Tucson Speaks Out: March 31

It's called law enforcement

State troopers, county sheriff's deputies and city police officers don't wear masks. They wear body cameras. They need judicial warrants to enter people's property. If ICE and Border Patrol are law enforcement, why don't they adhere to the same standards that state, county, and city law enforcement are held to? Federal law enforcement agents that hide their identities, don't record what they are doing and don't need legal warrants to enter properties are obviously engaged to do something nefarious and illegal. Federal law enforcement operating with concealment of their purpose and operating outside of Constitutional Law is the work of a force operated by dictators and authoritarian regimes. ICE and Border Patrol are functioning on our streets as an unconstitutional Gestapo. Real Americans would not permit this type of action against people on the streets of our towns and cities.

Richard Bechtold

West side

Where is my...

Where is my DOGE refund check?

Where is my 10% APR credit card?

Why aren't my prescriptions 1500% cheaper?

Where is gas for $2 a gallon?

Why aren't groceries cheaper yet?

Where is my tariff check?

Any updates?

Terry Louck

East side

Digging a hole

If you find yourself in a hole the best thing to do is to not dig the hole deeper. With Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz and with the U.S not having an easy way to reopen it, the U.S is “in a hole.” The President may not have a lot of options. A. Declare victory and walk away. But the Strait would still be closed and it makes him look like a loser. B. Bomb Iran’s power grid to try to force them to reopen the strait. But Iran would retaliate and attack their Arab neighbors' oil facilities, causing worldwide economic depression, and the Strait would still be closed. C. Send the military to reopen the strait. But this would require “boots on the ground” and could require an extended deployment there. Based on the President’s past history I am guessing it will be option C. If that happens it not only makes the hole deeper, it also turns it into a quagmire.

William Brandt

Oro Valley

An uncomfortable perspective

As a grandfather to 4 and great grandfather to 5 lovely women misogyny is abhorrent to me. However, I would like to point to what appears to be a historical imbalance in perspective. Cesar Chavez has been deceased for 33 years. He died without any public shame. Recently claims of misogyny against him have caused most honors in his name to be removed. His family has been caused to suffer disgrace. Meanwhile the candidate for meanest misogynist ever, Donald Trump, who has been convicted of a sexual crime, bragged publicly of sneaking peaks at nude young female beauty contestants and, grabbing women by the crotch, stripped female military officers of their rights to promotion, is placing his name on all things historically sacred to our nation, including our currency, walks and rants freely with protection provided to elected presidents.

David Rollins

North side

No Kings Day follow-up

I am writing to express my thoughts and share a few insights on how the “No King’s Day” was reported in the Arizona Daily Star. I believe that it is important for the community to have a fair and comprehensive understanding of why this demonstration has been directed at our President. Currently, our President: 1. Creates a crisis to distract from the Epstein debacle; 2. Demonizes his opponents; 3. Expands Presidential emergency powers; 4. Tries to undermine elections; 5: Sidelines the rule of law and 6: Governs by decree. A one-day demonstration will not get us where we need to go. We need to constantly call and write our Senators and Representatives and keep insisting that our President and his administration be removed from office. Regardless of ownership, the news media must give front-page notice that the Republican Party has turned America into an authoritarian oligarchy, and the danger that this presents to our democracy.

Dale Pelton

Northwest side

A dog's work

Why don't we let Southwest Rescue Dogs, Inc find Nancy Guthrie? That family needs kindness and closure.

Margaret Risser

Marana

Kudos to Tony Davis, Tim Steller

My husband and I have lived in Tucson for 14 years, with a Tucson-related history going back to the 1960s when my parents settled here. First of all, I would like to express my appreciation for the excellent coverage of water issues by Tony Davis. His articles are detailed and clear, and these days I am relying on him for an overview of the current CAP crisis. Tim Steller’s column about a water leak that was mishandled by the city showed a lack of communication within city agencies about our all-important water supply. Steller also keeps me well informed about a variety of other Tucson matters. Many thanks to both of these journalists.

Flo Lemke

Midtown

TEP franchise fee

Responding to my opinion criticizing TEP for passing on the franchise fee cost to ratepayers, a former City Council member wrote in supporting the Franchise Agreement and Fee because without it TEP won't be able to do its job, that global warming has made everything associated with living here dicey and TEP needs access to help us all out.

The writer misses the point or intentionally missed it to make her own. TEP does not need any franchise agreement to access its infrastructure in Tucson or anywhere else. It has the right to do so under its Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) issued by the State of Arizona sometime around 1912 by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Not being required to obtain permits for its access is TEP's procedural benefit from the franchise agreement. It's only a money issue and likely not all that much anyway.

Implying that voter passage of the franchise agreement is required to help cope with global warming is illogical and unsupportable.

Rick Rappaport

Oro Valley

Mixed emotions on No Kings

This past Saturday, while out doing some errands, I observed several groups of No Kings protesters, many carrying signs expressing strong disapproval of our current president and his policies.

On one hand, I felt immensely grateful to live in a country where folks can openly voice dissatisfaction with their leader and not face severe repercussions. I also admired demonstrators (including many seniors) who braved the heat and car fumes on busy streets to make their beliefs known publicly.

However, while driving past several protestors carrying signs that read "F***(spelled out) Trump," I was disheartened. Regardless of the esteem or lack thereof in which we hold the commander-in-chief, his position is worthy of respect.

And although I'm open to civil discourse about the state of our union, if anyone wants my vote on anything, they will have to convince me with language that rises above the level of lowest common denominator.

Barbara Russek

North side

Gas tax

The subject of gas tax is quite interesting. Last year we purchased an electric powered car (made in America) and so I am glad to learn that Toyota is planning to start manufacturing electric powered vehicles in the USA. For those of us who mostly drive short distances, the electric vehicles are wonderful. They can be charged at home, just drive into your garage, plug it in and the next morning you will have a full charge. For long trips (to visit relatives or to see interesting sites, go by air and leave the car at home). We could then raise the price of electricity to cover the road maintenance that would still be required.

Alan Roehl

Green Valley

Political gridlock is the new 'normal'

The current government shutdown is an example of a non-functioning system. Behavior that once drew serious consequences now seems all too common in our politics. Members of both parties have crossed the line, and the most concerning part is how little concern there seems to be. Gridlock has become the new "normal." Each side constantly blames the other.

Most decisions are made with difficulty. It seems that priority is given to "politics" and not to the needs of those who elected them. We need higher standards.

House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed package that would fund a majority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and instead proposed a stop-gap measure that would fund the entire department for eight weeks.

Speaker Mike Johnson called the Senate-passed bill a joke. When people lose faith in the honesty of public officials, the whole system is at risk. The word "compromise" seems no longer to be in the vocabulary.

Ronald Eustice

Northwest side