U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach holds the last penny stamped at the US Mint on Nov. 12 in Philadelphia. Beach pressed the final pennies at an event held at the facility.
Got a penny?
Only one tenth of one penny is what you have been paying for the last nine years to support the Reid Park Zoo. Now there is a new exhibit opening where the zoo will take part in a breeding program for extremely endangered tigers and exhibiting such fascinating animals as a Komodo Dragon and red pandas and more. If you vote yes for Proposition 422 the Reid Park Zoo will be upgrading the older part of the zoo and will work to bring in a pigmy hippo, too. So, if you want to save endangered animals, see animals here in Tucson that you will never be able to see in the wild and got a penny, vote yes for Proposition 422 for the zoo. Only one tenth of one penny will do it. Prop. 422 for the zoo.
Bette Bunker Richards
Midtown
Get a different circle of friends!
People are also reading…
An Oct. 15 letter to the editor asserted that most in Tucson believe what President Trump “spews.” I know, conservatively, around 40 people, well enough to know their political views and none of them, not a single one, supports Trump in any way. These folks are good friends, acquaintances, fellow No Kings protesters, people I volunteer with and groups I hang out with — art groups, book clubs, and the like. My husband is also a retired USMC officer, class of '73, USNA. He and everyone he is still in touch with from his military days are appalled at what Trump and company are doing to our military and our country. So, I gently suggest that the letter writer find other like-minded people who share his values and his dismay at what is happening in our beloved America and join in with the No Kings in America movement! Semper Fi!
Anne Lane
Northeast side
Human stupidity
In 1976, Carlo Cipolla authored an essay, “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity,” outlining five basic laws describing how stupidity operates as a powerful and underestimated social force. These laws assert that stupidity is widespread, independent of other traits, harmful without personal gain, consistently underestimated, and more dangerous than malicious intent.
If we developed a chart today, you would find most of the Trump administration leadership in either the “bandit” or “stupid” quadrant basic law. Trump himself should be on the stupid side. But greed places him in the “bandit” quadrant next to “stupid.” Cipolla warned of the danger when stupid people gain power. Cipolla also said it is the job of the intelligent to keep the stupid in check. If they fail to do so, societies head downhill fast. This book makes it easy to classify the “bandits” of the current administration who are simply in it for themselves and think they are doing some good.
Thomas Wilson
Northwest side
SCOTUS wrestles with VHS-era video privacy law
An article from the Oct. 17 edition of the Arizona Daily Star contains the following paragraph:
"Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, along with other members of the panel, weighed how to handle the text of a decades-old statute when technology has massively changed in the interim.”
If only a majority of our highest court could apply this same logic to our Second Amendment!
David Landon
Foothills
Vote your values
Who you vote for is private; only you know. Who you vote for reflects your values. Are you petty and vengeful? Are you cruel, delighting in humiliating others? Do you condone stealing, cheating, lying? Does our country now stand alone, isolated from others? Are you curious, genuinely interested in others? Can you listen respectfully to ideas that don't align with your thinking? Should we join others to work together? What do you teach your children? Our politicians represent our values. What we spend money on, reflects our priorities. Those who echo President Trump, share his values, applaud his actions, will not oppose him no matter how degrading and self-enriching his policies. Officials who are capable of fashioning creative solutions to the challenges we all face, honor the best of American-style democracy.
Rita Pollak
Oro Valley
Putin's puppet
Ten years ago, during a presidential debate Hillary Clinton responded to a comment by Trump that Putin had no respect for her. “Well, that’s because he’d rather have a puppet as president of the United States.” Her prediction has come true and with shocking consequence. Trump’s decision to embrace Putin is an example of his moral depravity.
That is just one of the shameless actions of the current administration.
I would be remiss if I did not include Trump’s obsession with revenge on his perceived enemies and the corruption that is enriching him, his family and circle of friends.
America will recover from Trump, the question is how long will it take.
Jerry Fay
SaddleBrooke
UA-ASU trophy
Where is the "Coaches Saguaro" trophy?
The winning coach of the football game is supposed to keep the trophy as long as they keep winning.
The "Territorial Cup" has been watered down to all UA/ASU competition.
Bring back the Saguaro trophy.
Keep the game special.
John Hughes
Peoria
'Election fraud'
Stephen Richer, former Maricopa County Recorder, deserves a medal for courage in defending his staff against attacks by fellow Republicans after the 2020 election. And his excellent editorial (Star, October 19) documents the fact that “widespread election fraud” did not and does not exist. He notes that the Departments of Justice, FBI and DHS spent thousands of hours (and millions in taxpayer money) trying to prove it did. Results: 41 people charged out of 156 million voters. He wisely and gently suggests that the resources thus squandered might be better spent combating real crimes. But the flaw in this logical suggestion is that “election fraud” is a lynchpin for Trump’s plan to destroy faith in our elections. Truth is irrelevant. Trump has had 10 years to perfect his plans to disrupt the elections. To our MAGA brethren: it is not too late. You can un-drink the Kool-Aid. Do not let him destroy the democracy it has taken us 250 years to build.
Abraham R. Byrd III
North side
Complicity
Why are those in power trying so hard to hold on to it? Why are they wanting to suppress the people’s vote? Why do they plan to post federal agents at our polling places and why trot out the tired refrain that non-citizens are voting illegally? All this to make us doubt the results of our power.
Besides wanting to retain power and all the perks they have built around their positions, they know they are complicit. They stood by and allowed the destruction of our economy and the looting of our environment. As our country’s standing in the world has been diminished, millions have died because of their complicity. And maybe in the back of their minds they’re a little afraid there may be consequences and that justice may prevail.
Karen Allison
Three Points
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