Tucson Speaks Out: April 13

A Ciscomani sighting

April is the peak of Neotropical songbird migration from south to north. There was a rare sighting of the red-breasted Ciscomani trumpbird in Marana. For years his constituents have gathered in all kinds of weather at his office on Swan Road in Tucson without seeing him. He hosted the stoned brainworm secretary-bird Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a political event to disguise the Trump administration's cost-cutting attacks on American healthcare and rural hospitals, and his war on vaccinating children. Although migrating males are typically highly vocal in hopes of attracting females, the Ciscomani avoided questions about his representation of Arizona District 6, the Epstein files, his Big Beautiful Bill, or the Iran war. Maybe he will be spotted in the district before the November election on the fall return migration?

Tom Van Devender

North side

Goodbye and thank you

My wife Bonnie and I are relocating to be closer to family. We both moved to Tucson from Illinois in 1977 and settled here for 50ish years. Here we got our Masters degrees, raised and launched our two boys, buried my parents, worked hard and then settled into nice semi-retirement.

Before we leave we thank the Tucson community for supporting us and our family so graciously.

We thank the political servant-leadership of Tucson and Pima County.

Thanks to the health and education institutions that employed us and educated our kids. Particular thanks goes to the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, University High School, Mansfeld Middle School, Doolen Gate, Miles ELC and Robins Elementary.

Bonnie thanks her supportive and extensive yoga community. Norm acknowledges specifically the municipal golf community, with special thanks to the City for keeping the golf courses open during COVID.

We will miss neighbors, dear friends and fellow congregants. We love Tucson and will always hold it dear in our hearts. Bear Down!

Norman Golden

West side

Symptoms of TDS

In her letter dated 4/10, Ms. Hancock once again brings up TDS and accuses those who want to destroy America of having such symptoms. But, there is an alternative definition and that can easily applied to the maga faithful.

TDS....Trump Derangement Syndrome is a mental condition in which a person has been driven effectively insane due to their loyalty to Donald Trump, to the point at which they will abandon all logic and reason. Symptoms for this condition can be very diverse, ranging from denial of facts, defending pedophiles, being scared of minorities, hating millennials, to calling everything “fake news”.

As to your making false claims and name calling question, all you have to do is listen to trump and he will fulfill all those requirements.

The ideal maga is someone for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exists.

Robert Diedrich

Northeast side

Ciscomani should explain

Ciscomani needs to tell us why his proposed bill (H.R. 8041) to provide an additional 20 days of unpaid leave to VA employees is necessary. Here are current VA employee leave benefits:

• 13-26 days paid annual leave days depending on tenure

• 13 days paid sick leave (which can carry over annually)

• 11 days paid Federal Holidays

• 60 days (12 weeks) paid Parental Leave

• 60 days (12 weeks) unpaid/or unpaid Family and Medical Leave

• 10 days (104 hours) “specialized” leave for military or disabled veterans

Correct my math if I'm wrong, but currently, that’s 167 days of paid and unpaid leave. Tack on another 20 days and that is 187 days of leave or 1,496 hours. There are typically 2080 work hours per year. 71% paid and unpaid leave? Who will provide service under the VA?

Julie Smith

Foothills

Social Security

The Treasury secretary stated recently that Social Security is not sustainable financially. Maybe if our leader had not taken us into a war without prior approval; Congress could have taken the billions poured into this conflict and we would have the funding.

Eugene Corral

North side

Wolves need protection

I am an experienced conservation biologist. Rep. Lupe Diaz is wrong about the Mexican Grey wolf. We need to take responsibility for protecting our endangered species. I am proud of the efforts to increase genetic diversity with the excellent cross fostering program. I am ashamed that some of our legislators are so ignorant as to act according to old fairy tales and nonsense about needing fences to protect children from wolves. The Mexican wolf program has been carefully designed over many years to protect the wolf and all affected parties. Federal and state agencies should be congratulated on the science and the hard work they do. Rep. Diaz should find other ways to flex political muscle and should educate himself before proposing legislation.

Margaret Fusari

West side

MAGA and the future

Every morning I get a cup of coffee and check the latest news. I address this to those who do the same.

If you have a similar routine, you might even groan at the increasing number of bizarre and troubling news items emanating from the executive branch of our national government. If continued there is a possibility the acronym MAGA (presently Make America Great Again) will evolve to become a joke.

Michael Burdoo

West side

Water alternatives

Let’s exhaust searches for water in the state before looking at water from the Pacific and Gulf of California.

I have not heard any reports about Arizona looking for additional water resources in the state. A new SRP-CAP Interconnection Facility is being designed to allow the bi-directional transfer of water between SRP and CAP. The completion of this facility is planned to be between 2028 and 2030. This facility will improve the security of water deliveries to Phoenix and southern Az by allowing SRP water to flow into the CAP canal. This is a good first step.

What I don’t understand is why we are not investigating additional water sources in the state. SRP dams on the Verde and Salt Rivers can be refurbished to increase reservoir storage capacity. I am sure there are other aquifers that can be investigated and developed to provide additional water to the state.

Cal Rooker

Oro Valley

The oldest profession?

In 1966, my aunt, a supplier to retail boat businesses, became distraught when life preserver vests increased from $15 to $25. The reason wasn't increased costs to the manufacturer; it was the increase in contract sales to the US military for the (backroom? kickback?) price of $25. If Uncle Sam wasn't uncomfortable with being fleeced, everyone else should comply.

As a naive teen, I was shocked; as a grizzled senior, I know it's business as usual. Profiteering from wars is as old as wars themselves. What happened to my relative was just a microcosm of manifold events during the Vietnam War and all of the world's other conflicts.

No significant US oil transits the Strait of Hormuz yet look what has happened to gasoline prices. But don't buy an electric car! It's hard to find something else that is as volatile as the worrisome price of gasoline about which to fret.

Rick Cohn

West side

Return of Integrity

Could Friday's safe return of the Artemis II space capsule Integrity (I wonder why they chose that name) be a precursor to the return of integrity to our politics and leadership and relationships? NASA exemplifies what our nation is capable of when we all come together for a common purpose: It took diversity, it took inclusivity, and it took equity. It took demanding and defending the precepts written down in our Constitution; even more simply, just respecting the basic humanity and goodness in the people and many cultures found around this "little blue marble" situated on our minute speck within this vast unfathomable universe. Four heroic astronauts - Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen - have demonstrated the key to our continued success as a democratic republic. It is up to you and me to follow their lead and create momentum that demands truth and honor and yes, integrity.

Phil "Bulldog" Bentley

Foothills

Artemis II splashdown

What a thrill it was to watch four American astronauts, superstars of space exploration, splash down after their mission. I was cheering at home with as much enthusiasm as the crowd watching this historical event in person.

It was hard to wrap my head around the enormity of it all: unimaginable technical prowess, sophisticated computer systems and much more. Additionally, the intelligence, hard work and courage of the astronauts was inspirational.

Finally, let's not forget the $4+ billion price tag to make it all happen.

I doubt that Americans will ever agree on whether the money was well spent or should have been allocated for needs on our own planet.

However, I think we earthlings can find common ground on one point. If folks used their good brains to apply themselves and "reach for the stars" in whatever field ignites their passion, instead of using AI to cheat in school and make a fast buck fleecing people out of their money, what a wonderful world (and cosmos!) this could be.

Barbara Russek

North side

Lessons learned

Trump and Bibi's War on Iran has certainly taught the Iranian regime a lesson. Several, in fact.

1. The regime will survive assassinations, devastating military attacks, and foreign appeals to the Iranian people to overthrow their government.

2. Asymmetrical attacks against US allies and leveraging the closure of the Strait of Hormuz can counterbalance the military might of the US.

And the most important lesson:

3. If Iran had its own nuclear weapon these attacks would never have happened.

Meanwhile, the US has learned that even the worst-laid schemes of mice and men can still go awry.

Bruce Hilpert

North side