Tucson Speaks Out: July 8

Ciscomani guts veterans support

Rep. Ciscomani makes a big deal of his support for our Veterans. So why support: (1) drastically cutting the Veterans Administration workforce; and (2) gutting Medicaid that helps Veterans deal with physical and mental problems? With nearly 20 Veterans committing suicide per day, you would think that someone who never served in the Armed Forces would have more compassion for Veterans. Instead he uses them as a “punchline” in his newsletters.

Navy Veteran Juan Saro, disabled from a head injury that he suffered while at sea, depends on his service benefits and food stamps for groceries, housing and other basics for himself and two school-age children. But Rep. Ciscomani approved the “big, beautiful bill” that ends the monthly food assistance for Saro and tens of thousands of other Veterans.

Don’t tell me Ciscomani cares when he sponsors Veterans benefit amendments because he knows they will never get passed.

Richard Janik

East side

No representation for Arizona in Congress

Since the Republican votes were the only ones that were coveted for the recently passed and signed Big Bull Bill, why didn’t our Republican representatives — Eli Crane, Andy Biggs, David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani — bother to ask for things that mattered to Arizona to ensure their votes? Solar- and wind-powered electricity support, Medicaid protection, National Park protection and employee retention, and so much more, like Lisa Murkowski did in the Senate to buy her vote. No concessions for us. Our representation went down without a fight, just lip service expressing disappointment. No guts, no glory, no representation or fight for Arizona.

Christie Cummins

Midtown

Our country R.I.P.

What has happened to our country? A country once noted for generosity, inclusiveness, hope, prosperity for all and respected by all freedom loving countries. Our country used to honor those who served defending our freedom, scientists who created cures that saved lives cross the planet, statesmen like the Roosevelts, Truman, Eisenhower, Republicans who shunned debt, worked across the aisle and could never imagine a crooked, grifting sociopath sitting in the White House. Now we have their country where corruption runs rampant from the top down, a cabinet of incompetent and morally defective sucker uppers, where military heroes are demeaned, scientists are fired, intimidated, and needing personal bodyguards, and Supreme Court Justices who lie through their teeth and throw out decades of settled law like yesterday’s trash. Talk about activist judges. The Fox evil empire has successfully suckered in half the population by telling things they know to be lies to people they know to be idiots and made billions while doing it. Talk about radicalization. It’s now their country.

William Muto

SaddleBrooke

Leighton Rockafellow

I went to law school with Leighton Rockafellow. I have known him for decades. Not only is he a very personable guy, but he absolutely possesses every skill I think necessary to excel at the City Council job for which he is currently “applying.” Ms. Schubert also appears qualified for the job, but Leighton really stands out as the best candidate, and that’s why I support him.

Michael Price

Midtown

National Weather Service

They laid off 560 meteorologists to give billionaires their tax cuts then blamed the Weather Service when disaster struck. Typical Repuglicans. Hypocrites, all of them.

Terry Louck

East side

The MAGA headlock on the GOP

Several recent LTEs have questioned the plans and the resolve of progressive and liberal leaning voters to counter the headlock that Trump has on the Republican Party. A simple two-step approach is offered:

1) If you are a registered Independent, participate in the Republican primary and vote for anybody but the Trump-endorsed candidate (i.e.; Karrin Robson). Let the MAGA faction out-crazy themselves.

2) If you are a registered Democrat, vote, but don’t vote for anybody with an (R) next to their name.

Sheldon Clark

Vail

Energy

Another hilarious LTE from a science denialist. For a reference that might be a little closer to home for you than the world-wide scientific consensus on the effects of the carbon in the atmosphere that now equals that of the Pliocene (google it) era is caused by humans and will be catastrophic to all life on this planet, try the Exxon studies. Research the work of the Hill and Knowlton or Edelman public relations companies that convinced you and a bunch of politicians that climate science is junk after giving up on convincing people that tobacco is good for you. Joe Rogan has not read that report in the Washington Post, Bernie has. You, sir, are the alarmist.

Cynthia Duncan

Midtown

This doesn’t add up

Help me understand. The Trump Administration and their lapdog Congressional minions have passed the new budget. But despite all of the firings of decent workers; the ending of scientific research projects; the reduction in services from FEMA, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and education; the disbanding of most weather-related warning systems; the elimination of tax breaks for the everyone except billionaires; the budget promises at last a $3.3 trillion dollar increase in the national debt. Can you explain that? If you can’t, perhaps you should refrain from giving money to Republican candidates in the future. Republicans should be able to get their funds from the savings to their billionaire friends and not annoy those of us who will be paying more taxes each year.

Cynthia Schiesel

East side

Canadians

Well, first I learned that Hudbay, the corporate entity that is on a quest to strip mine the Santa Ritas, drain our aquifer, and pollute our air, is a Canadian corporation. Now I find out that TEP, the greedy dark force that pays no attention to consumers and is dedicated to gouging ever-higher rates from Tucsonans, is also part of a Canadian corporation. What gives? I thought, like most people in the world, that Canadians were morally superior and cuddly snow bunnies and were kind and decent. Now I discover that they are not very nice after all. My illusions are shattered.

Ray Lemke

Midtown

A better CD7 choice

While I largely agree with the majority of Democrats in CD7 that Adelita Grijalva’s progressivism is far preferable to the Daniel Hernandez corporatist approach to politics, I have to conclude that the historically troubled times we live in calls for a heightened energy that can only come from a younger generation who also understands the past all too well. So, when Deja Foxx observes that her leading opponent in the CD7 contest having gotten every establishment Democratic Party endorsement as indicative of a liability, it speaks volumes. Any of these people are better than the coarse anachronism the GOP serves up in these CD7 contests, mind you. But we’ve got a chance to really break from the past this time. I invite all eligible within the district to cast their votes for Deja Foxx in the July 15th primary. She’s smart, willing to fight for us and more than ready to do so.

Benjamin Nead

Bisbee

Alligator steak anyone?

I may be wrong but to the best of my knowledge prisons across the country have stores that sell prisoner-made items such as hats, gloves, signs, artwork, leather and furniture goods. Now if nobody has thought of this yet I suggest that the new Alligator Auschwitz in the Everglades set up a program where inmates can produce and sell Trump items: gold coins, memorabilia, memes, Xmas ornaments, toilet brushes, MAGA hats, etc. I also have heard that inmates are quite clever in producing “Jail hooch” from fermented fruits. Substitute fruits with potatoes and voila! A vodka maybe reviving the old Trump recipe that sold so well. No problem getting the goods, just get the picked-up picker prisoners a furlough to Idaho to pick the potatoes and pack them back to Florida. And, just thinking — alligator steaks?

Of course the Trump family would demand a nice dividend from these sales but what the heck, one hand washes the other.

Angela Muto

SaddleBrooke

Responsibility

To every individual in government that aided in the elimination of personnel and agencies that kept America and Americans safe, Vice President Vance acknowledges your lack of responsibility as “in a Saturday morning post on X, writing, “Our nation’s heart breaks for the victims in Texas and their families. Just an incomprehensible tragedy.” Actually, it is fully comprehensible as the people that kept us safe are being removed to enhance the wealth of President Trump and his cronies; this is but the first — but not the last —tragedy that will occur.

Thousands of technical experts provided the necessary guidance and expertise that prevented similar disasters, who are now looking for other work – usually in an unrelated field.

The loss of both worker and expertise will never be replaced, much like the fired nuclear technicians that safeguarded our nuclear weapons; if you depend on the government to keep you safe, a better option is to take responsibility into your two hands — the experts are gone.

Richard Rebl

East side

Climate change

A recent LTE said we shouldn’t be moving to clean energy because India and China continue to pollute. It’s an asinine stance. As a child in 50s I learned that because others are doing wrong things it didn’t give me a pass. When you look at record temperatures across this country and Europe, increased storm activity, all the deaths in Texas from flooding, to continue Trump’s energy policy is unconscionable for us, our children and grandchildren.

Craig Miller

Northwest side

Whining

There are countless LTEs blaming Juan Ciscomani and Donald Trump for all the world’s evils. The election has been over for nine months.

Rather than cry over spilled milk let’s solve current problems:

1. The socialist-backed City takeover of Tucson’s electric utility.

2. Free Sun Tran.

3. City government’s inability to deal with rampant shoplifting, houseless issues, and violent crime.

4. The illegal way city council members are elected.

Scott Thompson

East side

Hitting the trifecta

Well, the Star’s opinion editors hit the trifecta on Sunday, June 6th by printing all opinion articles by three left-wing writers, namely Mort Rosenblum, Terry Bracy and Mort Ganeles. Predictably, all three opinions were anti-Trump, led by Rosenblum’s preposterous linkage of Trump with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, comparing Trump’s sons with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s evil sons and asserting that Trump is leading a coup d’etat with a complicit US Congress. That’s not rational opinion, it’s borderline paranoia.

To their credit, Messrs. Bracy and Ganeles focused their criticisms on the One Big Beautiful Bill, with just minor, for liberals, sideswipes at Trump. The Star’s byline for Mr. Rosenblum describes him as a “renowned journalist.” Renowned means “to be widely known and admired, typically for a specific, positive achievement or quality.” When it comes to Mr. Rosenblum, I strongly disagree with that accolade.

Steve Sollenberger

Foothills

Illegal panhandling

In Tucson, look at any busy intersection and you’ll see people dangerously panhandling from center medians. Why doesn’t the City take proactive action and paint “no panhandling” on the concrete? Many offenders are ignorant of the prohibition concerning this behavior but most can read. It just might save lives and allow the police to focus on violent crime.

Mark Anderson

West side