Tucson speaks out: Aug. 10 letters of the day

One flag, two tales

 I find it just amazing the talent, dedication, athleticism, and just pure strength that has been on display during the 2024 Olympics. An image of Suni Lee, and Simone Biles holding up an American flag, showed their excitement was so huge, they could have exploded. Just incredibly beautiful.

A Supreme Court Justice: Samuel Alito serves on the highest court in the country. He draws his opinions from scholars of the day, when witches were still being burned at the stake. He made a decision which controls a woman’s right to reproductive care, yet he can’t keep his own wife from flying the American flag upside down.

Larry Robinson

Northwest side

Dig Baby Dig!

Recently there have been several letters from Foothills residents supporting the Hudbay mine in the biodiverse Santa Rita Mountains. Seems to me that the Foothills should be explored for its mineral potential. I think the Foothills neighborhoods should see some mining up close and personal.

Gerald Lavallee

Southeast side

Editorial praising Conover's reelection

This has to be one of the most preposterous editorials the Star has ever penned. You praised Laura Conover's reelection victory for Pima County district attorney based on her use of "restorative justice." Tell your readers where Conover's crazy restorative justice system has ever worked? Has it worked in NYC, San Fran, LA, Seattle, Portland, DC, Philly, Chicago? The answer is nowhere. All sorts of crime, violent and property, has increased in those cities. Yes, increased. Including here.

Democratic district attorneys in all of those cities have done two things. Some don't report their crime statistics to the FBI, which skews national crime statistics lower. Or they lower the standard of what qualifies as a felony versus a misdemeanor. Example. California, where else, raised the misdemeanor limit for shoplifting from $500 to $950. Ta da. Less reportable felony property crimes. D voters and the members of the Star editorial board buy this nonsense. Pathetic.

Steve Sollenberger

Foothills

Recipe for disaster

On Day One, sign schedule F into law. Then fire 50,000 civil service employees and replace them with political appointees.

Who needs a ban on abortions, when reversing FDA approval of mifepristone with cronies in place will work just about as well? Oil company discovers oil on ecologically sensitive lands? Your guys are in place at your EPA, to whisk away pesky regulations.

Next, take control of the Justice Department, so you can jail your enemies and give police immunity for any actions they take. Doing this will keep “the vermin” quiet.

If any of your appointees happen to break any laws, remember your Supreme Court gave you absolute power to pardon with impunity, which will allow for unlimited corruption.

We lost the most important election of our lifetime in 2016. Their team wasn’t ready and civil servants were able to hold back on Trump's biggest nightmares. It won’t be the same this election. They are organized, and ready for disruption on day one.

Larry Robinson

Northwest side

True facts and a little math

I see political ads spouting facts that seem a little unbelievable. I went to research some of the ads' information. On Factcheck.org I found that they say 2.5 million immigrants were released into the US and 2.8 million were expelled. Republican ads say 10 million immigrants were released into the US in the last 4 years. Someone is lying. I also checked the math with regard to inflation claims. In 1950 a gallon of gas cost 27 cents. That 27 cents in today's money is $3.40. That appears to be the cost of a gallon now. $1 in 1972 is now $7.03 in today's money. Costs are always rising. It's not just the last four years. America is not in ruins. Trump breeds chaos with fear and lies misrepresenting issues in our country. Seek the truth and do the math.

Richard Bechtold

West side

Candidate standards

In a representative democracy such as the US, any wannabe candidate for public office who exhibits one of the following character traits should be considered dishonorable. They are unfit for public office and should be automatically disqualified:

1. Has plans to disassemble Representative Democracy.

2. Has a record of not accepting election results and sabotaging the peaceful transfer of power.

3. Demands loyalty to self above loyalty to law, Constitution, country.

4. Lies to self and others with ease.

5. Exploits gullible followers who swallow the lies.

6. Is a convicted/unrepentant/non-rehabilitated criminal.

History is littered with tyrants who embraced one or more such traits. The damage done has been immeasurable and long-term. It was also avoidable. Don’t you think any wannabe candidate who exhibits even one of these traits (Trump fits "all of the above") is an enemy of the people, and of the nation?

Ron Rude

West side

The Truth Hurts Some

One of your regular contributors, Loyal M. Johnson, Jr. speaks the truth.

In regard to political liberals, I quote a line from Jack Nicholson in the movie, "A Few Good Men":

"You can't handle the truth!"

Don See

Northeast side

Margin call and leverage

I read with interest (a pun) the article entitled "A closer look at carry trades." But there were words hinted at but not printed: margin call and leverage.

If there was a one-to-one leverage ratio of collateral to investment dollars, there would not have been any swing in the stock markets. There's not much of a margin call.

But, as explained in "The Big Short," from 2007-2099 many investors were over-leveraged at least 1:20 in their investments. These investors had collateral of only 5% or less of their investments. When those investments fail at above 5%, they lost everything and had to make up the other 95% for margin call by selling off what they could. Or, like Bear Stearns, they go belly up.

Overleveraged traders were caught unawares by the low new employment numbers and the slight rise of the Japanese yen. Their wrong guesses caused a huge margin call.

When dealing in trillions of dollars, such minimal mistakes cause billions in immediate losses.

Matt Somers

Midtown

Kudos to the Star

As much as I resent the Red Star’s Liberal nonsense printed every day, I commend the Star for continuing to publish columns by former Congressman Gary Franks and the excellent coverage in the Sports Page of the other 15 universities in the Big 12 Conference. As a Black political commentator, Mr. Frank’s piece was a factual listing of major benefits Republicans and President Trump have provided to the Black community.

Unmentioned was the fact that slavery and segregation were entirely controlled and promoted by the Solid Democrat South. Republicans were the heroes of desegregation!

The coverage of the Big 12 (and apparently, the little 4) has been informative and enlightening as we (UofA) move into new areas of the country, (always interesting since I am a Land Development Engineer). I also enjoy reading Greg Hansen’s columns; he usually includes relevant details of Tucson’s sports history, much of which I have personally experienced in my 78 years.

John A. Evans

Southeast side

Supervisor District One

Steve Spain touts in his recycled campaign signs that he is "Endorsed by Ally Miller".

That makes my decision easy.

I'm voting for Rex Scott.

John Rademaker

Foothills

Character and Donald J. Trump

David Hume’s description of the dark side of Henry VII’s character reminds one of a certain modern-day presidential candidate. Hume observes:

“Everyone dreaded a contest with a man, who was known never to yield or to forgive, and who, in every controversy, was determined, either to ruin himself or his antagonist. A catalogue of his vices would comprehend many of the worst qualities incident to human nature: Violence, cruelty, profusion, rapacity, injustice, obstinacy, arrogance, bigotry, presumption, [and] caprice.”

Steven R. Goldzwig

Oro Valley