Tucson Speaks Out: April 29

Coach Robinson

Thanks for your article on Coach Steve Robinson. I had the good fortune to work with him in the athletic department at the University of Kansas and I’m a better person for having known him. He represents everything that is good about college basketball. His focus as a coach was not just helping student-athletes grow as players but helping them mature and grow as people. He always put an emphasis on helping them prepare for what happens after playing basketball was over. Coach Rob influenced many young people in such a positive way. Suffice it to say, he was a difference maker in the lives of his players. I wish him happiness and fulfillment in retirement.

Doug Vance

Northeast side

More babies or more white babies?

Tucson immigration attorney Mo Goldman is currently defending a mother of four who came to the United States from Guatemala 25 years ago when she was just sixteen years old. Since then she has worked, contributed, paid taxes and given birth to four future tax-paying citizens.

‘Tis indeed ironic that Trump wants to deport this woman while at the same time wanting to pay women to have more babies.

It seems to me that what Trump really wants is more white babies and less babies of color in the U.S.

I’m grateful for immigration attorneys like Mo Goldman who are advocating for people who came to the U.S. seeking to survive, prosper and thrive. I’m so glad that my Irish ancestors were not deported.

Dave Gallagher

Foothills

Fox Entertainment

A recent LTE stated that “Fox News is consistently the top-rated cable news network.” The writer goes on, “Perhaps thinking people prefer not to be lied to by Democrats and their network shills.”

Has he forgotten all about the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox News? In this lawsuit, Fox agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million in order to avoid a trial that would have exposed all the lies Fox broadcast regarding the 2020 election.

I only wish that Dominion insisted that Fox be required to change the name of their “news” programs to Fox Entertainment.

Jo Ann Gelormine

Northwest side

One hundred days in 150 words

National sovereignty front: Border crossings have decreased 95% with no new laws. Even with staunch opposition by Democrat judges criminal illegal aliens are being deported with astonishing dispatch. In the Gulf of America, China will no longer control access to the Panama Canal.

“Peace” front: Ukraine and Russia are finally talking. The end is near for no-surrender Hamas. The Houthis are being decimated so the Suez Canal is safe again while their sponsor Iran is focused on negotiating its survival.

Societal front: Voter ID and no boys in girls’ sports enjoy 80-20 popularity. Elimination of racist DEI policies is off to a fast start. Education is being returned to the states.

Economic front: Inflation is lower but stocks are down though now rising. Fair and reciprocal trade (tariffs) and DOGE (less federal bureaucracy) will succeed or fail in the next 100 days.

Oh yeah, the stranded astronauts are safely home.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Salt River wild horses

Save the Salt River wild horses.

These horses are beloved by locals as well as visitors from other states & countries. They are included in the tourism publication “Visit Mesa.” They bring money to the area.

The Forest Service wants to reduce the herd to 100 or 150 horses.

The wild horse is an iconic symbol of America and especially the West.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group has been doing a great job of managing these horses for ten years. They work in tandem with Arizona Department of Agriculture to administer birth control via darting and provide water troughs and feeding programs. All costs for these horses are paid for by contributions. They do not cost the Forestry Service a penny.

Please write letters to Governor Hobbs, other government officials to keep them in the Tonto National Forest where they belong. Share on social media.

Gayle Bassani

Mesa

Biden’s mental decline

Several writers have commented that Biden had a decline mentally towards end of his term. It does appear so, however this isn’t the first time it has occurred in the presidency. Wilson suffered a stroke and Reagan was never the same after being shot. When Biden was President our economy was the envy of the world. We had inflation but not to the degree of other countries. Now we have inflation and a failing economy due to Trump’s erratic tariff policies. Not to mention how Trump has alienated our allies. I would prefer to have the advisors that ran the country during Biden’s term to this disaster.

Craig Miller

Northwest side

Violent crime in Tucson

This past Christmas Eve, Tucsonan and reported Good Samaritan Paul Clifford was abducted and subsequently murdered by local individuals requesting help with a vehicle.

Recently, Jacob Couch, an out-of-town visitor, was heinously attacked and murdered by a local hatchet-wielding psychopath in downtown Tucson.

Tucsonans, unfortunately, mistakenly believe that their community is a safe and low crime haven.

Local leaders, including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and TPD Chief Chad Kasmar, do very little to alter this illusion.

In their efforts to keep their jobs and promote growth and tourism, they and to some extent local media seem to be downplaying Tucson’s violent crime problem.

My wife and I have walked the streets of downtown Tucson late at night and have witnessed firsthand the low-life culture that exists there.

If Tucson is going to be successful in promoting growth and tourism, particularly in the downtown area, this is a very serious issue which cannot be ignored.

Daniel Egan

East side

Assault on the judiciary

Hats off to Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee. Not for being an activist. Or some kind of hero. She gets props for the simple reason that she did her job. Nowadays, that is enough for someone to be praised. In the 20 years that I ran a county courtroom we cooperated with other law enforcement agencies on a daily basis. Mutual respect between agencies was a given. If local, state or federal law enforcement officers had a warrant for arrest then it was coordinated through judicial security. Officers knew better than to enter the courtroom and relied on cooperation with our security. Court business was not to be interrupted and the sensibilities and safety of the public and court staff was paramount. The Trump administration used this situation to come after the judiciary. A calculated and dangerous step up from disregarding judicial authority. The judiciary and the public must not abide. Everything depends on it.

Paul Simon

Northwest side

Peace in our time?

When I was young, I was taught that Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Britain in the 1930s, was a naive man who made a foolish decision — a pact with a devil. In 1938, Chamberlain submitted to Adolf Hitler, ceding Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to the Nazis and declaring “Peace in our Time.” (At the time, the Nazis said “well, those people are mostly Russian [whoops, I mean] “German”, anyhow. The territories should belong to us”). In his mindless quest for “Peace”, President Trump appears to have embraced Putin’s plan to pause the war in Ukraine — a plan that cedes occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia, prohibits Ukraine from joining NATO, and precludes any guarantees that would prevent Russia from a resumption of hostilities. And — oh, yes — forces Ukraine to share half of its mineral wealth with Trump.

So ... is Donald Trump the Neville Chamberlain of our generation? Or is he merely (as a former Secretary of State put it) “Putin’s useful idiot”?

John Prugh

Foothills

Ciscomani in hiding

America has a budget bill ready to push through tax cuts for the wealthy. By wealthy, it means folks that run corporate America, fly their girlfriends to space and beg random women on Twitter to have their babies. These same people strip the working class of healthcare, wages while employed making themselves billionaires and the workers relying on food stamps and Medicaid. The broligarchs ask the government to reject collective bargaining rights, rights of workers and SSI benefits to children. (SSI is only paid out when their parents or parent dies). How is this making America even ok for the working family? It isn’t but we all know that Our CD6 Rep Juan Ciscomani keeps writing “strong letters” while voting for horrific policies. Just stop lying and making excuses Juan. The voters aren’t stupid. Sadly, many didn’t believe you could be so gullible to follow the cult and work so hard to strangle families and working folk. With your voting record, we know now.

Carissa Sipp

Midtown

Wildcat women’s basketball

For nearly a decade, my closest friend encouraged me to attend the Wildcat women’s basketball games. I would always decline, believing that going to the men’s home games was enough basketball for me. However, when Ari McDonald emerged as a superstar, I finally decided to give the women’s games a chance. Now, I’m completely hooked. New head coach Becky Burke has signed many promising players, including one who is 6’7.” Plus, she hired Judy Brase, a former local high school & college superstar and WNBA player as an assistant coach. I sincerely hope Tucson rallies behind our women’s team. Last year, this team had the 13th best attendance in the nation. Hopefully we’ll crack the top 10 this year. Tickets are far less expensive than they are for the men’s games and the games are equally thrilling.

Louis Hollingsworth

North side

Channeling Rodney Dangerfield

There was a time when I didn’t pay much attention to politics but respected the office of the presidency because the guy was elected by the majority and to paraphrase Harry Truman, the buck stopped with him and we trusted him to see us through terrible times. Well the guy in office now completely shredded the idea of any respect for the office he holds. He takes no responsibility, blames others and made the presidency a casino gaming table because that’s all he knows. The “house” always wins! His lack of respect and trust for the people we elected to represent us in Congress has rendered Congress paralyzed. So why should we respect this guy who shows no respect for the people that elected him or the Congress we elected to represent us? He is no leader and our country needs one badly for so many reasons.

Debbie Smith

North side