Tucson Speaks Out: June 15 letters of the day

In her book, “Limitarianism,” Ingrid Robeyns makes the following observation:

“In 2022, Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, was ranked first in the billionaires list published by the U.S. business magazine Forbes. Suppose you worked 50 hours a week between the ages of 20 and 65 — week in week out, year in year out — how much would your hourly wage need to be so that by the end you had amassed Musk’s wealth? The answer is: $1,871,794 per hour. Almost $2 million per hour. Every working hour for 45 years.

“Elon Musk might be seen as exceptional, but there were 2,668 other billionaires on that Forbes list …. On average the value of their assets is $4.75bn. If we ask the same question again – what’s the average lifetime hourly wage? – we get $40,598 per hour, the equivalent to what many Americans hope to earn in a year.”

I am not opposed to wealth, but this is a cancer.

Linda Dobbyn

Midtown

Fascism

Fascism is described as a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology characterized by a dictatorial leader, militarism, and forcible suppression of opposition. Eighty years after the end of World War II and the defeat of the fascist leader of German Adolf Hitler we will decide whether the United States will elect an equally dangerous leader by the name of Donald Trump. I hope and pray that our loved ones who lost their lives in Normandy and other faraway places will not have died in vain.

Phillip Hauck

Oracle

Dr. Fauci

For those of us in medicine, Dr. Anthony Fauci has been and remains a super-hero. His wise leadership over half a century in the NIH has led to far better understanding of the causes and treatment of disease. When faced with the worst pandemic in 100 years, he marshalled the staff to create a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 in an unbelievably short time, saving over a million lives: one of the greatest achievements of the 21st century. I thus find it hard to understand the wave of disinformation and hatred that has been levelled at vaccination, science generally and Dr. Fauci specifically. Fed by unscrupulous individuals for political gain, these unfortunately led to an estimated 200,000 more deaths in this country than needed to occur. For these individuals to now try to blame Dr. Fauci and encourage death threats against him and his family is beyond despicable. He deserves a medal, not to be pilloried by individuals with no understanding of science or honor or decency.

Abraham R. Byrd III, M.D.

North side

The felonious candidate

The letter writer wonders if the guilty verdict on “ALL” 34 counts brought against No. 45 is good or bad for the country. He thinks that Democrats are giddy over the verdict. We’re not. He claims the Biden administration is “silencing” his opponent similarly to Russia. He clearly doesn’t understand one thing about Russia. Had he, he’d have know that The Orange God that he and so many others pray to, would be dead in Russia running against Putin. Maybe that’s the America he wants. I’m not giddy over the former disgraced prez’s convictions. I also understand that the charges were brought by the state of NY, not the Feds. Richard like so many other sycophants don’t understand much of what they seem to profess. The U.S. isn’t Russia, if it were, we’d have a great president like Barack Obama in his third or fourth term by now.

John Bingham

Northwest side

Berkman needs to get a life

Four years ago, when Laura Conover was first running for Pima County Attorney, the incumbent Barbara LaWall — who had no stake in the game- continued to attack Conover. I wrote what I considered a quippy letter entitled “LaWall doth protest too much”.

Today, I have no quippy headline for David Berkman, other than to get a life. Seemingly every other day he’s writing to the Star regarding Conover, on his off days he’s submitting records requests to the County Attorney’s office.

His true beef isn’t with Ms. Conover; it’s that despite his best effort four years ago she won and will do so again. He can stand behind his just turned Democrat candidate and sling arrow after arrow at Conover, but the regular readers know that David Berkman just needs to get a life.

Jennifer Buchanan

Midtown

Ugly hotel

I’m happy to see the former Foothills property being upgraded.

However, the proposed design of the hotel is atrocious. It looks like a prison or a detention center. Do all the Tempo by Hilton look like this one? Can’t we do better in Tucson?

Jan Foiles

West side

What I remember about Donald Trump

Recently, many letters have asked “are you better off than four years ago?” I have traveled extensively the past few years and I can tell you that inflation, post COVID, is everywhere. So to argue about gas or food prices seems futile. Yes, they are higher. But I know they will return to normal.

What I remember vividly about the former President’s time in office: a neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville after which Trump exclaimed “there were very fine people on both sides.” No, he didn’t condemn the white supremacists spewing their antisemitic hate. I also recall a visit by a rabid antisemite, Nick Fuentes, to Mar a Lago, after which Trump said “I didn’t know who he was.” The Jan. 6 insurrection remains forever etched in my memory, as a time that our government was almost brought down, and a peaceful transfer of power almost did not happen. With fake electors and endless schemes to subvert the election, he should be nowhere near the White House.

Mitch Flatow

West side

Juan Ciscomani

Once again, the lies associated with election commercials overwhelm us. The one thing that always shows up in these commercials is the failure to tell the truth, in a commercial showing a small business person talking about the recent taxes laws. One simple fact, in every commercial is a distortion of facts and any claim made must be assumed to be a distortion. Ever notice how the liberals declare everyone that opposes them is working for the rich guy and crushing the little guy. As an accountant, every claim seems to prove that Democrats do not understand taxes or math. Whenever you hear someone claim that rich people pay no taxes, make the assumption that the claim is based on ignorance. No taxes means that the taxpayer takes advantage of every deduction offered “in the law” as passed by Congress, authorizing the deductions available to every taxpayer. Who wins is not important, but voting for the right person for the right reason is important.

Loran Hancock

Northwest side

News flash!

The U.S. government does not control gas and food prices. Privately owned oil companies set their own prices and are answerable solely to their shareholders. The same holds true for giant food conglomerates.

Unhappy with gas prices? Voice your displeasure with Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and Conoco. Displeased with the rising cost of food? Talk to Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and Target.

The Biden administration has not ignored your plight. When fuel prices shot up, Biden met with oil executives asking them to increase oil production. They declined. Later, the Federal Trade Commission uncovered evidence oil executives colluded with OPEC to raise crude oil prices increasing US household costs up to $500 per car.

When grocery prices began skyrocketing, the Department of Justice warned food conglomerates they could be sued for price gouging. Recently, the FTC sued to block a merger between Kroger and Albertsons that would inevitably result in higher prices.

Unhappy with rising costs? Place the blame where it belongs.

Jacolyn Marshall

Oro Valley

Hefty orange bag Byfusion Confusion

Ok it seems we are putting too much plastic in the orange bins for Byfusion to take until their plant is built. If Hefty wants this plastic trash wouldn’t it be better to contact the recycling people who take the blue bin items and pull it out for Hefty to take? A lot more plastic would be diverted from our landfill space this way. Then when Byfusion comes on line they would get all the plastic they need.

Bill Brooks

Northeast side

Trump’s brain vs. Biden’s brain

Here is a verbatim quote from Trump, speaking in Las Vegas about his dislike of electric vehicles. Reported in Newsweek, June 10: “… I say what would happen if the boat sank from its weight and you’re in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery and the battery is now underwater and there’s a shark that’s approximately 10 yards over there. By the way, a lot of shark attacks lately. You notice that? A lot of sharks. I watched some guys justifying it today. Well they weren’t really that angry. They bit off the young lady’s leg because of the fact that they were, they were not hungry. But they misunderstood what, who she was. These people are crazy. He said there’s no problem with sharks they just didn’t really understand a young woman swimming. Now really got decimated and other people too. A lot of shark attacks.” Etc.

Republican presumptive candidate for President. Seriously?

Nancy Jacques

Northeast side

Gay Christian

Re: the June 6 letter “Gay pride.”

The writer claimed to speak for “those of us who are Bible-believing Christians.” As a “Bible-believing Christian” who has had the privileged and responsibility of leading adult Bible studies for over 45 years, I disagree. I feel confident that the Bible does not condemn as sinful committed, loving same-sex relationships. The number of denominations that now perform same-sex marriages and ordain LGBT+ Christians would indicate that I am not alone in this understanding of the Bible.

The letter writer referred to the Sodom story (Genesis 19) which is one of approximately six short Bible passages that are taken out of context to condemn homosexuals. The gang rape that was proposed by the men of Sodom certainly does not equate to a loving relationship whether homosexual or heterosexual. Interestingly, Ezekiel 16:49-50 claims the people of Sodom were “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before (God).”

Charles Miller

Marana

Candidate’s words are harmful and painful

Words matter. They give us an uncensored glimpse into a candidate’s mind that might otherwise remain concealed until after the election. Learning that Michael Buglewicz, a candidate for justice of the peace, used an outdated term to refer to Black folx evokes a long period of pain in our history.

Speech matters and words matter, especially from someone seeking the office of justice of the peace. Especially when working within a justice system that still carries the baggage of Jim Crow laws and other inequalities. Especially when he should know better and do better.

My family and friends will all be a “no” on Mr. Buglewicz.

Donna Gardiner

West side

Justice Alito ignores Constitution

The recent vote by 39 Republicans to protect a woman’s access to birth control underscores the Supreme Court’s threat to women’s right to control their own bodies. In Justice Alito’s opinion denying a right to abortion he maintains that the US Constitution does not include nor imply a “right to privacy.”

Justice Alito’s opinion clearly contradicts the U.S. Constitution. The third, fourth and fifth Amendments specifically protect the privacy of a person’s home; their “persons, houses, papers, and effects;” and personal information that might incriminate them in court.

A failure to accord a woman control over her own body defies rational belief. However, this is the state of freedom in our country today. If you believe a woman should have that right, be sure to vote for the Arizona Abortion Access amendment in November!

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Biden Administration’s lies about the border

Biden and his administration have done nothing but lie to the American people about the border. When the surge started in the spring of 2021, Biden said it was just seasonal. A lie. During the COVID epidemic, the Biden administration claimed migrants were tested for the virus. A lie. They denied transporting migrants by contractor non descript planes in the dead of the night to airports across the country. A lie. They denied single adult males were being released from custody and transported. A lie. They continually claimed that there was no crisis and that the border was secure. A lie. They claimed and continue to claim that thorough background checks are done on migrants before releasing them. A lie. That sponsors receiving migrant children have been fully vetted. A lie. And the whopper lie of them all was Biden telling the American people that he could do no more on the border, then turned around and issued an Executive Order on it, that is full of loopholes and exceptions.

Alan Ruiz

West side