This Democrat urges: End shutdown now
Dear Senators Kelly, Gallego, Schumer,
With President Trump’s popularity sinking in August opinion polls, Democrats’ chances to win control of the House of Representatives next year looked promising. Now, I fear that with the best of intentions, Democrats have committed a dreadful political miscalculation.
Senate Democrats are using the current government shutdown to demand Republicans scrap their plans to cut Medicaid and other health programs packed into Trump’s Big Ugly Bill.
Democrats blame the GOP for not compromising on health care. But their pleas get lost in the all-out roar of the Big Megaphone used by Trump and minions. They charge that leftists are holding the country hostage with the shutdown. They talk of firing thousands of government employees and pinning the blame on Democrats.
People are also reading…
This is a no-win situation for Dems.
This no-win situation imperils Democrats’ election prospects in 2026. End the shutdown now. Concentrate on winning the 2026 congressional races. After that, fight to end the harsh, evil provisions of the Big Ugly.
Frank Sotomayor
West side
Punishment not the answer
Like Councilwoman Nikki Lee, I wish fewer Tucson citizens suffered through drug addiction. Like her, I would prefer not to see drug use on our streets. Unlike her, however, I recognize that imposing more criminal punishment will not solve this problem. Based on the available evidence, sentences of incarceration have no measurable, deterrent effect on future crime, and incarceration appears to slightly increase crime owing to its criminogenic effects.
In addition, criminal punishment is not an effective way to mitigate problems of substance abuse. After fifty years of increased drug criminalization, illegal drugs are more widely available and more potent than ever, and overdose deaths are at an all-time high. What is more, incarceration causes massive collateral damage, including the separation of families, loss of jobs, and reduced life expectancy.
Elizabeth Jaeger
Midtown
Political boycotts
Recent letters from Jackie Marshall and Valerie Golembiewski have me thinking about political boycotts.
One side once demanded that we drive by Target because they were showcasing offensive merchandise, and today we’re asked by the other side to boycott them because they have reversed that policy. I shop there.
Ben & Jerry’s openly embraced their progressive values and let consumers decide whether to support them. Their ice cream is delicious, and I’m a customer despite their destructive politics.
Jane Fonda, aka “Hanoi Jane” from the Vietnam War era, committed treason, yet her talent as an actress is undeniable. I watch her films, separating her art from her actions.
Elon Musk just canceled his Netflix subscription because it markets transgender content to young children. I remain a subscriber while writer Golembiewski says she would never buy a Tesla.
The marketplace is not the battleground for ideological wars. Reducing political divisiveness starts with respecting others’ right to their view and their product without punishment.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Callous disregard
Juan Ciscomani, in his recent “Weekly Note,” conveyed that he had done his job on the Appropriations Committee by fully funding the government into November. What he did was secure a tax cut for the very rich by cutting health care for the poor. I think that his callous disregard for the welfare of his constituents is shockingly cruel.
Kathryn Pensinger
Foothills
Ciscomani’s government shutdown
More than 30,000 people in Republican Juan Ciscomani’s CD6 district will see their health care costs rise if Republicans let critical tax credits expire. Annual premiums for a 60-year-old couple earning $82,800 a year will rise by $11,127 (160%). A family of four earning $64,000 annual premiums will rise by $2,571 (190%). A family of four earning $129,800 annual premiums will rise by $3,979 (36%). Thousands in Ciscomani’s CD6 District will lose their health coverage because of the Republican health care crisis so that billionaires can receive a tax cut.
In Ciscomani’s district, 20,539 people will lose access to health coverage because of Republican cuts to Medicaid. In Ciscomani’s district, 13,900 people will lose access to health coverage because of Republicans’ refusal to extend health care tax credits for the ACA.
A total of 34,439 people will lose health coverage because of Republican cuts to Medicaid, Arizona Health Care (AHCCCS) and tax credits for the Affordable Care Act.
Rachel Rulmyr
Oro Valley
Firearm veneration
In my opinion, the core problem with historic and current violence in America is this: too many non-law enforcement people have been taught that shooting someone is a legitimate method for solving problems, especially if one is angry or frightened, and especially if one is able to portray the shooting as self-defense or for a greater good. It isn’t. This ideology is toxic. For far too long, it has been extolled as honorable — in numerous movies, video games, and inexcusably, by too many leaders in government, media, and even religion.
Ron Rude
West side
Trump
Nothing is ever enough for Trump, and I have had enough of him. His words reek of insincerity, and his efforts carry the stench of fascism. It is time to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him from office. He has not made America great again. He has done quite the opposite. We are no longer perceived as the “great” United States, and we should all be ashamed.
Toni Kane
Oro Valley
USDA website posting?
This morning, this was posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website: “Due to the Radical Left Democrat shutdown, this government website will not be updated during the funding lapse. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who fee, fuel, and clothe the American people.” When did the USDA become the propaganda wing of the Republican Party? And since the Republican Party controls the House, Senate, Presidency and, for all intents and purposes, the Supreme Court, where is the logic in blaming the shutdown on the Democrats?
Gerry Bates
Sahuarita
Gaza
Many times, LTEers have criticized Israel for its actions in Gaza. There is no doubt that many Gazans have lost their lives in this conflict. These same LTEers demand the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza, no questions asked, no realization that Israel is fighting for its very survival and not demanding the return of the hostages that still remain in the tunnels of Gaza. What has never been mentioned in all of the submittals is a demand that Hamas vacate Gaza. If they did leave, the conflict would end, and the rebuilding process could commence. Why are the inconceivably rich neighboring Arab nations not stepping in and demanding the exit of Hamas so the Gaza residents can once again resume a semi-normal life? To put the entire blame on Israel, which is only trying to ensure its very existence on this earth, is absurd.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
Whose shutdown?
CD 6 Congressman Juan Ciscomani sent out his weekly newsletter, informing its readers that the House did the right thing in passing a 7-week stopgap continuing resolution and going home. Mind you, this bill was crafted and passed by a tiny Republican majority, acting at the behest of the President and with no minority Democratic participation. Knowing that the Senate would be hard-pressed to agree to their bill and removed from the scene, Republicans like Mr. Ciscomani spent last week drafting newsletters like the one I just read, but not defending their Big, Beautiful Bill’s cuts to Medicaid and Medicare in face-to-face meetings with their unhappy constituents. And of course, it is those President-demanded cuts Democrats in the House and Senate continue to attempt to mitigate. And of course, this is why we don’t find Mr. Ciscomani in supermarket parking lots discussing his remarkably sycophantic record with his constituency.
Frank Bergen
Northwest side
The gathering
A multitude of senior military personnel of all genders and races gathered at Quantico at the behest of Secretary of Defense (War) .. They sat in stoic silence, even though baited by their CIC with applause if you want, don’t laugh and leave if you want. I wonder how that would have played out if all of them had walked out en masse? But they sat in silence. Maybe the Hatch Act in their mind? Dedication to the Constitution of the USA, which they serve and in some cases also have shed blood. I applaud them for their professional demeanor. Silence can speak volumes. I’m certain a few had served on submarines. Run silent, run deep.
EM1(SS) LCDR USN (Ret),
Gerald Schwartz
Foothills
Where your tax dollars go
You think an immigrant in the ER is stealing your money? Not billionaires with 10 homes, three yachts, private jets and with a golden toilet? You have been brainwashed.
Terry Louck
East side
Democratic delay tactics
Adelita Grijalva and her Democratic allies have criticized the delay in her swearing-in for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District (CD 7), but their complaints ring hollow given the district’s extended lack of effective representation. CD 7 has been without a voting voice in Congress for over a year, stemming from Raul Grijalva’s lung cancer diagnosis on April 2, 2024. Despite his illness, Raul sought re-election, missing 88% of votes in 2024 and over 300 votes since February 2024, before his death on March 13, 2025. His choice to stay in office postponed a special election, which had predictably low turnout. Adelita won the Sept. 23 special election, but House Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to delay her oath until October 7 has drawn Democratic indignation. Ultimately, the prolonged lack of representation stems from Democratic strategies surrounding the special election process.
Maggie Michel
Midtown
The second pandemic
Remember during the COVID pandemic, when we were locked down, grocery prices were outrageously high, people were separated by illness, and people feared for their lives? We are right there again. However, this time it is a man-made pandemic instituted by Trump and this Administration. Prices are sky-high for everything from eggs to gasoline. What? Trump didn’t lower prices on his first day? He didn’t stop the wars in Gaza and Ukraine? No. Instead, he started a war on the American people, immigrants, trans people, higher education, and is preparing to go to “war” in our own country with our own military against us. Additionally, he has completely abandoned our allies. The sands of democracy are not falling slowly through the hourglass; the glass has been broken, and democracy is on its knees. What are we willing to do to stop this?
Terri Hicks
Northwest side
Government shut down over Epstein files
Interesting how the Republicans have shut down the government to prevent the Epstein files from being released.
Lane Randolph
East side
$20 billion to Argentina
Why are we sending $20 billion to Argentina?
Can’t anyone stop this madness?
Paula Cooper
Tubac
