Tucson Speaks Out: May 3

Recently the city has decided to “explore” a hostile takeover of the TEP power grid. A city that struggles to maintain parks, roads and provide basic safety wants to maintain a vital service. The electrical grid we depend on not just for the light in our home but the most important, air conditioning in hot summers. The recent report states that customers could see savings with bills if the city ran the utility, but don’t expect the city to just let you have the savings. The report is vague when it comes to power generation and grid maintenance. All of which is tens of millions a year. Monsoons come and TEP can get our lights back on relatively quickly depending on severity of the outage. Our industries rely on a reliable source for our economy. The city has already tried to use the other vital utility to “stick it” to the Foothills residents on water rates. Imagine the city trying that with the power grid.

Sergio Mendez

Electrical Engineer

North side

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Jeffrey McConnell is getting a lot of negative “press” in LTEs lately but don’t assume you know him.

At age 76 he jumped into the laboratory Petri dish as a Phase 3 COVID vaccine volunteer to help our country survive that foreign invader yet he supports Bobby Kennedy’s investigation into the risks of any vaccines.

He marched with MLK, was married to a black woman for 25 years, blessed with two amazing children yet he’s against affirmative action and DEI, favoring meritocracy.

He’s a political conservative which also means belief in conservation. He drives a zero-pollution EV, recycles, composts, and conserves water. Climate change is real and it starts at home so he practices what many Democrats just espouse for others.

And he doesn’t wear a MAGA hat or watch Fox News.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Hegseth fires leakers, yet ...

Pete Hegseth has shown himself to be quite adept at firing those whom he suspects to be leakers of information about his failures. In contrast, the President and Commander in Chief appears to be unable to fire Hegseth for repeatedly leaking military plans that can put members of the military ordered into (otherwise) stealth missions at grave risk of ambush. By all accounts, Trump is being held prisoner by his own vanity and narcissism. After all, who would organize his expensive military parade if he removed Hegseth?

Edward Waymire

Midtown

You can’t keep blaming Biden

Trump lives in his own reality. He’s still blaming Biden for the absolute chaos his inept tariff policy has created. You only have to look at the numbers, and unlike Trump, numbers don’t lie. The Dow closed at 44,544.66 on January 1, 2025. On April 30, it closed at 40,945.59. Under President Biden, the United States economy grew 5.3%. Under Trump, it’s down 3%. Business leaders are warning of empty store shelves, and a dismal Christmas while Trump tells us we have to take our medicine. This is what we get for voting in a self-proclaimed stable genius who filed six bankruptcies. At least he managed to get rid of plastic straws.

Mary Zimmerman

SaddleBrooke

Impact of tariffs?

I’d like to encourage Frank Judnitch to get a calculator and use it. His Costco purchase of a new dishwasher for $699 is now $749. That is a $50 increase, NOT $250. Stop the fear mongering. I also encourage everyone to take a breath. Yes, this year will be chaotic, but it will settle down for the better. Did anyone even look at the tariffs other countries charge us and compare that to what we were charging them? Trump is correct, other countries were taking advantage of us. Go Trump and Go DOGE.

Linda Schaub

Southeast side

Trump

Mr. Trump, have you ever heard the saying, “Those who can, do, those who can’t, point fingers?

Benito Whatley

South side

Switch parties, Ciscomani

I have written Rep. Juan Ciscomani and several other House Republicans in swing districts pleading with them to switch parties and save our country. Donald Trump is a would-be totalitarian dictator posing an existential threat to our democratic Constitutional republic. It would take only a few moderate Republicans of conscience to return the House of Representatives to Democratic control and then impeach Trump and VP J.D. Vance. With the way the public is turning against the Trump administration, we can hope that enough Senate Republicans would find it politically expedient to do the right thing and convict them.

No doubt GOP House members fear that if they switched parties, they would be primaried in 2026 by candidates to the left of them; but I suggest that Democratic voters in their districts would recognize their heroism and show their gratitude for saving our country from fascist autocracy.

Chris Moser

Downtown

Wittenbraker should change parties

Ms. Wittenbraker, if one can believe her opinion piece, should change parties to Democrat. I quote “The surge in crime in Tucson is deeply intertwined with systemic challenges, including widespread poverty, inadequate educational opportunities, and a significant lack of mental health services, compounded by broader trends in drug trafficking and addiction.” These are issues that Republicans continuously undermine with funding cuts and threats of “socialism.” State Republican legislators don’t appear to believe in public education, preferring unregulated vouchers to good public schools, and have systematically undermined public schools for over 30 years. Mental health services? Let them get better on their own. Homelessness? Put them in jail. Addiction treatment? Why should health insurance pay? If she were serious about cutting poverty and improving educational opportunities, she would advocate, like Democrats, for excellent public schools, maintaining AHCCCS, funding job training, etc. at the state level. Yes, a good police force is important, but it won’t solve poverty.

Nancy Smith

Midtown

‘Free’ federal money

On occasion, the Star showcases the lack of self-awareness shown by some progressive activists. Case in point: the article headlined “Uhlich, advocates: Release fed climate funds.” In it, Councilmember Uhlich and the CEO of an outfit ironically named “Local First Arizona” decry the loss of federal (i.e. taxpayer) money for such things as “increasing shade at bus stops, installing solar and energy storage, and home energy audits and upgrades.” The advocates assert that these actions would have a huge benefit to Tucson ... but apparently they are worth the expenditure only if somebody else pays for them!

This kind of thinking is a major factor in the nation’s current fiscal mess. We desperately need to resurrect the common sense notion that anything primarily benefiting local or state residents should be paid by the beneficiary population, not by everybody else. After all, we are everybody else’s “everybody!”

Jerrod Mason

Green Valley

Hamas

There has been continuous controversy regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza. Israel’s goal is to eliminate the threat of Hamas to insure that their country has a future. Hamas uses Gaza citizens as shields and has announced its goal is to eliminate Israel. There is an obvious solution. Hamas soldiers and senior leadership leave Gaza and move to Iran where they will be protected from any retaliation from Israel. The United Nations could take temporary control of Gaza to ensure that any elected government is not solely dedicated to the destruction of Israel but actually exists for the benefit of Gaza citizens. Obviously, the very rich Arab neighbors could significantly assist in developing Gaza into an independent and self-supporting nation. To date, these Arab nations have been willing to support Gaza with armaments, but not provide required assistance to improve the social services and infrastructure so that the country could be economically and politically independent. Oftentimes, the best solution is the simplest if the blinders are removed.

Loyal M. Johnson Jr

Oro Valley

Do not go gentle into that good night ...

I do not concur with the argument expressed by many that the University of Arizona administration’s capitulation in response to bullying by the Trump administration can righteously be described as “staying above the fray.” Far from it. To me it is a craven example of “flying under the radar.”

I get it that resistance could conceivably result in the withholding of many millions of dollars of funding that would be a devastating blow to the University. But there is a larger issue at stake. The system of higher education in this country has traditionally been a shining beacon to the world, and with its free and open exchange of ideas it has been a bastion of protection for our democracy.

Submission to the demands of a bully is a self-defeating concept. I urge my alma mater … rage, rage against the dying of the light!

John Barringer

Midtown

Trump avoids responsibility again

The story of Donald Trump is peppered with misinformation, petty vengeance, xenophobia, and a reluctance to take responsibility for anything that he feels does not show him in positive light. He promised that he would bring inflation down (he has actually introduced tariffs that will raise costs), end the war in Ukraine (depending on which day it is, he either blames Putin or Zelensky for that failure), and end the conflict in the Middle East. So far he is zero for three. Whose fault is it? According to him, it is not his fault. If you think about this term and his previous term in office, he has never taken responsibility for anything. He deflects and blames others. Harry Truman famously had a plaque on his desk as POTUS that read: “The Buck Stops Here.” Donald Trump should have a new one made that says: “The Buck Stops Anywhere But Here.”

Conrad Paul

Oro Valley

Keeping Tucson a competitive destination

Tucson is the only city in Arizona that burdens travelers with a per-night hotel surcharge on top of other city, county, and state taxes. Now, city leaders want to raise the surcharge again — from $4 to $5 — without clear economic analysis or an understanding of the long-term consequences.

With rising costs, economic uncertainty, and growing regional competition, increasing this fee will make it more difficult to attract the conferences, events, and group travel that fuel Tucson’s tourism sector. City leaders suggest the increase is necessary to maintain affordable public transportation, but when added fees make Tucson too expensive, the point is moot.

Tourism supports over 23,000 jobs in Pima County and generates $3.5 billion in annual economic activity. It has long been a driver of growth across Arizona. This proposal puts that progress at risk. City leaders should hit pause, review the data, and avoid short-term fixes with long-term consequences.

Kim Grace Sabow

President & CEO, Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association

Downtown