Tucson Speaks Out: Feb. 12

Celebrating Black History Month

As white supremacists and the head of the Pentagon attempt to eradicate Black history, I am inspired by the the “Black National Anthem,” especially the powerful words in the second verse: (“Stony the road we trod, Bitter chastening rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died. Out from the gloomy past, Til now we stand at last, Where the bright gleam of our bright star is cast”). The selection of a powerful voice for social justice, Kendrick Lamar, was an excellent choice for the halftime show of the Super Bowl. I am also inspired by Michelle Obama, who did not come to the inauguration, and Jasmine Crockett who shows up every day and speaks the uncomfortable truth which needs to be said and heard. Tyler Perry’s story of Major Charity Adams and the Six Triple Eights is also inspiring. I would encourage persons of good will to keep the dream alive. Suppression or attempts to eradicate black history cannot stand.

James Robinett

Southwest side

GOP is not conservative

Can we finally stop calling the Republican Party conservative? Conservatism isn’t giving Elon Musk illegal access to our financial and medical records, Donald Trump’s use of illegal executive orders to circumvent Congress, and unpaid tax cuts for the rich that redistributed $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1% from 1981 to 2020, resulting in soaring economic inequality and massive deficits.

Conservatism isn’t believing 6 impossible conspiracy theories before breakfast, gaining power through voter suppression and gerrymandering, and getting rid of the environmental and consumer protection that make us all more free.

Conservatism isn’t letting absolute power corrupt absolutely through a unitary executive, using spectacle to inflame rather than solve issues, and disdaining compromise.

Conservatism is a resounding “yes” to preserving our republic and a resounding “no” to those who, masquerading as conservatives, are undermining the institutions and norms that form the bedrock of our republic.

Ron Nason

Midtown

DEI hire

Juan Ciscomani is “thrilled to join the DOGE Caucus ... led by Elon Musk” (Ciscomani Weekly Note of 12/10/24).

I guess Juan doesn’t realize that he probably is nothing more than a DEI hire by the GOP. He checks all the boxes: Hispanic/Latino, male, Christian.

However, Juan Ciscomani will never make it into the good ole White Boys Club. They will use him and spit him out once they’ve completed their coup of consolidating power and creating a dictatorship.

Why would Ciscomani want to assist in his own demise and the destruction of Congress under the smokescreen of cutting so-called “wasteful” programs? We know these funding freezes, program and personnel reductions and outright eliminations are designed to support tax cuts for the wealthy. Does Ciscomani really think his loyalty is going to be rewarded by the White Boys Club? Perhaps he will be rewarded in 2026 by the voters of AZ-06 who turn him out of office.

Karen Grinfeld

Oro Valley

Bills passed during new session

Is it possible to verify that 1,000 bills are presently before Arizona of which 98 have passed of which only 2 of that total were bills presented by Democrats. Can you fact check that?

While I am retired from a long corporate job in transportation and logistics for major airlines I kept busy leading hikes in the desert as a volunteer. I have lived in Tucson for over 15 years. I have traveled and worked overseas extensively in the last 40 years.

Cary Roper

Oro Valley

Mortified

The Founders feared authoritarian government above all else, thus constructed a firewall against any possibility of an authoritarian government. Amongst those few who still know, it was the separation of powers splitting power between the three legs of a stool, that gave government balance and prohibited any one leg from attaining absolute power over the people.

“If you got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will fallow,” a forecast that hung in the Nixon White House, now cemented in a Congress where their leg of the stool has mortified them into water-fetching lackeys.

Trump now goes for the second leg that bars absolute control.

Today, Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance condemned the judiciary, attacking their legitimacy, the final pillar of the separation of power’s protection against an authoritarian.

As the Vice-President said, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” While Musk added, judges who oppose him should be impeached.

When the people finally get it, don’t ...

Richard Kimball

Midtown

Horace Mann laid to rest

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the same school Trump attended and constantly trumpets as proof of his intellect, joined US News and World Report officially proclaiming studies that show the United States has surpassed both Germany and the United Kingdom (amongst all others) as the acknowledged greatest education system in the World.

With Trump’s praise, Musk now ends the most glorious effort, copied the world over. It was the 1830s when Horace Mann hit full stride, forever earning him the title The Father of American Education, on these principles:

1. The public should no longer remain ignorant.

2. Education should be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public.

3. Education will be best provided in schools that embrace children from a variety of backgrounds.

4. Education must be non-sectarian.

Why are we unable to understand that education, our ability to know, is the only thing that separates us from the lowliest of other species on the planet?

Richard Kimball

South Tucson

Idiots? Fools?

I am also tired of reading LTE’s that bash Trump. Letter writers — you will never convince the opposition that they are wrong by bashing their hero. Neither will you educate people who don’t already pay attention to the news. However, Mr. Goldfine’s letter (2/6/25) calling me an idiot and a fool convinces me that supporters of the MAGA crowd have no respect for me, or for anyone, who does not share their view. Only time (and a lot of it) will tell who is on the right side of history. But if we don’t remember what has happened in the past and we haven’t learned to recognize the current road signs, then I’m afraid we are “doomed to repeat it” as Winston Churchill said to the British House of Commons in 1948. That was 75 years ago, and I still mourn the shortsightedness of my family to have not called out despotism sooner.

Cindy Nachamkin

Northeast side

Unmanageable

As I watched the story of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and Trump, I realized that never in my lifetime could I have imagined that we would have a convicted felon president conducting a photo op while signing pardons for Blagojevich and other felons. I wonder if our founders could have ever foreseen individuals with the responsibilities of governing sinking to such depths.

Alan Barreuther

Foothills

Powerless

To those of you who feel that you can’t effect changes to your life, make decisions about your own future or feel you are tied to a chair in a house on fire during this government administration, please remember this feeling when you vote, as other people — minorities, those with a different sexual orientation, women and others frequently experience this feeling of utter helplessness to effect positive changes to their lives. Whether it’s unfair labor practices, an unjust law, prejudice, the inability to control your own sexual reproduction or government overreach, you may not be able to do anything. There is no current solution to these problems but to pay attention to what is happening in this country and seize every opportunity to support yourself and others towards a common goal — to recover lost freedoms and lost rights for ourselves and others.

Richard Rebl

East side

Common cents for a change?

Has hell frozen over? I read this morning that Trump had issued an order stopping the production of one cent coins. This is far down my list of common-sense government cost reduction moves, but it is the first (and probably only) Trump edict I’ll agree with. Next on my list would be to stop printing one- and two-dollar federal reserve notes. Coins are much more cost effective. Most of the world’s industrialized countries have recognized that the use of coins (and not paper) at the monetary unit level makes the most sense.

Patrick Mulloy

Oro Valley

Prop 414 neglects what we need

I staunchly revere our Public Safety Officers and departments, but diversions of taxpayers’ money by Tucson’s elected officials for their “pet” projects have starved our public safety departments of the vital resources to do their jobs. Before asking taxpayers for more money, the City must first meet its most basic obligations within the City charter — and right now it’s failing.

In addition to rampant retail theft and metal poaching, Tucson looks neglected and unkempt. Our streets are crumbling, and our copper-stripped streetlights leave roads dangerously under lit. Business corridors are anything but welcoming, with homeless encampments in medians and storefronts. Rather than pushing new initiatives, the Mayor and Council should focus on delivering core services that keep our city safe, clean, and inviting.

Tucson already operates on a $2.4 billion budget — residents deserve to see those dollars put to work before being asked to pay more. Vote no on Prop 414 and demand that our leaders clean up Tucson first.

Nancy Foreman

North side

We need smarter spending, not higher taxes

The first priority of any government is the safety and security of its citizens. Tucson should be able to properly fund our brave firefighters and police officers within its current $2.4 billion budget while also properly funding other essential city services.

Increasing the city sales tax through Prop 414 will make Tucson less competitive for businesses and unfairly continue to burden individual citizens and families already struggling with inflation. Instead of increasing taxes, I would like to see city leaders focusing on eliminating waste, streamlining operations, and finding innovative ways to generate revenue. Stronger partnerships with Pima County could also improve efficiency and ensure taxpayer dollars go further.

If Tucson wants to address affordable housing, homelessness, and community building, we need better fiscal management — not higher taxes. Prop 414 is not the solution. Let’s demand smarter spending and a more effective government. Vote No on Prop 414.

Richard Vaughan

North side

Challenge to the rule of law

Like many of his predecessors, President Trump has come to power with the intent to reform government. Unlike previous presidents, he seems to recognize no limits on his authority to do so. As president, he is the head of the executive branch of government sharing governmental authority with two other equal branches of government. He is not the CEO of America with unfettered power to unilaterally do whatever he wants. So far, only the courts have imposed any restraint but even this is being resisted. Vice President Vance declared, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” In fact, it is the Constitutional responsibility of the judicial branch of government to determine what is a “legitimate” exercise of executive power. President Trump says unfavorable court rulings “undermine the will of the people.” The role of the judiciary is not to follow the will of the people but to interpret and follow the law. Are these statements a harbinger of the defiance of law and judicial rulings to come?

John Leonardo

Midtown

Impeachment of Congressional Representative

People are asking what they can do if they are unhappy with the executive orders being signed by the new president, and I have been telling them that I did not know, but there must be something. If the Congress of the United States has the power to impeach the president if they are unhappy with him, do the people of individual state districts have the power to impeach their representative if they feel that representative is not truly representing the people, but just voting as a puppet of the president? What are the steps in that process? Is it an impeachment or is it a recall? Is it a special election? Do we need petitions to call for a special election? Somebody should be able to lead us in this process.

Phoebe Hoffman

East side