Tucson speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Oct. 17, 2025
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Arizona Daily Star.
Ciscomani’s paid vacation
Hello Representative,
I just thought I would check in to see how you are enjoying yet another paid vacation. Are you enjoying it by spending time with your family? Are you able to continue to shop, go out to dinner, spend money unlike the federal employees in your district who either aren’t getting paid, or have been laid off?
Or are you spending this time meeting with your constituents? Are you using this time to hold town hall meetings? Are you responding to calls and emails with actual responses?
Of course, we all know the answers to those last three questions. As always, no.
We, your constituents, look forward to sending you on a permanent vacation come your next election. I have a feeling that even those folks who trusted you and voted for you won’t want to do so again.
Enjoy your paid vacation, from an Arizonan since 1969.
Thom Melendez
Midtown
Dear Trump voters
It is hard to believe that in July 2026, we will be celebrating the 250th Anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. Our country should be ashamed that the words of that document have still not been achieved: “That all men are created equal.” We continue racial, class and religious hatred and attack, which will only get worse with the continuation of this cruel, authoritarian government.
Our foolish MAGA and independent voters elected Trump while he and the Project 2025 told us exactly what was coming. Surprise and regret are not a defense anymore. You people own this. The poor and middle class will suffer much, millionaires and billionaires not so much. We are really becoming the worst of humanity.
The GOP represents Fascism, and ICE (Proud Boys) is the Gestapo. There is killing and imprisonment coming for anyone who protests, even if peacefully.
And you did this. Thank you for your attention.
Luther Creed
Foothills
Healthcare
Dear Editor:
I’m a veteran and diabetic who’s been hospitalized twice in the past year due to insulin access issues. Even with a good job and insurance, profit-driven practices by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) — like prior authorization delays and cost barriers — have pushed me into medical debt. Millions of Americans face the same struggles.
Instead of chasing failed ideas like tying U.S. drug prices to those overseas, Congress should focus on PBM reform. PBMs restrict access, inflate costs, and profit while patients suffer. Thankfully, some lawmakers are taking this on, and I strongly urge support for Representative Carter’s PBM Reform Act. It would bring transparency, stop abusive profit-taking, and ensure savings reach patients.
It’s time to hold PBMs accountable for the harm they cause and finally put patients before profits. Congress must act now.
Bryan Ortega
Vail
Abolish the death penalty
Richard Djerf is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 17. I deeply regret that the State of Arizona will take this man’s life. It will be the second execution this year in Arizona. I remain steadfast in my opposition to the death penalty.
My primary opposition to the death penalty is rooted in the fact that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. For this reason, I am compelled to uphold the sacred dignity of all human life.
Throughout the country, including in Arizona, the use of the death penalty is troublesome because it is often disproportionately imposed on people of color and on those of limited economic means.
The risk of executing an innocent person is not illusory. At least two hundred people in the United States have been wrongfully convicted. In Arizona alone, eleven people have been released from death row after evidence was later found to exonerate them.
The death penalty is not a deterrent and should be abolished.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Posturing
Posturing seems the “way to be” these days. Stand out and stand firm is the present norm. Most times, the above will cause rifts and strife, all the while demolishing or dooming the outcome of your intended objective.
Posturing (behavior that is intended to impress or mislead) is present on both sides of the political spectrum. The president uses this posturing to start the ball rolling. He takes a stance, no matter how absurd, and then like a bowling ball, it rolls down the lane, knocking over whatever pins that are “in the way.”
Being “in the way”, is the key to his success. Choices need to be made whether you prefer to be “in the way” or do you choose to deflect the postured attitude and stay “out of the way.” The bowling center has many lanes, so choose your lanes carefully. Do you stand “in the way” of the presidential ball, or choose a less harmful lane to operate? Remember the pins will always be reset.
Ed LeGendre
East side
Montezuma Castle turns away tourists
The recent government shutdown has led to the closure of sites like Montezuma Castle National Monument, leaving many visitors disappointed. On one hand, keeping national parks and monuments open during shutdowns allows people to enjoy the outdoors, support nearby communities, and connect with our country’s natural and cultural treasures. On the other hand, operating parks with limited staff can create safety issues, reduce maintenance, and leave important resources unprotected.
While national parks are closed, visiting a nearby state park or local recreation area is a great alternative. Arizona’s state parks may not have the same level of recognition as places like Montezuma Castle or the Grand Canyon, but they still offer beautiful scenery, hiking trails, and quiet places to experience nature.
Hopefully, national parks will reopen soon. In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to get outside and explore nature right here in Arizona. Getting out and exploring state parks and local natural areas can keep us connected to the outdoors until full access returns.
Aubrey Seitz
North side
No Kings means exactly that
No Kings protest declares today exactly what 1776 Declaration of Independence stated: We will not be subservient to any monarch — not King George III nor presumptive King Trump.
In 1776 in the American colonies, many did not want to defy King George III; they wanted colonies to remain subjects, commoners, peasants; they were known as Royalists. Today’s Republicans are political descendants of Royalists. Republicans/Royalists don’t want government by the people and for the people — they want a tyrant, their tyrant, telling everyone how to live and what to believe; an autocrat to arrest and imprison their enemies without cause or justice; a dictator denying freedom of speech and press. These GOP Royalists don’t want freedom of religion — they want a state religion called Christan Fascism. These MAGA/Republicans call themselves patriots. That’s a lie; in truth, they are the political resurrection of 1776 Redcoats/Royalists intent on returning America to rule by a King, an American Monarchy under King Trump. No Kings protests Oct. 18. Be there and be a true patriot.
Glenn Johnson
Marana
Performance violence
Having recently read the book “Columbine” (by Dave Cullen), I was impressed by the following:
“Sociology professor Mark Juergensmeyer identified the central characteristic of terrorism as “performance violence.” Terrorists design events “to be spectacular in their viciousness and awesome in their destructive power. Such instances of exaggerated violence are constructed events: They are mind-numbing, mesmerizing theater.”
“Performance violence” sort of describes Trump and his ICE employees to me.
Sue Thompson
SaddleBrooke
Trump’s peace credentials
If Donald Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a cease-fire in Gaza and securing the release of 20 hostages, then President Biden deserves one as well. Biden negotiated two cease-fires and the release of more than 100 hostages. On March 19, 2025, during the Trump presidency, Israel broke the cease-fire brokered earlier that year, starting with extensive airstrikes on Gaza shortly after the Trump administration authorized an additional $12B in military aid to Israel and after President Trump said, “I told Bibi, you do whatever you want.” A Nobel Peace Prize for Donald? Really?
John Prugh
Foothills
Ward 3 at large
As an independent resident voter of Ward 3 in Tucson, I was researching the candidates for our City Council seat in the November election. While checking out the Republican candidate, JL Wittenbraker’s Facebook page I came across this post on Charley Kirk’s assassination, “God chose him to remind us the battle between good and evil continues beyond Trump’s election.” While I abhor assassination of any individual for speaking their mind, I will vehemently defend their right to speak their mind. What disturbs me is the implication that this quote condones the racist and sexist speech that was embedded in Mr. Kirk’s opinions based solely on his faith. The reference to Trump seems to condone the threats and intimidation that the current administration is placing on any speech that it deems “radical,” facts be damned.
I’m pleading with at-large voters to keep 45% Democratic Ward 3 MAGA-free.
Ed Doklan
Midtown
- Peter Bisschop, East side
Loyal M. Johnson Jr., yes, it does hurt, everyone, daily.
The border is “closed” to wildlife. No effort was made to study the impact of the wall on wildlife. The general population is hungry, and avoidable deaths are occurring as people are not able to get healthcare. Formerly controlled diseases like smallpox, etc. are on the rise -- some very sick. Some states inundated with unhealthy kids. Tariffs are costly for “US” and affecting international trade. Criminal illegal aliens are free to roam, but non-criminals in our cities are being harassed. Fraud. Waste. $20B given to Argentina. Troops violating our rights (costs money.) No money for healthcare. The Administration is the fraud – follow the money, his family deals in secrecy. The proof is in the pudding. The bully is not advancing safety. Inflation. Hardships. He ignores the courts, too. Remember his healthcare plan? No plan. More Trump golf courses. He is not King, but a dictator and fraudster. The country is in tatters. Yes,it hurts.
Peter Bisschop
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Great immigration reporting
As a long-time immigration lawyer (now retired), I would like to thank the Star’s reporters Emily Bregel and Michael Lev for their careful and fact-driven coverage of immigration issues, most recently in the Sunday, Oct. 12 edition. I have found Ms. Bregel’s reporting consistently accurate on complex southern border issues touching on immigration, an accuracy that is missing in many reports from journalists in media markets larger than Tucson’s. And what a joy it was to see the visa issues of the Tucson Baseball Team covered accurately by Mr. Lev, a sports reporter who was likely outside his area of expertise. He took the trouble to research the thorny issue of why a U.S. visa previously issued to a player for the Navojoa team to allow play in the U.S. would not allow that same person to play in Tucson for a Tucson-based team. Thank you to all involved.
SW McFadden
Foothills
Shutdown
Regarding the government shutdown, air traffic controllers are essential — indispensable — workers not getting paid. Our elected representatives, deliberately ineffectual and totally dispensable, continue to remain on the payroll. What’s wrong with this picture?
Thomas Rothe
Foothills
Make Argentina Great Again
So, the GOP did it. They gave a $20 billion bailout to Trump’s, Vance’s and Bessent’s buddy Javier Milei.
This GOP-led government tanked U.S. soybean farmers as Argentina dumped soybeans, waiving export taxes to China just after the bailout.
This GOP and Ciscomani say the US can’t fund cancer research, can’t fund infrastructure, can’t help the middle-class healthcare, but we can bail out Argentina for $20 billion.
$20 billion of our tax dollars. So Milei can win reelection this month?
Milei is a ‘libertarian’. By definition, libertarians don’t believe in bailouts. I guess they can accept handouts after all.
Argentina’s Treasury, China and wealthy hedge-fund investors (owners of Argentina debt) got rich off our tax money from Trump.
The biggest rich guy winning is Rob Citrone, a billionaire hedge fund manager with significant investments in Argentina. He has also been Secretary Bessent’s bestie for decades.
Argentina First with American tax dollars? Is that right, GOP and Ciscomani?
Carissa Sipp
Midtown
Count your lucky stars
It would not take a professional historian or political scientist to look around the world and find autocracies and dictators, both current and historical, to come up with a list of characteristics that they share. For example:
They stifle popular dissent.
They intimidate the press.
They gradually take control of the legal and judicial systems.
They use the military to make a show of force.
They surround themselves with fawning sycophants.
They publicly identify and go after their perceived enemies.
They seek to manipulate and/or sow doubt in traditional democratic activities, such as elections.
They identify ethnic or religious groups to blame for the country’s ills.
They amass great fortunes for themselves.
They impose restrictions on institutions of higher education.
Thank goodness it could not happen here.
Gerard Ervin
Northeast side
It must hurt
Dictator, Hitler, misogynist, fraudster, racist, emanate endlessly from the mouths of Democrats, all aimed at the Trump Administration. With these vile rantings, one would surmise that the country was in tatters, war was imminent, the general population was starving, and millions of avoidable deaths were occurring. Obviously, none of this is happening. Instead, the border is essentially closed to illegal entry, saving the taxpayers billions of dollars. Criminal illegal aliens, committing horrific crimes on our citizens, are being aggressively removed. The Administration is actually attempting to reduce fraud and waste in the government, meaning certain groups of people will be removed from the gravy train. Several world conflicts have already been resolved, and it appears that the Israel-Hamas conflict is nearing a resolution. When compared to the do-nothing Biden Administration and Democrat Congress, it must be difficult to accept that the vile Trump Administration is amazingly successful in addressing the pressing problems of this nation and will actually enhance the safety and well-being of our citizens.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
The real genius of Musk
The real genius of Elon Musk is as an immigration expert. Born in South Africa, Elon looked around the world and, using his immigration knowledge, determined that given his skill set, there was only one country where he could become the richest man in the world. Using a student visa, he entered our country.
As for his engineering ability, he really is more of an investor. He didn’t start Tesla, Solar City or Space X. He invested in those companies and his 120,000-plus employees are doing the engineering and building.
What disturbs me is, that given his background, why is he not advocating for others who also are looking around the world and realize the one country that could fulfill their dreams is the United States?
I’m all for immigration reform and removing all illegal criminals, I just am perturbed by why successful immigrants are not spearheading a sane immigration policy?
Do you hear me, Melania?
Lawrence Mazin
SaddleBrooke
I am a proud American
I have a bone to pick about Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA, that is being used as an anthem at MAGA rallies, including those before our troops. It’s not the title, though that’s part of it. It’s also not the most recognized line, “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free”, though that represents a very low and unworthy bar. It comes in the next line, “I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.”
Our Declaration of Independence defines “those rights” as “Inalienable”. Thus, the rights of Man are assumed to be part of Natural Law. We can protect them, but we cannot give them. We can take them, but not justly. Additionally, to paraphrase Abigail Adams, “Let’s not forget the ladies”.
I’m sure Mr. Greenwood didn’t think this deeply as he asked God to bless what “men” gave, thus created. Given our changing cultural trajectory, perhaps we should. Words matter.
Jim Sinex
Midtown
Plastic health issues
What a great article in the Oct. 13 edition, “Plastic Predicament” by Aminah. Her article brings attention to a serious worldwide health problem. Plastic, specifically microplastics, is ubiquitous to the extent that it is estimated that the average person ingests approximately 5 grams of microplastics a week. That is approximately enough plastic to generate a credit card. Studies involving animal and human cells suggest that microplastics could be linked to cancer and other diseases. It is estimated that only 10% of plastic is recycled. Although recycling plastic is not the ultimate answer, it is a start. Please support recycling, in the hope that someday this significant health problem can be eliminated.
Peter Morales
Midtown
Colonial District 7 (CD7)
Now that I reside in Arizona Colonial District 7 and not Congressional District 7, I have some questions.
Republican candidate Daniel Butierez says he would have signed the discharge petition for the Epstein files. Had he won, would he have reneged on his promise of being the 218th signer?
Because Speaker of the House Mike Johnson refuses to swear in Special Election winner Adelita Grijalva for CD7, does that mean after the 2026 election, he will refuse to swear in all Democrats who win their House seats in order to hold onto power?
There are over 90,000 Republican Party members registered in CD7 and 160,000 voters registered as other. Are these registered voters just collateral damage in the war the Trump Republican Party has against the Democratic Party?
Do Trump and Johnson want to make Democratic congressional districts into resource-rich colonies for a greater Trump Republican Party in 2026?
Matt Somers
Midtown
- Mary DeCamp, Downtown
OMG, where’s our super-hero savior to deliver us from insane economic developments? The Trump family is using cryptocurrency to make $5 Billion appear out of thin air. The President’s pal Larry Ellison own’s 98% of a Hawaiian island. His past BFF Elon Musk has a reported fortune of $500 Billion. Simultaneously the hordes of unhoused who have given up on the capitalist economy in favor of drug-induced escapism grow ever larger & more intransigent. And all the rest of us in the middle of these economic extremities live work-a-day lives; we don’t personally rub up against either great poverty or great power. It’s hard to understand why our American society chose this path. Happy Indigenous People’s Day, USA!
Mary DeCamp
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Richard Rebl, East side
I would respectfully point out, that in the LTE “Shutdown”, it is claimed that Senators Kelly and Gallego shut down the government to serve the needs of illegal immigrants. I feel this is an error on the part of the writer since illegal immigrants have no access to health care except through the services of the emergency room as do we all. I believe that while Senators Kelly and Gallego were the spokesmen for this request to the Speaker of the House, the vote to shut down the government had the full approval of Senator Schumer and the party. I would also remind the writer that our country consists of many other people besides its armed services and the military - most of whom have the same problems that government shut down will cause. As far as I am concerned, these two senators did do the “right thing” and prevent the theft of health care that a rogue president has caused and restoring that which we all worked for.
Richard Rebl
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
ICE detention
Emily Bregel’s article about ICE detention is gut-wrenching. My tax dollars are enriching private prison companies that provide rotten food and overpriced commissary items to people, 73% of whom have no criminal record. And thanks to a new interpretation of existing law and the firing of immigration judges, this prison-for-profit scam will grow exponentially. Meanwhile, hardworking people who broke no laws other than arriving here illegally are ripped from their families. Their children are U.S. citizens. I ask my fellow citizens: Is this Christian? Is this what we have become? A nation where 50% of us are uninformed of these facts and simply don’t care? Where our Congress refuses to provide any oversight of this fire hose of corruption and cruelty? It is shocking how far we have fallen.
Leslie McGee
Midtown
Lies
On Oct. 11, the Star printed a letter with three falsehoods.
1. Senators Kelly and Gallegos did not shut down the government. Republicans did, by not compromising one iota on the health bill. Democrats are not signing a bill that takes away from the American people.
2. The Democratic health bill suggestions do not include coverage for illegal aliens.
3. The majority of voters did not vote for Trump. Among several people, he got the most votes, but the majority of those who voted, voted for someone else.
As far as military pay, Republicans could vote, right now, to not withhold it. They haven’t bothered. It is not Democrats who dishonor the military, it is Hegseth who wants to use “lethality” on the American people.
Christi Driggs
Northwest side
‘Shutdown fallacies’
I would respectfully point out, that in the LTE “Shutdown”, it is claimed that Senators Kelly and Gallego shut down the government to serve the needs of illegal immigrants. I feel this is an error on the part of the writer since illegal immigrants have no access to health care except through the services of the emergency room as do we all. I believe that while Senators Kelly and Gallego were the spokesmen for this request to the Speaker of the House, the vote to shut down the government had the full approval of Senator Schumer and the party. I would also remind the writer that our country consists of many other people besides its armed services and the military — most of whom have the same problems that government shutdown will cause. As far as I am concerned, these two senators did do the “right thing” and prevent the theft of health care that a rogue president has caused and restore that which we all worked for.
Richard Rebl
East side
Free buses are part of the solution
At the last Mayor and Council Meeting, there was a lot of discussion about our buses. Thank you, Mayor and Councilmembers, for keeping our buses free.
I’ve seen how free buses save lives.
As Pima County’s Community Restitution Program Supervisor, I manage both county and city court-ordered community service. Many of our program participants utilize public transportation. But it’s more than community service; they rely on free buses to get to their appointments, their jobs, and their treatment. Without free buses, I fear that these people will end up back on the streets or in jail.
If we were to reinstate bus fares, homelessness will not end and crime will not stop. It will only hurt Tucsonans who rely on free public transportation to make a living, pursue their education, and explore our beautiful city — or in my profession, become productive citizens.
Free buses are not a failure. If we want a solution to homelessness and crime, we must keep our buses free!
Art Corral
Southwest side
Our city deserves new leadership
My wife and I moved to Tucson in July, and we immediately saw how deeply crime and homelessness are affecting this city we now call home. As a former community health worker with the County of Los Angeles, I’ve witnessed what happens when compassion isn’t matched with accountability. Addiction worsens, and neighborhoods lose their sense of safety and trust.
Letting people remain unhoused without treatment or structure isn’t kindness. It’s neglect. True compassion means providing real opportunities for recovery and reintegration, while keeping our streets and public spaces safe for everyone.
That’s why I’ll be voting for JL Wittenbraker and Jay Tolkoff. They have a record of working across party lines and a genuine commitment to putting public safety and recovery first. Tucson needs leaders who believe in both dignity and discipline, who listen, collaborate, and act with accountability.
It’s time to restore safety, trust, and balance in our city government. JL and Jay represent exactly that.
John Adriatico
Southeast side
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to Maria Machado, and most felt it was well-deserved. Her humanitarian efforts in her country of Venezuela were applauded as being the reason for the award. President Trump, quite naturally, did not agree with the decision. He was so audacious that he reported Maria had called him and said he should have won. This man does not believe the world revolves around him but he thinks he is the world. I propose that at the cessation of the Miss America pageant, Trump will ask for a recount, suggesting that he would be a more proper winner.
Philip Reinecker
East side
‘Common sense deficiency’
LTE “I can’t imagine the terrible state of our country with Kamala in control. Thank goodness for Trump’s use of common sense.” Common sense? Destroying every value this country holds dear? He is the worst of the worst. He destroys every value we as a nation should hold dearly. Environment Protection-no, People security & protection-no, helping the less fortunate-no. Illegal use of the military within our country-yes. Fair taxes-no. Americans hold dearly freedoms such as speech, religion, and the press — impossible in Trump’s world. We are not all super right-wing, extreme white, rich “Christians” of wealth. Other dearly held freedoms include the right to vote, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government. They also value fundamental rights like due process, equal protection under the law, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures — not under Trump. He’s coming after US. Bring back decency.
Peter Bisschop
East side
Common sense, uncommon virtue
I just read a LTE that made me laugh out loud. Thank you, Ken Wolfe, for making me laugh when all the headlines seem to make me depressed. What I laughed about was an old saying we had in the Marine Corps as a joke in regards to the true statement, “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.” Our joke was, “Common Sense was an uncommon virtue.” After reading Ken’s comment regarding the fat felon and obese huckster regarding his use of “Common Sense,” was just too funny not to comment.
John Bingham
Northwest side
Indigenous people’s path?
OMG, where’s our super-hero savior to deliver us from insane economic developments? The Trump family is using cryptocurrency to make $5 billion appear out of thin air. The President’s pal Larry Ellison owns 98% of a Hawaiian island. His past BFF, Elon Musk, has a reported fortune of $500 billion. Simultaneously, the hordes of unhoused who have given up on the capitalist economy in favor of drug-induced escapism grow ever larger & more intransigent. And all the rest of us in the middle of these economic extremities live workaday lives; we don’t personally rub up against either great poverty or great power. It’s hard to understand why our American society chose this path. Happy Indigenous People’s Day, USA.
Mary DeCamp
Downtown
Town Hall democracy
America is engaged in a fight for political sanity: justice versus tyranny, order against chaos, light versus darkness. Democracy depends on open, thoughtful, and respectful discussion, even with those we disagree with. Without dialogue, democracy as we know it becomes vulnerable. That’s why town hall meetings are vital.
Our Congressman Juan Ciscomani is an authoritarian politico who doesn’t ask for permission; he does whatever he can get away with, putting himself first. He lacks political courage, hiding from voters and fearing constituents’ questions from we the people who sent him to Washington. He ducks, dodges, and evades us, afraid of confrontation. Ciscomani absolutely, positively refuses to hold town hall meetings in AZ CD6 — too scared to explain his critical votes against us in Washington.
We are in a fight for our freedom. If we don’t take action, we all share responsibility for what happens under Ciscomani’s controlling, autocratic rule over his constituents.
Jerry Wilkerson
SaddleBrooke
Baffled
Project 2025, Us and the Cost of Living. As always, I find some of the comments made in the opinion section about the current affairs of Washington baffling. It’s as if taking away the rights and freedom of speech of some people are OK. It is not okay, and it makes me mad as hell. I’m not sure where some people shop or where they’re getting a utility cost discount, but I want to go where they shop and get their discounts. Please post where we can all get these discounts, because the cost of groceries and the tariff tax have increased my cost of living a lot, and I am not amused. Maybe some folks are “looking through a glass darkly,” or maybe they just approve and support Project 2025 and the systematic dismemberment of our democracy in favor of the six unelected billionaire dictator families of greed.
Abreeza Zegeer
Southwest side
Trump’s dictatorship
Trump’s usurping control of the National Guard and his directives to the masked thugs of ICE have now spread from Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon, to Chicago, with planned or threatened forays into other “blue” cities. The modus operandi of these quasi-military raids, includes but is not limited to, rappelling from hovering helicopters, banging and knocking down doors in the middle of the night to drag away terrified people, some of whom prove to be U.S. citizens, and smashing windows to gain entry or access to undocumented persons in order to drag them off to undisclosed locations.
The only difference between the actions of Adolf Hitler and his Gestapo of World War II, and Trump’s “icestapo” is the technology available to them to carry out their atrocities; Hitler’s thugs didn’t have helicopters and night-vision goggles.
Jack Graef
SaddleBrooke
Freedom belongs to us
Donald Trump claimed grocery prices are going down when they’re going up as the tariffs take effect; inflation was defeated, but it’s accelerating; and electric bills are coming down when they’re sharply increasing.
He and his Republican Party are wrecking our health care system, attacking scientific and medical research, throwing innocent people into foreign gulags without due process, and leading an extraordinary cover-up of a prolific sex trafficker and pedophile. Trump now gives dangerous medical advice to women from the White House podium and assaults our free speech.
All of this is happening as he enriches himself and uses the government to lawlessly pursue and silence domestic opposition. This recklessness puts people in jeopardy and in danger.
Trump and the GOP don’t fear Kimmel’s jokes. They fear those who will not bend the knee and will not be silenced. Speak out about the lawlessness that’s devastating America. After all, freedom belongs to all of us.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
What dictatorship looks like
Re the so-called Trump Compact with the UA, my first thought was “Give me liberty or give me death. I will fight this kind of intellectual bribery until my last breath.” What unmitigated gall on the part of people who orchestrated such a rotten scheme. This is not American conservatism. This is fascism, plain and simple.
William Buckley would roll over in his grave at the incessant attacks on our Constitution.
John G Schmidt
Southwest side
Arizona Supreme Court’s flawed ruling
Rich special interests have, for nearly three years, used dubious, tortured arguments in state courts to prevent the implementation of a popular 2022 law, the Voters’ Right to Know Act, intended to unveil the sources of dark money influencing our elections. Arizona voters approved the Act by more than 72% (1,736,496 Yes; 664,111 No), a nearly 3-1 margin.
Finally, we get a decision from the Arizona Supreme Court, which ruled 5-2 in September that the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature can vote to change the Act, essentially opening the door for special interests to gut the new law.
The opinion, written by Justice Clint Bolick, overturned both trial court and appellate court rulings. Justice Bolick, who was head of litigation for both the Goldwater Institute and the Institute for Justice, was wrong on this dark money case.
Justice Bolick should have let the will of the people prevail.
Stephen Yozwiak
Northwest side
Care-based shoppin
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Recent events have had me reconsider how and where I shop for food, clothes and other items. I would prefer to support makers and sellers who care deeply about their customers and look forward to having a relationship with them. Fortunately, Tucson is full of just such places. It does mean I have to shift up my routines a bit. Going to farmers’ markets or trying different cafes and smaller shops has opened me up to a world of delightful merchandise as well as creative efforts by many people. I think that where I put my money is a way to vote for the world where community and caring is emphasized over just making money. Have you checked out places in your neighborhood that look interesting?
Barbara Rose Gaynor
Midtown
An explanation please
An explanation is needed. The US gave $20 billion to Argentina. But the U.S. refuses to permit $20 million of health insurance subsidies for U.S. citizens. With the infusion, Argentinian farmers will be able to sell soybeans to China. While U.S. soybean farmers are prohibited by U.S. foreign policy. Explain.
Kenneth Haber
Northwest side
Supreme Court plays Russian Roulette
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear cases with profound implications for our country: cases about 1st Amendment rights, voting rights, campaign finance laws, federal vs states’ rights, religious and transgender rights, plus Trump’s emergency cases elevated from the shadow docket.
The incredible deference the Supreme Court has shown the President does not bode well for Americans. Approval of the Court is approaching an all-time low. The majority on the court often rule as partisan ideologues, and if they continue to cater to Trump in cases such as Birthright Citizenship, they will further alienate the American people. Reasoned decisions have been few and amount to mere crumbs thrown to Democracy advocates to maintain a veneer of legitimacy.
So, do they continue on this path and lose all credibility or do they disappoint their Heritage Foundation backers who have already made a down payment on their souls? It’s Russian roulette.
Gretchen Winters
Oro Valley
Moral leadership
I commend all 104 Christian pastors of Bear Witness Now for public moral leadership in the declaration of love and tolerance published in the ADS on 10-5-25.
They are correct in their advocacy of humane-centered responses to the many social, economic, and political problems we all face. Only responses based in love will help us overcome them. Intolerance, hate, greed, and dominance are responses that only perpetuate a World out of balance. Thank you for raising your voices in a time of increasing Darkness.
Their statement echoes pastors who endured hateful responses, death threats, and crosses burned as they were run out of Mississippi in 1963 for publicly supporting integration as a Christian response to Jim Crow.
Richard Fridena
West side
Three cheers for the Star
It’s not often that we old folks who still relish the feel of a print newspaper get credit for our long-time support of the Star. It was heartening to hear the appreciation of the Executive Editor of our wonderful newspaper in Wednesday’s edition. We were so relieved after arriving in Tucson in the 1970s to find that we could rely on the Arizona Daily Star to bring us the latest news with our morning coffee. This has been our custom for all these years, and although there may be some delay with the print edition trucking in from Las Vegas, we can still count on the Star to deliver a physical paper, hold the news in our hands, and pencil in the Cryptoquip and the Jumble.
Thank you, thank you.
James and Wanda Torrey
West side
Shutdown
I served this country with honor, and it’s unacceptable to see Senators Kelly and Gallego shutting down the government — not to serve the American people, but to demand $1.5 trillion in taxpayer dollars, including massive health care handouts for illegal immigrants.
That’s what’s happening. The House passed a clean bill to fund the government. Senate Democrats blocked it.
They are using extreme demands as a way to block the Trump administration, which has worked hard to support our armed services and strengthen our military. Veterans like me are being told to wait while Washington fights for people who broke the law to be here.
Senators Kelly and Gallego, do the right thing. Stop obstructing the administration that the majority of Americans elected. End this shutdown. Americans come first.
Bobbie King
Southeast side
Vote?
Why do Tucson representatives ignore constituents?
I will vote for those who care about and properly respond to emails from constituents. I miss Mayor Rothschild and Councilman Kozachik. They personally responded to constituents’ questions and concerns. If they did not know the answer, they connected the constituent to the person who did know the answer. They were/are awesome people.
Today, city leaders and their questionable assistants completely ignore most emails or respond with a rote “...we receive many emails and cannot respond to all.” My email inquiries are ignored. I rarely receive an answer to my question or have my concern redirected to someone who can help me.
Traditionally, pay raises are given for excellent work done. The city greatly increased the Mayor’s and city council’s salaries, and yet they proudly ignore most constituents’ inquiries. Tucsonans must require the lovely and professionally mannered style of representation that previous Mayor Rothschild and Councilman Kozachik modeled so well.
Tucson needs mannered representatives who are going to respond correctly to Tucson constituents.
Cheryl Kelli
Downtown
Re-elect no one
In the ’80s, there was a full-page ad in the Tucson Citizen that stated, “Re-elect no one.” How novel! This idea should be front and center on every American’s mind.
Our elected officials have shown us that they cannot even agree on how to disagree. The sole purpose we elect them for, is to agree on how to agree.
Government workers are sent home without pay. BS, they will get back pay while they don’t go to work, inconveniencing the public. Who suffers, the public. How about sending the government workers back to work while docking the elected officials of their pay and benefits. Let the bureaucracy do its job while the elected officials get the boot. The reason, they didn’t do their job. Simple!
All 435 Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be new. New eyes should be wide open while it digs itself out of the mess it is replacing.
Ignore the big money campaign ads. Simply re-elect no one.
Ed LeGendre
East side
A disappointing Speaker
When Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, was first elected, he told the country he would govern by the Bible. Many of us hoped that meant humility, honesty, compassion for the poor, and integrity. Instead, we’ve watched him walk a very different path.
Since taking the gavel, Mike Johnson has misled the public, shielded the powerful while dismissing the vulnerable, and shown little of the mercy or truth-telling the Bible instructs. Scripture says, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me,” but Johnson has supported policies that harm struggling families and immigrants. It says, “Do not bear false witness,” yet he defends a president whose politics thrive on conspiracy and grievance.
The Bible calls for courage and moral clarity, yet Johnson too often bends the knee to Donald Trump, echoing his falsehoods and protecting his power rather than helping people.
Lawrence Mazin
SaddleBrooke
Securing public spaces
I’m a retired police officer. I found Time Steller’s article; “Securing Public Spaces” interesting as he compared the mission to care for the homeless with the need to secure public places. In actuality, police patrols benefit not just homeowners/renters but also those who suffer from being unhoused. Sufficient numbers of police do make a difference, but we do not have enough officers to meet the demand for services. Low staffing means less coverage of hot spots. According to research from Penn University criminologist Aaron Chalfin, police staffing does help reduce homicides and other serious violent crimes. It also increases arrests for low-level offenses like liquor violations and drug possession. Per Chalfin, “an additional 10 to 17 officers hired prevented one new homicide per year.” The Tucson Police Department has the right crime response strategies; they desperately need more officers assigned to critical areas because we need more “eyes” on our problem spots. If we want better protection, we need more protectors. It’s a profession worth seeking.
Richard Harper
Northeast side
Bloomberg article
Thank you for printing such an important article. Tucsonans of Ukrainian roots appreciate this.
President Emeritus, Ukrainian American Society,
Ihor Kunasz
Northwest side
Masked men
What I recall from watching the coverage of the 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland were unidentified masked men grabbing people off the street and taking them away in unmarked cars. It was later reported that the “Department of Homeland Security, US Marshal Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Federal Protection Service, were all in Portland, deployed by Trump under Operation Diligent Valor. They were recorded using unmarked vehicles to apprehend protesters in downtown Portland. Videos circulated online showing these agents, who were often described as wearing masks and body armor, driving up to individuals, detaining them without explaining the reasons for the arrest.”
I condemn the wanton destruction of property by any group, but I also condemn the destruction of our civil rights as Americans. And one is much harder to restore than the other.
Katharine Donahue
Foothills
New name for Republicans
1. Today’s Republican Party is essentially one person — Donald Trump. What he says and does is what they are.
2. Trump repeatedly proclaims himself a “nationalist” — “America First”.
3. Commentators like George Will have questioned Trump’s government financial involvement in companies like AMD and Nvidia. When Democrats did it, it was deplored as “picking winners and losers.” Now they’re starting to call it “state socialism.”
4. Combining “nationalist” and “socialist”, we get “National Socialist”. Why not change the Republican Party’s name to “National Socialist”? Doesn’t that sound like a good name?
5. Oh wait ...
George Timson
Midtown
The Blaumilch Canal in Tucson
The Israeli author Ephraim Kishon once wrote (1952) this marvelous story of a lunatic called Blaumilch who suffers from a digging compulsion, escapes from the asylum, steals a jackhammer and compressor, and begins to dig up the main artery in Tel Aviv (movie in 1969). No one in the city bureaucracy knows who had commissioned this project, but they all assume that they are required to assist the man, who eventually creates a huge traffic disaster and senseless destruction. Since elections are coming up, no one dares to question Blaumilch’s actions, so, he eventually reaches the Mediterranean and can flood the entire city. The helpless mayor hence announces that Tel Aviv has thus become the new Venice of the Middle East.
Tucson seems to follow this model, considering the endless and useless construction projects, especially on 6th Street and on Grant Road. All motorists who are forced to use those arteries are strongly reminded of Blaumilch’s activities and a bureaucracy that does not even know what they do.
Albrecht Classen
Midtown
All the news that’s fit to print
Thank you for your commitment to keeping our local newspaper in print. I’ve been a subscriber to the Arizona Daily Star print edition for 37 years, and will continue my subscription for as long as the print edition continues. The free press is one of the last remaining bulwarks against the collapse of our democracy, which depends on literate, educated and informed citizens. There are other more instantaneous sources of information — or in many cases, misinformation and disinformation — than a local daily newspaper; but there is no substitute for reading about and reflecting upon current events to form rational, thoughtful opinions. Thanks to all at the Star who make this daily miracle possible: writers, editors, photographers, graphic artists, advertisers, subscribers, and the delivery people who rise in the middle of the night, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to bring us the news.
Will Clipman
West side
Pointing fingers
In a childish exchange between Senator Gallegos and CD 6’s gerrymandered Representative Juan Ciscomani on the subject of the GOP shutdown, Ciscomani stated, “I did my job…”.
Au contraire, my ill-informed representative, your job is to produce an actual budget, not kick the can down the road with a CR and point fingers. You and team MAGA have the White House, Senate and House, and once again failed to do what is arguably your only job as a member of the House.
Enough distractions. Release the Epstein Files and get back to the people’s business.
Kevin Henderson
Foothills
Responding to LTEs
The last sentence of J. McConnell’s LTE of Oct. 5 stated “Reducing political divisiveness starts with respecting others’ right to their view and their product without punishment.” I fully agree, except it actually starts at the top, so please tell Mr Trump to stop the hate, retribution, threats, and demands that Democrats be “taken care of.” Just a few attempts at civility and unification could do a lot, but I’m not holding my breath.
Then the end of L. Johnson’s LTE of Oct. 5 stated “To put the entire blame on Israel [for killing 67,000 Gazans plus 6,000 more buried in the rubble, mostly women and children], which is only trying to ensure its very existence on this earth, is absurd.” The problem here is that no one is doing that, and instead, most are shocked at the mass killings and starvation of women and children and non-combatants in Gaza: a genocide without remorse, in the fight with Hamas.
Steve Cox
Northwest side
If you think things are bad now ...
For the first few months of the new Trump Administration, I was totally blown away by the planned MAGA chaos ... I thought, how are we ever going to get through this presidential term, as it seemed every traditional institution was being attacked and dismantled: The renaming and restructuring of The Kennedy Center? The re-renaming of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team back to the Cleveland Indians? What?
Then I found the antidote to my impending depression. I watched the award-winning 2012 movie directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Wow, was I inspired. That period of our history was true mess that showed what a great leader can achieve. President Lincoln and his backroom deals produced an environment that mended a fractured nation. Lincoln was the anti-Trump: No retribution, after a terrible Civil War, was needed or required.
If we could get through that period, then we can get through this. Watch the movie and be inspired. We will get through the rest of this presidential term.
Albert (Bert) Hanson
Northwest side
AG Pam Bondi, the good soldier
I watched United States Attorney General Pam Bondi’s audition for the lead in the next sequel to the movie “Mean Girls” in front of the U.S. Senate Judicial Oversight Committee. She refused to answer questions reasonably put to her by members of the Senate Committee. Instead, she repeatedly read canned non-answers and hurled personal insults at U.S. senators who had the nerve to try to exercise their purpose and obligation to do oversight. Her performance was intended and offered to an audience of one ... truly her only client, Trump. As a retired attorney and judge, I am disgusted with such a blatant and notorious violation of her ethical obligations as an attorney and oath of office as Attorney General to support and defend the Constitution of the U.S.
Paul Simon
Northwest side
Budget shutdown
I’m appalled at the GOP shutdown and the GOP lies. The shutdown is not about benefits for illegals. The GOP would rather give my hard-earned money to the wealthy supporters of the White House than help govern our country. You swore an oath to protect the U.S. and support the country fairly. This budget holdup is not about non-citizens, far from it. The GOP needs to stand up for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the needy and the less fortunate. It would do Republicans good to re-read their oaths of office. They should speak the truth and act accordingly. The lies are ruining our nation. And where in the world is Juan Ciscomani, Carmen San Diego? This “break” is supposed to be a time to meet in person with constituents.
Peter Bisschop
East side
- Deb Klumpp, Oro Valley
I heard that a Fox News commentator deemed Donald Trump "most masculine president ever". Qualifying traits must be his bullying, blustering, nasty rhetoric and promises of violence -- so masculine! Such a strongman! I'm thinking that after perhaps a year on RFK Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" program, that the president might also be a candidate for People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" award. Following the MAHA plan, he could transform himself into a new model of male desirability (unlike all those "fat generals"). Women of America, stand by.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
‘American’ copper
Big half-page ad in Sunday’s paper for Hudbay Copper, stating “Hudbay Arizona Copper Made in America.” All true, but they left out “owned in Canada.” As someone strongly associated with American Arizona Copper, (Magma, ASARCO USA, Cyprus-Miami), I have watched foreign companies come in and totally consume our precious Copper. We may be ‘the Copper State’, but the profits all leave for foreign companies. Magma was bought and shut down by Australian Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP). ASARCO was taken over by Grupo Mexico (that’s when I quit as Chief Chemist of Silverbell), ASARCO briefly got control back in the US, until some moron Judge in Texas gave it back to Grupo. Why is Arizona allowing this?
Thad Appelman
Northwest side
Vote blue, vote education
Thanks for the story “Tucson voters to decide council seats, school bonds” that was in this past Sunday’s paper. It gave a succinct notice of the upcoming election.
With Trump’s attack on democracy seeping into local politics, I hope the city voters elect the three Democratic candidates for the Tucson City Council. With the type of leadership exemplified by Republicans Ciscomani and Christy, we can’t trust any Republican running for office.
A vote on Plan Tucson is a toss-up. It’s best to read the plan online.
As for the TUSD, Sunnyside and Flowing Wells bond overrides, I hope the voters vote “Yes” to support education. The awful Republic state leadership has forced taxpayers to self-tax to make up for Republic welfare for the well off. The Southern Arizona Leadership Council advanced arguments against Tucson Prop. 414 so taxpayers would vote “No” on Prop 414 and for RTA Next.
Education over asphalt. Vote “Yes” on the bonds. Vote “No” on RTA Next.
And vote America again — vote blue.
Matt Somers
Midtown
Repeat offenders
Last week, the current mayor of Seattle, in a debate to keep his job, gave us all an answer as to why repeat offenders so frequently end up on our streets to repeat their crimes. The mayor said that his priority “for that person who has committed six or seven crimes, is that we understand their life story.” He also said, “The issue is not how many crimes they have committed, but why they committed those crimes,” and that “I have no desire to put them in jail”.
Does the mayor realize that a criminal who is committing their sixth or seventh assault or rape might need some lengthy jail time instead of another social worker to “understand their life story”? I hope the mayor never has one of his family members be the victim of a violent crime, but he is condemning other Seattle families to that future.
With leaders like this, who needs enemies?
Tom Gordon
Northeast side
Operation circular reasoning
Donald Trump is smart. He knows that if he sends in National Guard troops to a Chicago or a Portland, it will provoke loud protests, perhaps some shoving and heckling and probably someone who crosses a real or imagined line. This will provide the pretext for establishing law and order and “proof” that the situation has gotten out of hand. He will blow it out of proportion just as he did when he sent several hundred Marines into Los Angeles to quell an isolated disturbance.
He is, without a doubt, purposely and vengefully causing a problem as an excuse to exert his power over cities that want to be left alone.
Peter Bourque
Midtown
Trump’s error
Isn’t it ironic that the man who lusts after the Nobel Peace prize should rename our defense department the War Department and allow the Secretary of that department to tell our high-ranking military officers that their troops are more likely to be deployed nationally rather than on foreign soil? Trump has declared war on his own country. Definitely not a peacemaker!
Susan Keeney
Oro Valley
Conover fails victims, community
As a former prosecutor, I am upset with the Pima County Attorney’s complete failure to seek justice in our community. Laura Conover abandons victims to give absurdly lenient pleas to violent criminals. She gave probation-available plea agreements to defendants in the Reddington Pass murder case. The victim’s family was outraged and wanted Conover removed.
Then she offered near probation to an armed defendant who threatened to kill school children with a gun. TPD was outraged.
This month, Conover offered a probation available plea to a man who shot an unarmed doctor in the back. The doctor died, and the defendant got probation. The original charge was mandatory 7 to 21 years in prison. The excuse for the light plea was “they were scared they couldn’t get a conviction!”
All these travesties of justice were orchestrated by Conover. A county attorney who treats criminals like her own clients and is afraid to try cases should find another line of work.
David Berkman
North side
Most masculine/sexiest?
I heard that a Fox News commentator deemed Donald Trump “most masculine president ever”. Qualifying traits must be his bullying, blustering, nasty rhetoric and promises of violence — so masculine! Such a strongman! I’m thinking that after perhaps a year on RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” program, that the president might also be a candidate for People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” award. Following the MAHA plan, he could transform himself into a new model of male desirability (unlike all those “fat generals”). Women of America, stand by.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Trump’s concept of a plan
Now that we’re in the midst of a paralyzing government shutdown induced by the refusal of Republican plutocrats to negotiate affordable healthcare for Americans most in need, we plainly see that their brand of so-called conservatism amounts to little more than placing a thumb on the scale of social equity whenever gains are to be had while feigning allegiance to a higher principle of non-interference with the natural order.
Remember Trump’s “beautiful healthcare plan” — that once touted replacement for the Obamacare “disaster”? Always on the horizon, this “concept of a plan,” now revealed, was always to pull the rug out from under millions of Americans with compassionless disregard for the social destabilization sure to follow. As Trump and his cronies shamelessly pursue further wealth for the wealthy under the guise of conservative fiscal policy, ordinary Americans are being presented with the tab for this immoral extravagance at the expense of their health and stability. This flagrant hypocrisy makes America neither great nor healthy again.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Civics test
“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Sept. 17 the implementation of the 2025 naturalization civics test as one of its many stricter naturalization policies, such as evaluations of good moral character and stricter reviews of disability exceptions.”(The Arizona Republic, David Ulloa Jr.) I’d like Congress to pass the same test. Especially the “Good Moral Character” section. How many would fail the civics test? What a bunch of baloney.
Peter Bisschop
East side
Who is to blame?
Matthew Scully blames Democratic senators for the shutdown. He thinks there is plenty of time to negotiate over the health care cuts. And then, being a good Trumplican, he insults Democratic senators.
Perhaps Mr. Scully forgets that 10 Democratic senators voted for the continuing resolution back in March after being promised that their concerns would be addressed. They were not.
There is an old proverb that applies here. “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”
Steven Brown
Midtown
University of Arizona
Former U of A President John Schaefer wrote an excellent essay about the importance of current U of A President Suresh Garimella not giving in to the US Department of Education’s demands on the University. As Schaefer, and also Michael Chihak on the same day, so wisely point out, giving a bully your lunch money will only have him demanding your jacket next time. The government’s request for influence (read control) over hiring, courses, and political balance (whatever that means) is antithetical to academic freedom and the great strides our nation has made to improve our quality of life and protect the planet, as well as discover other planets in the universe. Those seeking federal grants want to win them because of superior ideas, not because of a thumb on the evaluation scale. Don’t fall for the shiny object of big money. Take the long view and preserve the freedom of inquiry.
Tim Steller’s analysis of why the U of A was targeted was very perceptive.
Margot Garcia
Midtown
This Democrat urges: Just say no
It is common knowledge that the only way to deal with a bully is to stand up and assert yourself.
What the Democrats are holding out for amounts to $1 trillion over the next ten years. These cuts will have far-reaching consequences for millions of Medicaid recipients who lose coverage. Currently, this means 80 million low-income Americans, including children, adults, people with disabilities and seniors in nursing homes. It also means that rural health care and hospitals will be devastated. Democrats are not insisting on Medicaid benefits for undocumented residents.
This Republican “beautiful” budget bill also includes tax breaks for the top 1% of taxpayers, amounting to more than $1 billion over the next decade, with over half of that, $500 million, accruing to the top 0.1% of earners.
The Republicans’ current spending budget starkly exposes their priorities.
It almost looks like class genocide.
Cindy Soffrin
Northeast side
- Michael Schoeppach, Oro Valley
I read Peter Bourque’s LTE in Thursday’s October 9th Star.
He wrote “Donald Trump is smart. He knew that sending National Guard troops to Chicago or Portland, “would provoke loud protests . . . some shoving and heckling, and prompt someone to cross a real or imagined line. Doing so provided “the pretext for establishing law and order” concluding the President is “purposely and vengefully “causing a problem so he could exert power over cities.
Thanks, but I think he was only half right.
In early March, I predicted such behavior would be the pretext for the President canceling or controlling the outcome of the 2026 mid-term elections. I based that on the polls projecting Republicans couldn’t win the mid-term elections, and they knew it. The polls have gotten worse for them since March.
I stand by my prediction. There will be no free and fair mid-term elections. Republicans, including the President, are aware they can’t win them and won’t allow them to take place.
Michael Schoeppach
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
More like this...
Ciscomani’s paid vacation
Hello Representative,
I just thought I would check in to see how you are enjoying yet another paid vacation. Are you enjoying it by spending time with your family? Are you able to continue to shop, go out to dinner, spend money unlike the federal employees in your district who either aren’t getting paid, or have been laid off?
Or are you spending this time meeting with your constituents? Are you using this time to hold town hall meetings? Are you responding to calls and emails with actual responses?
Of course, we all know the answers to those last three questions. As always, no.
We, your constituents, look forward to sending you on a permanent vacation come your next election. I have a feeling that even those folks who trusted you and voted for you won’t want to do so again.
Enjoy your paid vacation, from an Arizonan since 1969.
Thom Melendez
Midtown
Dear Trump voters
It is hard to believe that in July 2026, we will be celebrating the 250th Anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. Our country should be ashamed that the words of that document have still not been achieved: “That all men are created equal.” We continue racial, class and religious hatred and attack, which will only get worse with the continuation of this cruel, authoritarian government.
Our foolish MAGA and independent voters elected Trump while he and the Project 2025 told us exactly what was coming. Surprise and regret are not a defense anymore. You people own this. The poor and middle class will suffer much, millionaires and billionaires not so much. We are really becoming the worst of humanity.
The GOP represents Fascism, and ICE (Proud Boys) is the Gestapo. There is killing and imprisonment coming for anyone who protests, even if peacefully.
And you did this. Thank you for your attention.
Luther Creed
Foothills
Healthcare
Dear Editor:
I’m a veteran and diabetic who’s been hospitalized twice in the past year due to insulin access issues. Even with a good job and insurance, profit-driven practices by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) — like prior authorization delays and cost barriers — have pushed me into medical debt. Millions of Americans face the same struggles.
Instead of chasing failed ideas like tying U.S. drug prices to those overseas, Congress should focus on PBM reform. PBMs restrict access, inflate costs, and profit while patients suffer. Thankfully, some lawmakers are taking this on, and I strongly urge support for Representative Carter’s PBM Reform Act. It would bring transparency, stop abusive profit-taking, and ensure savings reach patients.
It’s time to hold PBMs accountable for the harm they cause and finally put patients before profits. Congress must act now.
Bryan Ortega
Vail
Abolish the death penalty
Richard Djerf is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 17. I deeply regret that the State of Arizona will take this man’s life. It will be the second execution this year in Arizona. I remain steadfast in my opposition to the death penalty.
My primary opposition to the death penalty is rooted in the fact that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. For this reason, I am compelled to uphold the sacred dignity of all human life.
Throughout the country, including in Arizona, the use of the death penalty is troublesome because it is often disproportionately imposed on people of color and on those of limited economic means.
The risk of executing an innocent person is not illusory. At least two hundred people in the United States have been wrongfully convicted. In Arizona alone, eleven people have been released from death row after evidence was later found to exonerate them.
The death penalty is not a deterrent and should be abolished.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Posturing
Posturing seems the “way to be” these days. Stand out and stand firm is the present norm. Most times, the above will cause rifts and strife, all the while demolishing or dooming the outcome of your intended objective.
Posturing (behavior that is intended to impress or mislead) is present on both sides of the political spectrum. The president uses this posturing to start the ball rolling. He takes a stance, no matter how absurd, and then like a bowling ball, it rolls down the lane, knocking over whatever pins that are “in the way.”
Being “in the way”, is the key to his success. Choices need to be made whether you prefer to be “in the way” or do you choose to deflect the postured attitude and stay “out of the way.” The bowling center has many lanes, so choose your lanes carefully. Do you stand “in the way” of the presidential ball, or choose a less harmful lane to operate? Remember the pins will always be reset.
Ed LeGendre
East side
Montezuma Castle turns away tourists
The recent government shutdown has led to the closure of sites like Montezuma Castle National Monument, leaving many visitors disappointed. On one hand, keeping national parks and monuments open during shutdowns allows people to enjoy the outdoors, support nearby communities, and connect with our country’s natural and cultural treasures. On the other hand, operating parks with limited staff can create safety issues, reduce maintenance, and leave important resources unprotected.
While national parks are closed, visiting a nearby state park or local recreation area is a great alternative. Arizona’s state parks may not have the same level of recognition as places like Montezuma Castle or the Grand Canyon, but they still offer beautiful scenery, hiking trails, and quiet places to experience nature.
Hopefully, national parks will reopen soon. In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to get outside and explore nature right here in Arizona. Getting out and exploring state parks and local natural areas can keep us connected to the outdoors until full access returns.
Aubrey Seitz
North side
No Kings means exactly that
No Kings protest declares today exactly what 1776 Declaration of Independence stated: We will not be subservient to any monarch — not King George III nor presumptive King Trump.
In 1776 in the American colonies, many did not want to defy King George III; they wanted colonies to remain subjects, commoners, peasants; they were known as Royalists. Today’s Republicans are political descendants of Royalists. Republicans/Royalists don’t want government by the people and for the people — they want a tyrant, their tyrant, telling everyone how to live and what to believe; an autocrat to arrest and imprison their enemies without cause or justice; a dictator denying freedom of speech and press. These GOP Royalists don’t want freedom of religion — they want a state religion called Christan Fascism. These MAGA/Republicans call themselves patriots. That’s a lie; in truth, they are the political resurrection of 1776 Redcoats/Royalists intent on returning America to rule by a King, an American Monarchy under King Trump. No Kings protests Oct. 18. Be there and be a true patriot.
Glenn Johnson
Marana
Performance violence
Having recently read the book “Columbine” (by Dave Cullen), I was impressed by the following:
“Sociology professor Mark Juergensmeyer identified the central characteristic of terrorism as “performance violence.” Terrorists design events “to be spectacular in their viciousness and awesome in their destructive power. Such instances of exaggerated violence are constructed events: They are mind-numbing, mesmerizing theater.”
“Performance violence” sort of describes Trump and his ICE employees to me.
Sue Thompson
SaddleBrooke
Trump’s peace credentials
If Donald Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a cease-fire in Gaza and securing the release of 20 hostages, then President Biden deserves one as well. Biden negotiated two cease-fires and the release of more than 100 hostages. On March 19, 2025, during the Trump presidency, Israel broke the cease-fire brokered earlier that year, starting with extensive airstrikes on Gaza shortly after the Trump administration authorized an additional $12B in military aid to Israel and after President Trump said, “I told Bibi, you do whatever you want.” A Nobel Peace Prize for Donald? Really?
John Prugh
Foothills
Ward 3 at large
As an independent resident voter of Ward 3 in Tucson, I was researching the candidates for our City Council seat in the November election. While checking out the Republican candidate, JL Wittenbraker’s Facebook page I came across this post on Charley Kirk’s assassination, “God chose him to remind us the battle between good and evil continues beyond Trump’s election.” While I abhor assassination of any individual for speaking their mind, I will vehemently defend their right to speak their mind. What disturbs me is the implication that this quote condones the racist and sexist speech that was embedded in Mr. Kirk’s opinions based solely on his faith. The reference to Trump seems to condone the threats and intimidation that the current administration is placing on any speech that it deems “radical,” facts be damned.
I’m pleading with at-large voters to keep 45% Democratic Ward 3 MAGA-free.
Ed Doklan
Midtown
- Peter Bisschop, East side
Loyal M. Johnson Jr., yes, it does hurt, everyone, daily.
The border is “closed” to wildlife. No effort was made to study the impact of the wall on wildlife. The general population is hungry, and avoidable deaths are occurring as people are not able to get healthcare. Formerly controlled diseases like smallpox, etc. are on the rise -- some very sick. Some states inundated with unhealthy kids. Tariffs are costly for “US” and affecting international trade. Criminal illegal aliens are free to roam, but non-criminals in our cities are being harassed. Fraud. Waste. $20B given to Argentina. Troops violating our rights (costs money.) No money for healthcare. The Administration is the fraud – follow the money, his family deals in secrecy. The proof is in the pudding. The bully is not advancing safety. Inflation. Hardships. He ignores the courts, too. Remember his healthcare plan? No plan. More Trump golf courses. He is not King, but a dictator and fraudster. The country is in tatters. Yes,it hurts.
Peter Bisschop
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Great immigration reporting
As a long-time immigration lawyer (now retired), I would like to thank the Star’s reporters Emily Bregel and Michael Lev for their careful and fact-driven coverage of immigration issues, most recently in the Sunday, Oct. 12 edition. I have found Ms. Bregel’s reporting consistently accurate on complex southern border issues touching on immigration, an accuracy that is missing in many reports from journalists in media markets larger than Tucson’s. And what a joy it was to see the visa issues of the Tucson Baseball Team covered accurately by Mr. Lev, a sports reporter who was likely outside his area of expertise. He took the trouble to research the thorny issue of why a U.S. visa previously issued to a player for the Navojoa team to allow play in the U.S. would not allow that same person to play in Tucson for a Tucson-based team. Thank you to all involved.
SW McFadden
Foothills
Shutdown
Regarding the government shutdown, air traffic controllers are essential — indispensable — workers not getting paid. Our elected representatives, deliberately ineffectual and totally dispensable, continue to remain on the payroll. What’s wrong with this picture?
Thomas Rothe
Foothills
Make Argentina Great Again
So, the GOP did it. They gave a $20 billion bailout to Trump’s, Vance’s and Bessent’s buddy Javier Milei.
This GOP-led government tanked U.S. soybean farmers as Argentina dumped soybeans, waiving export taxes to China just after the bailout.
This GOP and Ciscomani say the US can’t fund cancer research, can’t fund infrastructure, can’t help the middle-class healthcare, but we can bail out Argentina for $20 billion.
$20 billion of our tax dollars. So Milei can win reelection this month?
Milei is a ‘libertarian’. By definition, libertarians don’t believe in bailouts. I guess they can accept handouts after all.
Argentina’s Treasury, China and wealthy hedge-fund investors (owners of Argentina debt) got rich off our tax money from Trump.
The biggest rich guy winning is Rob Citrone, a billionaire hedge fund manager with significant investments in Argentina. He has also been Secretary Bessent’s bestie for decades.
Argentina First with American tax dollars? Is that right, GOP and Ciscomani?
Carissa Sipp
Midtown
Count your lucky stars
It would not take a professional historian or political scientist to look around the world and find autocracies and dictators, both current and historical, to come up with a list of characteristics that they share. For example:
They stifle popular dissent.
They intimidate the press.
They gradually take control of the legal and judicial systems.
They use the military to make a show of force.
They surround themselves with fawning sycophants.
They publicly identify and go after their perceived enemies.
They seek to manipulate and/or sow doubt in traditional democratic activities, such as elections.
They identify ethnic or religious groups to blame for the country’s ills.
They amass great fortunes for themselves.
They impose restrictions on institutions of higher education.
Thank goodness it could not happen here.
Gerard Ervin
Northeast side
It must hurt
Dictator, Hitler, misogynist, fraudster, racist, emanate endlessly from the mouths of Democrats, all aimed at the Trump Administration. With these vile rantings, one would surmise that the country was in tatters, war was imminent, the general population was starving, and millions of avoidable deaths were occurring. Obviously, none of this is happening. Instead, the border is essentially closed to illegal entry, saving the taxpayers billions of dollars. Criminal illegal aliens, committing horrific crimes on our citizens, are being aggressively removed. The Administration is actually attempting to reduce fraud and waste in the government, meaning certain groups of people will be removed from the gravy train. Several world conflicts have already been resolved, and it appears that the Israel-Hamas conflict is nearing a resolution. When compared to the do-nothing Biden Administration and Democrat Congress, it must be difficult to accept that the vile Trump Administration is amazingly successful in addressing the pressing problems of this nation and will actually enhance the safety and well-being of our citizens.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
The real genius of Musk
The real genius of Elon Musk is as an immigration expert. Born in South Africa, Elon looked around the world and, using his immigration knowledge, determined that given his skill set, there was only one country where he could become the richest man in the world. Using a student visa, he entered our country.
As for his engineering ability, he really is more of an investor. He didn’t start Tesla, Solar City or Space X. He invested in those companies and his 120,000-plus employees are doing the engineering and building.
What disturbs me is, that given his background, why is he not advocating for others who also are looking around the world and realize the one country that could fulfill their dreams is the United States?
I’m all for immigration reform and removing all illegal criminals, I just am perturbed by why successful immigrants are not spearheading a sane immigration policy?
Do you hear me, Melania?
Lawrence Mazin
SaddleBrooke
I am a proud American
I have a bone to pick about Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA, that is being used as an anthem at MAGA rallies, including those before our troops. It’s not the title, though that’s part of it. It’s also not the most recognized line, “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free”, though that represents a very low and unworthy bar. It comes in the next line, “I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.”
Our Declaration of Independence defines “those rights” as “Inalienable”. Thus, the rights of Man are assumed to be part of Natural Law. We can protect them, but we cannot give them. We can take them, but not justly. Additionally, to paraphrase Abigail Adams, “Let’s not forget the ladies”.
I’m sure Mr. Greenwood didn’t think this deeply as he asked God to bless what “men” gave, thus created. Given our changing cultural trajectory, perhaps we should. Words matter.
Jim Sinex
Midtown
Plastic health issues
What a great article in the Oct. 13 edition, “Plastic Predicament” by Aminah. Her article brings attention to a serious worldwide health problem. Plastic, specifically microplastics, is ubiquitous to the extent that it is estimated that the average person ingests approximately 5 grams of microplastics a week. That is approximately enough plastic to generate a credit card. Studies involving animal and human cells suggest that microplastics could be linked to cancer and other diseases. It is estimated that only 10% of plastic is recycled. Although recycling plastic is not the ultimate answer, it is a start. Please support recycling, in the hope that someday this significant health problem can be eliminated.
Peter Morales
Midtown
Colonial District 7 (CD7)
Now that I reside in Arizona Colonial District 7 and not Congressional District 7, I have some questions.
Republican candidate Daniel Butierez says he would have signed the discharge petition for the Epstein files. Had he won, would he have reneged on his promise of being the 218th signer?
Because Speaker of the House Mike Johnson refuses to swear in Special Election winner Adelita Grijalva for CD7, does that mean after the 2026 election, he will refuse to swear in all Democrats who win their House seats in order to hold onto power?
There are over 90,000 Republican Party members registered in CD7 and 160,000 voters registered as other. Are these registered voters just collateral damage in the war the Trump Republican Party has against the Democratic Party?
Do Trump and Johnson want to make Democratic congressional districts into resource-rich colonies for a greater Trump Republican Party in 2026?
Matt Somers
Midtown
- Mary DeCamp, Downtown
OMG, where’s our super-hero savior to deliver us from insane economic developments? The Trump family is using cryptocurrency to make $5 Billion appear out of thin air. The President’s pal Larry Ellison own’s 98% of a Hawaiian island. His past BFF Elon Musk has a reported fortune of $500 Billion. Simultaneously the hordes of unhoused who have given up on the capitalist economy in favor of drug-induced escapism grow ever larger & more intransigent. And all the rest of us in the middle of these economic extremities live work-a-day lives; we don’t personally rub up against either great poverty or great power. It’s hard to understand why our American society chose this path. Happy Indigenous People’s Day, USA!
Mary DeCamp
Downtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
- Richard Rebl, East side
I would respectfully point out, that in the LTE “Shutdown”, it is claimed that Senators Kelly and Gallego shut down the government to serve the needs of illegal immigrants. I feel this is an error on the part of the writer since illegal immigrants have no access to health care except through the services of the emergency room as do we all. I believe that while Senators Kelly and Gallego were the spokesmen for this request to the Speaker of the House, the vote to shut down the government had the full approval of Senator Schumer and the party. I would also remind the writer that our country consists of many other people besides its armed services and the military - most of whom have the same problems that government shut down will cause. As far as I am concerned, these two senators did do the “right thing” and prevent the theft of health care that a rogue president has caused and restoring that which we all worked for.
Richard Rebl
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
ICE detention
Emily Bregel’s article about ICE detention is gut-wrenching. My tax dollars are enriching private prison companies that provide rotten food and overpriced commissary items to people, 73% of whom have no criminal record. And thanks to a new interpretation of existing law and the firing of immigration judges, this prison-for-profit scam will grow exponentially. Meanwhile, hardworking people who broke no laws other than arriving here illegally are ripped from their families. Their children are U.S. citizens. I ask my fellow citizens: Is this Christian? Is this what we have become? A nation where 50% of us are uninformed of these facts and simply don’t care? Where our Congress refuses to provide any oversight of this fire hose of corruption and cruelty? It is shocking how far we have fallen.
Leslie McGee
Midtown
Lies
On Oct. 11, the Star printed a letter with three falsehoods.
1. Senators Kelly and Gallegos did not shut down the government. Republicans did, by not compromising one iota on the health bill. Democrats are not signing a bill that takes away from the American people.
2. The Democratic health bill suggestions do not include coverage for illegal aliens.
3. The majority of voters did not vote for Trump. Among several people, he got the most votes, but the majority of those who voted, voted for someone else.
As far as military pay, Republicans could vote, right now, to not withhold it. They haven’t bothered. It is not Democrats who dishonor the military, it is Hegseth who wants to use “lethality” on the American people.
Christi Driggs
Northwest side
‘Shutdown fallacies’
I would respectfully point out, that in the LTE “Shutdown”, it is claimed that Senators Kelly and Gallego shut down the government to serve the needs of illegal immigrants. I feel this is an error on the part of the writer since illegal immigrants have no access to health care except through the services of the emergency room as do we all. I believe that while Senators Kelly and Gallego were the spokesmen for this request to the Speaker of the House, the vote to shut down the government had the full approval of Senator Schumer and the party. I would also remind the writer that our country consists of many other people besides its armed services and the military — most of whom have the same problems that government shutdown will cause. As far as I am concerned, these two senators did do the “right thing” and prevent the theft of health care that a rogue president has caused and restore that which we all worked for.
Richard Rebl
East side
Free buses are part of the solution
At the last Mayor and Council Meeting, there was a lot of discussion about our buses. Thank you, Mayor and Councilmembers, for keeping our buses free.
I’ve seen how free buses save lives.
As Pima County’s Community Restitution Program Supervisor, I manage both county and city court-ordered community service. Many of our program participants utilize public transportation. But it’s more than community service; they rely on free buses to get to their appointments, their jobs, and their treatment. Without free buses, I fear that these people will end up back on the streets or in jail.
If we were to reinstate bus fares, homelessness will not end and crime will not stop. It will only hurt Tucsonans who rely on free public transportation to make a living, pursue their education, and explore our beautiful city — or in my profession, become productive citizens.
Free buses are not a failure. If we want a solution to homelessness and crime, we must keep our buses free!
Art Corral
Southwest side
Our city deserves new leadership
My wife and I moved to Tucson in July, and we immediately saw how deeply crime and homelessness are affecting this city we now call home. As a former community health worker with the County of Los Angeles, I’ve witnessed what happens when compassion isn’t matched with accountability. Addiction worsens, and neighborhoods lose their sense of safety and trust.
Letting people remain unhoused without treatment or structure isn’t kindness. It’s neglect. True compassion means providing real opportunities for recovery and reintegration, while keeping our streets and public spaces safe for everyone.
That’s why I’ll be voting for JL Wittenbraker and Jay Tolkoff. They have a record of working across party lines and a genuine commitment to putting public safety and recovery first. Tucson needs leaders who believe in both dignity and discipline, who listen, collaborate, and act with accountability.
It’s time to restore safety, trust, and balance in our city government. JL and Jay represent exactly that.
John Adriatico
Southeast side
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to Maria Machado, and most felt it was well-deserved. Her humanitarian efforts in her country of Venezuela were applauded as being the reason for the award. President Trump, quite naturally, did not agree with the decision. He was so audacious that he reported Maria had called him and said he should have won. This man does not believe the world revolves around him but he thinks he is the world. I propose that at the cessation of the Miss America pageant, Trump will ask for a recount, suggesting that he would be a more proper winner.
Philip Reinecker
East side
‘Common sense deficiency’
LTE “I can’t imagine the terrible state of our country with Kamala in control. Thank goodness for Trump’s use of common sense.” Common sense? Destroying every value this country holds dear? He is the worst of the worst. He destroys every value we as a nation should hold dearly. Environment Protection-no, People security & protection-no, helping the less fortunate-no. Illegal use of the military within our country-yes. Fair taxes-no. Americans hold dearly freedoms such as speech, religion, and the press — impossible in Trump’s world. We are not all super right-wing, extreme white, rich “Christians” of wealth. Other dearly held freedoms include the right to vote, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government. They also value fundamental rights like due process, equal protection under the law, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures — not under Trump. He’s coming after US. Bring back decency.
Peter Bisschop
East side
Common sense, uncommon virtue
I just read a LTE that made me laugh out loud. Thank you, Ken Wolfe, for making me laugh when all the headlines seem to make me depressed. What I laughed about was an old saying we had in the Marine Corps as a joke in regards to the true statement, “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.” Our joke was, “Common Sense was an uncommon virtue.” After reading Ken’s comment regarding the fat felon and obese huckster regarding his use of “Common Sense,” was just too funny not to comment.
John Bingham
Northwest side
Indigenous people’s path?
OMG, where’s our super-hero savior to deliver us from insane economic developments? The Trump family is using cryptocurrency to make $5 billion appear out of thin air. The President’s pal Larry Ellison owns 98% of a Hawaiian island. His past BFF, Elon Musk, has a reported fortune of $500 billion. Simultaneously, the hordes of unhoused who have given up on the capitalist economy in favor of drug-induced escapism grow ever larger & more intransigent. And all the rest of us in the middle of these economic extremities live workaday lives; we don’t personally rub up against either great poverty or great power. It’s hard to understand why our American society chose this path. Happy Indigenous People’s Day, USA.
Mary DeCamp
Downtown
Town Hall democracy
America is engaged in a fight for political sanity: justice versus tyranny, order against chaos, light versus darkness. Democracy depends on open, thoughtful, and respectful discussion, even with those we disagree with. Without dialogue, democracy as we know it becomes vulnerable. That’s why town hall meetings are vital.
Our Congressman Juan Ciscomani is an authoritarian politico who doesn’t ask for permission; he does whatever he can get away with, putting himself first. He lacks political courage, hiding from voters and fearing constituents’ questions from we the people who sent him to Washington. He ducks, dodges, and evades us, afraid of confrontation. Ciscomani absolutely, positively refuses to hold town hall meetings in AZ CD6 — too scared to explain his critical votes against us in Washington.
We are in a fight for our freedom. If we don’t take action, we all share responsibility for what happens under Ciscomani’s controlling, autocratic rule over his constituents.
Jerry Wilkerson
SaddleBrooke
Baffled
Project 2025, Us and the Cost of Living. As always, I find some of the comments made in the opinion section about the current affairs of Washington baffling. It’s as if taking away the rights and freedom of speech of some people are OK. It is not okay, and it makes me mad as hell. I’m not sure where some people shop or where they’re getting a utility cost discount, but I want to go where they shop and get their discounts. Please post where we can all get these discounts, because the cost of groceries and the tariff tax have increased my cost of living a lot, and I am not amused. Maybe some folks are “looking through a glass darkly,” or maybe they just approve and support Project 2025 and the systematic dismemberment of our democracy in favor of the six unelected billionaire dictator families of greed.
Abreeza Zegeer
Southwest side
Trump’s dictatorship
Trump’s usurping control of the National Guard and his directives to the masked thugs of ICE have now spread from Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon, to Chicago, with planned or threatened forays into other “blue” cities. The modus operandi of these quasi-military raids, includes but is not limited to, rappelling from hovering helicopters, banging and knocking down doors in the middle of the night to drag away terrified people, some of whom prove to be U.S. citizens, and smashing windows to gain entry or access to undocumented persons in order to drag them off to undisclosed locations.
The only difference between the actions of Adolf Hitler and his Gestapo of World War II, and Trump’s “icestapo” is the technology available to them to carry out their atrocities; Hitler’s thugs didn’t have helicopters and night-vision goggles.
Jack Graef
SaddleBrooke
Freedom belongs to us
Donald Trump claimed grocery prices are going down when they’re going up as the tariffs take effect; inflation was defeated, but it’s accelerating; and electric bills are coming down when they’re sharply increasing.
He and his Republican Party are wrecking our health care system, attacking scientific and medical research, throwing innocent people into foreign gulags without due process, and leading an extraordinary cover-up of a prolific sex trafficker and pedophile. Trump now gives dangerous medical advice to women from the White House podium and assaults our free speech.
All of this is happening as he enriches himself and uses the government to lawlessly pursue and silence domestic opposition. This recklessness puts people in jeopardy and in danger.
Trump and the GOP don’t fear Kimmel’s jokes. They fear those who will not bend the knee and will not be silenced. Speak out about the lawlessness that’s devastating America. After all, freedom belongs to all of us.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
What dictatorship looks like
Re the so-called Trump Compact with the UA, my first thought was “Give me liberty or give me death. I will fight this kind of intellectual bribery until my last breath.” What unmitigated gall on the part of people who orchestrated such a rotten scheme. This is not American conservatism. This is fascism, plain and simple.
William Buckley would roll over in his grave at the incessant attacks on our Constitution.
John G Schmidt
Southwest side
Arizona Supreme Court’s flawed ruling
Rich special interests have, for nearly three years, used dubious, tortured arguments in state courts to prevent the implementation of a popular 2022 law, the Voters’ Right to Know Act, intended to unveil the sources of dark money influencing our elections. Arizona voters approved the Act by more than 72% (1,736,496 Yes; 664,111 No), a nearly 3-1 margin.
Finally, we get a decision from the Arizona Supreme Court, which ruled 5-2 in September that the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature can vote to change the Act, essentially opening the door for special interests to gut the new law.
The opinion, written by Justice Clint Bolick, overturned both trial court and appellate court rulings. Justice Bolick, who was head of litigation for both the Goldwater Institute and the Institute for Justice, was wrong on this dark money case.
Justice Bolick should have let the will of the people prevail.
Stephen Yozwiak
Northwest side
Care-based shoppin
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Recent events have had me reconsider how and where I shop for food, clothes and other items. I would prefer to support makers and sellers who care deeply about their customers and look forward to having a relationship with them. Fortunately, Tucson is full of just such places. It does mean I have to shift up my routines a bit. Going to farmers’ markets or trying different cafes and smaller shops has opened me up to a world of delightful merchandise as well as creative efforts by many people. I think that where I put my money is a way to vote for the world where community and caring is emphasized over just making money. Have you checked out places in your neighborhood that look interesting?
Barbara Rose Gaynor
Midtown
An explanation please
An explanation is needed. The US gave $20 billion to Argentina. But the U.S. refuses to permit $20 million of health insurance subsidies for U.S. citizens. With the infusion, Argentinian farmers will be able to sell soybeans to China. While U.S. soybean farmers are prohibited by U.S. foreign policy. Explain.
Kenneth Haber
Northwest side
Supreme Court plays Russian Roulette
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear cases with profound implications for our country: cases about 1st Amendment rights, voting rights, campaign finance laws, federal vs states’ rights, religious and transgender rights, plus Trump’s emergency cases elevated from the shadow docket.
The incredible deference the Supreme Court has shown the President does not bode well for Americans. Approval of the Court is approaching an all-time low. The majority on the court often rule as partisan ideologues, and if they continue to cater to Trump in cases such as Birthright Citizenship, they will further alienate the American people. Reasoned decisions have been few and amount to mere crumbs thrown to Democracy advocates to maintain a veneer of legitimacy.
So, do they continue on this path and lose all credibility or do they disappoint their Heritage Foundation backers who have already made a down payment on their souls? It’s Russian roulette.
Gretchen Winters
Oro Valley
Moral leadership
I commend all 104 Christian pastors of Bear Witness Now for public moral leadership in the declaration of love and tolerance published in the ADS on 10-5-25.
They are correct in their advocacy of humane-centered responses to the many social, economic, and political problems we all face. Only responses based in love will help us overcome them. Intolerance, hate, greed, and dominance are responses that only perpetuate a World out of balance. Thank you for raising your voices in a time of increasing Darkness.
Their statement echoes pastors who endured hateful responses, death threats, and crosses burned as they were run out of Mississippi in 1963 for publicly supporting integration as a Christian response to Jim Crow.
Richard Fridena
West side
Three cheers for the Star
It’s not often that we old folks who still relish the feel of a print newspaper get credit for our long-time support of the Star. It was heartening to hear the appreciation of the Executive Editor of our wonderful newspaper in Wednesday’s edition. We were so relieved after arriving in Tucson in the 1970s to find that we could rely on the Arizona Daily Star to bring us the latest news with our morning coffee. This has been our custom for all these years, and although there may be some delay with the print edition trucking in from Las Vegas, we can still count on the Star to deliver a physical paper, hold the news in our hands, and pencil in the Cryptoquip and the Jumble.
Thank you, thank you.
James and Wanda Torrey
West side
Shutdown
I served this country with honor, and it’s unacceptable to see Senators Kelly and Gallego shutting down the government — not to serve the American people, but to demand $1.5 trillion in taxpayer dollars, including massive health care handouts for illegal immigrants.
That’s what’s happening. The House passed a clean bill to fund the government. Senate Democrats blocked it.
They are using extreme demands as a way to block the Trump administration, which has worked hard to support our armed services and strengthen our military. Veterans like me are being told to wait while Washington fights for people who broke the law to be here.
Senators Kelly and Gallego, do the right thing. Stop obstructing the administration that the majority of Americans elected. End this shutdown. Americans come first.
Bobbie King
Southeast side
Vote?
Why do Tucson representatives ignore constituents?
I will vote for those who care about and properly respond to emails from constituents. I miss Mayor Rothschild and Councilman Kozachik. They personally responded to constituents’ questions and concerns. If they did not know the answer, they connected the constituent to the person who did know the answer. They were/are awesome people.
Today, city leaders and their questionable assistants completely ignore most emails or respond with a rote “...we receive many emails and cannot respond to all.” My email inquiries are ignored. I rarely receive an answer to my question or have my concern redirected to someone who can help me.
Traditionally, pay raises are given for excellent work done. The city greatly increased the Mayor’s and city council’s salaries, and yet they proudly ignore most constituents’ inquiries. Tucsonans must require the lovely and professionally mannered style of representation that previous Mayor Rothschild and Councilman Kozachik modeled so well.
Tucson needs mannered representatives who are going to respond correctly to Tucson constituents.
Cheryl Kelli
Downtown
Re-elect no one
In the ’80s, there was a full-page ad in the Tucson Citizen that stated, “Re-elect no one.” How novel! This idea should be front and center on every American’s mind.
Our elected officials have shown us that they cannot even agree on how to disagree. The sole purpose we elect them for, is to agree on how to agree.
Government workers are sent home without pay. BS, they will get back pay while they don’t go to work, inconveniencing the public. Who suffers, the public. How about sending the government workers back to work while docking the elected officials of their pay and benefits. Let the bureaucracy do its job while the elected officials get the boot. The reason, they didn’t do their job. Simple!
All 435 Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be new. New eyes should be wide open while it digs itself out of the mess it is replacing.
Ignore the big money campaign ads. Simply re-elect no one.
Ed LeGendre
East side
A disappointing Speaker
When Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, was first elected, he told the country he would govern by the Bible. Many of us hoped that meant humility, honesty, compassion for the poor, and integrity. Instead, we’ve watched him walk a very different path.
Since taking the gavel, Mike Johnson has misled the public, shielded the powerful while dismissing the vulnerable, and shown little of the mercy or truth-telling the Bible instructs. Scripture says, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me,” but Johnson has supported policies that harm struggling families and immigrants. It says, “Do not bear false witness,” yet he defends a president whose politics thrive on conspiracy and grievance.
The Bible calls for courage and moral clarity, yet Johnson too often bends the knee to Donald Trump, echoing his falsehoods and protecting his power rather than helping people.
Lawrence Mazin
SaddleBrooke
Securing public spaces
I’m a retired police officer. I found Time Steller’s article; “Securing Public Spaces” interesting as he compared the mission to care for the homeless with the need to secure public places. In actuality, police patrols benefit not just homeowners/renters but also those who suffer from being unhoused. Sufficient numbers of police do make a difference, but we do not have enough officers to meet the demand for services. Low staffing means less coverage of hot spots. According to research from Penn University criminologist Aaron Chalfin, police staffing does help reduce homicides and other serious violent crimes. It also increases arrests for low-level offenses like liquor violations and drug possession. Per Chalfin, “an additional 10 to 17 officers hired prevented one new homicide per year.” The Tucson Police Department has the right crime response strategies; they desperately need more officers assigned to critical areas because we need more “eyes” on our problem spots. If we want better protection, we need more protectors. It’s a profession worth seeking.
Richard Harper
Northeast side
Bloomberg article
Thank you for printing such an important article. Tucsonans of Ukrainian roots appreciate this.
President Emeritus, Ukrainian American Society,
Ihor Kunasz
Northwest side
Masked men
What I recall from watching the coverage of the 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland were unidentified masked men grabbing people off the street and taking them away in unmarked cars. It was later reported that the “Department of Homeland Security, US Marshal Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Federal Protection Service, were all in Portland, deployed by Trump under Operation Diligent Valor. They were recorded using unmarked vehicles to apprehend protesters in downtown Portland. Videos circulated online showing these agents, who were often described as wearing masks and body armor, driving up to individuals, detaining them without explaining the reasons for the arrest.”
I condemn the wanton destruction of property by any group, but I also condemn the destruction of our civil rights as Americans. And one is much harder to restore than the other.
Katharine Donahue
Foothills
New name for Republicans
1. Today’s Republican Party is essentially one person — Donald Trump. What he says and does is what they are.
2. Trump repeatedly proclaims himself a “nationalist” — “America First”.
3. Commentators like George Will have questioned Trump’s government financial involvement in companies like AMD and Nvidia. When Democrats did it, it was deplored as “picking winners and losers.” Now they’re starting to call it “state socialism.”
4. Combining “nationalist” and “socialist”, we get “National Socialist”. Why not change the Republican Party’s name to “National Socialist”? Doesn’t that sound like a good name?
5. Oh wait ...
George Timson
Midtown
The Blaumilch Canal in Tucson
The Israeli author Ephraim Kishon once wrote (1952) this marvelous story of a lunatic called Blaumilch who suffers from a digging compulsion, escapes from the asylum, steals a jackhammer and compressor, and begins to dig up the main artery in Tel Aviv (movie in 1969). No one in the city bureaucracy knows who had commissioned this project, but they all assume that they are required to assist the man, who eventually creates a huge traffic disaster and senseless destruction. Since elections are coming up, no one dares to question Blaumilch’s actions, so, he eventually reaches the Mediterranean and can flood the entire city. The helpless mayor hence announces that Tel Aviv has thus become the new Venice of the Middle East.
Tucson seems to follow this model, considering the endless and useless construction projects, especially on 6th Street and on Grant Road. All motorists who are forced to use those arteries are strongly reminded of Blaumilch’s activities and a bureaucracy that does not even know what they do.
Albrecht Classen
Midtown
All the news that’s fit to print
Thank you for your commitment to keeping our local newspaper in print. I’ve been a subscriber to the Arizona Daily Star print edition for 37 years, and will continue my subscription for as long as the print edition continues. The free press is one of the last remaining bulwarks against the collapse of our democracy, which depends on literate, educated and informed citizens. There are other more instantaneous sources of information — or in many cases, misinformation and disinformation — than a local daily newspaper; but there is no substitute for reading about and reflecting upon current events to form rational, thoughtful opinions. Thanks to all at the Star who make this daily miracle possible: writers, editors, photographers, graphic artists, advertisers, subscribers, and the delivery people who rise in the middle of the night, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to bring us the news.
Will Clipman
West side
Pointing fingers
In a childish exchange between Senator Gallegos and CD 6’s gerrymandered Representative Juan Ciscomani on the subject of the GOP shutdown, Ciscomani stated, “I did my job…”.
Au contraire, my ill-informed representative, your job is to produce an actual budget, not kick the can down the road with a CR and point fingers. You and team MAGA have the White House, Senate and House, and once again failed to do what is arguably your only job as a member of the House.
Enough distractions. Release the Epstein Files and get back to the people’s business.
Kevin Henderson
Foothills
Responding to LTEs
The last sentence of J. McConnell’s LTE of Oct. 5 stated “Reducing political divisiveness starts with respecting others’ right to their view and their product without punishment.” I fully agree, except it actually starts at the top, so please tell Mr Trump to stop the hate, retribution, threats, and demands that Democrats be “taken care of.” Just a few attempts at civility and unification could do a lot, but I’m not holding my breath.
Then the end of L. Johnson’s LTE of Oct. 5 stated “To put the entire blame on Israel [for killing 67,000 Gazans plus 6,000 more buried in the rubble, mostly women and children], which is only trying to ensure its very existence on this earth, is absurd.” The problem here is that no one is doing that, and instead, most are shocked at the mass killings and starvation of women and children and non-combatants in Gaza: a genocide without remorse, in the fight with Hamas.
Steve Cox
Northwest side
If you think things are bad now ...
For the first few months of the new Trump Administration, I was totally blown away by the planned MAGA chaos ... I thought, how are we ever going to get through this presidential term, as it seemed every traditional institution was being attacked and dismantled: The renaming and restructuring of The Kennedy Center? The re-renaming of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team back to the Cleveland Indians? What?
Then I found the antidote to my impending depression. I watched the award-winning 2012 movie directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Wow, was I inspired. That period of our history was true mess that showed what a great leader can achieve. President Lincoln and his backroom deals produced an environment that mended a fractured nation. Lincoln was the anti-Trump: No retribution, after a terrible Civil War, was needed or required.
If we could get through that period, then we can get through this. Watch the movie and be inspired. We will get through the rest of this presidential term.
Albert (Bert) Hanson
Northwest side
AG Pam Bondi, the good soldier
I watched United States Attorney General Pam Bondi’s audition for the lead in the next sequel to the movie “Mean Girls” in front of the U.S. Senate Judicial Oversight Committee. She refused to answer questions reasonably put to her by members of the Senate Committee. Instead, she repeatedly read canned non-answers and hurled personal insults at U.S. senators who had the nerve to try to exercise their purpose and obligation to do oversight. Her performance was intended and offered to an audience of one ... truly her only client, Trump. As a retired attorney and judge, I am disgusted with such a blatant and notorious violation of her ethical obligations as an attorney and oath of office as Attorney General to support and defend the Constitution of the U.S.
Paul Simon
Northwest side
Budget shutdown
I’m appalled at the GOP shutdown and the GOP lies. The shutdown is not about benefits for illegals. The GOP would rather give my hard-earned money to the wealthy supporters of the White House than help govern our country. You swore an oath to protect the U.S. and support the country fairly. This budget holdup is not about non-citizens, far from it. The GOP needs to stand up for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the needy and the less fortunate. It would do Republicans good to re-read their oaths of office. They should speak the truth and act accordingly. The lies are ruining our nation. And where in the world is Juan Ciscomani, Carmen San Diego? This “break” is supposed to be a time to meet in person with constituents.
Peter Bisschop
East side
- Deb Klumpp, Oro Valley
I heard that a Fox News commentator deemed Donald Trump "most masculine president ever". Qualifying traits must be his bullying, blustering, nasty rhetoric and promises of violence -- so masculine! Such a strongman! I'm thinking that after perhaps a year on RFK Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" program, that the president might also be a candidate for People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" award. Following the MAHA plan, he could transform himself into a new model of male desirability (unlike all those "fat generals"). Women of America, stand by.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
‘American’ copper
Big half-page ad in Sunday’s paper for Hudbay Copper, stating “Hudbay Arizona Copper Made in America.” All true, but they left out “owned in Canada.” As someone strongly associated with American Arizona Copper, (Magma, ASARCO USA, Cyprus-Miami), I have watched foreign companies come in and totally consume our precious Copper. We may be ‘the Copper State’, but the profits all leave for foreign companies. Magma was bought and shut down by Australian Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP). ASARCO was taken over by Grupo Mexico (that’s when I quit as Chief Chemist of Silverbell), ASARCO briefly got control back in the US, until some moron Judge in Texas gave it back to Grupo. Why is Arizona allowing this?
Thad Appelman
Northwest side
Vote blue, vote education
Thanks for the story “Tucson voters to decide council seats, school bonds” that was in this past Sunday’s paper. It gave a succinct notice of the upcoming election.
With Trump’s attack on democracy seeping into local politics, I hope the city voters elect the three Democratic candidates for the Tucson City Council. With the type of leadership exemplified by Republicans Ciscomani and Christy, we can’t trust any Republican running for office.
A vote on Plan Tucson is a toss-up. It’s best to read the plan online.
As for the TUSD, Sunnyside and Flowing Wells bond overrides, I hope the voters vote “Yes” to support education. The awful Republic state leadership has forced taxpayers to self-tax to make up for Republic welfare for the well off. The Southern Arizona Leadership Council advanced arguments against Tucson Prop. 414 so taxpayers would vote “No” on Prop 414 and for RTA Next.
Education over asphalt. Vote “Yes” on the bonds. Vote “No” on RTA Next.
And vote America again — vote blue.
Matt Somers
Midtown
Repeat offenders
Last week, the current mayor of Seattle, in a debate to keep his job, gave us all an answer as to why repeat offenders so frequently end up on our streets to repeat their crimes. The mayor said that his priority “for that person who has committed six or seven crimes, is that we understand their life story.” He also said, “The issue is not how many crimes they have committed, but why they committed those crimes,” and that “I have no desire to put them in jail”.
Does the mayor realize that a criminal who is committing their sixth or seventh assault or rape might need some lengthy jail time instead of another social worker to “understand their life story”? I hope the mayor never has one of his family members be the victim of a violent crime, but he is condemning other Seattle families to that future.
With leaders like this, who needs enemies?
Tom Gordon
Northeast side
Operation circular reasoning
Donald Trump is smart. He knows that if he sends in National Guard troops to a Chicago or a Portland, it will provoke loud protests, perhaps some shoving and heckling and probably someone who crosses a real or imagined line. This will provide the pretext for establishing law and order and “proof” that the situation has gotten out of hand. He will blow it out of proportion just as he did when he sent several hundred Marines into Los Angeles to quell an isolated disturbance.
He is, without a doubt, purposely and vengefully causing a problem as an excuse to exert his power over cities that want to be left alone.
Peter Bourque
Midtown
Trump’s error
Isn’t it ironic that the man who lusts after the Nobel Peace prize should rename our defense department the War Department and allow the Secretary of that department to tell our high-ranking military officers that their troops are more likely to be deployed nationally rather than on foreign soil? Trump has declared war on his own country. Definitely not a peacemaker!
Susan Keeney
Oro Valley
Conover fails victims, community
As a former prosecutor, I am upset with the Pima County Attorney’s complete failure to seek justice in our community. Laura Conover abandons victims to give absurdly lenient pleas to violent criminals. She gave probation-available plea agreements to defendants in the Reddington Pass murder case. The victim’s family was outraged and wanted Conover removed.
Then she offered near probation to an armed defendant who threatened to kill school children with a gun. TPD was outraged.
This month, Conover offered a probation available plea to a man who shot an unarmed doctor in the back. The doctor died, and the defendant got probation. The original charge was mandatory 7 to 21 years in prison. The excuse for the light plea was “they were scared they couldn’t get a conviction!”
All these travesties of justice were orchestrated by Conover. A county attorney who treats criminals like her own clients and is afraid to try cases should find another line of work.
David Berkman
North side
Most masculine/sexiest?
I heard that a Fox News commentator deemed Donald Trump “most masculine president ever”. Qualifying traits must be his bullying, blustering, nasty rhetoric and promises of violence — so masculine! Such a strongman! I’m thinking that after perhaps a year on RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” program, that the president might also be a candidate for People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” award. Following the MAHA plan, he could transform himself into a new model of male desirability (unlike all those “fat generals”). Women of America, stand by.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Trump’s concept of a plan
Now that we’re in the midst of a paralyzing government shutdown induced by the refusal of Republican plutocrats to negotiate affordable healthcare for Americans most in need, we plainly see that their brand of so-called conservatism amounts to little more than placing a thumb on the scale of social equity whenever gains are to be had while feigning allegiance to a higher principle of non-interference with the natural order.
Remember Trump’s “beautiful healthcare plan” — that once touted replacement for the Obamacare “disaster”? Always on the horizon, this “concept of a plan,” now revealed, was always to pull the rug out from under millions of Americans with compassionless disregard for the social destabilization sure to follow. As Trump and his cronies shamelessly pursue further wealth for the wealthy under the guise of conservative fiscal policy, ordinary Americans are being presented with the tab for this immoral extravagance at the expense of their health and stability. This flagrant hypocrisy makes America neither great nor healthy again.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Civics test
“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Sept. 17 the implementation of the 2025 naturalization civics test as one of its many stricter naturalization policies, such as evaluations of good moral character and stricter reviews of disability exceptions.”(The Arizona Republic, David Ulloa Jr.) I’d like Congress to pass the same test. Especially the “Good Moral Character” section. How many would fail the civics test? What a bunch of baloney.
Peter Bisschop
East side
Who is to blame?
Matthew Scully blames Democratic senators for the shutdown. He thinks there is plenty of time to negotiate over the health care cuts. And then, being a good Trumplican, he insults Democratic senators.
Perhaps Mr. Scully forgets that 10 Democratic senators voted for the continuing resolution back in March after being promised that their concerns would be addressed. They were not.
There is an old proverb that applies here. “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”
Steven Brown
Midtown
University of Arizona
Former U of A President John Schaefer wrote an excellent essay about the importance of current U of A President Suresh Garimella not giving in to the US Department of Education’s demands on the University. As Schaefer, and also Michael Chihak on the same day, so wisely point out, giving a bully your lunch money will only have him demanding your jacket next time. The government’s request for influence (read control) over hiring, courses, and political balance (whatever that means) is antithetical to academic freedom and the great strides our nation has made to improve our quality of life and protect the planet, as well as discover other planets in the universe. Those seeking federal grants want to win them because of superior ideas, not because of a thumb on the evaluation scale. Don’t fall for the shiny object of big money. Take the long view and preserve the freedom of inquiry.
Tim Steller’s analysis of why the U of A was targeted was very perceptive.
Margot Garcia
Midtown
This Democrat urges: Just say no
It is common knowledge that the only way to deal with a bully is to stand up and assert yourself.
What the Democrats are holding out for amounts to $1 trillion over the next ten years. These cuts will have far-reaching consequences for millions of Medicaid recipients who lose coverage. Currently, this means 80 million low-income Americans, including children, adults, people with disabilities and seniors in nursing homes. It also means that rural health care and hospitals will be devastated. Democrats are not insisting on Medicaid benefits for undocumented residents.
This Republican “beautiful” budget bill also includes tax breaks for the top 1% of taxpayers, amounting to more than $1 billion over the next decade, with over half of that, $500 million, accruing to the top 0.1% of earners.
The Republicans’ current spending budget starkly exposes their priorities.
It almost looks like class genocide.
Cindy Soffrin
Northeast side
- Michael Schoeppach, Oro Valley
I read Peter Bourque’s LTE in Thursday’s October 9th Star.
He wrote “Donald Trump is smart. He knew that sending National Guard troops to Chicago or Portland, “would provoke loud protests . . . some shoving and heckling, and prompt someone to cross a real or imagined line. Doing so provided “the pretext for establishing law and order” concluding the President is “purposely and vengefully “causing a problem so he could exert power over cities.
Thanks, but I think he was only half right.
In early March, I predicted such behavior would be the pretext for the President canceling or controlling the outcome of the 2026 mid-term elections. I based that on the polls projecting Republicans couldn’t win the mid-term elections, and they knew it. The polls have gotten worse for them since March.
I stand by my prediction. There will be no free and fair mid-term elections. Republicans, including the President, are aware they can’t win them and won’t allow them to take place.
Michael Schoeppach
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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