Tucson Speaks Out: May 28

Saguaro show puzzling?

Need more data? How about focusing on heat and drought stress? This is Mother Nature’s way to prolong the species in dire times by increasing their seed count in the hope some will survive with a better future. Flowers of happiness? I think not.

Roger Ulrich

Northwest side

Steller and mayor’s trip to Doha

Come on Tim! You’re an honest skeptic with a talent for storytelling. Surely you have better bones to pick than attempting to cloud the intentions of a hardworking young mayor enjoying one of the few nice perks of the office. Travel to exotic places at the expense of another country’s taxpayers. We should all be grateful that Tucson’s finest protects her well by rationing travel plans and that her staff are not among newspaper sources. If your colleague had done thorough due diligence instead of concluding what might appear obvious the party paying for the flight would have become clear. Give our mayor a break. Even a hint of comparison to Trump is a stretch too far. She is good for our city.

David Rollins

North side

The Hegelian Dialectic

Have you ever been canceled before? Not a pleasant experience, is it? As a left-of-center liberal, I have to admit that I am in agreement with many on the libertarian Left and political Right on this particular subject of “canceling” people with whom you disagree. You shouldn’t do it — period. Disagreement is OK, snowflakes. Get over it.

If you’re the least bit curious intellectually speaking, then you should welcome new information and perspectives that differ from your own. No one says you have to accept these differing views as correct for you, but being open to new ideas and varying beliefs is necessary.

Like the Hegelian Dialectic (thesis + antithesis = synthesis), the clash of two opposing concepts often results in the creation of a third idea of superior quality. Don’t be like Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, my friends. Remember the 1980s and 1990s when conservatives were the cancellation kings?

Jake Pickering

West side

Where did it all come from?

We know that, as children, our current leaders were taught ethics, morality, truthfulness. What possibly happens to cause them the loss of all things right and just? I suspect when Lord Acton penned the famous quote, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” he must have had the foresight to see the Trump administration. Acton emphasized the need to limit governmental and institutional power to protect individual rights and liberty. We could use a little of that now. Someone, somewhere needs to stop this insanity.

Philip Reinecker

East side

Accurate news

The Sunday Star Week in Review has a picture of Trump and South Africa’s President. The paragraph below the picture explains the discussion between the two men. The photos discussed were not from South Africa but the Congo. The fake pictures were exposed several days ago and should have been included in the discussion to provide clarification of what was actually happening. The free press has an obligation to provide all the information on a subject as guaranteed by our Constitution.

Joseph R Sipp

Midtown

Constitution

Since V.P. J.D. Vance does not seem to know if the president must uphold the Constitution, I suggest he take a constitutional law course from Harvard since it seems Yale did not teach him that. For the president I suggest a high school remedial government course that will teach him about the Constitution and also help with his comprehension of English since he has sworn twice to uphold the Constitution but either did not understand the words or did not understand what the Constitution is.

Bette Bunker Richards, J.D.

Midtown

Voting regrets

Often LTEs bizarrely ask if Republicans regret voting for the Orange One while we never ask Democrats if you rue your ballot for the Word Salad Hand Gesturer.

Trump’s political conservatism is and will remain sovereign borders, fiscal restraint, safety nets rather than hammocks for our less fortunate citizens, peace through strength, and empowerment of state and local authorities eschewing top-down federal governance. We promote strong families with education beginning in the home and favor improving ourselves before trying to cure societal ills. What is there that I should regret?

Try it, you’ll like it.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Pay As You Go

The Pay As You Go Act (PAYGO) mandates that new federal legislation must not lead to an increase in projected deficits and necessitates automatic reductions if deficits surpass certain limits. These automatic reductions are triggered if the approved budget results in deficits exceeding $2.3 trillion over a decade. An examination of the Big Beautiful Bill reveals that it indeed meets this criterion. The Congressional Budget Office anticipates that the bill would initiate substantial cuts to Medicare amounting to nearly $500 billion, with $45 billion in reductions expected in 2026. A supermajority vote of 60 in the Senate would be required to counteract these cuts. Furthermore, Social Security is forecasted to deplete its funds by 2033. The GOP had the opportunity to strengthen Social Security but opted instead to dismantle it.

Jean Meconi

Oro Valley

Memorial Day concert

Just watched a meaningful and beautiful Memorial Day tribute on PBS, unblemished without a mention of the president. He could learn a lot about what it means to serve your country and celebrating 250 years of the Army, Navy, and Marines without showcasing himself. The program brought pride and tears as it reminded us of what patriotism, sacrifice, and honor is all about. The finale said it all “God Bless America!”

Valerie Golembiewski

Southeast side

A plea for local businesses

My wife had lunch recently at a restaurant on East Grant Road. Her server lamented at the decline in business due to the massive construction project in front of the restaurant.

It may not be as convenient as it once was, but your patronage matters. It can make all the difference! The national chains will survive regardless, but our local businesses need you more than ever.

Charles Bloomer

Northeast side

Defending disability rights

As we near Disability Pride Month, it’s critical to recognize that recent U.S. policy proposals threaten the rights of disabled Americans. The House’s proposed “One Big, Beautiful Bill” includes deep Medicaid cuts, jeopardizing home- and community-based services many rely on to live independently.

Equally alarming, the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 plan suggests turning Medicaid into block grants and eliminating the Department of Education. This would endanger enforcement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, putting students’ rights at risk.

Disability rights are not negotiable. They are human rights. These policy shifts could undo decades of progress. We must hold leaders accountable and demand inclusive, equitable systems that protect and empower disabled people in every community.

Courtney Deeren

Northwest side

Eye for an eye

The killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in D.C., while news coverage seems justified, pales next to the recent killing of Palestinians in Gaza. The Daily Star reported on May 21, the killing of 85 Palestinians and another 60 killed in Gaza (the Associated Press) on May 24, and the killing of nine Palestinian children of Dr. Alaq-al-Najjar on May 25. The killing of over 1,200 Jewish citizens in Oct. of 2023 and the taking of over 250 captives was tragic so was the killing of 62,000 Palestinians (Reuters) since the Oct. killing. One life is precious but it seems the press coverage of killing Palestinians is somehow one-sided. The U.N. has reported 9,000 children who have been treated for malnutrition this year. Gaza Health Ministry reported 3,785 killed since the ceasefire in March. An eye for an eye isn’t working fairly.

Clyde R. Steele

Oro Valley

Retribution is an endless cycle

This Memorial Day as we honor our brave troops, I wonder how many died because a political leader decided to seek revenge. Had the Allies not sought retribution against Germany for WWI would the German populace suffering the consequences have voted for Hitler? We are fortunate the Marshall Plan after WWII sought unity and restoration instead of retribution.

Think of all the endless conflicts in our world: Sudan; The Congo; Hindu vs. Muslim; white vs. black in South Africa; Israel vs Hamas; Arabs vs. Jews. In every conflict not only soldiers die. So many civilians with dead loved ones live on to want revenge, creating a cycle that never ends.

And now we have a President who daily spews retribution. The result won’t be just Democrats vs. Republicans. It will be the poor vs. the rich; the young vs. the old; humanitarians vs. Christian Nationalists; scientists vs. deniers; women vs. patriarchs; smart people vs. the uneducated. Do we really want these revenge cycles unleashed on our country? WWJD? 86 47?

Dee Maitland

Marana

Fairness or extortion?

A May 20 Opinion writer called for fairness in Tucson’s water rates, claiming that the current equal rates don’t reflect the longer distribution lines and higher pumping costs to serve outside-city customers.

Tucson Water recently calculated that it costs 5.9 percent more to serve outside-city customers than inside-city ones. So why is the City of Tucson proposing to raise outside-city water rates to 16 to 23 percent higher than inside-city?

It’s because Tucson wants outside-city customers to pay double the return on invested capital compared to inside-city customers, 8.8 percent vs. 4.4 percent, leading to the 23 percent water rate difference. How is that fair?

Tucson Water didn’t produce any study to support that difference in ROI. It’s a policy decision. The proposed 16 to 23 percent higher water rates outside the city isn’t fairness. It’s extortion.

Ernest Manuel

Foothills

Disappointing federal developments

We have digested daily news of our government restructuring under President Trump. I have serious concerns about the future of our democracy. Consider:

The House budget bill will increase our federal deficit over 3 trillion dollars in ten years, with an annual debt service of almost 1 trillion dollars. One of the primary drivers in the increasing deficit will be the tax cuts. This by the party of fiscal responsibility.

The Republicans are undermining our “rule of law”, a key Constitutional value. Court orders are ignored and government scrutiny is forced on institutions and individuals whose only “crime” is to disagree with the President. Vulnerable people are punished without due process rights to defend themselves. The Republicans used to call themselves “Constitutionalists”. Not.

Budget cuts to critical services are done thoughtlessly by a strange dude with a chainsaw.

This is not the America I was raised to be proud of.

Jim Greene

Marana

Pima Early Education Program Scholarships

As a mother in Pima County, I’m urging our community leaders to continue funding the Pima Early Education Program (PEEP) Scholarship. My daughter was fortunate to receive this scholarship, giving her access to quality preschool that we otherwise couldn’t afford.

This program has made a real difference in our lives. My daughter has grown socially, emotionally, and academically. It gave her a strong foundation for kindergarten and allowed me to work and support our family, knowing she was in a safe, nurturing learning environment.

Ending this scholarship would be a step backward for working families like mine. Early education is not a luxury, it’s an investment in our children’s future and our community’s success.

Please protect and expand this vital program. Our children deserve the best possible start.

Sincerely,

Lacey Ward

Parent at La Paloma Academy Lakeside

Lacey W

East side

Where’s the coverage?

Yesterday, Sunday, there was one of the biggest sporting events of the year and I couldn’t find any coverage of it. The Indy 500 was attended by over 300,000 people and you did not even mention it in your paper. I realize you have a deadline but the race was over in the middle of the afternoon. This seems early enough for a morning newspaper to cover it. The paper had a page and a half of baseball coverage and this is everyday baseball, not any special time of the season. Also you do not have a list of how to contact you for letters and opinions on your editorial page. It appears to me that the newspaper is trying to keep people from easily reaching you.

Harry Whitney

Catalina