Tucson Speaks Out: April 30

Who gets protected?

When shots rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Donald Trump and his cabinet did what anyone would do: duck, run and rely on layers of armed protection.

And it worked.

Within hours, the focus wasn’t on protecting Americans; it was on protecting him. A “bulletproof, drone-proof” ballroom. More security. More insulation from the danger the rest of us live with every day.

Meanwhile, in the real America, there were at least 233 school shooting incidents in 2025 alone. There has not been a single day in the past decade without a shooting near a school. Children and their teachers now rehearse how to hide, barricade and survive.

Here’s the truth: Our leaders don’t lack imagination; they lack courage.

No call for real reform. No effort to lower the temperature. Just blame and deflection. When danger comes for them, it’s an emergency. When it comes to our children, it’s a statistic.

Lawrence E. Mazin

SaddleBrooke

Honest Abe revisited

A recent writer needs a lesson in history himself. He refers, like most Republicans who cling to the "Party of Lincoln" label like a security blanket, conveniently ignoring the fact that Abe championed a powerful federal government, a progressive income tax, and redistributed property via abolition and the 13th Amendment. If Abe showed up in today's GOP, with his penchant for equality, voting and civil rights, he'd be run out on a rail or at best, branded a RINO.

Meanwhile, the "Dixiecrat" era, another peak for the intellectually challenged, Republicans love to point to the old South's proof of liberal villainy, ignoring the arch-traditionalists so obsessed with states' rights, religiosity and clinging so rigidly to their social hierarchy.

It takes a special kind of mental gymnastics to claim the legacy of a man who crushed a rebellion and stood tall in his quest for equality and the constitutional rule of law. Trumpers would be in better shape today if they embraced the ideals of the real Abe Lincoln.

William Muto

SaddleBrooke

Shame on you

Recently, I wrote an LTE that must have struck a nerve. I debunked the talking point that the new tax bill only benefited billionaires, and I was personally called out in an LTE for not being willing to pay more taxes. That doesn’t bother me personally, I was an elected official and accustomed to abuse by the written and spoken word. What bothers me is the trend that LTEs have become personal attacks rather than an exchange of ideas. If you can’t form an opinion without reverting to junior high name-calling, your opinion is valueless. Shame on the editorial board for allowing this to happen. It was not always the case, and I remember the day when LTEs were a sharing of information rather than written revenge. If anyone wonders why newspaper readership is falling or journalists are about as popular as politicians maybe that’s a reason why.

Gary Stoeger

Northwest side

Where has my America gone?

I was born in 1942 and raised in a very pro-America era. It was a wonderful time of strong, honest politicians and trust in our government. Then, around the Vietnam debacle, things started to change. Lousy candidates from our stupid two-party system. Congress bought outright by rich special interests. Then the moronic MAGA, worshiping a convicted felon who promised to destroy America, turned out in force. They elected him President while Democrats and reasonable Republicans sat on their asses. We should have been voting and demanding Congress fix things, but the current America was too busy watching Netflix. Now my America is destroyed under the evil boot of Trump. As he promised to do. With no remedy in sight. RIP the true America.

Thad Appelman

Northwest side

Sports coverage lacking

As we know, newspapers are a shell of themselves from just a few years ago, and Sports has taken the biggest hit. While local reporting is quite good, the section devoted to national scores and standings is abysmal, pathetic and frankly, shameful. Take golf. Despite the fact both the men’s and women’s tournaments were completed on Sunday by 4 p.m. Tucson time, Monday’s paper included only the first three rounds (Thursday-Saturday). At the very least, one would think modern technology would allow those scores to be transmitted, even if the paper is printed in Las Vegas. OK, so the scores are a day behind. Expecting to peruse the final results in Tuesday’s paper, not only were they MIA, but not even one sentence about who won. But alas, the Wildcats' fall football schedule and MLS standings were printed.

Thomas Rothe

Foothills

Absolutely disgusted

I felt disgusted and appalled when I read in the paper that the federal status of so-called "medical" marijuana has been loosened. Now, supporters of marijuana are cheering, saying that there will be so-called "benefits" for businesses and consumers. Of course there will. They care more about making money than protecting our health. Marijuana is dangerous. People below 50 who smoke it are six times more likely to suffer a heart attack. Secondhand marijuana smoke also contains many of the cancer-causing chemicals also found in tobacco, and it affects even young and healthy people. All over town I am forced to smell marijuana smoke. I am only 20, and never did I think I would have to worry so much about my health, because people who smoke marijuana clearly don't care about the health of others. If you voted to legalize marijuana in Arizona and/or support its legalization, you should feel ashamed of yourself. You are putting the health of my entire generation at risk.

Héctor Guzmán

South side

All that glitters is not gold

President Donald Trump continued his flim-flam maneuvers as he hosted winners of his second annual meme coin contest, with the top buyers snagging an audience with him. Ironically, the $Trump cryptocurrency token's value plunged 95% from its peak last year while the Trump family's personal crypto wealth burgeoned as he reshaped U.S. crypto policy. In the article “Trump hosts crypto contest winners” the description of meme coins typifies the Trump presidency. “Meme coins — a type of crypto with no utility or intrinsic value — are based on online trends and viral cultural phenomena. Most of them exhibit parabolic price curves, with a rise in the early stage often followed by a plunge in value.” So too, Trump's bloated ego launched his presidency, but now his erratic antics reflect a dramatic drop in approval ratings. As his luster dims, a bipartisan investigation into Trump's crypto fantasy will reveal that he and $Trump cryptocurrency are unethical and illegal.

Roger Shanley

East side

'Tone down the rhetoric'

In the aftermath of yet another attempt on Trump's life, Republicans and conservatives of all stripes are demanding that the left "tone down the rhetoric." Tone down the rhetoric? Are you kidding me? As a Democrat, the President of the United States has labeled me and other left-leaning people "enemies of the state," "the enemy within," "vermin," "garbage," "losers," "piggie," and a plethora of other similarly derogatory and denigrating terms. He has accused people he doesn't like of "poisoning the blood of America," and "eating people's pets." His daily onslaught of vile rhetoric and hateful rants has gotten at least two American citizens, exercising their First Amendment rights, killed by ICE in Minneapolis, as well as Melissa Hortman, a former legislator in Minnesota, along with her husband and family dog! Trump and his party loyalists need to take a good, cold, hard look in the mirror before they start pointing fingers at the left. Tone down the rhetoric?! Unbelievable. Irony is not only dead, it is graveyard dead.

Anne Lane

Northeast side

Brush and bulky

I recently received notification that my bulky and brush materials, heretofore picked up in the alleyway twice a year, will now be limited to pickup curbside. No reason for this change was given but I understand that curbside is easier for the drivers. I am now noticing persons placing trash, old tires, tables at the curbside, supposedly preparing for pickup. I had always believed that the alley pickup, while not perfect, made a neat and clean total appearance. Now front yards graced with the trash are looking more like a slum than a decent neighborhood. I trust that the people make the decision to change understand that the move to front curb encourages slovenly appearances. Please consider going back to the old way and recall our attempts at beautifying the neighborhoods.

Philip Reinecker

East side

General McMaster in Tucson

April 27, General McMaster presented at Tucson Military Museum War and Conflict in the 21st Century, as invited by the Tucson Foreign Affairs Committee. He spoke of the military actions in the Iran war, but emphasized the economic values to the U.S. of making more bombs and planes. As a military man, he was all in for the war more for destroying Iran, but never explained the purpose of the war, goals, or any mention of an exit strategy.

When he was sarcastic about Spain’s Prime Minister for not supporting the war and again about Tucker Carlson as being a grifter, I realized this was an unprofessional and unserious presentation.

I stated that after WWII countries, allies joined to seek peace. Now we have lost trust of our allies around the world. Trust cannot be rebuilt with bombs. This comment was the only one that received applause. His response, we will regain trust in a very short time.

Margaret Mishra

Southeast side

Project Blue water electricity concerns

In August 2025, KVOA TV/News: "Pima County is taking steps to regulate the expansion of data centers. Jennifer Allen, District 3 Supervisor and Vice Chair, emphasized the need for public participation and transparency in the process. The amendment would require data centers to obtain Conditional Use Permits, involving thorough reviews and public hearings. The Board of Supervisors voted to start a zoning code text amendment for CI-2 General Industrial zones to require strict scrutiny and public input, enable Development Services Department to evaluate and enforce regulations on upcoming data center developments."

Pima County/BOS need to accelerate these actions to assure that the Beale/Data Center Developer/Tenants utilize new much more efficient memory-data storage and computing photonic chips that use much less electricity, that generate much lower thermal energy, that operate at ambient temperatures, and do not require water cooling systems nor use more TEP electricity generated with fossil fuels that increase aquifer water loss, depletion and could increase TEP rates.

Terry Finefrock

Foothills