Election
Dr. Matt Heinz’ excellent editorial on Oct. 28 beautifully documents both the devastating effect of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill and brutal policies on the most vulnerable in our society, and the hope that the electorate can “end governance by cruelty.”
However, Trump has signaled, by prior statements and actions, that he has no intention to abide by the results of a “free and fair election.” He has had years to perfect how to sabotage it, and has purged from government anyone who might stop him. He can simply declare election fraud, sue and appeal endlessly in countless venues with the limitless resources of the federal government, and tie up the results for months. He can get his servile followers in state governments to falsely declare his candidates the winners. He has floated the idea of declaring a national emergency due to “election fraud” and canceling the elections, and of using the military (now purged at the top) against the American people. MAGA brethren, time to choose: Trump or democracy.
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Abraham R. Byrd III
North side
Naming rights
I didn't like the renaming of Arizona Stadium to Casino Del Sol Stadium, or McKale Center at Alkeme Arena. However, the nearly $90M that these two names bring into the university helps the university and, by extension, the city of Tucson. I would rather hear, "McKale Center at Alkeme Arena” announced than have a patch on every player's uniform of some business logo. Visible advertising on the jerseys of players is as tacky as it can be. Would you rather have a Jim Click logo on each jersey? Or how about a Raytheon logo? College sports have fallen into the war of money. The Pac-12 died due to the lack of this money. As an alum, I think the University of Arizona represents Tucson in the best way possible. I can live with the naming rights, but not logos on jerseys. Money keeps us competitive in college sports.
John Bingham
Northwest side
Local school use
Why not turn the soon-to-be empty schools into community centers? There are plenty of rooms, bathrooms and parking. I know for a fact that it is very difficult and expensive for groups in Tucson to find meeting places … stitching groups, quilting, etc. It would be wonderful for a group to have a designated room for their meeting supplies and libraries. When we lived in Japan, I taught cooking in several of these, and they were always bustling with people.
Barbara Lewis
Northeast side
Is hate worth this?
I’m adding to Dr. Matt Heinz great column (Oct. 28), about how Republicans tried balancing their Big Bill and deportation with the largest healthcare and services cuts in history, over $1 trillion dollars. We could’ve had bipartisan immigration reform in 2024. Trump stopped Republican votes to run on immigration. It's cost us!
Mass deportations cost an estimated $1 trillion dollars over a decade. How? Daily detentions $10 million; charter flights $17,000 per flight hour; border walls, detention warehouses, 31,000 additional ICE agents. Include other service personnel, costing us each $2,358 in taxes. Loss of GDP estimates? 6.8%. (In the Great Recession it was 4.3%.) Why? Loss of person power, raising families’ cost of living $2,150 annually. Taxes lose $97 billion annually. Social Security: Immigrants can’t collect, but we collect from them $26 billion annually, projecting 8.6% monthly cut for seniors by 2034.
There’s more, no room. Remember when voting: Decide policies on hate and hurt ourselves.
Nancy Jacques
Northeast side
Trans people aren't to be feared
It takes years of counseling and hormone treatments to make the transition before surgery.
I have known trans people, both male-to-female and female-to-male. No one imposed it on them. Most were adults when they decided they identified with the other gender. They are neighbors, co-workers or friends who are otherwise going about their lives like everyone else. Probably most people already know someone who is trans or gender dysphoric.
Gay men and lesbians once had to live in hiding. Now high school students know gay and lesbians and have come to accept them as normal. They know trans kids, too.
Conservative politicians want to use this as a wedge issue, thinking it is still shocking to people whom they consider unaware and resistant to change. It is new to some people, but it is not new to the world. People were getting gender reassignment surgeries in Europe and the U.S. over a hundred years ago.
Martin Plocke
Southwest side
Your chunk of power!
In a democracy, we are all given a little hard chunk of power. Your vote isn’t something you can sell, but you can choose to give it away. When you choose not to vote, your little chunk of power does not disappear; it simply moves on and increases the size and power of those that do vote to control your life.
Richard Kimball
Midtown
$90 Medicare check won't help much
My mailbox, inbox and voicemail are flooded with unwanted ads for Medicare plans for next year. I have traditional Medicare with an added drug prescription plan, and a supplement plan to cover what Medicare doesn't pay for. I recently got $90 deposited into my checking account to "help pay for increased costs." But that doesn't begin to cover how much more I will pay for Medicare health insurance in 2027 because of increases in premiums and deductibles totaling about $700. And I am still healthy enough that I don't need much medical care. Other retirees will be paying much more. Yes, I will be getting about $900 more in a COLA to my Social Security payments for the year, but that is supposed to cover inflation costs for all the other living expenses going up. So $90 is not much help for seniors. We need our legislators to fund Social Security and find real solutions for improving Medicare.
Peter Coston
Midtown
For whose benefit?
Warren Petersen, candidate for state attorney general, should explain to Arizona voters who exactly was behind his effort in the most recent legislative session to rush through legislation that makes it almost impossible for a spouse who has been disadvantaged by a postnuptial agreement to persuade a court that it should not be enforced.
The crux of my argument is that when Sen. Petersen appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to promote HB 2861 as a strike-everything amendment to an unrelated bill, he said it simply codified existing case law, but that statement is false.
For more than 50 years, Arizona courts have said the burden is on the proponent of a postnuptial agreement to show the disadvantaged spouse had not been coerced, that they understood the property involved and their rights in that property, and that the settlement was fair and equitable.
My question was, for whose benefit?
Russ Willis
Downtown
Republican principles under Trump
As the election approaches, I have one question: What happened to Republican principles?
Before Donald Trump, Republicans preached states’ rights, fiscal responsibility, free markets, lower taxes, free trade and strong alliances. Now, too many Republican leaders discard those beliefs to satisfy one man.
They championed states’ rights until Trump pressured Georgia officials to reverse his election defeat. They demanded fiscal discipline, yet national debt grew approximately $7.8 trillion during his first term, an increase of roughly 39% over the debt accumulated under every previous president combined. So far in this term, he has added another 4.3 trillion dollars to our children’s debt.
They praised free markets and lower taxes but defend tariffs paid by American importers, with costs passed to consumers. They promoted free trade but embrace Trump’s trade barriers. They valued dependable allies but excuse his threats to abandon NATO partners and his suspension of military assistance to Ukraine.
Republicans owe Americans an explanation: Why have yesterday’s sacred principles become expendable?
Lawrence E. Mazin, Ed.D.
SaddleBrooke
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