Tucson speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Jul. 3, 2026
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Arizona Daily Star.
Reflecting his incompetence
The “reflecting pool" demonstrates the enormity of Trump's character: no obtaining authority, claims of construction superiority (you can’t cut it with a knife), on time/on budget ($1.8 mil to $14/15 mil), and it all failed due to someone else’s fault (left-wing vandals). Trump’s incompetence encapsulated in one construction project! See this in a war he didn’t get authority for, whose self-stated objectives haven’t been met, a war seemingly no better settled than the JCPOA, which he 86'd in Trump 1.0 and one which has needlessly cost lives and carries an extreme bill. Now he wants billions while the DOD sits on billions of uncommitted funds and then has the guts to stuff this supplemental with pork- farm relief from his own imposed tariffs, money for Ebola victims in Africa (remember USAID?), etc. So, if running your business into bankruptcy, lying about it, blaming others and then asking for financial relief needs a champion — congrats, Trump is ready to represent you!
Norman Patten
Midtown
Traffic enforcement, cameras
Councilman Cunningham was on target when he recently said that distrust was the reason a new traffic camera program would die again. That was the reason it died last time. The general feeling of the population was that the contractor had a financial incentive for fines, that the contractor and not the city was in charge and that the contractor shortened the yellow light times to make more profit. I agree that we need the cameras, but with a transparent contract. Maybe the council could also consider refunding a TPD traffic unit. Patrolling motorcycles are a good deterrent to violations.
BTW, many of our pedestrian deaths are due to pedestrians indiscriminately walking the traffic lanes and wearing dark clothing at night.
David Germain
East side
World peace, not simply a concept
The biggest hurdle in establishing “World Peace," is finding the catalyst, something that compels the people to join in, where they benefit, not just for the sake of Peace itself, but financially, and personally. There is only one catalyst that has a chance of accomplishing that goal: replace the War Industry Economy with an economy that generates profit and salvation, and the only plan I have ever found that has a chance of working is a space colonization and exploration industry economy.
World Peace is the biggest and baddest monster on the block, baddest I say, because we have to eliminate ‘War’ first, and we have too much anger, hate and all the virtues of Humanity, in which I will include, the seven deadly sins put together, to have a semblance of a chance put a dent in the trials, and get them out of the way, or settled into a plan of operational solutions first.
John Hargis
St. David
Trump is a racist
Trump is a racist, and here is some of the evidence. From personal experience and living in Romania for eight years, we know there are hundreds of undocumented Romanians and thousands of undocumented Europeans living in Chicago. When ICE raided Chicago, how many white people were detained? South African visas are only issued to white South Africans. Trump put the heads of President and First Lady Obama on gorilla bodies in a social post. Who does that except a racist? Trump affirms this racism with his own words. “S-hole countries in Africa; Somalians are garbage; Haitians are eating the dogs and cats of neighbors in Springfield, Ohio; Mexico is sending their murders and rapists to the U.S.” These are just a few of the remarks Trump has made about dark-skinned people and the countries they come from. How much more evidence do you need?
Don Ries
Southeast side
Trump Administration racism
The Trump administration is offering admission to the United States to "white" South Africans who believe that they are victims of egregious actions by the government of South Africa against them. This is happening at the same time that the administration is spending huge sums of tax money to deport people (many of whom are not "white" and victims of egregious actions) who have emigrated to the United States from numerous other countries. Will the Republicans continue to follow this racist policy when they select their next candidate for President?
Alan Roehl, P.E.
Green Valley
Thank you
I really appreciate the editorial cartoons in the Star. A recent one, in particular, caught my attention because one of the snakes was named Profiteering. I have long thought that another name for Privatizing was "Pofitizing ..."
The cartoons surely clarify the artist's view of reality. Today, the artist shared mine.
Claudette Haney
Green Valley
A soldier's dilemma
As a real combat veteran in Vietnam and an ex-Green Beret, I have a question. How do those in today’s military serve with honor, when so many of their top leaders have none?
Robert Scanlon
Midtown
Republican signs? Shame or scared?
Driving through Tucson last month, I’ve noticed lots of political signs. It is, after all, election season. But this season I’ve noticed something unusual: lots of signs with no party affiliation. Even the colors are strange, bright pink, purple, even blue for Republicans. Democrats do seem to show party affiliation and are blue.
Obviously, the Republicans know they are in trouble. They have done absolutely nothing to help working Americans. They have been missing from D.C. more than ever and refused to do town halls. They can’t defend passing the BBB that added to the debt and put deep cuts in healthcare, nutrition assistance, FEMA, etc. But it did help billionaires with huge, “permanent” tax cuts.
Now they are talking about cutting Social Security and Medicare to help balance that debt. “Trump added nearly $8 trillion to the national debt, which is more than any other president. Ever!
Our Republican leaders are too afraid of Trump to help their constituents and are trying to hide their cowardice!
Shirley Pevarnik
West side
Honor the vote
In 2015, Tucson voters spoke clearly and decisively: they rejected red-light cameras. That should have settled the issue. Yet today, some City Council members are taking the first steps toward bringing them back.
This debate is about more than traffic enforcement. It is about whether the will of the people still matters. Beginning the process to select a camera vendor before statewide voters decide the issue — and before Tucson voters are even asked — puts government action ahead of the democratic process.
If city leaders truly believe public opinion has changed, the democratic solution is simple: ask the voters. Don't begin laying the groundwork for a program the public has already rejected. Democracy depends on elected officials respecting election results and allowing voters — not government — to decide when those results should change.
Tucson voters have already spoken. Unless they choose otherwise at the ballot box, their decision deserves respect — not reversal.
William Searcy
Foothills
Write-in Green Party candidates
The Green Party values nonviolence, ecology, grassroots democracy and social justice.
The Green Party endorses write-in candidates Carlos Melendez for Governor, Jon Robert Ralston for Secretary of State, and Mike Cease for Corporation Commissioner. The Green Party actively opposes Risa Lombardo for Governor and Duwayne Collier for Secretary of State.
Carlos Melendez calls for moratoriums on new data centers and Flock surveillance cameras. He supports public banking, rent control, and converting private utilities into public utilities.
Jon Ralston advocates sincere voting methods like ranked choice voting or STAR voting for single-winner elections, allowing multiple candidates to compete without vote splitting. Jon supports proportional representation in multi-member districts for legislative bodies to secure ethnic, religious, ideological, and socioeconomic diversity in representation.
Mike Cease advocates sanctioning companies complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. He would also sanction the mining companies destroying the Santa Ritas and Oak Flat and polluting our groundwater.
Gary Swing
Green Party candidate for Congress, CD6
Northeast side
Messages from our leaders
On Jan. 8, 2011, six people were killed, and Representative Gabrielle Giffords and 13 others were seriously injured in the assassination attempt. On Jan. 12, President Obama spoke at the McKale Center to over 14,000 people in support of Gabby and the other victims. He gave a stirring and inspirational message to those of us who were horrified and grieving about what had happened in our community.
The Arizona Daily Star’s headline on Jan. 13 quoted President Obama. He had told us this: “What matters is not wealth, or status, or power or fame, but how well we have loved.” As we are bombarded with the constant vitriol coming from our current president, it is hard not to compare what we have lost. Remember those days, only 15 years ago, when even political adversaries treated each other with some dignity and respect, and could inspire us to think of someone or something other than ourselves?
Michael Urbanski
Northwest side
More like this...
Reflecting his incompetence
The “reflecting pool" demonstrates the enormity of Trump's character: no obtaining authority, claims of construction superiority (you can’t cut it with a knife), on time/on budget ($1.8 mil to $14/15 mil), and it all failed due to someone else’s fault (left-wing vandals). Trump’s incompetence encapsulated in one construction project! See this in a war he didn’t get authority for, whose self-stated objectives haven’t been met, a war seemingly no better settled than the JCPOA, which he 86'd in Trump 1.0 and one which has needlessly cost lives and carries an extreme bill. Now he wants billions while the DOD sits on billions of uncommitted funds and then has the guts to stuff this supplemental with pork- farm relief from his own imposed tariffs, money for Ebola victims in Africa (remember USAID?), etc. So, if running your business into bankruptcy, lying about it, blaming others and then asking for financial relief needs a champion — congrats, Trump is ready to represent you!
Norman Patten
Midtown
Traffic enforcement, cameras
Councilman Cunningham was on target when he recently said that distrust was the reason a new traffic camera program would die again. That was the reason it died last time. The general feeling of the population was that the contractor had a financial incentive for fines, that the contractor and not the city was in charge and that the contractor shortened the yellow light times to make more profit. I agree that we need the cameras, but with a transparent contract. Maybe the council could also consider refunding a TPD traffic unit. Patrolling motorcycles are a good deterrent to violations.
BTW, many of our pedestrian deaths are due to pedestrians indiscriminately walking the traffic lanes and wearing dark clothing at night.
David Germain
East side
World peace, not simply a concept
The biggest hurdle in establishing “World Peace," is finding the catalyst, something that compels the people to join in, where they benefit, not just for the sake of Peace itself, but financially, and personally. There is only one catalyst that has a chance of accomplishing that goal: replace the War Industry Economy with an economy that generates profit and salvation, and the only plan I have ever found that has a chance of working is a space colonization and exploration industry economy.
World Peace is the biggest and baddest monster on the block, baddest I say, because we have to eliminate ‘War’ first, and we have too much anger, hate and all the virtues of Humanity, in which I will include, the seven deadly sins put together, to have a semblance of a chance put a dent in the trials, and get them out of the way, or settled into a plan of operational solutions first.
John Hargis
St. David
Trump is a racist
Trump is a racist, and here is some of the evidence. From personal experience and living in Romania for eight years, we know there are hundreds of undocumented Romanians and thousands of undocumented Europeans living in Chicago. When ICE raided Chicago, how many white people were detained? South African visas are only issued to white South Africans. Trump put the heads of President and First Lady Obama on gorilla bodies in a social post. Who does that except a racist? Trump affirms this racism with his own words. “S-hole countries in Africa; Somalians are garbage; Haitians are eating the dogs and cats of neighbors in Springfield, Ohio; Mexico is sending their murders and rapists to the U.S.” These are just a few of the remarks Trump has made about dark-skinned people and the countries they come from. How much more evidence do you need?
Don Ries
Southeast side
Trump Administration racism
The Trump administration is offering admission to the United States to "white" South Africans who believe that they are victims of egregious actions by the government of South Africa against them. This is happening at the same time that the administration is spending huge sums of tax money to deport people (many of whom are not "white" and victims of egregious actions) who have emigrated to the United States from numerous other countries. Will the Republicans continue to follow this racist policy when they select their next candidate for President?
Alan Roehl, P.E.
Green Valley
Thank you
I really appreciate the editorial cartoons in the Star. A recent one, in particular, caught my attention because one of the snakes was named Profiteering. I have long thought that another name for Privatizing was "Pofitizing ..."
The cartoons surely clarify the artist's view of reality. Today, the artist shared mine.
Claudette Haney
Green Valley
A soldier's dilemma
As a real combat veteran in Vietnam and an ex-Green Beret, I have a question. How do those in today’s military serve with honor, when so many of their top leaders have none?
Robert Scanlon
Midtown
Republican signs? Shame or scared?
Driving through Tucson last month, I’ve noticed lots of political signs. It is, after all, election season. But this season I’ve noticed something unusual: lots of signs with no party affiliation. Even the colors are strange, bright pink, purple, even blue for Republicans. Democrats do seem to show party affiliation and are blue.
Obviously, the Republicans know they are in trouble. They have done absolutely nothing to help working Americans. They have been missing from D.C. more than ever and refused to do town halls. They can’t defend passing the BBB that added to the debt and put deep cuts in healthcare, nutrition assistance, FEMA, etc. But it did help billionaires with huge, “permanent” tax cuts.
Now they are talking about cutting Social Security and Medicare to help balance that debt. “Trump added nearly $8 trillion to the national debt, which is more than any other president. Ever!
Our Republican leaders are too afraid of Trump to help their constituents and are trying to hide their cowardice!
Shirley Pevarnik
West side
Honor the vote
In 2015, Tucson voters spoke clearly and decisively: they rejected red-light cameras. That should have settled the issue. Yet today, some City Council members are taking the first steps toward bringing them back.
This debate is about more than traffic enforcement. It is about whether the will of the people still matters. Beginning the process to select a camera vendor before statewide voters decide the issue — and before Tucson voters are even asked — puts government action ahead of the democratic process.
If city leaders truly believe public opinion has changed, the democratic solution is simple: ask the voters. Don't begin laying the groundwork for a program the public has already rejected. Democracy depends on elected officials respecting election results and allowing voters — not government — to decide when those results should change.
Tucson voters have already spoken. Unless they choose otherwise at the ballot box, their decision deserves respect — not reversal.
William Searcy
Foothills
Write-in Green Party candidates
The Green Party values nonviolence, ecology, grassroots democracy and social justice.
The Green Party endorses write-in candidates Carlos Melendez for Governor, Jon Robert Ralston for Secretary of State, and Mike Cease for Corporation Commissioner. The Green Party actively opposes Risa Lombardo for Governor and Duwayne Collier for Secretary of State.
Carlos Melendez calls for moratoriums on new data centers and Flock surveillance cameras. He supports public banking, rent control, and converting private utilities into public utilities.
Jon Ralston advocates sincere voting methods like ranked choice voting or STAR voting for single-winner elections, allowing multiple candidates to compete without vote splitting. Jon supports proportional representation in multi-member districts for legislative bodies to secure ethnic, religious, ideological, and socioeconomic diversity in representation.
Mike Cease advocates sanctioning companies complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. He would also sanction the mining companies destroying the Santa Ritas and Oak Flat and polluting our groundwater.
Gary Swing
Green Party candidate for Congress, CD6
Northeast side
Messages from our leaders
On Jan. 8, 2011, six people were killed, and Representative Gabrielle Giffords and 13 others were seriously injured in the assassination attempt. On Jan. 12, President Obama spoke at the McKale Center to over 14,000 people in support of Gabby and the other victims. He gave a stirring and inspirational message to those of us who were horrified and grieving about what had happened in our community.
The Arizona Daily Star’s headline on Jan. 13 quoted President Obama. He had told us this: “What matters is not wealth, or status, or power or fame, but how well we have loved.” As we are bombarded with the constant vitriol coming from our current president, it is hard not to compare what we have lost. Remember those days, only 15 years ago, when even political adversaries treated each other with some dignity and respect, and could inspire us to think of someone or something other than ourselves?
Michael Urbanski
Northwest side
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