Don’t waste your vote on a third party this year
Choose Joe Biden or President Trump. There are distractors on the ballot in some states. Voting for them? That counts for Trump.
Prior to his unbelievable mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, Trump was already unworthy of a second term. He consistently dismantled environmental rules/regulations that insure our grandchildren have a planet to live on! His economic policies enhanced the well-being of the investment class at the cost of the worker class.
His policies resulted in running an annual deficit of over $1 trillion per year! He works to do away with Obamacare, without any replacement, which would leave millions without health insurance. He has trashed relationships with our allies.
He assumed powers not enumerated by the Constitution (appropriating funds) or rights he never earned (he’s not a veteran). He lies, like with Veterans’ Choice, which started under Obama in 2014, belittles others with childish name calling and abuses his office for crazy political stunts (like the Lafayette Square photo-op with the Bible).
People are also reading…
Vote Trump, you vote to nix the Constitution. Vote Biden to restore America to a better day.
Norman Patten
Midtown
New book on Trump a must-read for all
I just finished reading “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” by Mary L. Trump, Ph.D. Mary, the niece of President Trump, wrote this book to explain how he became the way he is. She is unsparing and unflinching in her descriptions of the Trump family and its dynamics, from Frederick and Elizabeth Trump’s first meeting in 1901 to a family gathering at the White House in 2017.
While I can’t ignore the possibility that she wants to cash in on today’s political polarization, I firmly believe her primary motive is to warn the nation, based on the past four years of a Trump presidency, of what could happen if he is reelected — and why.
I think everyone — Trump supporters and opponents alike — should read this book. It may open your eyes. It did mine.
Dave Peterson
Midtown
Biden isn’t hiding, he’s just being smart
A writer recently complained about “Biden in the Basement.” There is very good reason for Joe Biden to stay at home during this awful pandemic where so many Americans have already died due to the early (and continued) negligence of the Trump administration. Biden doesn’t need to grandstand. He doesn’t need huge rallies to feed his ego.
The writer obviously hasn’t really been paying attention to the Joe Biden campaign ads — they are chock full of his visions for the future of this country and the ways in which he will mend our relationships with our heretofore Western allies. Most of the negative ads and “anti-Trump rhetoric” that have been on TV and on FB have been paid for, interestingly enough, by several different groups of former Republican operatives who are abhorred at what Trump is doing to our country. Perhaps the writer should pay more attention to Trump’s anti-Biden ads. Now those are among the most distasteful, hateful, misdirected and mendacious ads on TV.
Gladys Lujan
SaddleBrooke
Progressives have only one clear choice in Nov.
For progressives who support the Sen. Bernie Sanders’ agenda, the question is not whether you will support the Biden-Harris ticket; but rather, will another Trump-Pence term bring about ANY of the changes you support? Taking the same position during the 2020 election that progressives took during the 2016 election guarantees another Trump term and delays any progressive agenda for another four years.
Biden was not my first choice as the Democratic nominee and Harris was not my first choice for vice president. However, a Biden-Harris victory comes closer to giving progressives a voice at the political agenda table, something Trump will never grant.
Working with the major political parties in the past accomplished many of the classic progressive positions such as the minimum wage, antitrust laws, improved child labor laws and women’s suffrage.
Consider your reactions carefully before withdrawing your support and votes from the Biden-Harris ticket.
Craig Whaley
Northwest side
Harris isn’t even close to being a moderate
Some people have referred to Joe Biden’s VP pick Kamala Harris as being a Democratic moderate. That is a wrong assessment. Maybe in her prior life as a San Francisco prosecutor, but no more.
She compared U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Ku Klux Klan. ICE enforces Immigration laws passed by Congress. Does she even know of ICE’s other investigations like narcotics smuggling, child pornography, money laundering, fraud, etc? Harris at one point supported “Medicare for All,” which would cost trillions.
She supports AOC’s extreme Green New Deal that would end petroleum fuel production and ruin the economy. Harris supports “sanctuary cities,” which release convicted felon illegal immigrants from prison into the public. She opposes the border wall and supports providing citizenship to millions who came here undocumented.
She is anti-Second Amendment and wants to ban certain firearms. She supports reversing President Trump’s tax cuts that helped spur a robust economy. And she totally disrespected and maligned federal appellate Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his Senate Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
Juan Santiago
Southwest side
It’s time for critics to give Ducey credit
Gov. Doug Ducey is being sued by landlords for his orders on halting evictions of renters who cannot pay their rents because of COVID-19. They claim his actions are unconstitutional. Ditto for heath club owners who sued Ducey.
They won a partial victory, but will need to wait and see if they can meet the health requirements for opening. But I have not read a single letter praising Ducey for these actions, or his closing of bars and crowded venues. He has requested that everybody wear a mask and left local governments free to mandate mask wearing as Maricopa County and Pima County have done.
COVID-19 case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths are falling from their peak in June. Again, no thanks to Ducey from Democrats, just their usual hate for the guy. The state opened too soon causing a spike in cases and CDC guidelines were not totally followed, but many other states did the same.
Give Ducey some credit for at least correcting that! Stop the pathetic hate!
Al Ruiz
West side
‘Water Warrior’ Zohnnie due all the praise he gets
Re: the Aug. 10 article “Navajo ‘Water Warrior’ delivers daily to faraway reservations.”
In my eyes, Zoel Zohnnie is a hero for what he does for the Navajo people. In this day and age, no one should have to live without the availability of water or electricity. Helping these people should be a priority for both our state and federal governments.
If money is an issue, how about using the money that is being used for the wall and spend it to help the American people in need? Thank you Mr. Zohnnie for all you do. Thank you Jacqueline Robledo for bringing this story to our attention. And, thank you to the Arizona Daily Star for putting this story on the front page of the newspaper. Hopefully some of our public officials read it too.
Kathleen Fordney
Green Valley
Trump can’t stop grasping at straws
Just when you think the fool living in the White House couldn’t look any more pathetic or desperate, he makes a statement about Kamala Harris not being a U.S. citizen. Seriously? One would have thought he’d learn from trying the same tactic with former President Barack Obama. But no.
Desperate people behave in desperate ways. And his desperation is with good reason. Every day yet another established conservative Republican comes out stating they are voting the Biden/Harris ticket. They admit not agreeing with the platform, but they know the only way to save the soul of America is to remove the fool. We can only hope that the intelligent people of America come out in masses this election and serve a mandate that America is about justice, compassion and equality for all. Hope is reborn through the Biden/Harris ticket. Vote people, vote!
Sherri Schamel
Northwest side
Trump unable to win a legitimate election
President Trump, no doubt perceiving he may lose the upcoming election, is working hard to discredit the results in an effort to discredit the winner.
But what if he should win? History will add another asterisk after his name. One already will be there for his initial election because of foreign influences and loss of the popular vote. The second will be because the election was discredited by Mr. Trump’s own efforts. Both will signify that Americans have elected and reelected a loser who could not win a credible election.
Russell Martin
Northwest side
Unified in our care for our democracy
Fellow citizens of all political parties, let us protect our democracy by demanding from President Trump and our elected officials that they ensure a fair election.
Voting by mail does not corrupt this sacred process! It simply makes it more safe and accessible, especially in the midst of a world-wide pandemic.
I have lived here in Tucson for more than 30 years. Arizona has had the wonderful option of voting by mail for many years, and we all know it has worked well. There have not been legitimate complaints of election fraud by Republicans or Democrats here.
If Trump is willing to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on a border wall to protect our democracy, surely we can dedicate the money and personnel to ensure ongoing fair elections in our great country. This includes sending — not shortchanging — the resources where they are needed (to the U.S. Postal Service and to state governments) to ensure the integrity that we all want in our elections, which includes voting by mail.
Wayne Satten
Foothills
Mail issues won’t stop Americans from voting
I would like to commend Louis DeJoy, President Trump’s appointed postmaster general, for his efforts toward Joe Biden’s candidacy. No overtime, removing sorting machines (and sorting shelves) and curbside boxes, cutting back on delivery trucks, reducing hours and closing post offices. Slowing down the mail will affect so many people.
Delayed medications and medical devices; delayed payments for those who receive checks rather than direct deposit; delayed bills so payments for those bills (also late) will cause interest charges; delayed or missing important notices from banks and government agencies; delayed credit cards and insurance cards; delayed or lost birthday cards with checks to children and grandchildren.
I can go on and on. Yes, it probably will slow down mail-in ballots as requested by Trump, but many of us will find a way to turn in our ballots.
Good job, DeJoy.
Sherri Johnson
Northwest side
An open letter to Ducey on in-person learning
Dear Gov. Ducey,
It’s imperative that you step in and step up immediately to prevent the reopening of schools for in-person instruction until benchmarks provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services have been met. As a mom, I have been disappointed that in this time of a pandemic, you would leave reopening decisions to small school boards, who are wholly unqualified to make safety and timing decisions for an entire community.
These school boards and districts, who are lacking in knowledge of the science of this pandemic, should not have the power to make decisions based on politics instead of those based on science, data and real evidence. We need your leadership now to prevent unnecessary spread and possible additional death tolls as a result of in-person school instruction starting prematurely. Please do what is right and act today to create a state mandate that counties must meet benchmarks provided by the AZDHS prior to opening for in-person instruction.
Caroline Murphy
Oro Valley