Tucson Speaks Out: May 30

We all know about trump’s slush fund to give almost 2 billion of our tax dollars to Jan 6th criminals and other trump cronies.

But there is a much bigger trump slush fund. Remember the ceasefire in Gaza and the “Board of Peace”?

Member nations pledged over 7 billion and trump promised 10 billion of our tax dollars. He gave 1.5 billion of our hard earned tax dollars to the fund. But where is the money? The Financial Times has revealed no money has gone to the World Bank fund as promised. If it exists, it has gone to a private JP Morgan account. An account without transparency requirements.

No rebuilding of Gaza has happened, the ceasefire is a sham and the UN had called the humanitarian situation “critical.” The money that might exist to help Gaza is in a private bank account (another trump slush fund?) with no accountability. Yet, another illegal action by our 47th president!

Shirley Pevarnik

West side

Cage fight?

UFC Cage on the White House grounds. Every time we think trump could not be any more outrageous he says "hold my beer" and goes even lower. "Elect a clown expect a circus" just took a turn for the worse. Is this making America Great again? Sounds more like Ancient Rome run by Nero ... and we all know how that turned out.

Eric Watt

West side

The people's party vs. MAGA

The Iran War will "macro" cost the US 1 trillion dollars before it’s over. A 1,000 billion dollars. Trump requests $1.5 trillion for "Defense." Taxpayers’ dollars thrown at pure fabrication, the second Republican President to kill our soldiers for lies. We have a 38 trillion dollar debt, a record. Top this with 1.8 billion in gifts to felons, “charming” monuments to this White House nutcase. Fiscal conservatism? Ha! Are you proud of this country?

Trump unilaterally dismissed the 2015 UN Security Council’s (including Russia and China) agreement on Iran’s Uranium, including successful periodic inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Now the world’s hurting. Think we’re respected? Thanks a lot MAGA Congress and President.

What happened to people? MAGA cuts social programs, health care. Infrastructure, education, sciences protecting us. Then cuts taxes to millionaires and corporations. Zero Dems voted for that. You want a People’s Party (Dems) or MAGA and the most corrupt President in US history in power come 2027?

Nancy Jacques

Northeast side

A billion gallons of water

If you are among those who think AI data centers are a great idea, you may want to consider this.

One data center uses over a billion gallons of water per year for cooling their facility 24-7. A billion gallons not going to our households, businesses and schools; a billion gallons not going to raise our crops and farm animals, a billion gallons evaporating into thin air to keep one business operating. Data centers may be appropriate elsewhere, but they are highly inappropriate in our drought-plagued desert state. They are simply too costly.

Data centers emit greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate change and creating localized “heat islands” that can raise land temperatures by16 degrees. Their backup generators emit harmful pollutants and particulate matter impacting our air quality. Their rapid turnover of servers and IT equipment contributes to significant e-Waste.

No amount of temporary job creation can offset these devastating effects. We can live without data centers. We cannot live without food, water and clean air.

Dr. JB Marshall

Oro Valley

Arizona voters deserve the full picture

Andy Biggs recently cited Arizona’s drop in job-growth rankings as proof that Gov. Katie Hobbs is to blame.

Convenient.

The ranking may be accurate. The spin is not.

Arizona’s economy did slow. As University of Arizona economist George Hammond said in a June, 2025 KJZZ interview, Arizona “lost some momentum,” driven by housing affordability, high interest rates, and policy uncertainty, a more credible explanation than a campaign sound bite.

Federal decisions on trade, immigration, infrastructure, and fiscal policy directly affect Arizona businesses. When Congress lurches from standoff to standoff and uncertainty becomes the norm, employers notice.

Politicians love rankings, especially when they can cherry-pick one and pin it on someone else, instead of taking some responsibility themselves.

Arizona voters deserve the full picture.

Our economy is shaped by state policy, national policy, and market forces. Honest leadership means acknowledging all of it, including Congress’s own role, not just blaming the governor when it makes for a useful campaign talking point.

Frank Hagel

SaddleBrooke

Texas toast

Not sure what Ken Paxton is implying with the comment that his opponent, James Talerico said “God is non-binary,” or that the Democratic nominee for US Senator for Texas is a transgender vegan.

I assume Paxton believes that the Creator is a white male bisexual. Seems Talerico isn’t qualified for the office because he believes in a God that is divine and not male or female.

Talerico is obviously not transgender and says he’s been eating barbecue since before Paxton was ever indicted. And although he says he’s not, if he was vegan, so what?

Clearly Talerico’s anti-God, other loving, low T-levels disqualify him.

Some people say that Ken Paxton has been known to eat meat AND vegetables. Does he realize those steaks come from steers. Coming from Texas he knows what a steer is.

Question is, what’s he?

Answer: Corrupt. Allegedly.

A. Lawrence Glynn

East side