Tucson Speaks Out: April 26

Local youth music

Listen up, Tucson: We have several fabulous local youth music groups in the Old Pueblo. Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Ellington Big Band directed by Brice Winston, saxophonist extraordinaire. What a thrill to hear youngsters in middle and high school play with such vigor and sound so professional. They have a few more gigs before the season ends. Do yourself a favor and go hear them. You just may end up tapping your toes and enjoying yourself immensely with this fine group of young performers. Another super local group, but with totally different vibes: Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus.

Sheila Lepley

Northwest side

Facts don't lie

A letter appeared in a recent Star, claiming, " They had a solid workable agreement with Iran to foreclose nuclear armament for the foreseeable future." The JCPOA. I don't fault the writer, as the mainstream media has highlighted this propaganda since the war began in February. Please consider:

October 2023 —

Expired: U.N. restrictions on Iran’s research, development and production of ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Expired: U.N. ban on Iran on import and export of missile-related technology, including missiles and drones with a range of 300 kilometers.

July 2024

The JCPOA to lift some limits on Iran’s testing of advanced IR-6 and IR-8 centrifuges that enrich uranium.

January 2031

The JCPOA to:

— lift the 3.67% cap on Iranian uranium enrichment.

— allow Iran to stockpile more than 300 kilograms — or 660 pounds — of enriched uranium.

It could have been a good agreement, but for the above.

Cliff Pascal

Green Valley

Stink bombs are contagious

Thanks to Gloria McMillan and her brilliant opinion about “stink bombs” in the Star on April 21.

She pointed out that voters are being manipulated and distracted frequently with these planned sensational media releases. This is a specialty of President Trump and his administration. We are seeing this even in state GOP efforts to control the issues and avoid the real issues, such as affordability, tariff failure and forcing consumers to use fossil fuels.

Even war itself has served as a distraction. Dems have reality to sensationalize and expose to voters.

Individuals can also burn up the oxygen like conservative, proactive extremists in LTEs and opinion pieces. Better to avoid, perhaps.

We all bear responsibility, including the media, to not manipulate voters or waste their time.

Pat Bannon

Midtown

No white smoke in politics

Tim Steller’s column on Sen. Gallego’s views on “troquitas” (nice-sized pickup trucks which help men support their families) and Gallego's appreciation of hot women (women, not underage girls) was refreshing.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m voting for a politician who knows who he/she represents and also who they are. I am not voting for a Pope, am not waiting for white smoke if they’re elected … just praying they have a thick enough skin to withstand the mudslinging.

Karen Papagapitos

Northwest side

Hard work: key to success

Just two short weeks ago, the world watched in wonder as Artemis II splashed down after traveling over 250,000 miles from Earth.

I can only imagine the intense study put in by the four outstanding astronauts who achieved their goals the old-fashioned way: by hard work.

Then this week, I was almost duped by scammers who used AI to create a polished email whose logo looked almost identical to that of a company where I had recently made a small purchase; it asked for personal information to achieve their goal of putting money into their pockets.

What is the connection between these two events?

For the answer, look no further than Jonah Goldberg's editorial of April 24, in which he decries the pervasive use of AI by students to achieve desired grades. As Goldberg writes, AI "... is not very different educationally from letting kids cheat."

If students studied hard to "reach for the moon" in whatever legal field ignited their fire, what a wonderful world this could be.

Barbara Russek

North side

Why May Day?

“Trickle down” economics has never worked. Stuff may roll downhill, but money doesn’t. The rich and powerful have always and shamefully portrayed sharing profits with workers as a “socialist” and anti-capitalist concept.

Since the U.S-centered Second Industrial Revolution, workers have had to fight for every small piece of profits gleaned from goods they make and services they provide. Strong labor unions and courageous activists like Mary Harris “Mother” Jones demanded and eventually secured the 8-hour workday, a 5-day work week, child labor laws, and regulations regarding workplace safety.

This May Day, May 1, support the Real Affordability Agenda proposed by May Day Strong: lower costs, raise wages, secure basic services used by working families (healthcare, education…), and require billionaires and corporations to pay their fair share for the benefit of using American labor and infrastructure.

Show your support for fairness and economic justice for all.

Judi Moreillon

Northeast side

More and more and more

Let's just charge every Tucson resident $10 to leave their house. That way, all those dastardly poor people will have to stay home where no one can see them, and we will add that fee to the sales tax, property tax, school tax, phone tax, wifi tax, utility tax and gas tax. Make sure all parks are fenced with locked gates so no one can use them without paying a large fee. That will keep them looking nice for only rich people to use them. Right now, there is a fee to use recreation centers, take classes, rent ramadas, play any game from golf to pickleball and everything else the city can think of to charge people. But how much are the big businesses paying? Small businesses struggle. Big businesses get exemptions from taxes. And be sure to grow, grow, grow so we run out of water.

Bette Bunker Richards

Midtown

Lake Powell water

Lake Powell water levels are low because contributing tributaries are also low, and because Lake Mead is dangerously low. Arizona wants to take water from Lake Powell to supplement its needs. Meanwhile, 250 miles south of Lake Powell, HudBay Minerals of Canada (Copper World) has already started to waste and pollute billions of gallons of water, which Arizona desperately needs and pollute the air with their monstrous equipment. They are desecrating sacred tribal lands, destroying the habitat for native birds and animals, and completely destroying the beautiful sanctuary of the Santa Rita Mountains. Previous requests to do more mining were denied, then appealed, and miraculously, the permits were granted. Letters of concern have been sent to Governor Hobbs and Congress members, and all we receive are generic posts of all the good that they are accomplishing. I don’t believe they have even been there to see the destruction. They should go.

Ted Crisboi

Southwest side

Living dangerously

With respect to Rep. Lisa Fink and her bill, the Arizona Representative does not mind that people will use this protection to evade lifesaving vaccinations and therefore put other people at risk. With that in mind, will this bill also eventually allow individuals who lost their driver’s licenses due to DUI or road rage to continue driving, or perhaps eventually restore gun rights to a person convicted of killing several other people? Since the Representative does not seem to fear the next round of COVID or flu seasons, perhaps she would consider volunteering in a COVID or flu ward to nurse other non-vaccinated people back to health so they can again ignore the vaccinations that are available to them and their families. One suggestion I would like to make is to put an individual’s vaccination record on the back of the Arizona Real ID so as to prove that you deserve the different public services available, instead of being refused service due to your non-vaccinated status.

Richard Rebl

East side

Tiger tricks archaic, abusive

When I moved from San Francisco last year, one reason I chose Tucson as my new home was its progressive politics. So I was stunned to hear that the 2026 Pima County Fair featured a show in which Bengal tigers are made to do tricks, including walk on a tightrope!

Visiting the fair to verify, I witnessed a tiger pacing in a small cage, panting in the sun, and forced to climb platforms and a rope. Another tiger wouldn’t leave her cage until the “trainer” coaxed her out with meat; she then sat on her perch, refusing to perform while her keeper spouted nonsense about how his show was preserving her species.

These magnificent wild animals are spending their lives in confinement, enduring unnatural weather conditions, and being displayed for archaic entertainment. Haven’t we humans evolved beyond this?

I hope readers won’t give the fair their dollars and will express their dismay at this cruel and unnecessary act by emailing office@pimacountyfair.com.

Antonia Moore

Midtown

New speed limits

So the city council lowered the speed limits on a number of roads in the city? They must be so proud of themselves. How about enforcing the speed limits on the rest of the roads? On the east side, driving 40 on Speedway or Broadway (the posted limit), you're a road hazard. Many are doing north of 50 on these roads. Residential streets are even worse (posted limit of 25), with many people driving 40 or more. Why can't the city focus on enforcing the existing speed limits? And let's not even get started with red lights and stop signs being mere suggestions.

Duane Romer

East side