A chicken in every pot
As Elon Musk stands on the cusp of one of humanity’s most ignominious achievements by becoming the first-ever trillionaire, he has taken time away from his Buck Rogers fixation of living on Mars to focus on a long-neglected deficiency in American life.
Musk wants every American home to have a robot to help out around the house with folding laundry and such. (Of course, this goal will become considerably more attainable as fewer people actually have homes.)
Only the most obscenely wealthy man on the planet could fail to grasp the cruel irony in this wish to usher in a fantasy age of gratuitous leisure while so many Americans struggle to find affordable housing, food and healthcare.
With the brave new world of AI and robotics upon us, in which an escalating technological encroachment on livelihoods is inevitable, what remains unresolved is just how we are to get from the attendant downward socioeconomic trajectory it entails to this bizarre “Jetsons” utopia dreamt of in Musk’s philosophy.
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Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Winners and losers
Only the Democrats could win a war on Election Tuesday and then surrender 5 days later. Amazing.
Ken Koren
Oro Valley
‘Illegal alien’ is offensive term
I can always spot a few regular LTE authors immediately as they often use the phrase “illegal alien.” Human beings are not “illegal” and immigrants, documented or not, are not creatures from outer space. I understand that this terminology is found on US government websites but that does not make it appropriate or respectful.
Sarah Kennedy
Northwest side
Visitor to the White House
So we all learned that our demented leader welcomed a former Al Qaeda leader and designated strategist to the White House. It’s a shame the $300 million ballroom isn’t completed so he could be encouraged to mingle with all the billionaires. If that isn’t enough he enjoys this visitor during Veterans Day. A day which many of us use to remember with fondness all those many who gave so much so that we can enjoy the freedom we do. But I guess it’s no surprise as Trump has always been a hater of the military and has made it his purpose to denigrate them in any way possible. You Trump lovers should look objectively at this situation and see if you can honestly say he is a great man, or that he is even human.
Philip Reinecker
East side
First, do no harm
Re: the letter “Dr. Trump”: Jeffrey compares the liar-in-chief to a very competent physician, with his surgically precise removal of illegal people from our country — people like Tucson physical therapist Vone Phrommany who was removed from his family and career and home in Marana. I guess Mr. McConnell thinks this is a good thing. He conveys that immigration has become a malignancy on our country, thanks to Biden. A few years back, “Dr. Trump” suggested we all might ingest cleaning agents to combat the Covid-19 virus. I think his credentials are more than shaky; Dr. Trump’s a quack. The truth of the matter is, the real malignancy is Donald Trump. His unchecked power and nefarious, cruel and self-serving acts have caused irreparable harm to our country and many of its people. Only We the People can excise this horrendous disease — if indeed our democracy can survive and a free and fair election can take place.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
I love you
These three words need to be said often.
To my loving wife, my seven children and many grandchildren,
I am fortunate to say I love you.
To my country, the envy of all, to its Constitution, its Declaration of Independence,
its freedoms, I am proud to say I love you.
To the city of Tucson, the state of Arizona, where I have worked
and lived, I am honored to say I love you.
To my fellow veterans, my Navy colleges, my great neighbors
and those I played sports with, I am proud to say I love you.
To my enemies and those I disagree with, I humbly say, I love you.
To my loving God, whom I am free to worship, I am blessed to say
I love you.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Data centers and TEP
“To address this common misconception, TEP CEO Susan Gray explained how the project would pay its own way and provide benefits for our other customers.” Our TEP problem is arbitrary rate hikes, maybe they can power the data processing centers, but TEP power is not the most concerning. Air and water are the problem spots. (TEP is of course self promoting, profit making corporation.) Air cooling? Heats up our already hot air. Water cooling? Drains our limited water supply. And the workers will pollute by driving to work. Sure TEP can bring in the energy, so what? This is a bunch of hot air coming from supporters who would make money. The project is not right for the Old Pueblo. The data says let data centers go to Idaho or Wisconsin, or Timbuktu. Texas? TEP’s parent company, Fortis, reported $1.6 billion in net earnings last year!
Peter Bisschop
East side
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act/ACA/Obamacare was signed into law on 23 March 2010. In the over 15 years it’s been in effect Republicans have been throwing rocks at it almost continuously. When Republicans controlled the House of Representatives they voted almost 50 times to repeal ACA knowing the Democrat-controlled Senate would never take up the bill. And, if by some twist of fate, it did happen to pass both houses of Congress did they really think President Obama would sign it into law?
The Republican position is once ACA is repealed they will work out a plan offering better and cheaper health care for Americans. What’s stopping them from putting that plan together, presenting it, then repealing ACA so there is no break in health care? The best they have is Trump’s “concept of a plan.”
Present a viable plan, then we can talk about repealing the ACA.
Larry Hammond
Southwest side
Socialism/Communism?
Thanks to Jack Walters’ 11/9/25 LTE for resurrecting great memories of the Wayback Machine and Mr. Peabody’s improbable history from the Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. Beyond his inability to understand the difference between Communism & Socialism (not synonymous) and a Democratic socialist & socialist candidate (not the same); it was his fractured fairy tale historical claims that triggered guffaws. Only in an absurd satire of history could someone attribute the dissolution of the USSR to one man: Ronald Reagan. Even loonier is elevating Sen. Joe McCarthy to hero status for sham 1950s hearings to uncover imaginary Communists in government and the film industry; one of the most disgraceful and corrupt episodes in this country’s real history.
Gary Susko
Midtown
Human toll of Yuma’s vegetable empire
The article on vegetables and pesticides in The Star (11-11) should be a wake-up call for everyone to not only treat our agriculture workers with more care and precautions, but also to treat our planet with equal care. The science regarding what these pesticides do is 60 years old, but they are still being used. My father worked in aviation safety for the FAA starting in the 40s, and he knew of a crop duster pilot in California who died from pesticide exposure. The pilot had to walk through a field he had been spraying because his engine lost power and he had to make a forced landing in the middle of the field. He didn’t shower or change his clothes afterwards, which turned out to be a fatal mistake. I’m glad to know of a nonprofit that is working towards non-chemical alternatives. Meanwhile, we can support organic farming whenever we shop for our produce.
Aston Bloom
East side
Mark Kelly
I just do not understand why Mark Kelly kept siding with Schumer to keep the government closed at the expense of all the federal employees that are not getting paid. Some of his moderate colleagues agree the government shutdown was a failure and did not accomplish anything other than harm federal workers and snap beneficiaries. I wonder if Mr Kelly continued to take his paycheck during the shutdown he endorsed.
Jeff Niemi
West side
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