient work, run our households, emigrate to safety, and make appropriate choices about our lives, our bodies and our nation without government oppression. The pendulum will swing back; women will again begin to gain the power and respect they deserve. But: Who will lead us to equality? And the existential question: Can we ever forgive those who’ve so strategically taken it away?
Stephanie Cady
SaddleBrooke
Funding shortfall puts AZ disabled at risk
Are you aware of the funding shortfall in AZ putting DDD funding and programs at risk?
The Division of Developmental Disabilities is facing a severe budget shortfall, and without immediate legislative action, funding for all services could run out by May 2025.
Raising Voices Coalition provides an overview of the issues and provides sample templates you can use to write to Arizona state leaders.
Now is the time to make your voice heard. The decisions being made in the coming weeks will shape the future of disability services in Arizona, and your advocacy can make a real difference. By reaching out to state leaders, sharing your experiences, and raising awareness, we can help ensure that individuals with disabilities continue to receive the essential care they need.
As a concerned citizen and employment instructor for DDD members I implore you to encourage your members to help advocate for these important services by completing the call to action. Thank you.
Patricia Garza
Northwest side
UA’s despicable abandonment of DEI
I have resigned my position as a member of the Board of Visitors of the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona due to the University’s shameful and despicable abandonment of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I no longer wish to have my name associated with that institution. I urge other members of the UA Law School’s Board of Visitors to do the same.
Amelia Cramer
Downtown
No comment
At least 95% of your LTEs are anti-Trump and his policies. What is odd is that these submitters are mute on several obvious problems but focus only on bashing and character assentation. There are no comments regarding removing criminal illegal immigrants. No comments on the cost of sustaining 10 million-plus immigrants. No comments on simply enforcing our laws results in the current trickle of illegals. No comments on the published list of unbelievable, wasteful, idiotic and self-serving government spending, that in many cases may be fraudulent. No comments on mediocre trans men winning women’s sports championships. No comments on the need to curb federal spending to avoid financial collapse. No comments on the dire predictions of near-term world destruction due to climate warming. No comments on the wisdom of our current green energy policy, which has enriched those involved with no discernible positive results.
Loyal M Johnson Jr
Oro Valley
He would be king
Re: Feb. 24 letter This is how a coup starts”
Recently, a picture of Donald Trump wearing a crown was posted. It was framed to look like a Time magazine cover and included the words “long live the king.” Trump has already hinted that he wants a third presidential term.
Helen Murphy
Sierra Vista
Americans, wake up
Are we going to allow Trump and Musk to continue to ride roughshod over our Constitution, Congress and the law of the land?
Both are causing great hurt to the people. Republican or Democrat, it is time to call your Congressman and Senators to stand up and stop the carnage and vote for the people and not just their party.
Hal Brown
East side
Parasites
Musk, unelected, unaccountable and unrestrained, claims that those collecting from Social Security (for which we have all paid) and Medicare (for which we have all paid) and other social programs are parasites. But we’ve all paid our taxes. He and his cronies don’t pay taxes while we support the country. Moreover, major corporations, which also fail to pay taxes, receive major subsidies from the government. Who are the real parasites?
Barbara Benjamin
Foothills
Cabinet diversity
Trump just held the first cabinet meeting for his second term. His Cabinet members appeared to all be white. Only 60% of American citizens are white. Wouldn’t Trump do a better job if he were to appoint persons for his cabinet who better represent the American population?
Alan Roehl, P.E.
Green Valley
5 bullet points to ponder
1. What did you do regarding our elected (and unelected) Presidential team last week?
2. What can you do?
3. What will you do?
4. When will you do it?
5. What will you do to mitigate the damage?
It is unconscionable that the American people remain hostage to the whims and delusions of the current president, elected by a historically narrow plurality. The flurry of blatantly unconstitutional and outright illegal executive orders that continue to undermine our federal workforce and responsibility towards public lands, health, and safety must be decisively condemned by those elected to represent our collective best interests, and effective actions undertaken immediately to end this rampage against institutional knowledge.
All elected officials must be held accountable for allowing the ideology of the few to chaotically disrupt so many innocent lives. The consequential costs associated with the subsequent lawsuits and ongoing court battles to overturn these inept ideas should not be paid by the American public, but by those who have remained complicit in their implementation.
Camille Kershner
East side
Who is to blame?
You know the trade agreement Trump is complaining about — the one that supposedly gives Canada and Mexico better benefits than the United States receives? Well, it was signed into law by Donald Trump when he was president in 2020. Biden never touched it in the four years he was president. Just a reminder.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Intolerance in today’s society
I am amazed at the reaction to the bigotry displayed by a group of young people at McKale Center towards the BYU basketball team. Our children are merely a reflection of us. Welcome to the “Not So Brave World” of intolerance and fear that we have created. It is a real shame that the “World’s Greatest Generation” was followed by one of the worst, a mass of spoiled brats who were incessantly catered to and indulged, a generation who has used gender, race and religion to divide a nation in order to make sure that “I get mine.” How can you tell if you are a sheep in the fold? Take a simple test. A national brand of mattresses has been running ads since last November, you know the one, “How well do you sleep at night” — I changed this a bit as not to infringe on any copyright regulations. If you find these ads witty and “spot on” you are part of the problem!
Allen West
Oro Valley
All that glitters
Trump is promoting a gold (green) card for $5 million, with a path to citizenship. Says the proceeds will be used to pay off the $36 trillion debt. So, he seeks to invite 7,200,000 immigrants into the United States. Fortunately, if they have $5 million per person, they won’t be taking our wage-slave jobs.
Who is willing to pay for this Gold Card? Not most businesspeople. The U.S. taxes global income, wherever it’s earned. Most other countries tax territorial income, income earned in country only. So, who wants to pay more taxes?
However, criminals and crooked politicians might see this as a favorable option. They could see the US as a safe haven considering our Bill of Rights.
Again, Trump is playing checkers on a chessboard!
James Abels
East side
DEI is dead
The postgame chant from the Arizona student section at the UA BYU basketball game was ‘F — the Mormons’ between rhythmic claps. This is a disgrace for our university and our community.
Yet we read in the Star that 1,500 students, faculty and others have signed their names to a petition calling on UA to reinstate diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in face of Trump administration pressure.
With the UA in the midst of budget crisis do you 1,500 petitioners believe that the annual $1.6M DEI expenditures from the university’s general operating budget are producing any tangible results? I think not.
Trump is right.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Legislators do not represent all Arizonans
So we climate activists were thinking that a town hall by a Republican legislator could produce some meaningful face-to-face frank talk, so that legislator could see firsthand his constituents’ outrage at the climate horror show in Washington DC — coming faster than you can imagine to your doorstep and monthly utility bills.
That was wishful thinking — not that a town hall was out of the question — but that any constituent objections to White House climate actions would mean anything. An Arizona Public Media morning radio show interview with an Arizona legislator floated that town hall idea and the response? Paraphrasing, “it’s the Democrats that will show up to the town hall and their vote doesn’t mean anything to us, so sure we’ll have a town hall.”
Yeah it’s no real surprise but it’s plainly not what a legislator is there to do —represent all constituents. There’s no listening, no weighing, no nothing if it’s a Democrat. Your vote, your voice, your feeling, they mean nothing. Winner take all.
Rick Rappaport
Oro Valley
U of A basketball chant
U of A students chanted anti-Morman insults following the basketball game with BYU recently. U of A fans, BYU fans, members of the LDS Church and others denounced the display of rude and vile chanting by some in the U of A student section. Everyone agreed that it was a terrible thing to witness, but not one letter to the Star asked the obvious question, “Why would the students do such a thing?”
The reason for the behavior is racism in the scripture of the LDS Church and the application of that racism in the early athletic programs at BYU. It wasn’t until 1978 that LDS scripture finally reversed the belief that black people were cursed by God and thus not equal to whites within the Church. Black men were not eligible for admission to the priesthood due to the curse. That fact bled into BYU athletics prior to and after 1978.
University students are notoriously less forgiving about subjects such as racism, and students are much less likely to forgive and move on.
James Gilbert
Green Valley
An open letter to Rep. Ciscomani
By 50.0% vs. 47.3% margin, you were elected Arizona’s 6th Congressional District’s representative. You voted for the GOP budget plan. Based on your statement on the need to defend and even grow the safety nets for our citizens, I take you to be a person of integrity, i.e. you to have a clear mind to follow truths instead of lies and a courageous heart to fight for justice and mercy. Hence, I ask:
1) Will you vote in favor of those whose lives would be robbed by the cutting of the safety nets such as Medicare, Medicaid, and USAID? 2) Will you expose and resist publicly all governmental violations of our Constitution, e.g., the legitimacy of Elon Musk? 3) Will you hold regular town hall meetings to listen to your constituents?
Your words and deeds will be your judge (Matthew 25:32-45). I pray for your soul, even if you might have already sold it for a price, for I believe in repentance.
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
Burning down our homes
HB2201 sponsored by Republican Gail Griffin will exempt utilities from litigation as long as they have a wildfire mitigation “plan.” Further: “a failure to comply with an approved Plan does not constitute negligence per se.” Our precious homes are losing all protections: 1) a utility with a “plan” cannot be sued for damages even if they cause them; 2) Trump and his Muskrats are doing away with agencies such as FEMA which could offer remediation; 3) tax cuts will make it difficult for governments to assist with restoration; 4) insurance companies in disaster prone areas can leave or charge exorbitant rates; and 5) our Corporation Commission overseeing utilities is majority Republican.
Republican mega-donors are using our elected officials to protect themselves from liability for bad actions; and to protect their profits from oversight and taxes. Please take action. Call, write, RTS, picket and/or donate to assure Republicans voting in lock step with billionaires are called to account and the bill doesn’t pass the AZ Senate. Thank you!
Dee Maitland
Marana
Voter’s remorse response
Regarding Feb. 26 LTEs from Bruce Kaplan and neighbor Deb Klumpp: I generally agree with what they said in response to John Taylor’s LTE about his MAGA voter’s remorse. The Star has published my own letters predicting what Trump would do if he won re-election — address his retribution issues and demanded loyalty first, before the important issues noted by voters (inflation, economy, support for Ukraine, climate change awareness, etc). Even I did not predict DOGE or pardons for Jan. 6 criminals. I cannot grasp how so many Americans were oblivious to his stated and predictable behavior once left to his own devices with GOP-oriented Legislative and Judicial branches no longer acting as a check/balance.
That aside, I respect Mr. Taylor admitting his voter’s remorse knowing the pending backlash he would receive in this forum. I would pray our state and federal political representatives would have the backbone to admit their mistakes and grow from them. Our president sure won’t.
Gary Simons
Oro Valley
Sequel to trickle down in production now
Regardless of policy changes in other areas, tax cuts for corporations and the rich are always on the Republican agenda. To make this palatable to the non-rich, “trickle-down theory” has been invoked since the Reagan presidency. Basic idea: giving more money to these folks will lead to major economic growth, more jobs and eventually higher wages. Although this may sound plausible, research shows that it doesn’t work.
Generally, income inequality increases, the deficit increases if cuts are financed by debt, and demand, which drives GDP growth, is reduced if cuts are financed by cutting programs that benefit the middle and lower classes. In addition, detailed study shows that any money that “trickles” down overwhelmingly benefits upper-tier corporate employees.
If Trump’s tax cuts are extended, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that modest growth would offset 6% of the 4-trillion-dollar cost, but the added cost to service the increase in debt would be three times as large.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
- Arthur Sajecki, East side
Where have we gone? For the price of over $200 million, you can buy a President. For a mere $5 million you can buy citizenship and the right to vote. Are those who can afford to come up with the bucks going to be truly productive in the interest of the majority of the American people? Russian oligarchs, and others who can buy in, will be empowered to influence our lawmakers and would be kings through unrestricted access. Is this what the American people voted for? The fools who voted for Trump: Don't express voter remorse at this point.
Arthur Sajecki
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- David Robbins, Foothills
To: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people
On behalf of the more than 50% of voters who did not send Trump to the White House, I apologize most sincerely for the behavior of the malignant, malevolent individual in the Oval Office, and also for the behavior of his toadying lickspittles. This particular president of the US deserves no respect at the personal level and is forfeiting whatever respect adheres to him by virtue of his office.
For those who have read some history, Trump's behavior toward Zelenskyy is similar to that of Hitler toward Benes, the president of Czechoslovakia, immediately after the British and French sold the Czechs out at Munich.
Disgusting. It makes me want to vomit it all up, just like Jan 6 did.
David Robbins
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Barbara Hall, Midtown
Regardless of policy changes in other areas, tax cuts for corporations and the rich are always on the Republican agenda. To make this palatable to the non-rich, "trickle-down theory" has been invoked since the Reagan presidency. Basic idea: giving more money to these folks will lead to major economic growth, more jobs and eventually higher wages. Although this may sound plausible, research shows that it doesn’t work.
Generally, income inequality increases, the deficit increases if cuts are financed by debt, and demand, which drives GDP growth, is reduced if cuts are financed by cutting programs that benefit the middle and lower classes. In addition, detailed study shows that any money that "trickles" down overwhelmingly benefits upper-tier corporate employees.
If Trump’s tax cuts are extended, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that modest growth would offset 6% of the 4-trillion-dollar cost, but the added cost to service the increase in debt would be three times as large.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gary Simons, Oro Valley
Regarding Feb. 26 LTEs from Bruce Kaplan and neighbor Deb Klumpp: I generally agree with what they said in response to John Taylor’s LTE about his MAGA voter’s remorse. The Star has published my own letters predicting what Trump would do if he won re-election – address his retribution issues and demanded loyalty first, before the important issues noted by voters (inflation, economy, support for Ukraine, climate change awareness, etc). Even I did not predict DOGE or pardons for January 6 criminals. I cannot grasp how so many Americans were oblivious to his stated and predictable behavior once left to his own devices with GOP-oriented Legislative and Judicial branches no longer acting as a check/balance.
That aside, I respect Mr. Taylor admitting his voter’s remorse knowing the pending backlash he would receive in this forum. I would pray our state and federal political representatives would have the backbone to admit their mistakes and grow from them. Our president sure won’t.
Gary Simons
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Ke Chiang Hsieh, Midtown
By 50.0% vs. 47.3% margin, you were elected Arizona’s 6th Congressional District’s representative. You voted for the GOP budget plan. Based on your statement on the need to defend and even grow the safety nets for our citizens, I take you to be a person of integrity, i.e. you to have a clear mind to follow truths instead of lies and a courageous heart to fight for justice and mercy. Hence, I ask:
1) Will you vote in favor of those whose lives would be robbed by the cutting of the safety nets such as Medicare, Medicaid, and USAID? 2) Will you expose and resist publicly all governmental violations of our Constitution, e.g., the legitimacy of Elon Musk? 3) Will you hold regular town-hall meetings to listen to your constituents?
Your words and deeds will be your judge (Matthew 25:32-45). I pray for your soul, even if you might have already sold it for a price, for I believe in repentance.
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Helen Murphy, Sierra Vista
Re: 2-24-25 letter This is how acoup starts"
Recently a picture of Donald Trump wearing a crown was posted. It was framed to look like a Time magazine cover and included the words "long live the king." Trump has already hinted that he wants a third presidential term.
Helen Murphy
Sierra Vista
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- James Abels, East side
Trump is promoting a gold (green) card for $5,000,000, with a path to citizenship. Says the proceeds will be used to pay off the $36,000,000,000,000 debt. So, he seeks to invite 7,200,000 immigrants into the United States. Fortunately, if they have $5,000,000 per person, they won’t be taking our wage-slave jobs.
Who is willing to pay for this Gold Card? Not most businesspeople. The US taxes global income, wherever it’s earned. Most other countries tax territorial income, income earned in country only. So, who wants to pay more taxes?
However, criminals and crooked politicians might see this as a favorable option. They could see the US as a safe haven considering our Bill of Rights.
Again, Trump is playing checkers on a chess board!
James Abels
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gina Chorover, Foothills
Representative Ciscomani appears to be a full supporter of the anti-American antics in Washington DC as he voted for the draconian Republican House budget which provides tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while severing a lifeline for many Americans. The new budget makes drastic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs. What is the end game here? Have the consequences of these decisions been considered? People who have received Medicaid will still need to see doctors, even when their funding is cut. Hospitals will end up bearing the burden of treating people without any reimbursement. Our already tenuous healthcare system will be stressed beyond its limits. What about the elderly whose nursing home stays are funded by Medicaid? Will they all be pushed out onto the street to fend for themselves? Will family members have to quit their jobs to care for their elderly relatives? How will they make ends meet? Are we making America great or just making America cruel?
Gina Chorover
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Barbara Benjamin, Foothills
Musk, unelected, unaccountable and unrestrained, claims that those collecting from Social Security (for which we have all paid) and Medicare (for which we have all paid) and other social programs are parasites. But we've all paid our taxes. He and his cronies don't pay taxes while we support the country. Moreover, major corporations, which also fail to pay taxes, receive major subsidies from the government. Who are the real parasites?
Barbara Benjamin
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Cynthia Schiesel, East side
You know the trade agreement Trump is complaining about -- the one that supposedly gives Canada and Mexico better benefits than the United States receives? Well, it was signed into law by Donald Trump when he was president in 2020. Biden never touched it in the 4 years he was president. Just a reminder.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Alan Roehl, P.E., Green Valley
Trump just held the first cabinet meeting for his second term. His Cabinet members appeared to all be white. Only 60% of American citizens are white. Wouldn’t Trump do a better job if he were to appoint persons for his cabinet who better represent the American population?
Alan Roehl, P.E.
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Camille Kershner, East side
1- What did you do to regarding our elected (and unelected) Presidential team last week?
2- What can you do?
3- What will you do?
4- When will you do it?
5- What will you do to mitigate the damage?
It is unconscionable that the American people remain hostage to the whims and delusions of the current president, elected by a historically narrow plurality. The flurry of blatantly unconstitutional and outright illegal executive orders that continue to undermine our federal workforce and responsibility towards public lands, health, and safety must be decisively condemned by those elected to represent our collective best interests, and effective actions undertaken immediately to end this rampage against institutional knowledge.
All elected officials must be held accountable for allowing the ideology of the few to chaotically disrupt so many innocent lives. The consequential costs associated with the subsequent lawsuits and ongoing court battles to overturn these inept ideas should not be paid by the American public, but by those who have remained complicit in their implementation.
Camille Kershner
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Loyal M Johnson Jr, Oro Valley
At least 95 percent of your LTEs are anti-Trump and his policies. What is odd is that these submitters are mute on several obvious problems but focus only on bashing and character assentation. There are no comments regarding removing criminal illegal immigrants. No comments on the cost of sustaining 10 million plus immigrants. No comments on simply enforcing our laws results in the current trickle of illegals. No comments on the published list of unbelievable, wasteful, idiotic, and self-serving government spending, that in many cases may be fraudulent. No comments on mediocre trans men winning women’s sports championships. No comments on the need to curb federal spending to avoid financial collapse. No comments on the dire predictions of near-term world destruction due to climate warming. No comments on the wisdom of our current green energy policy which has enriched those involved with no discernible positive results.
Loyal M Johnson Jr
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Hal Brown, East side
Are we going to allow Trump and Musk to continue to ride roughshod over our Constitution, Congress and the law of the land?
Both are causing great hurt to the people. Republican or Democrat, it is time to call your Congressman and Senators to stand up and stop the carnage and vote for the people and not just their party.
Hal Brown
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- N Thomas, East side
Today the President in Name Only made us part of the Axis of Evil and no longer leader of the free world. The shameful and nauseating ambush of President Zelenskyy showed absolutely that Trump and Vance and the Republicans are in bed with Putin, a bloody murderous dictator. Trump and Vance and the Republicans are lying cowards and traitors. Americans will not accept this. There will be consequences. I Stand With Ukraine and the United States of America.
N Thomas
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gary Simons, Oro Valley
My Loyal neighbor bemoans the plethora of letters against his beloved current president who has embarked on a slash/burn administration dedicated to dismantle our 2.5 century-old government that, while not always perfect, up to now, mostly strives to be.
His Feb. 28 diatribe laments that 95% of anti-Trump LTEs tend to bash his self-anointed king’s policies, and are mute on “obvious problems” including: removing criminal illegal immigrants, reducing wasteful or fraudulent government spending, destruction due to climate warming, or our green energy policy. I suggest he remove his blinders and actually read those letters. Most of us are for all of those ideas, but the effects of DOGEs “scorched earth” cuts are ill-planned, wasteful and un-American in my opinion, removing years of progress/promise.
Loyal friend: Defend pardoning all Jan. 6 criminals including Proud Boy and Oath Keeper leaders, belittling European allies and betraying sovereign Ukraine in favor of Putin/Russia, naming unqualified clowns to cabinet positions, tariffs to "improve" economy, etc.
Gary Simons
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Toni Kane, Oro Valley
I used to just stutter when reading Trump's executive orders, but now I get chilled to the bone. My country is under full-throttle attack by its most conservative citizens. Is there nothing going to be left alone and standing? This is meat-cleaver attack to minimize bureaucracy rather than thoughtful cost saving. Each day I think it cannot get worse, but it does.
Toni Kane
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Beth Dingman, Green Valley
Did I wake up and find out I was living in North Korea? The “supreme leader” has dictated that the Gulf of Mexico shall now be named Gulf of America and all schools are instantly required to comply. Is he going to change the name of Washington DC to Trumplandia next, or is that name reserved for the newly acquired Gaza?
And while he’s at it, he’s rewriting history. Students will no longer learn that even though slavery was abolished in 1863, blacks continued to suffer from state and federal discrimination for another 100 years. Let’s just erase the story of the fight for civil rights. Trump will probably turn Martin Luther King Day into Elon Musk Day.
Why deny the truth of history? All totalitarian regimes attempt to control knowledge. Mao’s communist party purged the universities and sent all the teachers to the countryside to be “re-educated.” Is that what we want America to become? A country whose history is defined by Donald Trump?
Beth Dingman
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
More like this...
- John Van Echo, West side
By the most recent vote at the United Nations regarding Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine, the current rogue and utterly clueless administration just abdicated the United States of America's role as the greatest and most powerful nation on earth. We just become a puppet of Putin, of Russia, and of their axis of evil co-conspirators. Just look up the countries that this UN vote aligned the US with. I am disgusted, embarrassed, and chagrined. To our worldwide, and especially European allies, please accept this patriot's most sincere apology.
John Van Echo
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Dave Abbott, Southeast side
Any person who has a sense of decency should be horrified at what is happening to our federal work force. They are being called members of the fictitious "Deep State," fraudsters, incompetents, worms, vermin and more. They do not deserve this. They also do not deserve to be fired because they happened to be working for the federal government at this time.
Federal workers were recruited because they were the best and the brightest. They work hard at their jobs and do their best to make a positive difference. They have not done anything wrong. They are being sacrificed by a soulless president, his sadistic henchman and a spineless Congress who care little about the consequences.
Many will never work in government again, might lose their homes and have to move to another city. Our neighbors, friends and families are suffering for no reason. Anyone who voted for Trump shares responsibility for this cruelty -- and Trump and Musk have only started. Who will be next?
Dave Abbott
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Robert Gavlak, Midtown
Excuse me while I wipe away my crocodile tears for the dispirited Mr. Taylor who has had a come-to-God moment a tad too late regarding his complicity in empowering the Trump regime. As the enchantment of Trump’s magic spell begins to wither, repentant MAGA dupes like him now find themselves desperately seeking exoneration for the cascade of recent events they claim have caught them by surprise. After all, all they wanted was less government, fewer non-American neighbors and cheaper eggs. It’s unfair, to be sure, to blame them for having been bewitched into facilitating the squandering of our democracy over shortsighted expedients.
But despite his claim of support for a mandate other than the one that has emerged, his feigned bewilderment at having been bamboozled by this blatant huckster-in-chief fails to muster much sympathy among those of us who declined to drink the Kool-Aid.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Larry Fleischman, North side
Re "voter's remorse" in 2/24 letters to the editor.
While I'm glad to see supporters of Trump maybe finally getting it, I have no sympathy for those who have responsibility for the chaos that has already occurred and worse yet to come.
What amazes me is that the letter writer and others have said they didn't realize what Trump intended to do.
Everything he's doing he said he would do during the campaign --just like Hitler did in the 1920s. Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
So, contrary to Mr. Taylor's letter, he did vote for the pardon of people who assaulted police, and for a billionaire to enlist his buddies to feather their nests and all the rest.
Glad to see you're finally getting the message but frankly you and the other Trumpers deserve everything that's likely to happen.
Let's just hope the center holds.
Larry Fleischman
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Melody Sears, North side
With the exception of a very few courageous souls, we have Republican majorities in House and Senate who so far seem unwilling? cowed? terrified? to combat the willful destruction of our government's administrative departments, and thus invite the ire of a president who has proven himself to care little about what this destruction will mean to the citizens he is supposed to protect.
Does this feel right to Congressional Republicans? Does it feel moral? Does it convince Republicans that it is OK to weaken our country, endanger the lives of our citizens, and show the world that the United States government doesn't much care about its own people?
Republicans: Find your inner constitution to defend the U.S. Constitution and refuse to be complicit!
Melody Sears
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Deb Klumpp, Oro Valley
Re: the Feb. 24 letter "Voter's Remorse". Mr. Taylor says he voted MAGA, but did NOT vote for pardoning cop beater thugs, ignoring the Constitution, abandoning allies, coveting other countries, billionaires buying the presidency, nor the president handing Musk free rein to wreak destruction on our country. I say that you and half the country did vote for this. You had to know. You should have known. It was your responsibility to know. Project 2025 was widely publicized. You saw Musk pouring many millions into Trump's campaign as he jumped up and down at rallies like the flaming fool he is. You saw all this yet still voted for Trump. Now, sit back and enjoy the show -- or not.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- James Stehn, Southwest side
Our democracy is clearly under attack. We cannot stand by as the institutions of our democracy are dismantled. Eliminating watchdogs and wholesale gutting of departments is only creating more inefficiencies. The current “bull in the china shop” approach will not end well. We the people cannot remain silent as “shock and awe” undoes decades of good government. We must speak up, organize, some must take a leadership role to resist this ongoing demise of our Democracy and freedoms. It is a takeover of our government by billionaires and oligarchs. Have no illusions, they do not have your best interests at heart. They are driven by the quest for power, plain and simple. Call, email, write your representative. Attend townhalls, schoolboards, community meetings and make your voices heard. The only thing necessary for this evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Do not sell our Democracy and freedoms for the price of a dozen eggs or a gallon of gas.
James Stehn
Southwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Donald Plummer, Northwest side
A successful organization has a culture of camaraderie all striving for a cooperative common goal.
The Trump departments are now being run by dictators like Trump... Trump's way or the highway.
Musk waving the chainsaw is the epitome of Simon Legree waving his whip over his slaves.
Simon Legree, a name applied to somebody who forces others to work very hard and is often cruel to them.
Do as you’re told without using your brain or you’re fired?
With all this chaos, what kind of government are we going to soon endure?
Donald Plummer
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Jim Dreis, East side
Donald Trump says Ukraine started the war against Russia by invading Russia. Everyone knows that's not true. Everyone knows Russia invaded Ukraine. So why aren't Republicans contesting this? Why are they such cowards?
Trump needs to know, U.S. soldiers won't turn against their families (parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews) if ordered to. They'll turn against their leaders instead. This is America.
Jim Dreis
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Hope Gastelum, East side
I thank you, Mr. Taylor, for your letter expressing regret for your apparent vote for Trump. What I must say, however, is that you did vote for all the things you said you didn't vote for. You heard Trump say he would pardon the J6 thugs. Did you miss that he views the Constitution/rule of law as merely annoying impediments to his grotesque impulses, and that he's been dissing our allies and pandering to billionaires since forever? It was also clearly his intention to abandon Ukraine to please Putin. All this and worse. As for Musk, did you watch this lunatic prance around the campaign stage with Trump, and did you really think this would lead to anything good? Please help us understand how rational people like you could have observed all this and still have participated in the horror show we are all now experiencing.
Hope Gastelum
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Melinda Sims, Catalina
When I was a kid, half my family worked for the US Forest Service, giving me an innate understanding of the important work done by the federal government. In my Air Force career, I worked with professionals from other Federal agencies. I was impressed by their dedication to our country and agencies they served. Many thousands of hard-working Americans have dedicated their lives to this country as employees of the federal government. Their work has guaranteed programs we rely on that support, protect, entertain, and sustain us will be available for us. The current Presidential administration is doing everything in its power to disrespect and demoralize these Americans, pretending their work is of no value by firing them under false pretenses. Write your Senators and Congressional Representatives requesting the bullying by unelected DOGE stop. Notice the services you use that are run by the Executive Branch; thank these fine Americans for the quiet and important work they do. (And why aren't we worried about the surge in unemployment?)
Melinda Sims
Catalina
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Sally Lee, Foothills
This past weekend there was an incident involving a summit held in DC by a group of conservative leaders. This group calls itself, “Principles First” and espouses many values that I imagine the conservative readers of this paper also espouse. However, the group’s founders are somewhat critical of MAGA. During their summit, the conference facility was evacuated due to a bomb threat delivered by email. The email mentioned the summit panelists by name, followed by the words, “[They all] deserve to die.” Given the recently confirmed head of the FBI, an investigation into this incident is very unlikely to go anywhere. This is unconscionable. The death threats have got to stop. But they will only get worse until we, as Americans, stand up together for decency, respect, integrity, and the rule of law in our nation. Please write to your congressmen and tell them so!
Sally Lee
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Leslie Kanberg, Downtown
It's obvious where our country is headed. Just look at what the president has accomplished in one, short month: Removed guardrails and installed loyalists, particularly in the military. Neutered the legislative branch & threatened to defy court orders. Betrayed allies, and voted with Russia, North Korea & Belarus.
This is not making America great again. This is the "To Do" list of an aspiring dictator.
How do we stop the assault on our Republic? We must act, and act quickly:
1) Do not spend a dime on Friday, 2/28 and on every "Economic Blackout" date that will follow. If you can also miss work on those days, do so.
2) Contact our political leaders. Urge Republicans to vote with their Democratic colleagues. Unless these "leaders" prefer to serve a king, rather than their constituents, they must honor their oath to our Constitution. In order to preserve our Republic, we just need a few Republicans, in both Houses of Congress, to show some moral courage.
Before it's too late.
Leslie Kanberg
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Sidney Hall, Oro Valley
You say that you voted for "Magas." Hmm, somehow I missed "Magas" as an option on the ballot. No, you voted for Trump. And everything that you complain about, Trump promised to do. So that means that somehow you didn't know that. How did you miss that? Maybe you didn't know that Fox news is not a news show, but is, in fact, an entertainment show. I don't know if there is a cure for your level of ignorance. You voted for a known monster and that is what you got.
Sidney Hall
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Luther Creed, Foothills
The Trump administration is now showing that what Trump he said he would do he is doing. What he denied he would do, Project 2025, he is doing. He is punishing our allies everywhere. He is extorting our, neighbors Canada and Mexico with tariffs. Counter-tariffs await. All of this hurts you.
He changes history. Ukraine started the war. He emboldens Fascists in Europe. He threatens taking Canada, Panama, Greenland, Gaza -- imperialism.
Now he is moving to make the military his own. Can suppression of free speech and dissent be far away?
He is liar and a traitor. They hanged those people in other eras.
Call or go online now and write your representative, ie Republican Ciscomani, to stand up for the country and not his career. If he can't, then don't send him back to Washington, send him to Russia.
MAGAs, the corruption will ultimately get to you too. It all is for the oligarchs.
Luther Creed
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Bruce Kaplan, Northwest side
John Taylor of Green Valley writes to let us know that even though he voted Maga, he is shocked, shocked, at what Magaloons are doing to the government and the country. While I appreciate your conversion, John, I’m wondering what you did vote for, in the face of a movement telling you for years exactly what they were going to do. At what point in your political calculus did you decide to place your life in the hands of a self-centered, non-repentant, multiple felon with a proven record of financial misdealings and personal faults hot enough to scorch my grandparents’ bible? And you thought Musk bought Felonious Don for what reason? Welcome to the rational center, John. I hope you take the opportunity to reevaluate more than your misguided vote.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Cynthia Schiesel, East side
Elon Musk reposted a meme stating that anyone who took federal funds was a "parasite." Here is a partial list of groups in this country that get federal monies: schools; veterans; farmers; homeowners after catastrophes through FEMA; scientists who create cures; small businesses; hospitals; researchers; social security recipients; people with disabilities; the elderly; people with catastrophic diseases; Medicare recipients; students seeking a better life; and so on. Well, fellow parasites, it's time to join together and stand up for each other. Before Musk's cuts become irreversible and fatal, speak up. Call our Congressional representatives and those representatives who serve on Congressional committees that can stop Musk. Our voices count and our Congressional representatives rely on our votes. We are not parasites and to be characterized as such speaks volumes about the man in charge of cutting costs.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Intolerant and intolerable
I watched the U of A men’s basketball game against BYU this past weekend, and, like all Wildcats fans, I was disappointed in the result. Sadly, my disappointment was compounded by discovering that the truly bad news from that night had nothing to do with the home team losing a basketball game but with the loss of decency exhibited after the game. Too bad that the whole endeavor was polluted by a bunch of brutish, foul-mouthed sore losers in the student section at McKale Center who taunted and cursed at the BYU players in the most intolerant and intolerable way by chanting “F— the Mormons” in a coordinated manner. What a despicable display of poor sportsmanship and bigotry. Shame on those students, anyone present who remained silent, and those who think it funny. Shame on all of us if we don’t condemn it in the harshest terms.
Gregory Berger
North side
Winning TEP battle
I am so proud of how multiple midtown neighborhoods, in different Wards, collaborated and fought for underground electric wires and finally won the battle with Tucson Electric Power. Jefferson Park, Blenman Elm, West University, Iron Horse, Pie Allen, Feldmans, Sam Hughes, Catalina Vista, and others surrounding the “Midtown reliability project” were faced with being defaced with 150-foot monstrosities, even though city ordinances called for undergrounding. Other neighbors who weren’t on or near the path chimed in with their support as well.
When the rate hike was floated last year, many talked about “rich” neighborhoods wanting everyone to pay higher rates for undergrounding. These neighborhoods worked hard to show that rate hikes weren’t needed. Letters were written, meetings attended, and public testimony was made about safety, fire hazards, durability, and yes, darn ugliness. Why underground in Phoenix and not Tucson?
TEP will likely appeal. I have faith that this outstanding group of people will be ready for that too.
Cindy Doklan
Midtown
Spilt milk, pass the popcorn
Re: the Feb. 24 letter “Voter’s Remorse.” Mr. Taylor says he voted MAGA, but did notvote for pardoning cop beater thugs, ignoring the Constitution, abandoning allies, coveting other countries, billionaires buying the presidency, nor the president handing Musk free rein to wreak destruction on our country. I say that you and half the country did vote for this. You had to know. You should have known. It was your responsibility to know. Project 2025 was widely publicized. You saw Musk pouring many millions into Trump’s campaign as he jumped up and down at rallies like the flaming fool he is. You saw all this yet still voted for Trump. Now, sit back and enjoy the show — or not.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
U of A basketball
Regarding the “missed call” at the BYU basketball game, there is a standard axiom: unless blatant, let the players, not the refs, determine the outcome in the final moments. The reason there are three officials is that each monitors play in a specific area. Most bad calls are because a ref is out of position. The official under the basket had a clear view 4 feet from the action and didn’t blow the whistle. The ref who made the call was at mid-court, 40 feet away. The NBA has a rule that one call can be challenged. Maybe college should institute something similar.
Thomas Rothe
Foothills
Bigotry by U of A fans
I was deeply disappointed by the behavior of some University of Arizona fans following the men’s basketball game against Brigham Young University on February 22, 2025. Reports indicate that members of the student section chanted “F... the Mormons,” using an explicit slur. This is unacceptable and disrespectful to an entire religious community.
While the University of Arizona’s athletic director condemned this behavior, stronger action is needed. The university should place additional security in the student section when BYU returns and remove anyone engaging in similar chants. Offenders should lose ticket privileges and be banned from future athletic events.
These measures are necessary to uphold the university’s values and demonstrate that Tucson stands for respect and civility in sports.
Allen Desmond
Oro Valley
Parasites unite
Elon Musk reposted a meme stating that anyone who took federal funds was a “parasite.” Here is a list of groups in this country that get federal monies: schools; veterans; farmers; homeowners after catastrophes through FEMA; scientists who create cures; small businesses; hospitals; researchers; social security recipients; people with disabilities; the elderly; people with catastrophic diseases; Medicare recipients; students seeking a better life; and so on. Well, fellow parasites, it’s time to join together and stand up. Before Musk’s cuts become irreversible and fatal, speak up. Call our Congressional representatives and those representatives who serve on Congressional committees that can stop Musk. Our voices count and our Congressional representatives rely on our votes. We are not parasites and to be characterized as such speaks volumes about the man in charge of cutting costs.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Need more than remorse
John Taylor of Green Valley writes to let us know that even though he voted Maga, he is shocked, shocked, at what Magaloons are doing to the government and the country. While I appreciate your conversion, John, I’m wondering what you did vote for, in the face of a movement telling you for years exactly what they were going to do. At what point in your political calculus did you decide to place your life in the hands of a self-centered, non-repentant, multiple felon with a proven record of financial misdealings and personal faults hot enough to scorch my grandparents’ bible? And you thought Musk bought Felonious Don for what reason? Welcome to the rational center, John. I hope you take the opportunity to reevaluate more than your misguided vote.
Bruce Kaplan
Northwest side
Legalized abortion in AZ
What does “We the People” mean to Representative and lawmaker Keshel? Me “The Republican” thinks “I” know more than them “We the Voters”. More than sixty percent of the voters in Arizona and the United States of America know what they want but evidently, we do not know anything of our desires according to Representative Keshel. Proposition 139 was approved by the voters by over 60 percent, no question, “We the People” have spoken. Now ask yourselves why is the country so divided when our elected representatives and lawmakers want to change the words of “We the People” to “What We Think They Want” in our Constitution?
Curtis Urban
Corona de Tucson
Courage versus complicity
With the exception of a very few courageous souls, we have Republican majorities in House and Senate who so far seem unwilling? cowed? terrified? to combat the willful destruction of our government’s administrative departments, and thus invite the ire of a president who has proven himself to care little about what this destruction will mean to the citizens he is supposed to protect.
Does this feel right to Congressional Republicans? Does it feel moral? Does it convince Republicans that it is OK to weaken our country, endanger the lives of our citizens, and show the world that the United States government doesn’t much care about its own people?
Republicans: Find your inner constitution to defend the U.S. Constitution and refuse to be complicit!
Melody Sears
North side
Rebel against the fascists
The Trump administration is now showing that what Trump he said he would do he is doing. What he denied he would do, Project 2025, he is doing. He is punishing our allies everywhere. He is extorting our, neighbors Canada and Mexico with tariffs. Counter-tariffs await. All of this hurts you.
He changes history. Ukraine started the war. He emboldens Fascists in Europe. He threatens taking Canada, Panama, Greenland, Gaza — imperialism.
Now he is moving to make the military his own. Can suppression of free speech and dissent be far away?
He is liar and a traitor. They hanged those people in other eras.
Call or go online now and write your representative, ie Republican Ciscomani, to stand up for the country and not his career. If he can’t, then don’t send him back to Washington, send him to Russia.
MAGAs, the corruption will ultimately get to you too. It all is for the oligarchs.
Luther Creed
Foothills
Failed apology from U of A
After the BYU at Arizona men’s basketball game, some students chanted, “F- — the Mormons,” a slur that targeted Latter-day Saints like me, even though I am not a BYU grad or fan. Absent the slur, I would have been delighted to watch the Wildcats beat BYU. The University of Arizona’s subsequent, obligatory apology missed the mark in two ways. First, it dismissed responsibility with the tired excuse, “this is not who we are” — even though the chanted slur, broadcast to millions on ESPN, came from a critical mass of Arizona students. Second, the apology was limited to “BYU, their student-athletes, coaches and fans” ignoring the slurs actual target: Latter-day Saints. Apparently, if, in the future, Arizona students chant the slurs “F- — the Catholics,” or “F- — the Jews,” the University of Arizona will not apologize to those groups either.
Thomas Grover
Las Vegas
When decency, respect die
This past weekend there was an incident involving a summit held in DC by a group of conservative leaders. This group calls itself, “Principles First” and espouses many values that I imagine the conservative readers of this paper also espouse. However, the group’s founders are somewhat critical of MAGA. During their summit, the conference facility was evacuated due to a bomb threat delivered by email. The email mentioned the summit panelists by name, followed by the words, “[They all] deserve to die.” Given the recently confirmed head of the FBI, an investigation into this incident is very unlikely to go anywhere. This is unconscionable. The death threats have got to stop. But they will only get worse until we, as Americans, stand up together for decency, respect, integrity, and the rule of law in our nation. Please write to your congressmen and tell them so!
Sally Lee
Foothills
Thank you for service
When I was a kid, half my family worked for the US Forest Service, giving me an innate understanding of the important work done by the federal government. In my Air Force career, I worked with professionals from other Federal agencies. I was impressed by their dedication to our country and agencies they served. Many thousands of hard-working Americans have dedicated their lives to this country as employees of the federal government. Their work has guaranteed programs we rely on that support, protect, entertain, and sustain us will be available for us. The current Presidential administration is doing everything in its power to disrespect and demoralize these Americans, pretending their work is of no value by firing them under false pretenses. Write your Senators and Congressional Representatives requesting the bullying by unelected DOGE stop. Notice the services you use that are run by the Executive Branch; thank these fine Americans for the quiet and important work they do. (And why aren’t we worried about the surge in unemployment?)
Melinda Sims
Catalina
Display of bigotry
In yet another display of bigotry and hatred that should not exist in 21st Century America, UA fans embarrassed themselves and their university with a vile chant directed at the BYU basketball team (and all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) at the end of Saturday night’s game. Angered by perceived poor calls by the referees, particularly at a critical point with two seconds left on the clock, fans showed a complete lack of logic by directing their ire at the members of a church (including an LDS player on the UA team) rather than at those who supposedly caused their team to lose — the refs. Go figure. Only mob mentality and an absence of critical thinking can explain the childish temper tantrum thrown by Wildcat fans.
Ray Evans
Montrose, Colorado
- Robert Bishop, East side
Elon is threatening every federal employee with termination if they do not respond tout de suite to his email, and the House and Senate are mute in the face of Musk's threat. What’s going on here? Have Trump and Musk sent every member of the House and Senate to the Happy Valley Spay and Neuter Clinic for a quick surgical procedure?
Robert Bishop
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Kathy Krucker, Midtown
The GOP has betrayed America: our middle class, our Constitution, our rule of law, our allies, and our competent apolitical federal workers. Trump and the GOP must find $4 trillion to extend the 2017 tax cuts – cuts that benefit the very wealthy, corporations that are making record profits, and cost taxpayers $100 billion a year in interest.
So, the unelected unvetted Elon Musk and his DOGE bros have started a blood bath at our federal agencies by making astonishing cuts: to veterans, national parks, science, health care, food and nuclear safety, environmental protections, NIH, Inspector Generals and the CFPB. Musk and Trump are destroying all the institutions and programs that have made America great.
Claims that there are “billions and billions” of waste, fraud, and corruption has produced zero evidence with zero accountability or transparency. DOGE cuts will do nothing to fund GOP tax cuts or reduce our deficit. It’s all lies, damn lies, and leading to the destruction of America as we know it. The GOP just acquiesces.
Kathy Krucker
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Chuck Barrett, North side
Picture a cartoon in two frames, Donald.
The first frame begins upper left with a lumpy shoulder, then, slanting down and across the frame, an arm, then, resting on a desktop, a hand holding a pen. Just beyond the pen, right of frame, lies a paper. It is titled, “USAID Embargo,” and bears your messy signature at the bottom.
The shoulder, arm and hand angle gently, as if relaxed, satisfied.
The second frame depicts a kneeling woman in a burka. She is doubled over, her face creased in anguish, tears streaking her cheeks. At her knees lies a blanket barely concealing the contours of a prone child. It covers even the face. Beside the child sits an empty shallow bowl.
There are initials on the blanket of the child, partly hidden in its folds.
Ask not by whom the blanket is inscribed, Donald.
The signature is yours.
--apologies to Donne
Chuck Barrett
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Ronald Cohen, East side
Everyone complains about taxes but forgets what the government accomplishes with the money received. We only have to look at roads, medical and other research, education etc. Tax increases are normal, occur because of inflation and new demands of government. People with stock portfolios have had large tax increases as the stock market has had a huge increase in value and has paid more in interest and dividends over the past few years. Special interest groups are just that and depending on their interest do obtain some funding. I agree that the national debt is too high and believe that the best way to reduce it is to hire more IRS employees to audit those who cheat on their tax responsibility. Close the many tax loopholes Congress has allowed wealthy taxpayers and corporations to help lower their tax responsibilities. DOGE is doing exactly the opposite by firing large groups of IRS employees planning to benefit by their absence. Our President’s companies will benefit by what DOGE is doing.
Ronald Cohen
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Cindy Rupp, Southeast side
Recently, the paper had an article reporting Rep. Ciscomani’s support for maintaining the Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, and Pell grants. I commend Rep. Ciscomani for his written support of these programs. However, what really counts is how he votes when a bill cutting these programs comes before the House. It will be interesting to see if he supports his party or all of the people in the district that he represents. This is the same person who was filmed at the border talking about the crisis with people crossing, blaming Biden for the problem. When it came for a vote on a bipartisan border bill, he voted no. Apparently, the border crisis was no longer important. I expect the same thing will happen with any bill making cuts to people who are low income. Tax cuts that benefit the wealthy are more important than funding programs that benefit low-income people such as medical care including prescriptions, food and education.
Cindy Rupp
Southeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Peter Bourque, Midtown
Thank you for Kathleen Walker’s excellent piece on the work of US AID. I too was a Peace Corps Volunteer, but in West Africa. Foreign aid in some of the poorest parts of the world works to not only save lives but to help the countries to become more self-sufficient. The Niger Resilience and Agribusiness Masters Program is a perfect example of helping one of the world’s poorest countries be able to feed itself and develop viable systems for agricultural sustainability.
And does it not make sense to spread goodwill and give the U.S. a good name? I remember riding in the back of a truck in southern Niger, sitting on top of bags of grain with a U.S. emblem and “A gift of the United States of America” printed on them.The Trump/Musk chainsaw approach to eliminating vital USAID programs is unconscionable.
Peter Bourque
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Tom McGorray, Northwest side
I would like to see a return and a renewal of patriotism in America with all our divisiveness.
I define patriotism as love and devotion to country. Patriotism can be found in our patriotic music. I would like to see our patriotic music taught to our school children, a new song for each day of the week, a new song for each school year from K through 12.
I would like our music to be taught to our new immigrants as part of their civics training.
Patriotic music like “America the Beautiful” and “This land is your land-this land my land," "My Country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
I would like to see every day to begin with “God Bless America," and end with “America the Beautiful.” “America, America, God shed his Grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea."
Because I am proud to be an American.
God bless the USA.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gerald Schwartz, Foothills
Who do you trust?
A recent LTE published 2/22/25 commented on DOGE access to personal information held by the US Government and the Treasury department in particular. It mentioned abuse by leaking of President Trump’s tax records. The abuse was not by a civil service employee but the employee of a third party, an IRS contractor. The individual also released the information of many other wealthy people. The individual received a five-year prison sentence last year. The Chair of the House Judiciary Committee asked the DOJ why the person was sentenced for only the one case. If the letter writer is interested, it all is online. As a former CPA I sometimes had to deal with both difficult IRS agents and clients. As for PayPal, it has had its share of problems with data release via third parties. That information is also online.
Gerald Schwartz
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Re: Voter’s remorse
I thank you, Mr. Taylor, for your letter expressing regret for your apparent vote for Trump. What I must say, however, is that you did vote for all the things you said you didn’t vote for. You heard Trump say he would pardon the J6 thugs. Did you miss that he views the Constitution/rule of law as merely annoying impediments to his grotesque impulses, and that he’s been dissing our allies and pandering to billionaires since forever? It was also clearly his intention to abandon Ukraine to please Putin. All this and worse. As for Musk, did you watch this lunatic prance around the campaign stage with Trump, and did you really think this would lead to anything good? Please help us understand how rational people like you could have observed all this and still have participated in the horror show we are all now experiencing.
Hope Gastelum
East side
Chaos ahead
Donald Trump says Ukraine started the war against Russia by invading Russia. Everyone knows that’s not true. Everyone knows Russia invaded Ukraine. So why aren’t Republicans contesting this? Why are they such cowards?
Trump needs to know, U.S. soldiers won’t turn against their families (parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews) if ordered to. They’ll turn against their leaders instead. This is America.
Jim Dreis
East side
Fired workers are honest and competent
Any person who has a sense of decency should be horrified at what is happening to our federal work force. They are being called members of the fictitious “Deep State,” fraudsters, incompetents, worms, vermin and more. They do not deserve this. They also do not deserve to be fired because they happened to be working for the federal government at this time.
Federal workers were recruited because they were the best and the brightest. They work hard at their jobs and do their best to make a positive difference. They have not done anything wrong. They are being sacrificed by a soulless president, his sadistic henchman and a spineless Congress who care little about the consequences.
Many will never work in government again, might lose their homes and have to move to another city. Our neighbors, friends and families are suffering for no reason. Anyone who voted for Trump shares responsibility for this cruelty — and Trump and Musk have only started. Who will be next?
Dave Abbott
Southeast side
Ukraine and democracy
By the most recent vote at the United Nations regarding Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine, the current rogue and utterly clueless administration just abdicated the United States of America’s role as the greatest and most powerful nation on earth. We just become a puppet of Putin, of Russia, and of their axis of evil co-conspirators. Just look up the countries that this UN vote aligned the US with. I am disgusted, embarrassed, and chagrined. To our worldwide, and especially European allies, please accept this patriot’s most sincere apology.
John Van Echo
West side
State “greeting”
Since our Arizona legislators are so busy with important business like coming up with a State “greeting”, how about instead of “Howdy” (which makes us sound like a bunch of Texans) we use something with more historical relevance like “Hola!” That seems far more appropriate.
I also came up with the idea that in order to serve in the Arizona Legislature, the representatives should have been born in Arizona. Maybe they would show a little more sensitivity to Arizona history and what makes us truly unique and beautiful.
Betsy Werhane
Northeast side
Musk, modern-day Simon Legree
A successful organization has a culture of camaraderie all striving for a cooperative common goal.
The Trump departments are now being run by dictators like Trump ... Trump’s way or the highway.
Musk waving the chainsaw is the epitome of Simon Legree waving his whip over his slaves.
Simon Legree, a name applied to somebody who forces others to work very hard and is often cruel to them.
Do as you’re told without using your brain or you’re fired?
With all this chaos, what kind of government are we going to soon endure?
Donald Plummer
Northwest side
Poor reporting and editing
Two recent Sports articles have perplexed me regarding editing and accompanying photos.
The Sunday Feb-21 lead article is the Rodeo livestock supplier’s battle to overcome devastating animal losses in 2024 in order to support Tucson’s 100th anniversary rodeo. Instead of a current photo showing their livestock at the 2025 rodeo, the Star uses an 8-year-old photo (2017) showing a horse biting another horse. What was the purpose of that photo? Surely your photographer could go to the grounds for a current photo.
In Feb-17 article reports Arizona women’s basketball strong effort against TCU, albeit in a losing cause. The article compliments players’ efforts — Skylar Jones, Paulina Paris and Lauryn Swann. Yet the accompanying photo and caption is from a completely different game on January 11, saying Paulina sheds a few tears in final five minutes. That’s no compliment to the TCU game effort.
These are but 2 examples of poor reporting, editing and photography that is becoming too common in the Star.
Jim Cummins
Midtown
Resist dismantling of democracy
Our democracy is clearly under attack. We cannot stand by as the institutions of our democracy are dismantled. Eliminating watchdogs and wholesale gutting of departments is only creating more inefficiencies. The current “bull in the china shop” approach will not end well. We the people cannot remain silent as “shock and awe” undoes decades of good government. We must speak up, organize, some must take a leadership role to resist this ongoing demise of our Democracy and freedoms. It is a takeover of our government by billionaires and oligarchs. Have no illusions, they do not have your best interests at heart. They are driven by the quest for power, plain and simple. Call, email, write your representative. Attend town halls, school boards, community meetings and make your voices heard. The only thing necessary for this evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Do not sell our Democracy and freedoms for the price of a dozen eggs or a gallon of gas.
James Stehn
Southwest side
Reply to “Voter’s remorse”
You say that you voted for “Magas.” Hmm, somehow I missed “Magas” as an option on the ballot. No, you voted for Trump. And everything that you complain about, Trump promised to do. So that means that somehow you didn’t know that. How did you miss that? Maybe you didn’t know that Fox news is not a news show, but is, in fact, an entertainment show. I don’t know if there is a cure for your level of ignorance. You voted for a known monster and that is what you got.
Sidney Hall
Oro Valley
Comic section revision request
I read your Sunday Arizona Daily Star, Editor McCumber, and was delighted with your decision that what we’ve been reading is not the “new normal.” Further along in your writing, I celebrated another promise to loyal readers: “You want all the features you love…and we will not stop working until we bring everything back to you.”
Recently, I submitted a letter to the Star, requesting that the dated, obsolete cartoon page drawings, characters, and situations be shelved. I do not read and recycle on delivery.
Please return the cartoonists of today that you featured before. These “astute” artists’ and observers’ imaginations deliver characters and situations that are more true “funnies” of the world today, which would surely increase your subscribers’ laughs and giggles and also expand your newspaper’s comic section.
Deborah Clifford Gessaman
Northwest side
Who are we?
It’s obvious where our country is headed. Just look at what the president has accomplished in one, short month: Removed guardrails and installed loyalists, particularly in the military. Neutered the legislative branch & threatened to defy court orders. Betrayed allies, and voted with Russia, North Korea & Belarus.
This is not making America great again. This is the “To Do” list of an aspiring dictator.
How do we stop the assault on our Republic? We must act, and act quickly:
1. Do not spend a dime on Friday, 2/28 and on every “Economic Blackout” date that will follow. If you can also miss work on those days, do so.
2. Contact our political leaders. Urge Republicans to vote with their Democratic colleagues. Unless these “leaders” prefer to serve a king, rather than their constituents, they must honor their oath to our Constitution. In order to preserve our Republic, we just need a few Republicans, in both Houses of Congress, to show some moral courage.
Before it’s too late.
Leslie Kanberg
Downtown
Really? Voter’s remorse
Excuse me while I wipe away my crocodile tears for the dispirited Mr. Taylor who has had a come-to-God moment a tad too late regarding his complicity in empowering the Trump regime. As the enchantment of Trump’s magic spell begins to wither, repentant MAGA dupes like him now find themselves desperately seeking exoneration for the cascade of recent events they claim have caught them by surprise. After all, all they wanted was less government, fewer non-American neighbors and cheaper eggs. It’s unfair, to be sure, to blame them for having been bewitched into facilitating the squandering of our democracy over shortsighted expedients.
But despite his claim of support for a mandate other than the one that has emerged, his feigned bewilderment at having been bamboozled by this blatant huckster-in-chief fails to muster much sympathy among those of us who declined to drink the Kool-Aid.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Didn’t realize?
Re “voter’s remorse” in 2/24 letters to the editor.
While I’m glad to see supporters of Trump maybe finally getting it, I have no sympathy for those who have responsibility for the chaos that has already occurred and worse yet to come.
What amazes me is that the letter writer and others have said they didn’t realize what Trump intended to do.
Everything he’s doing he said he would do during the campaign — just like Hitler did in the 1920s. Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.
So, contrary to Mr. Taylor’s letter, he did vote for the pardon of people who assaulted police, and for a billionaire to enlist his buddies to feather their nests and all the rest.
Glad to see you’re finally getting the message but frankly you and the other Trumpers deserve everything that’s likely to happen.
Let’s just hope the center holds.
Larry Fleischman
North side
Tucson rodeo
I wish the Arizona Daily Star along with the City of Tucson and Pima County would stop promoting the Tucson Rodeo. This activity is a bad tradition because it abuses animals. The pain and suffering these animals go through is totally unnecessary. Hopefully, people will look at the rodeo for what it is and stop going to see animals treated in a cruel and inhumane fashion.
Hal Holtkamp
Southwest side
- Teresa Jenkins, SaddleBrooke
Because Russian president Putin is worshipped by the U.S. president, the security of Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe has become uncertain. Ukraine was attacked and lost thousands of troops but was not invited to a meeting to end that war. As a result, Putin has been empowered to attack the Baltic states and Poland.
The Secretary of Defense told European allies Ukrainian territories taken by the Russians would not be returned. Not only was Ukraine sidelined, but also European leaders as Ukraine is their neighbor and ally.
Our president has disrespected Colombia, claimed Canada has no right to exist, suggested seizing the Panama Canal and Greenland, and threatened tariffs on Mexico. All of which endangers long-held alliances that have made the world safe.
Almost overnight the U.S. has become a gangster nation, stabbing our allies in the back, and tarnishing our national character.
Tyranny requires fear and compliance. Speak out. Raise awareness. Our country needs us.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Patricia Scanlan, Oro Valley
I read with interest Representative Ciscomani's newsletter of Feb. 20, 2025. Addressing the recent flurry of EOs he wrote:
"While Congress, as the Legislative Branch, is charged with writing and passing legislation, this process is often deliberative and drawn out. EOs are a tool for the President to deliver on their promises and start implementing their agenda from day one."
This statement says to me that the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, both of which have a Republican majority, do not choose to work as a third branch in our government. Sounds like the U.S. legislature is sidestepping its responsibility. Perhaps Ciscomani and other legislators do not wish to challenge their president. The more than 75 Executive Orders that have been issued are about creating chaos and selectively targeting our country's people. It's time that Ciscomani and others take their responsibilities to represent their constituents seriously instead of kowtowing to a chaos-driven administration. And what about those grocery prices?
Patricia Scanlan
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Rick Jones, Downtown
We all know that some people “don’t suffer fools lightly.” But what about the fools themselves? Should they suffer? As it relates to the fools that voted for Trump, the answer is yes. The following fools, and more, should suffer with the rest of us:
*The fools that voted for him because they thought culture war issues should be our highest national priority.
*The fools who believed he could reduce egg & gas prices, and inflation itself, by simply waving his Magical Thinking wand.
*The foolish citizens with immigrants in their families who somehow believed his policies would never affect them.
*The foolish Arab-Americans, so mad at Biden/Harris, who somehow believed he would be better for Palestine.
*The foolish federal employees who never thought his arbitrary cuts would affect them.
*Any fool who believes tariffs can magically fund the government.
*And sadly, many more.
The court jester has become the king, thanks to the fools, and suffering is the new coin of the realm. Time to pay up.
Rick Jones
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Mary Zimmerman, SaddleBrooke
This past Tuesday, after golfing all morning, Trump signed another executive order stating that only he or his Attorney General can say what the law is. He obviously never heard of the separation of powers where the Judicial Branch interprets what the laws and the Constitution of the United States says. This goes right along with his post of himself wearing a crown and gleefully stating, "long live the king!" I know he promised all you Trump voters a prosperous MAGA paradise, but is this really the path you want our country to take? You were warned so many times. Democrats did everything but set their hair on fire and hold up a sign. It's too late for an "I told you so." All of us, no matter what our political affiliation, are living with this horror, and we have to resist in any way we can.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Hollis Moore, Oro Valley
Where else but in America can an unrepentant draft dodger enter an elected office that has the power to summarily discharge professional, accomplished, patriotic, and competent servicemen and servicewomen to fit his undemocratic and anti-America agenda? But then, we knew before that Trump was a low-level coward for whom self-interest was the driving force. His phony salutes are an affront to everyone who has worn the uniform. Piss off, Donald.
Hollis Moore
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Richard Kimball, South Tucson
Van Winkle!
Wake me up in 20 years when the wicked are dead and I can know that democracy pulled through.
229 years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote “All men are created equal” and enterprise by the free was unleashed on a global scale. There is not one of us that would not marvel at what came of it.
List what advances you can those first 250,000 years of despots and compare it with the last 000.01% of it, when free. Any list would make those first 250,000 years seem devoid of advance in either human comfort, health, convenience, or nourishment. Life today is with benefits beyond the imaginations of all those before, claiming to be above the law. This relationship between freedom and despotism isn’t coincidence.
Pride in our forebears should ooze from every American pore while the return of a despot boil everyone’s blood.
I’m going to doze off now, but with a hacksaw, on the chance I wake in prison.
.
Richard Kimball
South Tucson
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Douglas R. Holm, East side
President Donald Trump is rude, a liar and an egotist; but many people don't understand that he also is a very shrewd negotiator. Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino has made a quick concession to head off the possibility of the U.S. taking back the Panama Canal by force. Molino said Panama will not renew China's Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, when it expires in 2027. Trump is doing the same thing in Canada and Gaza. He said Canada will be our 51st state and the U.S. will take a long-term ownership interest in Gaza. I predict Trump, the negotiator, will settle with some substantial long-term benefits for the U.S. in both of these areas.
Douglas R. Holm
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Kathleen Dubbs, West side
According to a Government Accountability Office report in 2019 (who knows if this office even exists anymore), each trip Trump takes to play golf at one of his properties costs the taxpayers $3.38 million. That means that since he took office this year we, the taxpayers, have paid $10.7 million for the nine trips he has taken. Since he has handed over governing duties to Elon Musk, I expect he will be spending even more time at his favorite pastime, where he charges the Secret Service exorbitant fees to house its agents in the resorts he owns.
For some reason, this irritates me no end. The rest of the stuff he and Musk are doing is ruining the country and disrupting the world order, but that is too much to contemplate. It's the massive grift that gets my blood boiling.
Kathleen Dubbs
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Richard Bechtold, West side
I saw Musk on TV waving around a shiny chainsaw bragging about how he is cutting employees out of the government. Government employees were hired to do a job just like anyone else who applies, interviews and gets a job. Musk is making fun of people who now have no income, no health insurance, no money to feed their kids, and will probably lose the home they live in. Federal employees didn't cause the national deficit. Musk sees the money, but not the people. Musk is the most heartless person I know, except for Trump, who put Musk in a position to hurt so many people. Have you ever lost a job? It is the most gut-wrenching experience a person can have. All of a sudden, a person has lost whatever they had dreamed of doing with their life. Musk's Karma will be a giant payback for being heartless.
Richard Bechtold
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Jose Salgado, Northeast side
Our very savvy President Trump wants to limit or stop the US from building electric charging stations because he wants to drill, drill, drill. He wants gas-driven vehicles.
Then our very savvy President wants to buy $400 million worth of armored Tesla trucks.
Maybe he doesn’t realize that Tesla trucks are electric vehicles. Are we going to have these things stuck along our roads because of dead batteries?
Remember this is the guy whose businesses has filed for bankruptcy six times. Do we want him to make business decisions?
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- John Taylor, Green Valley
I voted for Magas.
I did not vote for pardoning cop beaters, nor ignoring the Constitution, nor abandoning our allies, nor coveting foreign lands, nor billionaires to buy the presidency, nor the president to mandate "Elon muck
up the government."
I am disappointed that Johnson, Thune,
and the magas continue to guzzle "nospineatol."
As conservative Republicans who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law we must organize and primary every Maga candidate in the 2026 election. By then the president's endorsement will be worthless. Maga leadership realizes they will lose the House in 2026. They will screw with the voting. They will try to cancel the elections or not certify the loss of a Maga candidate. Be prepared for this eventuality.
Please consider avoiding: X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, Facebook, Amazon and any company whose billionaire contributed to purchase of our president.
If we have to partner with centrist Democrats to defeat the Magas, so be it.
John Taylor
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Norma Reis, West side
As a microbiologist who proudly served our heroic veterans for 33 years, I am appalled at the future of our health care system. Access to public health related information is now being curtailed or denied by Trump. He is silencing our government agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and NIH among others in order to prevent Americans from knowledge of any health issues. Remember Trump's recommendation to drink bleach and insert a light inside the body to kill the Covid 19 virus? Now, RF Kennedy, a brain-dead drug addict with no knowledge of even basic health issues, has been confirmed as our national health secretary.
What a disgrace.
Norma Reis
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Kim Miklofsky Bayne, Foothills
For decades, Americans have paid into Social Security under the promise that it would be there when they needed it. It’s not a handout — it’s an earned benefit, a commitment to future stability. Now, Musk and Trump aim to break that promise.
Despite his endless claims of protecting Social Security, Trump handed Musk the power to gut it, along with Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance, all so billionaires can pocket even more tax breaks.
Musk is running the classic MAGA con: Invent a fake crisis, flood the zone with lies, and use it as cover to dismantle programs millions rely on. This is a bipartisan issue: Red-state voters, who depend on Social Security the most, will be hit just as hard, if not harder.
Social Security belongs to the people who paid for it — not to billionaires on a looting spree.
Kim Miklofsky Bayne
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Dr Pamela Farris, Oro Valley
I called my congressman and told him that Musk defunded the Blount Alzheimer’s Research Center. Blount was a longtime GOP Senator. Also Musk defunded St Jude’s Children’s Hospital which does cancer research for kids, especially on leukemia. Over 70% of the leukemia research findings are based on research from a 3-yr-old girl whose parents, Barbara and George, donated her body so other families and children wouldn’t have to go through this. George Herbert Walker Bush went on to become President. The girl’s brother, George, also became President and he invested taxpayer money in prevention of HIV virus spreading and feeding the poor in Africa via USAID.
Alzheimer’s, cancer, and HIV political issues. All of us know people who’ve been affected by these horrible diseases. Research is needed to save lives and billions of dollars in treatments.
Please share with your Congressman.
Dr Pamela Farris
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Voter’s remorse
I voted for Magas.
I did not vote for pardoning cop beaters, nor ignoring the Constitution, nor abandoning our allies, nor coveting foreign lands, nor billionaires to buy the presidency, nor the president to mandate “Elon muck up the government.”
I am disappointed that Johnson, Thune, and the Magas continue to guzzle “nospineatol.”
As conservative Republicans who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law we must organize and primary every Maga candidate in the 2026 election. By then the president’s endorsement will be worthless. Maga leadership realizes they will lose the House in 2026. They will screw with the voting. They will try to cancel the elections or not certify the loss of a Maga candidate. Be prepared for this eventuality.
Please consider avoiding: X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, Facebook, Amazon and any company whose billionaire contributed to purchase of our president.
If we have to partner with centrist Democrats to defeat the Magas, so be it.
John Taylor
Green Valley
Reply to Tucson car dealers on 414
Well Neil, there’s a simple solution; move out of the City where “many” of your customers live.
Tucsonans vote for sales taxes to improve our quality of life and become a smarter, more economically vibrant City. By passing Prop 414 and defeating RTA Next we keep our tax rate at 8.7% and generate $800 million to fund a comprehensive list of municipal projects that leverage even greater participation from the non-profit sector.
The car dealers’ shilling for RTA Next is patently misleading to get Tucson voters to subsidize suburban road widening outside of Tucson. The RTA plan is nothing more than a wish list of projects from each regional jurisdiction in search of a sales tax funding source.
RTA has no regional vision for what a 21st Century regional transportation system should look like. Only the City of Tucson has engaged in planning for our increasingly uncertain future and identified social fairness and climate/energy challenges as key to future mobility and overall quality of life.
Robert Cook
Midtown
Musk cut Alzheimer’s and kids’ cancer research
I called my congressman and told him that Musk defunded the Blount Alzheimer’s Research Center. Blount was a longtime GOP Senator. Also Musk defunded St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital which does cancer research for kids, especially on leukemia. Over 70% of the leukemia research findings are based on research from a 3-year-old girl whose parents, Barbara and George, donated her body so other families and children wouldn’t have to go through this. George Herbert Walker Bush went on to become President. The girl’s brother, George, also became President and he invested taxpayer money in prevention of HIV virus spreading and feeding the poor in Africa via USAID.
Alzheimer’s, cancer, and HIV political issues. All of us know people who’ve been affected by these horrible diseases. Research is needed to save lives and billions of dollars in treatments.
Please share with your Congressman.
Dr Pamela Farris
Oro Valley
No on Prop 414 — Tucson can do better
As a property manager, I see firsthand how Tucson housing policies impact both renters & homeowners. Prop 414 may have good intentions, it will ultimately hurt the people it aims to help by increasing housing costs & discouraging property investment.
To promote affordable housing & expand options for renters, we must reject Prop 414. This measure not only imposes a tax increase that burdens renters with higher living costs, but small landlords who provide much of our community’s housing, could pass on the increased costs, further straining tenants already struggling to afford everyday necessities. Increased regulations & financial burdens on housing providers lead to fewer rental options & higher prices for tenants, including fixed-income seniors. Instead of making housing more accessible, Prop 414 risks making it harder for families to find & afford a home.
We need real solutions that encourage housing supply & affordability, not tax increases that further burden renters while pushing property owners out of the market. To protect renters, seniors, and first-time homebuyers, I urge voters to reject Prop 414.
Susan Creedon
East side
Pentagon purge
Where else but in America can an unrepentant draft dodger enter an elected office that has the power to summarily discharge professional, accomplished, patriotic, and competent servicemen and servicewomen to fit his undemocratic and anti-America agenda? But then, we knew before that Trump was a low-level coward for whom self-interest was the driving force. His phony salutes are an affront to everyone who has worn the uniform. Piss off, Donald.
Hollis Moore
Oro Valley
Billionaires win, you lose
For decades, Americans have paid into Social Security under the promise that it would be there when they needed it. It’s not a handout — it’s an earned benefit, a commitment to future stability. Now, Musk and Trump aim to break that promise.
Despite his endless claims of protecting Social Security, Trump handed Musk the power to gut it, along with Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance, all so billionaires can pocket even more tax breaks.
Musk is running the classic MAGA con: Invent a fake crisis, flood the zone with lies, and use it as cover to dismantle programs millions rely on. This is a bipartisan issue: Red-state voters, who depend on Social Security the most, will be hit just as hard, if not harder.
Social Security belongs to the people who paid for it — not to billionaires on a looting spree.
Kim Miklofsky Bayne
Foothills
Back to the Middle Ages
As a microbiologist who proudly served our heroic veterans for 33 years, I am appalled at the future of our health care system. Access to public health related information is now being curtailed or denied by Trump. He is silencing our government agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and NIH among others in order to prevent Americans from knowledge of any health issues. Remember Trump’s recommendation to drink bleach and insert a light inside the body to kill the Covid-19 virus? Now, RF Kennedy, a brain-dead drug addict with no knowledge of even basic health issues, has been confirmed as our national health secretary.
What a disgrace.
Norma Reis
West side
This is how a coup starts
This past Tuesday, after golfing all morning, Trump signed another executive order stating that only he or his Attorney General can say what the law is. He obviously never heard of the separation of powers where the Judicial Branch interprets what the laws and the Constitution of the United States says. This goes right along with his post of himself wearing a crown and gleefully stating, “long live the king!” I know he promised all you Trump voters a prosperous MAGA paradise, but is this really the path you want our country to take? You were warned so many times. Democrats did everything but set their hair on fire and hold up a sign. It’s too late for an “I told you so.” All of us, no matter what our political affiliation, are living with this horror, and we have to resist in any way we can.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Pennies from heaven or hell
Boy Howdy! While the City of Tucson’s constituents are debating the merits of a measly half-cent sales tax increase to promote public safety, Sen. Jake Hoffman has introduced a taxation without representation scheme that is 10 times greater. He wants to tax money that is sent abroad and turn our law enforcement officers into bounty hunters. Who knows how or who would be responsible for monitoring the presumed cash flow. Thankfully, the chances of SB1111 passage are remote, but the message is clear. The MAGA crew is not conservative. They value neither family nor community. Their umbrellas are just upside down.
Sherry Ivester
Midtown
Rep. Ciscomani’s recent newsletter
I read with interest Representative Ciscomani’s newsletter of Feb. 20, 2025. Addressing the recent flurry of EOs he wrote:
“While Congress, as the Legislative Branch, is charged with writing and passing legislation, this process is often deliberative and drawn out. EOs are a tool for the President to deliver on their promises and start implementing their agenda from day one.”
This statement says to me that the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, both of which have a Republican majority, do not choose to work as a third branch in our government. Sounds like the U.S. legislature is sidestepping its responsibility. Perhaps Ciscomani and other legislators do not wish to challenge their president. The more than 75 Executive Orders that have been issued are about creating chaos and selectively targeting our country’s people. It’s time that Ciscomani and others take their responsibilities to represent their constituents seriously instead of kowtowing to a chaos-driven administration. And what about those grocery prices?
Patricia Scanlan
Oro Valley
Does he really know what he is doing?
Our very savvy President Trump wants to limit or stop the U.S. from building electric charging stations because he wants to drill, drill, drill. He wants gas-driven vehicles.
Then our very savvy President wants to buy $400 million worth of armored Tesla trucks.
Maybe he doesn’t realize that Tesla trucks are electric vehicles. Are we going to have these things stuck along our roads because of dead batteries?
Remember this is the guy whose businesses has filed for bankruptcy six times. Do we want him to make business decisions?
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
A national security failure
Because Russian president Putin is worshipped by the U.S. president, the security of Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe has become uncertain. Ukraine was attacked and lost thousands of troops but was not invited to a meeting to end that war. As a result, Putin has been empowered to attack the Baltic states and Poland.
The Secretary of Defense told European allies Ukrainian territories taken by the Russians would not be returned. Not only was Ukraine sidelined, but also European leaders as Ukraine is their neighbor and ally.
Our president has disrespected Colombia, claimed Canada has no right to exist, suggested seizing the Panama Canal and Greenland, and threatened tariffs on Mexico. All of which endangers long-held alliances that have made the world safe.
Almost overnight the U.S. has become a gangster nation, stabbing our allies in the back, and tarnishing our national character.
Tyranny requires fear and compliance. Speak out. Raise awareness. Our country needs us.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
Musk’s chainsaw video
I saw Musk on TV waving around a shiny chainsaw bragging about how he is cutting employees out of the government. Government employees were hired to do a job just like anyone else who applies, interviews and gets a job. Musk is making fun of people who now have no income, no health insurance, no money to feed their kids, and will probably lose the home they live in. Federal employees didn’t cause the national deficit. Musk sees the money, but not the people. Musk is the most heartless person I know, except for Trump, who put Musk in a position to hurt so many people. Have you ever lost a job? It is the most gut-wrenching experience a person can have. All of a sudden, a person has lost whatever they had dreamed of doing with their life. Musk’s Karma will be a giant payback for being heartless.
Richard Bechtold
West side
Trump’s golf costs
According to a Government Accountability Office report in 2019 (who knows if this office even exists anymore), each trip Trump takes to play golf at one of his properties costs the taxpayers $3.38 million. That means that since he took office this year we, the taxpayers, have paid $10.7 million for the nine trips he has taken. Since he has handed over governing duties to Elon Musk, I expect he will be spending even more time at his favorite pastime, where he charges the Secret Service exorbitant fees to house its agents in the resorts he owns.
For some reason, this irritates me no end. The rest of the stuff he and Musk are doing is ruining the country and disrupting the world order, but that is too much to contemplate. It’s the massive grift that gets my blood boiling.
Kathleen Dubbs
West side
Fools’ paradise?
We all know that some people “don’t suffer fools lightly.” But what about the fools themselves? Should they suffer? As it relates to the fools that voted for Trump, the answer is yes. The following fools, and more, should suffer with the rest of us:
*The fools that voted for him because they thought culture war issues should be our highest national priority.
*The fools who believed he could reduce egg & gas prices, and inflation itself, by simply waving his Magical Thinking wand.
*The foolish citizens with immigrants in their families who somehow believed his policies would never affect them.
*The foolish Arab-Americans, so mad at Biden/Harris, who somehow believed he would be better for Palestine.
*The foolish federal employees who never thought his arbitrary cuts would affect them.
*Any fool who believes tariffs can magically fund the government.
*And sadly, many more.
The court jester has become the king, thanks to the fools, and suffering is the new coin of the realm. Time to pay up.
Rick Jones
Downtown
Trump the negotiator
President Donald Trump is rude, a liar and an egotist; but many people don’t understand that he also is a very shrewd negotiator. Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino has made a quick concession to head off the possibility of the U.S. taking back the Panama Canal by force. Molino said Panama will not renew China’s Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, when it expires in 2027. Trump is doing the same thing in Canada and Gaza. He said Canada will be our 51st state and the U.S. will take a long-term ownership interest in Gaza. I predict Trump, the negotiator, will settle with some substantial long-term benefits for the U.S. in both of these areas.
Douglas R. Holm
East side
Rip Van Winkle
Van Winkle!
Wake me up in 20 years when the wicked are dead and I can know that democracy pulled through.
229 years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote “All men are created equal” and enterprise by the free was unleashed on a global scale. There is not one of us that would not marvel at what came of it.
List what advances you can those first 250,000 years of despots and compare it with the last 000.01% of it, when free. Any list would make those first 250,000 years seem devoid of advance in either human comfort, health, convenience, or nourishment. Life today is with benefits beyond the imaginations of all those before, claiming to be above the law. This relationship between freedom and despotism isn’t coincidence.
Pride in our forebears should ooze from every American pore while the return of a despot boil everyone’s blood.
I’m going to doze off now, but with a hacksaw, on the chance I wake in prison.
Richard Kimball
South Tucson
- John Kromko, Downtown
Before he was president, Trump bragged that he could end the Ukraine war in one day. I scoffed. I didn't realize he meant he could surrender in one day.
John Kromko
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Frank Flasch, North side
Let's see, Boeing has been working for several years on 2 new Presidential planes. I can only imagine how many work change orders had to be dealt with before the final versions were agreed upon. With all these change orders can you imagine the challenges to Boeing? And lo and behold Boeing has either asked or more likely had Musk forced upon them to help with "project management." And by golly the wizard from the White House has pulled a rabbit out of his hat and suddenly the program is well on track. At least that is according to the CEO of Boeing. So you mean to tell me that Boeing does not have any of their own project managers? I think suddenly the Boeing CEO has been drinking the Kool-aid and realized that to stay in good standing with the "new occupant," they better be kissing Musk's you know what. Next thing will hear is that Boeing is being bought by SpaceX. Oh what tangled webs we weave.
Frank Flasch
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Judi Moreillon, Northeast side
For the last sixty years (since I was a high school student), every time I studied World War II and the Holocaust my reoccurring question has been: How could the “good” people of Germany do nothing to stop Adolf Hitler from exterminating millions of people and destroying their country?
Now, I’m beginning to understand.
Judi Moreillon
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Bea Quiroga, Midtown
Dear President Trump,
My Ancestry DNA says that I am 60% British. Does this mean that I will be deported to the UK? Maybe you should have everyone in the US submit the results of their DNA tests.
Only people who are 80% Native American will not be deported to their countries of DNA origin.
The Tribes could decide to grant work permits or voting rights to those allowed to stay!
I wonder which country you will be deported to: "Trump is the son, and grandson, of immigrants: German on his father’s side, and Scottish on his mother’s. None of his grandparents, and only one of his parents, was born in the United States or spoke English as their mother tongue. (His mother’s parents, from the remote Scottish Outer Hebrides, lived in a majority Gaelic-speaking community.)
Bea Quiroga
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Ellen Marshall, North side
I would like to express my gratitude to so many Star readers who have so eloquently expressed their disagreement with our current presidential administration. Thank you for calling out their many, many lies and self-serving actions that are hurting the American people, and for allowing an unelected person, Elon Musk, to make significant decisions to serve his own best interests. I could not have expressed this better myself, and I appreciate reading your letters and knowing that I am not alone.
Ellen Marshall
North side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Dianne Lethaby, East side
Instead of having all these signing ceremonies for his Executive Actions, why doesn't Trump just put an official Presidential Binder on Project 2025, sign it, and get it over with?
Dianne Lethaby
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Christie Cummins, Midtown
It is no surprise that Trump is now in his own war with Ukraine, a war of words. His lies and childish name-calling. He isn't able to end the war in 24 hours. That lie was to garner votes. It was never his intention to negotiate with anyone other than Putin to make that happen. Because of the embarrassing phone call with President Zelensky in 2019 when he asked him to "look into" Joe Biden and his son Hunter, this is Trump's revenge against Ukraine, and a possible reason to ignore Ukraine's participation in a life-changing decision. Trump's presidency is about revenge and not responsibility. What gives Trump the right to manipulate another country's fate without their voice in that outcome?
Christie Cummins
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
What’s the end game?
Representative Ciscomani appears to be a full supporter of the anti-American antics in Washington D.C., as he voted for the draconian Republican House budget which provides tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while severing a lifeline for many Americans. The new budget makes drastic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs. What is the end game here? Have the consequences of these decisions been considered? People who have received Medicaid will still need to see doctors, even when their funding is cut. Hospitals will end up bearing the burden of treating people without any reimbursement. Our already tenuous healthcare system will be stressed beyond its limits. What about the elderly whose nursing home stays are funded by Medicaid? Will they all be pushed out onto the street to fend for themselves? Will family members have to quit their jobs to care for their elderly relatives? How will they make ends meet? Are we making America great or just making America cruel?
Gina Chorover
Foothills
The war on women continues
Admiral Lisa Franchetti, highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy, was fired by Trump. Of the thousands of federal employees fired by Musk (many not on early probation), the majority in most departments were women. Locally, Tucson Rep. Rachel Keshel has proposed HR 2058, to overturn Prop 139 passed affirmatively by over 60% of Arizona voters in November, giving women a “fundamental right to abortion.” I assure Ms. Keshel that we were not “misled,” as she claims. We knew exactly what we were voting for. But somehow, we can’t convince Republicans that women have brains, can manage employees, do efficient work, run our households, emigrate to safety, and make appropriate choices about our lives, our bodies and our nation without government oppression. The pendulum will swing back; women will again begin to gain the power and respect they deserve. But: Who will lead us to equality? And the existential question: Can we ever forgive those who’ve so strategically taken it away?
Stephanie Cady
SaddleBrooke
Funding shortfall puts AZ disabled at risk
Are you aware of the funding shortfall in AZ putting DDD funding and programs at risk?
The Division of Developmental Disabilities is facing a severe budget shortfall, and without immediate legislative action, funding for all services could run out by May 2025.
Raising Voices Coalition provides an overview of the issues and provides sample templates you can use to write to Arizona state leaders.
Now is the time to make your voice heard. The decisions being made in the coming weeks will shape the future of disability services in Arizona, and your advocacy can make a real difference. By reaching out to state leaders, sharing your experiences, and raising awareness, we can help ensure that individuals with disabilities continue to receive the essential care they need.
As a concerned citizen and employment instructor for DDD members I implore you to encourage your members to help advocate for these important services by completing the call to action. Thank you.
Patricia Garza
Northwest side
UA’s despicable abandonment of DEI
I have resigned my position as a member of the Board of Visitors of the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona due to the University’s shameful and despicable abandonment of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I no longer wish to have my name associated with that institution. I urge other members of the UA Law School’s Board of Visitors to do the same.
Amelia Cramer
Downtown
No comment
At least 95% of your LTEs are anti-Trump and his policies. What is odd is that these submitters are mute on several obvious problems but focus only on bashing and character assentation. There are no comments regarding removing criminal illegal immigrants. No comments on the cost of sustaining 10 million-plus immigrants. No comments on simply enforcing our laws results in the current trickle of illegals. No comments on the published list of unbelievable, wasteful, idiotic and self-serving government spending, that in many cases may be fraudulent. No comments on mediocre trans men winning women’s sports championships. No comments on the need to curb federal spending to avoid financial collapse. No comments on the dire predictions of near-term world destruction due to climate warming. No comments on the wisdom of our current green energy policy, which has enriched those involved with no discernible positive results.
Loyal M Johnson Jr
Oro Valley
He would be king
Re: Feb. 24 letter This is how a coup starts”
Recently, a picture of Donald Trump wearing a crown was posted. It was framed to look like a Time magazine cover and included the words “long live the king.” Trump has already hinted that he wants a third presidential term.
Helen Murphy
Sierra Vista
Americans, wake up
Are we going to allow Trump and Musk to continue to ride roughshod over our Constitution, Congress and the law of the land?
Both are causing great hurt to the people. Republican or Democrat, it is time to call your Congressman and Senators to stand up and stop the carnage and vote for the people and not just their party.
Hal Brown
East side
Parasites
Musk, unelected, unaccountable and unrestrained, claims that those collecting from Social Security (for which we have all paid) and Medicare (for which we have all paid) and other social programs are parasites. But we’ve all paid our taxes. He and his cronies don’t pay taxes while we support the country. Moreover, major corporations, which also fail to pay taxes, receive major subsidies from the government. Who are the real parasites?
Barbara Benjamin
Foothills
Cabinet diversity
Trump just held the first cabinet meeting for his second term. His Cabinet members appeared to all be white. Only 60% of American citizens are white. Wouldn’t Trump do a better job if he were to appoint persons for his cabinet who better represent the American population?
Alan Roehl, P.E.
Green Valley
5 bullet points to ponder
1. What did you do regarding our elected (and unelected) Presidential team last week?
2. What can you do?
3. What will you do?
4. When will you do it?
5. What will you do to mitigate the damage?
It is unconscionable that the American people remain hostage to the whims and delusions of the current president, elected by a historically narrow plurality. The flurry of blatantly unconstitutional and outright illegal executive orders that continue to undermine our federal workforce and responsibility towards public lands, health, and safety must be decisively condemned by those elected to represent our collective best interests, and effective actions undertaken immediately to end this rampage against institutional knowledge.
All elected officials must be held accountable for allowing the ideology of the few to chaotically disrupt so many innocent lives. The consequential costs associated with the subsequent lawsuits and ongoing court battles to overturn these inept ideas should not be paid by the American public, but by those who have remained complicit in their implementation.
Camille Kershner
East side
Who is to blame?
You know the trade agreement Trump is complaining about — the one that supposedly gives Canada and Mexico better benefits than the United States receives? Well, it was signed into law by Donald Trump when he was president in 2020. Biden never touched it in the four years he was president. Just a reminder.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Intolerance in today’s society
I am amazed at the reaction to the bigotry displayed by a group of young people at McKale Center towards the BYU basketball team. Our children are merely a reflection of us. Welcome to the “Not So Brave World” of intolerance and fear that we have created. It is a real shame that the “World’s Greatest Generation” was followed by one of the worst, a mass of spoiled brats who were incessantly catered to and indulged, a generation who has used gender, race and religion to divide a nation in order to make sure that “I get mine.” How can you tell if you are a sheep in the fold? Take a simple test. A national brand of mattresses has been running ads since last November, you know the one, “How well do you sleep at night” — I changed this a bit as not to infringe on any copyright regulations. If you find these ads witty and “spot on” you are part of the problem!
Allen West
Oro Valley
All that glitters
Trump is promoting a gold (green) card for $5 million, with a path to citizenship. Says the proceeds will be used to pay off the $36 trillion debt. So, he seeks to invite 7,200,000 immigrants into the United States. Fortunately, if they have $5 million per person, they won’t be taking our wage-slave jobs.
Who is willing to pay for this Gold Card? Not most businesspeople. The U.S. taxes global income, wherever it’s earned. Most other countries tax territorial income, income earned in country only. So, who wants to pay more taxes?
However, criminals and crooked politicians might see this as a favorable option. They could see the US as a safe haven considering our Bill of Rights.
Again, Trump is playing checkers on a chessboard!
James Abels
East side
DEI is dead
The postgame chant from the Arizona student section at the UA BYU basketball game was ‘F — the Mormons’ between rhythmic claps. This is a disgrace for our university and our community.
Yet we read in the Star that 1,500 students, faculty and others have signed their names to a petition calling on UA to reinstate diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in face of Trump administration pressure.
With the UA in the midst of budget crisis do you 1,500 petitioners believe that the annual $1.6M DEI expenditures from the university’s general operating budget are producing any tangible results? I think not.
Trump is right.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Legislators do not represent all Arizonans
So we climate activists were thinking that a town hall by a Republican legislator could produce some meaningful face-to-face frank talk, so that legislator could see firsthand his constituents’ outrage at the climate horror show in Washington DC — coming faster than you can imagine to your doorstep and monthly utility bills.
That was wishful thinking — not that a town hall was out of the question — but that any constituent objections to White House climate actions would mean anything. An Arizona Public Media morning radio show interview with an Arizona legislator floated that town hall idea and the response? Paraphrasing, “it’s the Democrats that will show up to the town hall and their vote doesn’t mean anything to us, so sure we’ll have a town hall.”
Yeah it’s no real surprise but it’s plainly not what a legislator is there to do —represent all constituents. There’s no listening, no weighing, no nothing if it’s a Democrat. Your vote, your voice, your feeling, they mean nothing. Winner take all.
Rick Rappaport
Oro Valley
U of A basketball chant
U of A students chanted anti-Morman insults following the basketball game with BYU recently. U of A fans, BYU fans, members of the LDS Church and others denounced the display of rude and vile chanting by some in the U of A student section. Everyone agreed that it was a terrible thing to witness, but not one letter to the Star asked the obvious question, “Why would the students do such a thing?”
The reason for the behavior is racism in the scripture of the LDS Church and the application of that racism in the early athletic programs at BYU. It wasn’t until 1978 that LDS scripture finally reversed the belief that black people were cursed by God and thus not equal to whites within the Church. Black men were not eligible for admission to the priesthood due to the curse. That fact bled into BYU athletics prior to and after 1978.
University students are notoriously less forgiving about subjects such as racism, and students are much less likely to forgive and move on.
James Gilbert
Green Valley
An open letter to Rep. Ciscomani
By 50.0% vs. 47.3% margin, you were elected Arizona’s 6th Congressional District’s representative. You voted for the GOP budget plan. Based on your statement on the need to defend and even grow the safety nets for our citizens, I take you to be a person of integrity, i.e. you to have a clear mind to follow truths instead of lies and a courageous heart to fight for justice and mercy. Hence, I ask:
1) Will you vote in favor of those whose lives would be robbed by the cutting of the safety nets such as Medicare, Medicaid, and USAID? 2) Will you expose and resist publicly all governmental violations of our Constitution, e.g., the legitimacy of Elon Musk? 3) Will you hold regular town hall meetings to listen to your constituents?
Your words and deeds will be your judge (Matthew 25:32-45). I pray for your soul, even if you might have already sold it for a price, for I believe in repentance.
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
Burning down our homes
HB2201 sponsored by Republican Gail Griffin will exempt utilities from litigation as long as they have a wildfire mitigation “plan.” Further: “a failure to comply with an approved Plan does not constitute negligence per se.” Our precious homes are losing all protections: 1) a utility with a “plan” cannot be sued for damages even if they cause them; 2) Trump and his Muskrats are doing away with agencies such as FEMA which could offer remediation; 3) tax cuts will make it difficult for governments to assist with restoration; 4) insurance companies in disaster prone areas can leave or charge exorbitant rates; and 5) our Corporation Commission overseeing utilities is majority Republican.
Republican mega-donors are using our elected officials to protect themselves from liability for bad actions; and to protect their profits from oversight and taxes. Please take action. Call, write, RTS, picket and/or donate to assure Republicans voting in lock step with billionaires are called to account and the bill doesn’t pass the AZ Senate. Thank you!
Dee Maitland
Marana
Voter’s remorse response
Regarding Feb. 26 LTEs from Bruce Kaplan and neighbor Deb Klumpp: I generally agree with what they said in response to John Taylor’s LTE about his MAGA voter’s remorse. The Star has published my own letters predicting what Trump would do if he won re-election — address his retribution issues and demanded loyalty first, before the important issues noted by voters (inflation, economy, support for Ukraine, climate change awareness, etc). Even I did not predict DOGE or pardons for Jan. 6 criminals. I cannot grasp how so many Americans were oblivious to his stated and predictable behavior once left to his own devices with GOP-oriented Legislative and Judicial branches no longer acting as a check/balance.
That aside, I respect Mr. Taylor admitting his voter’s remorse knowing the pending backlash he would receive in this forum. I would pray our state and federal political representatives would have the backbone to admit their mistakes and grow from them. Our president sure won’t.
Gary Simons
Oro Valley
Sequel to trickle down in production now
Regardless of policy changes in other areas, tax cuts for corporations and the rich are always on the Republican agenda. To make this palatable to the non-rich, “trickle-down theory” has been invoked since the Reagan presidency. Basic idea: giving more money to these folks will lead to major economic growth, more jobs and eventually higher wages. Although this may sound plausible, research shows that it doesn’t work.
Generally, income inequality increases, the deficit increases if cuts are financed by debt, and demand, which drives GDP growth, is reduced if cuts are financed by cutting programs that benefit the middle and lower classes. In addition, detailed study shows that any money that “trickles” down overwhelmingly benefits upper-tier corporate employees.
If Trump’s tax cuts are extended, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that modest growth would offset 6% of the 4-trillion-dollar cost, but the added cost to service the increase in debt would be three times as large.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
- Arthur Sajecki, East side
Where have we gone? For the price of over $200 million, you can buy a President. For a mere $5 million you can buy citizenship and the right to vote. Are those who can afford to come up with the bucks going to be truly productive in the interest of the majority of the American people? Russian oligarchs, and others who can buy in, will be empowered to influence our lawmakers and would be kings through unrestricted access. Is this what the American people voted for? The fools who voted for Trump: Don't express voter remorse at this point.
Arthur Sajecki
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- David Robbins, Foothills
To: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people
On behalf of the more than 50% of voters who did not send Trump to the White House, I apologize most sincerely for the behavior of the malignant, malevolent individual in the Oval Office, and also for the behavior of his toadying lickspittles. This particular president of the US deserves no respect at the personal level and is forfeiting whatever respect adheres to him by virtue of his office.
For those who have read some history, Trump's behavior toward Zelenskyy is similar to that of Hitler toward Benes, the president of Czechoslovakia, immediately after the British and French sold the Czechs out at Munich.
Disgusting. It makes me want to vomit it all up, just like Jan 6 did.
David Robbins
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Barbara Hall, Midtown
Regardless of policy changes in other areas, tax cuts for corporations and the rich are always on the Republican agenda. To make this palatable to the non-rich, "trickle-down theory" has been invoked since the Reagan presidency. Basic idea: giving more money to these folks will lead to major economic growth, more jobs and eventually higher wages. Although this may sound plausible, research shows that it doesn’t work.
Generally, income inequality increases, the deficit increases if cuts are financed by debt, and demand, which drives GDP growth, is reduced if cuts are financed by cutting programs that benefit the middle and lower classes. In addition, detailed study shows that any money that "trickles" down overwhelmingly benefits upper-tier corporate employees.
If Trump’s tax cuts are extended, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that modest growth would offset 6% of the 4-trillion-dollar cost, but the added cost to service the increase in debt would be three times as large.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gary Simons, Oro Valley
Regarding Feb. 26 LTEs from Bruce Kaplan and neighbor Deb Klumpp: I generally agree with what they said in response to John Taylor’s LTE about his MAGA voter’s remorse. The Star has published my own letters predicting what Trump would do if he won re-election – address his retribution issues and demanded loyalty first, before the important issues noted by voters (inflation, economy, support for Ukraine, climate change awareness, etc). Even I did not predict DOGE or pardons for January 6 criminals. I cannot grasp how so many Americans were oblivious to his stated and predictable behavior once left to his own devices with GOP-oriented Legislative and Judicial branches no longer acting as a check/balance.
That aside, I respect Mr. Taylor admitting his voter’s remorse knowing the pending backlash he would receive in this forum. I would pray our state and federal political representatives would have the backbone to admit their mistakes and grow from them. Our president sure won’t.
Gary Simons
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Ke Chiang Hsieh, Midtown
By 50.0% vs. 47.3% margin, you were elected Arizona’s 6th Congressional District’s representative. You voted for the GOP budget plan. Based on your statement on the need to defend and even grow the safety nets for our citizens, I take you to be a person of integrity, i.e. you to have a clear mind to follow truths instead of lies and a courageous heart to fight for justice and mercy. Hence, I ask:
1) Will you vote in favor of those whose lives would be robbed by the cutting of the safety nets such as Medicare, Medicaid, and USAID? 2) Will you expose and resist publicly all governmental violations of our Constitution, e.g., the legitimacy of Elon Musk? 3) Will you hold regular town-hall meetings to listen to your constituents?
Your words and deeds will be your judge (Matthew 25:32-45). I pray for your soul, even if you might have already sold it for a price, for I believe in repentance.
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Helen Murphy, Sierra Vista
Re: 2-24-25 letter This is how acoup starts"
Recently a picture of Donald Trump wearing a crown was posted. It was framed to look like a Time magazine cover and included the words "long live the king." Trump has already hinted that he wants a third presidential term.
Helen Murphy
Sierra Vista
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- James Abels, East side
Trump is promoting a gold (green) card for $5,000,000, with a path to citizenship. Says the proceeds will be used to pay off the $36,000,000,000,000 debt. So, he seeks to invite 7,200,000 immigrants into the United States. Fortunately, if they have $5,000,000 per person, they won’t be taking our wage-slave jobs.
Who is willing to pay for this Gold Card? Not most businesspeople. The US taxes global income, wherever it’s earned. Most other countries tax territorial income, income earned in country only. So, who wants to pay more taxes?
However, criminals and crooked politicians might see this as a favorable option. They could see the US as a safe haven considering our Bill of Rights.
Again, Trump is playing checkers on a chess board!
James Abels
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gina Chorover, Foothills
Representative Ciscomani appears to be a full supporter of the anti-American antics in Washington DC as he voted for the draconian Republican House budget which provides tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while severing a lifeline for many Americans. The new budget makes drastic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs. What is the end game here? Have the consequences of these decisions been considered? People who have received Medicaid will still need to see doctors, even when their funding is cut. Hospitals will end up bearing the burden of treating people without any reimbursement. Our already tenuous healthcare system will be stressed beyond its limits. What about the elderly whose nursing home stays are funded by Medicaid? Will they all be pushed out onto the street to fend for themselves? Will family members have to quit their jobs to care for their elderly relatives? How will they make ends meet? Are we making America great or just making America cruel?
Gina Chorover
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Barbara Benjamin, Foothills
Musk, unelected, unaccountable and unrestrained, claims that those collecting from Social Security (for which we have all paid) and Medicare (for which we have all paid) and other social programs are parasites. But we've all paid our taxes. He and his cronies don't pay taxes while we support the country. Moreover, major corporations, which also fail to pay taxes, receive major subsidies from the government. Who are the real parasites?
Barbara Benjamin
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Cynthia Schiesel, East side
You know the trade agreement Trump is complaining about -- the one that supposedly gives Canada and Mexico better benefits than the United States receives? Well, it was signed into law by Donald Trump when he was president in 2020. Biden never touched it in the 4 years he was president. Just a reminder.
Cynthia Schiesel
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Alan Roehl, P.E., Green Valley
Trump just held the first cabinet meeting for his second term. His Cabinet members appeared to all be white. Only 60% of American citizens are white. Wouldn’t Trump do a better job if he were to appoint persons for his cabinet who better represent the American population?
Alan Roehl, P.E.
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Camille Kershner, East side
1- What did you do to regarding our elected (and unelected) Presidential team last week?
2- What can you do?
3- What will you do?
4- When will you do it?
5- What will you do to mitigate the damage?
It is unconscionable that the American people remain hostage to the whims and delusions of the current president, elected by a historically narrow plurality. The flurry of blatantly unconstitutional and outright illegal executive orders that continue to undermine our federal workforce and responsibility towards public lands, health, and safety must be decisively condemned by those elected to represent our collective best interests, and effective actions undertaken immediately to end this rampage against institutional knowledge.
All elected officials must be held accountable for allowing the ideology of the few to chaotically disrupt so many innocent lives. The consequential costs associated with the subsequent lawsuits and ongoing court battles to overturn these inept ideas should not be paid by the American public, but by those who have remained complicit in their implementation.
Camille Kershner
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Loyal M Johnson Jr, Oro Valley
At least 95 percent of your LTEs are anti-Trump and his policies. What is odd is that these submitters are mute on several obvious problems but focus only on bashing and character assentation. There are no comments regarding removing criminal illegal immigrants. No comments on the cost of sustaining 10 million plus immigrants. No comments on simply enforcing our laws results in the current trickle of illegals. No comments on the published list of unbelievable, wasteful, idiotic, and self-serving government spending, that in many cases may be fraudulent. No comments on mediocre trans men winning women’s sports championships. No comments on the need to curb federal spending to avoid financial collapse. No comments on the dire predictions of near-term world destruction due to climate warming. No comments on the wisdom of our current green energy policy which has enriched those involved with no discernible positive results.
Loyal M Johnson Jr
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Hal Brown, East side
Are we going to allow Trump and Musk to continue to ride roughshod over our Constitution, Congress and the law of the land?
Both are causing great hurt to the people. Republican or Democrat, it is time to call your Congressman and Senators to stand up and stop the carnage and vote for the people and not just their party.
Hal Brown
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- N Thomas, East side
Today the President in Name Only made us part of the Axis of Evil and no longer leader of the free world. The shameful and nauseating ambush of President Zelenskyy showed absolutely that Trump and Vance and the Republicans are in bed with Putin, a bloody murderous dictator. Trump and Vance and the Republicans are lying cowards and traitors. Americans will not accept this. There will be consequences. I Stand With Ukraine and the United States of America.
N Thomas
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Gary Simons, Oro Valley
My Loyal neighbor bemoans the plethora of letters against his beloved current president who has embarked on a slash/burn administration dedicated to dismantle our 2.5 century-old government that, while not always perfect, up to now, mostly strives to be.
His Feb. 28 diatribe laments that 95% of anti-Trump LTEs tend to bash his self-anointed king’s policies, and are mute on “obvious problems” including: removing criminal illegal immigrants, reducing wasteful or fraudulent government spending, destruction due to climate warming, or our green energy policy. I suggest he remove his blinders and actually read those letters. Most of us are for all of those ideas, but the effects of DOGEs “scorched earth” cuts are ill-planned, wasteful and un-American in my opinion, removing years of progress/promise.
Loyal friend: Defend pardoning all Jan. 6 criminals including Proud Boy and Oath Keeper leaders, belittling European allies and betraying sovereign Ukraine in favor of Putin/Russia, naming unqualified clowns to cabinet positions, tariffs to "improve" economy, etc.
Gary Simons
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Toni Kane, Oro Valley
I used to just stutter when reading Trump's executive orders, but now I get chilled to the bone. My country is under full-throttle attack by its most conservative citizens. Is there nothing going to be left alone and standing? This is meat-cleaver attack to minimize bureaucracy rather than thoughtful cost saving. Each day I think it cannot get worse, but it does.
Toni Kane
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Beth Dingman, Green Valley
Did I wake up and find out I was living in North Korea? The “supreme leader” has dictated that the Gulf of Mexico shall now be named Gulf of America and all schools are instantly required to comply. Is he going to change the name of Washington DC to Trumplandia next, or is that name reserved for the newly acquired Gaza?
And while he’s at it, he’s rewriting history. Students will no longer learn that even though slavery was abolished in 1863, blacks continued to suffer from state and federal discrimination for another 100 years. Let’s just erase the story of the fight for civil rights. Trump will probably turn Martin Luther King Day into Elon Musk Day.
Why deny the truth of history? All totalitarian regimes attempt to control knowledge. Mao’s communist party purged the universities and sent all the teachers to the countryside to be “re-educated.” Is that what we want America to become? A country whose history is defined by Donald Trump?
Beth Dingman
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
101 homes to be built on NW Tucson corner
