Tucson Speaks Out: May 13

This Mother’s Day I am reflecting on the U.S.’s rising rates of maternal mortality. As a mom and a professor of anthropology, I find it chilling that this rise is being ignored. While the Trump Administration is brainstorming ways to incentivize people to have more children, the Republican Congress is proposing cuts to Medicaid — one of the largest sources of support for maternal and infant healthcare. Neither of these approaches address the situation mothers in this country face.

Arizona is no exception. While the problem is recognized in our state, maternal mortality rates remain high — especially among Indigenous and Black women, showing how the state has failed these communities. Of note is the lack of support for mothers after giving birth, when the duties of caring for an infant often fall on individuals who lack physical, emotional and economic support.

Brunch is great. Flowers are wonderful. But investments in the people and institutions involved in giving and supporting birth would make Mother’s Day more meaningful.

Janelle Lamoreaux

Midtown

Upholding the Constitution

l just had a LOL moment reading Dan R’s LTE. He calls a simple, easily answered question to the prez, and the prez whose only answer should have been yes, answered, “I don’t know.” How can you not know what you swore an oath to, exactly, Dan? Call it bias if that’s what you need to do to make yourself feel better, but the job of the president and what he swore to was to uphold the constitution. It’s not an, “I don’t know,” kind of answer. It’s 100% yes all the time, if you’re upholding your oath of office. You can try to read in bias if that’s how you want to make it look Dan. But you’d be wrong. The liar-in-chief has sworn an oath. An oath with a few words he clearly doesn’t understand nor consider a necessity of his job. That’s real bias.

John Bingham

Northwest side

Something we might agree on

Most everyone wants to know the cost of tariffs. Businesses need to know them and so do the consumers. A business cannot do business without knowing them, and consumers of course. No matter what your politics it’s important to know the costs. Let us demand our politicians to give us that, now.

Dan Bannon

Midtown

Academics are benched

Arizona political leaders rushed to rescue athletics at our public universities while keeping academics on the bench.

They approved a revenue-sharing package for athletes that puts state universities “at the forefront of college athletics,” a grateful University of Arizona athletic director said. Perhaps her gratitude is tied to protecting her and coaches’ bloated salaries via improved chances for success.

We need leaders rushing to put our universities at the forefront of academics. Legislators have taken Arizona universities to the bottom — 46th in state funding — just as they have K-12 schools.

When the Arizona Board of Regents seeks increased higher-education funding to reverse a longtime trend, legislators refuse, although the Arizona Constitution says a public university education should be “as nearly free as possible.”

Don’t we wish they were as motivated to help student nonathletes as athletes? At UA, nonathletes are 99.1% of the 56,544 students enrolled for the 2024-25 school year.

Michael A. Chihak

West side

Arizona Cardinals coverage

I am very disappointed the Star has so little NFL and specifically, Arizona Cardinals coverage. Starting with the annual draft, player reporting, rookie & minicamps, as well as rookie development stories. Once into the late summer when football camp starts and through the season there should be several stories featuring the Cardinals every day. They are the only NFL team in Arizona and are located just north of us. Sadly, I get more Cardinals news in my online subscription to the Denver Post. Thank you.

Cliff Wagner

Foothills

Flowers to graveyards to weeds

Out of the “grey,” I found myself humming the tune for no reason. I can’t get the lyrics, the tune, or the tone out of head. Flowers to graveyards, and then to what? Weeds perhaps! Or flowers again? Flowers need water. Weeds do not — they are drought resistant!

Where have all the flowers gone, long-time passing? Gone to graveyards every one.

Where have all the leaders gone, long-time passing? Gone to graveyards every one. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Where have all the democracies gone, long-time passing? Gone to graveyards every one. When we ever learn? When will we ever learn?

Where have all the autocrats gone, long-time passing? Up from graveyards every one. Why did we never learn? Why did we never learn?

Gerald Farrington

SaddleBrooke

Lowering the speed limit on arteries

So the City of Tucson would like to lower the speed limit to 30 mph along sections of Fort Lowell and First Avenue, two main arteries. This should be a great way to increase the city’s revenue, as most drivers will continue to go the current speed limit or faster. From what I read, the rationale is the decrease the number of accidents along these two routes. I’ve seen some accidents, especially along First Avenue; however, they have occurred at intersections, not along the straightaways. The causes of the accidents that I have witnessed involved running a red light.

30 miles an hour is an appropriate speed for a residential area — not for a major street.

Patricia Dow

Midtown

No tax?

A recent LTE made mention of the proposed no tax on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits. It’s hard to tell if he was just being snarky (he appears to like seeming clever), but I urge people to read up on the serious downsides to any of the aforementioned proposals. These ideas are touted by people who, as another writer aptly stated, can’t think past the end of the day. It’s good to be informed, so as not to be misled by Trumpian shiny objects.

S. Ross Emmanuel

Southeast side

Where are the important protests?

With all the protests going on at many college campuses about Gaza, why are there few campus protests about the direction the president is taking our country? He is leading us into an autocratic state, totally contrary to the 250-year history of our country. Where are these protests? Why is there a serious lack of protests against the direction our country is being led? Why are the college students not objecting to the defunding of medical and scientific research, dismantling of USAID, removing generals of our military, reducing access to health care insurance for the poor, defunding of university research and NOAA, and so many government agencies? Do the imposition of tariffs make any sense? His main goal is disruption of everything he can think of. There should be an uproar and protests in the population and in the past it started with protests on college campuses. Where are they?

Joel Alpert

Foothills

Rule of law, suspension of Habeas Corpus

Congressman Ciscomani:

The time may be coming. The POTUS is exploring suspending the writ of habeas corpus.

You will be asked to take a position. As a longtime resident of Arizona, this constituent believes in the rule of law, the 5th and 14th Amendments’ clear language on due process, and the right to be in charge of your own person. The circumstances do not exist that give the government the right to simply seize me. Suspending habeas corpus is an abuse of power and a clear step toward dictatorship.

Prepare your statement. Oppose suspending the writ. Donald Trump or the Constitution and your oath. You choose.

J. Scott Feierabend

Northeast side

St. Joseph’s Hospital

I am quite disappointed with Carondelet. While I understand there might be reasons to ask immigration status, to call ICE on a patient is problematic. I was a 30-year associate at Carondelet, dating back to when nuns ran the hospitals. We had a mission to care for everybody, and we did. I’m sure the original nuns would be appalled at calling ICE on a patient. This skirts a HIPPA violation but mostly violates the concept of a hospital as a sanctuary, especially with the possibility of being sent to the notorious prison in El Salvador. I am ashamed of the institution that I gave 30 years to.

Frederick Babbie

Midtown

The corruption is real

The Trump regime a few weeks ago accepted a $2 billion gift from the UAE. No one much blinked an eye. Today we hear the regime in Qatar is ‘gifting’ Trump and company a plane to use as Air Force One. This is not a joke. Just last week we made a ‘trade’ arrangement with the UK that helped UK and hurt Michigan autoworkers. All for an arrangement for a golf course under, you guessed it the Trump name. There is no “We the People” in any of these decisions. There is only the art of the con. Bribery at its finest. And this is just the first five months. More to come. The favors are being bought and idiots keep supporting corruption. Ciscomani is nowhere to be found. The GOP is silent and you can hear crickets. They are corrupt as well. They want a piece of the pie. Trump has bought Ciscomani saying publicly he will support his reelection financially. They should both be under investigation.

Christine Sipp

Midtown

Political ads

Open letter to Karen Taylor Robson:

Your way-to-early political ads on TV are irritating, annoying and grating. Don’t care who may run against in the primary election that is 15 months away but you have already lost the votes in our household.

Maybe, someday some state legislator with guts will propose a rule to limit political ads on TV to 60 days prior to an election.

William Long

Foothills

Red Light/Green Light

The U.S. and Iran are talking atoms once again.

Oil-rich Iran insists on its right to peaceful use of nuclear energy including enrichment, adamant that they can endure decades of economic sanctions (excepting the Obama/Biden twelve years) to realize that dream.

Oil-rich America disdains peaceful nuclear energy and has also been willing to tolerate decades of economic hardship to promote expensive wind, and solar (omitting the Trump four years) to achieve its aspiration.

This negotiation is not confusing and complex when we understand that it has nothing to do with climate. Iran wants the green light to develop nuclear weapons and their delivery systems to annihilate both Israel and the U.S. and Trump says red light.

You can thank me later.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Trump’s white America

It’s official. By his own admission President “Dunno” J. Trump is unqualified. Hiding behind his “I’m not a lawyer” defense he’ll have us believe only constitutional scholars can correctly parse the intent of his inaugural pledge to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Or maybe he just had his fingers crossed.

More to the point, Trump insists that the daunting numbers of killers, rapists and pet-eating terrorists overwhelming America through foreign invasion demand a more concise means of remediation than capitulating to the right of due process promised by the constitution — especially since they’ll be ousted anyway.

Furthermore, what is needed most is counterbalance to this deluge of human pollution, best achieved by facilitating immigration from “nice countries” like South Africa where white, privileged elitists fleeing the post-apartheid persecution of their erstwhile dominion deserve to jump the line.

How far will Trump’s contempt for the Constitution advance before this blaring wake-up call for American democracy is finally heard?

Robert Gavlak

Midtown

Rio Nuevo mistake

In today’s paper, there is an article regarding Rio Nuevo and Peach Properties ending the leases to Borderlands and Playformance in favor of providing that space to a new downtown comedy club. Tim Steller’s column focuses on the same but only briefly mentions Playformance.

Rebecca Safford, co-owner of Tap & Bottle (near Playformance), is referenced in Mr. Steller’s column and I think she has it just right. We should want some businesses besides restaurants which bring children and families downtown, during daytime hours and weekends particularly. Playformance is locally owned and successful, but more importantly, a place thoughtfully developed to help many children develop and thrive physically and socially. Rather than having their operations disrupted, they should be allowed to stay where they are.

I’ve lived in Tucson for 50 years and have seen Rio Nuevo do good things for downtown Tucson. This time they just made a mistake, plain and simple.

Nancy Rochman

Midtown

The Emoluments Clause

The founding fathers feared presidents accepting gifts from foreign governments would be accepting bribes. That’s why the Emoluments Clause is in the Constitution.

Trump wants a new plane now, and Qatar just happens to want to gift Trump a 747 referred to as the “flying palace.”

Pam Bondi thinks they can make the gift “legally permissible” with a pretty blatant workaround. Emoluments Clause be damned.

Taxpayers will pay for the not-insignificant retrofit of communication and security equipment. It would revert back to his library for his continued use after he leaves office. Thus, it’s his gift.

Does anyone think the Qatar royal family gives away “flying palaces” because they are just nice folks? Does anyone think putting lipstick on this pig does not make it a bribe? Does anyone think bending the constitution at will doesn’t break it? Where are the DOGE boys when you need them?

B.D. Murphy

North side

Christmas dolls

Once again, our dealmaker-in-chief has demonstrated that he has no idea how international trade relations work. To expand on his three dolls instead of thirty analogy, the purpose of tariffs is to encourage domestic production and create jobs. But there are almost no U.S. doll makers since it is easier and cheaper to import. And no company is going to build a new doll manufacturing facility from scratch. As a result, the doll store owners will sell only 10% of their normal volume. The prices will be higher and the owner may even decide to absorb part of the tariff cost which not only lowers the volume but reduces the profit margin. Extrapolate this process to the entire imported inventory and soon another business failure is imminent. No new jobs created and one less small business in existence. Targeted tariffs make sense in some cases but the blanket tariffs (taxes on all imported goods) are short-sighted and contrary to any common-sense economic theory.

Don Davis

Northeast side