Tucson Speaks Out: Aug. 20 letters of the day

Since World War II, there have been seven Democratic presidents and six Republican presidents. How have they done on the economy?

• Real GDP growth: Democrats 4.33%, Republicans 2.54%
• Job Creation rates: Democrats 2.59%, Republicans 1.17%
• Unemployment rate: Democrats 5.64%, Republicans 6.01%
• Inflations rate: Democrats 2.89%, Republicans 3.44%
• Budget deficit % of GDP: Democrats 2.09%, Republicans 2.78%
• Stock market S&P 500 annual return: Democrats 8.35%, Republicans 2.70%
• Corporate Earnings (earnings per share): Democrats 12.8%, Republicans 1.8%

In our current political environment it’s even more stark:

• Real GDP growth: Biden 3.43%, Trump 1.42%
• Unemployment rate: Biden 3.9%, Trump 6.4%

When polls show people favor Republicans on the economy, it makes you wonder. On every measure Democratic administrations have done better.

Donald Brown

Foothills

LGBTQ rights vs Project 2025

The administration can assert that federal civil rights laws don’t cover anti-LGBTQ discrimination. This would strip LGBTQ people from the protections against losing housing, insurance, medical care, education, and a range of other federal programs. Thousands of LGBTQ people would lose the right to live freely without fear. The extreme push for these policies has the potential to even criminalize gender nonconformity, by equating transgender people with being obscene. Mr. Trump has already vehemently opposed the Equality Act, which ensured that existing civil rights protections cover sexual orientation and gender identity in the way that they do for race, disability, veteran status, and more. The Trump administration also blocked job protections for LGBTQ people, insisting that employers should be free to fire workers for their sexual orientation or gender identity. I believe whether you agree with someone’s life’s choices; they are not for someone else to take away.

Kelley Benson

Southeast side

Karrin Taylor Robson has a credibility problem

Re: the Aug. 16 article “Kamala Harris has a credibility crisis.”

In a sign of the GOP’s decline, Karrin Taylor Robson, who ran against MAGA Kari Lake in 2022’s Republican primary, has not only endorsed Lake for U.S. Senate but also is calling Kamala Harris “not fit to be President.”

She says Harris is dodging the press. Well, she’s been a bit busy introducing herself to huge crowds during her three-week candidacy. Then Robson talks about what a nightmare the economy supposedly would be if Harris were elected. Never mind that inflation is at a four-year low, the stock market at record highs, and unemployment just over 4%.

Robson’s final attack on Harris is her record as the so-called “Border Czar,” which she wasn’t and isn’t. Robson refers to a “border bloodbath” and resurrects anti-immigrant fear-mongering to further her misleading claim that Harris “has zero credibility to sit in the Oval Office.”

I’d say that if Robson prefers a lying felon in the Oval, it’s Robson who has a credibility problem.

Karen Schickedanz

Oro Valley

A question of credibility? Really?Re: the Aug. 16 article “Kamala Harris has a credibility crisis.”

I could barely make it through Karrin Taylor Robson’s lame and predictable regurgitation of Cult 45s talking points with the usual distorted views of facts and reality. But as a Republican, she is certainly familiar with hypocrisy and lies. It’s page 1 of the GOP playbook, and her guy is the master of this tactic.

No one thinks Kamala Harris is perfect, but simply consider the alternative. She’s not a convicted felon, nor has she ever been found guilty of fraud or sexual assault. She has never attempted a coup or stolen secret documents. She’s not a draft dodger who regularly exhibits disdain for our veterans and military, who also is cozy with and envious of authoritarians. She doesn’t have a Project 2025 that clearly illustrates your party’s ambitions to undermine the Constitution and our Government norms. She’s not the one who blocked the bipartisan plan to address our border issues. She not a delusional old white man. Time to rethink your own credibility for supporting Trump.

Stanley Steik

Midtown

Netanyahu is the wrong person to lead Israel

Netanyahu is the wrong person to lead Israel. He is under indictment for breach of trust, accepting bribes and fraud. It is in his interest to keep the war going. His direction for massive bombing of homes, hospitals and schools, killing over 40,000 civilians is atrocious and not worthy of a country whose people experienced the holocaust. It has led to failed negotiations impacting the hostages and any discussion that could lead to an end of hostilities. There is no discussion of a two-state solution. Netanyahu is supported by the religious right wing which has promoted his illegal West Bank settlements. The Israeli people must demand new elections to rid themselves of this very destructive prime minister if there is ever to be peace for Israel and indeed the Middle East.

Michael Mount

Foothills

Let’s make a deal

I confess, I am a liberal. That said, to any Conservative I offer the following: “Let’s Make A Deal.” Before I cast my ballot in November I promise to watch one full hour of Fox, you name the program and read 100 pages of Project 2025, you pick the pages, if you promise that before you cast your ballot you will watch one segment of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC and one segment of The Daily Show with John Stewart on Comedy Central, both are on Monday. I agree not to mute my TV, or wear ear plugs or earmuffs and won’t hum while watching Fox if you make the same promise when you watch TRMS and the Daily Show. Deal or no deal? Nobody? Is it as Jack Nicholson shouts in In a Few Good Men, “you can’t handle the truth!”

Dave Glicksman

Northwest side

Anti-Lake commercials

Just saw a commercial that is anti-Lake and the first claim is that she is dividing the voters, kinda like Hillary Clinton and the “Trump supporters are deplorables.” Funny how when the people you like do something it is okay but if the opposition do the same thing, it is evil. The other lies like White Supremacy or Holocaust deniers are used by other negative liberals. The big one is Pro-Life, with the claim that women just want to control their own bodies. The real question relates to how do women get pregnant if they actually control their bodies? It was a lack of control that resulted in the pregnancy, now they need the abortion to fix the problem created by their control. However, it takes two to tango so maybe we need medical science to find ways to avoid pregnancy that is reversible for both women and men. But do we want science to work on this problem or climate change?

Loran Hancock

Northwest side

J.D. Vance

Dear Editor,

Re: the Aug. 18 letter “Liberals’ fixation with one word.”

I have to admit that I agree with the letter writer: J.D. Vance is indeed impressive. He has made a truly awful impression on this liberal! He has alienated so many women, like myself, who refuse to be valued by society only in terms of our children or grandchildren; he has deeply offended many of my childless friends, some by choice, others who wanted kids but were not able to have them. He has really annoyed the Cat Nation — my two cats certainly do not think highly of him — and he is the biggest flip-flopper in the world. He formerly loathed Trump and publicly said so many times. Now, he’s just another bootlicker, vying for power by throwing in his lot with the truly deranged, dangerous, and yes, weird, Donald Trump. Vance is impressive all right, in a really weird, creepy way!

Anne Lane

Northeast side

New media darling

It seems only about two months ago, the national media was trying to dodge the fact that Kamala Harris was going to be on the Democratic ticket. Then suddenly by anointment, Kamala is our saving grace. With no executive experience, she is rolling out an economic plan similar to the failures in USSR, Venezuela and Argentina, and the press is lauding praise, see the Star Opinion page. Remember what happened when Nixon put in price controls, it led Carter to administer the worst recession, energy price hikes and general misery. Be careful before falling for the Harris/Waltz hype, it is built on ultra radical left-wing socialism.

Don Flood

Green Valley

Deciding is easy!

Put me in a cave until election day so that I don’t have to hear all this political propaganda. I’ve already made up my mind with little chance of changing it. It’s an easy decision. I will vote for whoever is running against Trump. In this case it would be Kamala, hands down. Trump’s negative demeanor and tendency to spew angry rhetoric, his lack of integrity and morals, shows that he is not deserving to have our highest office. I’m not a big fan of Kamala. I never had thought of her as presidential material. I see her as being aloof, but she has integrity, morals, with more intelligence than Trump, and she’s got my vote. I disdain the stupidity of MAGA supporters for supporting such an ignorant, angry, lying, cheating and scandalous individual as in Trump. I often wonder if their beliefs originate from Russian propaganda, after all, their major news source, FOX, have been caught distorting and lying about news events.

Troy Watson

East side

A choice

Please understand the importance and significance of our national election. You are not voting for a president. Rather, you are choosing a system of government for our nation.

Do you want to be a participant and enjoy the freedoms of a democracy? Or, do you want to be a subject and live under the restrictions of an autocracy?

You have a choice — this time.

Mike Dant

Green Valley

Calling Trump weird is verboten? Get a life!

As you’ve heard, Trump is having a fit because, since Kamala Harris entered the race, none of his derogatory and insulting “nicknames” have caught on. Known for nicknaming everyone, those he cast at Harris haven’t worked.

He even has a podcast for which he could mass communicate these aspersions and defamations. No success. “Kamala Krash,” “Laughing Kamala,” “Nasty Kamala doesn’t have a clue,” (as an insult, saying) “She has one major asset. She’s a beautiful woman, but I’m better looking than she appears to be.” “She’s a liar,” the term “an idiot” is often used.

Add to Trump’s insults, “Lunatic,” “Communist, “She is ignorant,” “She is incompetent,” “She is stupid,” “Kamabla,” “Dumb as a rock,” “Is she Indian or is she Black?” Of course, “I never knew she was Black till now.” “She’s not a smart woman,” “No one respects her.”

However, according to many contributors calling Trump and Vance “Weird” is verboten and detrimental to children? Give me a break.

Sheldon Metz

Northeast side

The fix is on

Rather than refraining from a presidential campaign based on denigration of his opponent, and offering a clear, coherent vision for the USA, Trump and Vance have chosen a platform of vilification and disparagement. It seems that true MAGAts really enjoy this, even though it has nothing to do with a course of action that could put the USA on an improved trajectory.

In the face of the challenge from a much younger and fresher Kamala Harris, Trump/Vance have resorted to laying the grounds for election denial, even this far in advance of the election. Running scared! While polls, for the most part, show a groundswell of support for Harris/Walz, they are now deemed to be “fake polls,” just like “fake news,” not because they are inaccurate, but because they don’t favor Trump/Vance.

You can be sure that election results will also be denied. “Fake results” are on the way.

Scott Lukomski

Northeast side

A week of love and joy

Do Americans really care about the Democratic National Convention?

It’s just another overrated and overpriced political dog and pony show, which a CNN analyst recently informed us was organized by a Black woman.

I’ll be shocked if all 13 inches of RuPaul’s bedazzled platform-heeled feet don’t erupt from stage left — gown sequins sparking in a profusion of rainbow lights! — as the LGBTQ icon lip syncs to an amped-up version of the Judd’s 1990 classic “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

I envision a retinue of puberty-blocked children twirling in the backwash of RuPaul’s fabulousness, blowing joy-drenched glitter into the dazed mouths of glossy-eyed delegates.

Who knows, maybe this really will be an extravaganza for the ages, as the marquee headliner herself, Kamala Harris, takes to center stage and starts spitting bars from her favorite living rapper: Tupac.

Scott R. Hammond

Downtown