Tucson Speaks Out: Feb. 9 letters of the day

I am an American Jew. My parents migrated from Russia and Poland in the late 1800s. They were uneducated. In junior high school most of the kids were Black and Asian. In my 82 years I’ve only had three or four incidences of racism. My Dad had to work overseas for several years to support the family. My wife and I now live in SaddleBrooke. There are some Blacks and Asians living here also. My point is we all wave and say hello to each other. We all get along. The next time you’re out shopping and you see someone of another culture, please go up say hello to them.

Phil Cohen

Northwest side

Migrants carrying contagious diseases

CNN did a report on the rising rate of measles detected in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Georgia. The “carriers” just identified as a person who recently traveled outside the U.S. Reports of tuberculosis, polio, chickenpox etc., have been reported.

Contagious diseases that were essentially eradicated in the U.S. with widespread vaccinations. But what about the millions of foreign migrants that have entered the country illegally and been released from custody by the Border Patrol? They have come from over 100 countries, many with no national vaccination plans.

During the COVID pandemic, foreign migrants were released from CBP and DHS custody having COVID. These federal agencies have been secretive about the numbers of migrants encountered and released from custody with contagious diseases.

The fact is that migrants are just casually screened for medical issues at the border. No thorough examinations are done as opposed to those who immigrate here legally. Common sense dictates that this is a serious public health problem that the Biden administration continues to ignore.

Stella Murphy

Midtown

How about a Senate panel on gun violence?

I was pleased to see Mark Zuckerberg and the other social media execs get dressed down in a non-partisan way by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Lindsey Graham went so far as to say that they “have blood” on their hands and that, “You have a product that is killing people.” Zuckerberg, to his credit, turned around and apologized to the gallery of families whose children had been affected.

I hope that next week we will see a hearing where a similar committee confronts a panel of gun company execs (who sell “a product that is killing people”), the head of the NRA, and pro-gun politicians who also “have blood on their hands” for refusing to do anything meaningful within their power to control the proliferation of guns in our country.

Peter Bourque

Midtown

Trump’s legal fees

In 2023 Donald Trump paid out over $50 million of politically donated money in attorney fees. There are at least 10 national holidays each year.

That leaves exactly 50 five-day work weeks each year.

Trump paid one million dollars a week to attorneys. That is $200,000 each work day. That is $25,000 an hour.

That means if I donated $1,000 to Donald Trump’s political campaign last year, I paid for just over four minutes of his attorney’s fees.

I have better use of my money.

Muriel Larson

Green Valley

It’s about education, not sports

Judging by the letters in the Star it seems President Robbins has his detractors concerning the athletic programs. When Dr. Robbins was hired the question that should have been asked was “What is the most important aspect of a university? Is it advancing knowledge or preparing athletes for professional sports teams?”

In an interview with the Star, Dr. Robbins said “This happened on my watch I’m responsible for it.” He also said “layoffs can’t be avoided” so he’s going to look at every organization. But no mention of how sports programs will be affected even when sports cause the problem. Funny in a real business, the departments that are losing money are the ones who feel the pain. But not at the UA. James Carville once said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” For Robbins it should be education.

Clyde Steele

Oro Valley

Not the best candidates

Re: the Feb. 5 letter “Biden versus Trump?”

Yes there sure must be more people qualified to run for president than the two we know of now! Are they just too scared of the prospect? Way too bad for our country!

Gail Powell

Northwest side

Profound ignorance, really!

How often did Donald Trump practice his Hitler glare before his arraignment photo? In December a letter writer dismissed authoritarian threats to our democracy because of the complexity of establishing elements of absolute rule. Hitler was not an absolute ruler before he became German Chancellor; however, he used that powerful position to establish the machinery of autocracy.

Trump already enjoys some absolutist elements in nascent form: support of the media (Fox News) and support of business (mega-donor support like oil billionaire Tim Dunn, who gave Trump $5 million). Besides rabid MAGA, Trump has the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 to turn the federal bureaucracy MAGA, which Hitler did not have.

It would be “profound ignorance” to underestimate Trump, as he claims total immunity from the rule of law, so he can “terminate the Constitution,” activate the Insurrection Act against civil disobedience and use the DOJ against opponents. Believe Trump when he says who he is and wants to be!

Ronald Pelech

Midtown

Wasting time as a Republican

How amazing to hear House Republicans telling Senate Republicans to not waste time working on a bipartisan bill about immigration, because the House will only block it. This comes from the House Republicans wasting time and money trying to impeach both President Biden and one of his cabinet. They have been told time and again they have no valid charges to impeach either. And aren’t these the same Republicans trying to hang Hunter Biden out to dry?

Hey Republicans, you all have been wasting time the last three years doing nothing for the country. You wasted all that time trying to make Trump an illegitimate president in 2020. Maybe it is time to try to do some responsible things for the United States of America. Remember us!

Carl Olson

West side

Animals in the wild

To my MAGA friends. The lion you follow is a hyena.

Ron Lancaster

North side

Clear and present danger

New ending for the Tom Clancy movie with Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan. In this ending, Jack tells the evil Republican President he will take his malfeasance up the hill. He does, and a Republican ethics committee takes the information and awards the evil President a medal. Does anyone else see the true ‘Clear and Present Danger’ now?

Thad Appelman

Northwest side

Goodbye GOP

The party of Lincoln has lost its way. Republicans are now like lemmings following their leader over a cliff to oblivion. Unable to develop anything like a creative and worthwhile ideal, they are following a hateful and despicable leader who is destroying their unity, resolve and fortunes.

At this time, we should call them the party of hatemongers. Perhaps in a couple of years they can reconstruct themselves into the party of fiscal caring, patriotic loyalty and compassion. May God continue to bless America with such clear choices; between haters on the one hand and lovers of democracy and human rights on the other.

Viva liberty, democracy et fraternity!

Vincent Allen

Northwest side

7 places to cut overpaid University executives

University of Arizona officials finally presented an actual plan to address the school’s $177 million deficit, saying the cuts would start in administration. One goal is to reduce bureaucracy, and the university should begin with the most overpaid vice presidents, chiefs and deans:

Michael Dake, the senior vice president for health sciences, makes $958,000.

Michael Abecassis, the dean of the College of Medicine, makes $822,000.

Karthik Kannan, the dean of the Eller College of Management, makes $620,000.

Laura Johnson, the senior vice president for legal affairs, makes $454,000.

Jonathan Dudas, the chief of staff who acts as the university’s point person with the regents and other universities, makes $454,000.

Shane Burgess, the vice president and dean of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, makes $411,000.

Craig Henderson, the vice president of the Executive Office, makes $281,000.

The university is not a defense contractor, hedge fund, or Silicon Valley tech company and should not pay the bloated salaries of execs in those industries.

Larry Bodine

Foothills

Formula for a positive future

Anarchy is a way of making decisions by might.

Proper government avoids anarchy by providing means to compromise without the use of might. Government consists of the legislative branch, which creates laws representing the best needs of the voters, the executive branch, which enforces laws equally, and the judicial branch which determines fairly if the laws have or have not been followed.

The Constitution, which sets up the government, indicates that any legislator who does not represent the interests of their voters, any one from the executive branch, who does not execute the laws equally, or any justice who does not apply the laws fairly, are in violation of supporting the Constitution and should at the very least not be able to continue their position under the law.

Either you support the Constitution and the government it created or get out of the way of those law-abiding citizens who only desire life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Stephen Weiss

Oracle

Sinema cries wolf

Sinema went on Fox News to say “in Arizona this isn’t politics, guys, this our daily life,” that lack of “border security” is “devastating” to Southern Arizona.

That’s political fearmongering. Life goes on. Gem Show and snowbirds bring prosperity. New homes, apartments and hospitals are under construction. Speeding drivers, not immigrants, kill pedestrians at a record rate. Incompetent U of A administrators are devastating to the university. Fossil fuel dependence brings record heat that’s devastating to Tucsonans. The border has long been an important local and national issue but it doesn’t disrupt most people’s everyday lives in Southern Arizona. To say so is disingenuous and the words of a desperate political animal.

John Stark

Southeast side

Womansplaining mansplaining

I was amused to read Faculty Senate Chair Leila Hudson’s womansplaining President Robbins’ “tone-deaf mansplaining.” If it is OK to use sexist terminology like mansplaining, I would like to call attention to the crazy political womansplainings of Kari Lake and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Alan Rubens, MD

Northeast side

U of A athletic director

Why is the U of A looking to spend a ton of money looking for a new athletic director? You have the perfect replacement right under your nose. Mike Candrea!

You will never find someone with more work ethic and honesty than Coach Candrea. My daughter spent two years under him at U of A softball and we always admired how he can motivate people, be humble, and never gives up. Always very hands on and hard working AND he absolutely loves the U of A. I don’t know if he wants the job, but he’s definitely got my whole family’s vote.

Joe Martinez

West side

Deceptively dangerous

A bill to allow anyone with a concealed weapons permit to carry their guns on our public university campuses is making its way through the Arizona Legislature.

SB1198 is deceptively dangerous, relying on the lack of public awareness of the permitting process in Arizona. The truth is, the Department of Public Safety no longer has any role in establishing and overseeing any training requirements.

No live-fire training is needed. Permits are available online that can be completed in as little as an hour. There are currently over 450,000 active Arizona permits, with zero transparency into the qualifications of those who have them.

Arizona recognizes concealed weapons permits from all 50 states, so our laws apply to anyone in the country with a concealed weapons permit. With university campuses already experiencing protests and unrest, adding concealed weapons to the mix is dangerous and irresponsible.

Meg Pradelt

Foothills

Ciscomani committed to fixing immigration

As a resident of Tucson, I see the impacts of America’s failed immigration system every day.

It breaks my heart to know that, each year, millions of people choose to seek a better life in America by crossing into the country illegally.

Not only are these people putting their lives in danger when they traverse through the desert, these immigrants often encounter cartel members along the way — and sometimes have to pay large fees in order to continue on their way without further danger.

As an immigrant himself, Congressman Juan Ciscomani understands our broken immigration system and he can empathize with other foreign nationals who seek a better life in America.

While I am in support of securing our border, we must recognize that — with an improved immigration system — there’d be far fewer incentives to immigrate to the country illegally. Rep. Ciscomani knows this as well, and I am grateful for his commitment to fix our immigration system so others, like himself, may one day enjoy the American Dream.

Elizabeth Gonzalez Gann

North side