Trump’s lies
Re: the June 30 article “Biden was terrible, but fact-free Trump lied on cue.”
Mort Rosenblum’s guest opinion was spot-on. Yes, Biden was pretty bad. But Trump lied over and over again, and it is surprising and worrying that the press doesn’t report more on this. Perhaps it is because Trump lies so frequently that we’ve all become inured to it. Over 300 lies in the 90-minute debate according to CNN fact-checkers! Here’s a sample: he took credit for the insulin price decrease for seniors that Biden is responsible for; he stated that Biden endorses eight, nine and even after-birth abortions; Trump said that he has had the best environmental record and the best economy, neither of which are even close to true. He denied calling veterans “suckers and losers” or calling the white supremacists at Charlottesville “fine people”. Trump supporters, do you really want a convicted felon who lies constantly as president?
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Melanie Bell
Midtown
All hat, no management
When I first heard the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office had not been audited in over 16 years, that old Texas saying came to mind — “All hat and no cattle.”
The county’s previous sheriffs are good at strutting around in their cowboy hats but not so good at running the office. We don’t need a sheriff who plays dress up and rants about politics. We don’t need more cowboys; we need law enforcement professionals.
Patrick Melvin doesn’t wear a cowboy hat and he doesn’t strut. His 38 years of experience are more than all the other candidates combined. He’s not play acting at being sheriff, he’s a REAL sheriff and he takes it very seriously. I wish the others in the race would too.
Pinal County Sheriff should, first and foremost, know how manage the office. Budgets and performance matter! The last few sheriffs are nothing more than pretenders seeking celebrity and higher office.
Jim Lombardo
Oro Valley
Thank you Mad Moms
Re: the July 10 article “New mental health laws in Arizona give families hope.”
Thanks to the Arizona Mad Moms for their tenacious advocacy for mental health laws that will help ensure that people with serious mental illness get better treatment and thanks to the Arizona Daily Star for giving the story front page status, to to inform of laws to correct what the group states, “is a severely broken state system that has left their children needlessly unhoused, incarcerated, and in some cases, dead.”
I am the mother of a young adult with a history of serious mental illness. Within weeks of his arrival in Arizona he was hospitalized and for the first time since illness began 10 years ago, incarcerated. The Mad Moms organizer stated “Mothers have become the new asylums.” I regret letting him out of mine. Aging Moms sometimes have no choice. But giving powerful drugs and releasing with little support is as wrong as the actions for which he is accused while under their influence.
Sincerely, a Mad Mom from NYS
Barbara Tifft
Midtown
Vote Conover for long-term solutions
Pima AG Laura Conover has tried since the beginning of her term to act to reduce the crime rate for the long term! Her opponent has followed the lesser path — to mainly punish wrongdoers without trying to address root causes. Anyone convicted of a felony has very poor prospects in the future if they spend months or years in prison without receiving education and training that could help them earn a living at a fair wage without resorting to crime again. Let’s break the cycle and look ahead, not just backwards.
John Glaspey
West side
This whimsical mural in Himmel Park was designed and painted by local and nationally-renowned artist Joe Pagac.
Drinking fountains at Himmel Park
Kudos to the hard-working Tucson Parks Department staff for keeping Himmel Park clean and attractive. My dog and I walk the park at 6 a.m. and again at sunset almost every day. Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that the drinking fountains have been shut down one by one. That includes the fountains that surround the grassy spaces where the soccer fields are located (an area equivalent to four city blocks). The last working fountain in that area sprung a leak last month and has been permanently shut off. The Ward 6 office contacted the Parks department on my behalf. It turns out that Parks has limited funding to replace the fountains and they’re working on a master plan. In the meantime, it’s hot out there. This is summer and this is Tucson. We’re dealing with triple digit temperatures. Kids and families use the park. We need intelligently spaced functioning drinking fountains in the park.
Jose Arizpe
Midtown
Democrats have nothing to be ashamed of
U.S. Democrats have a honest and good person running for the good of our country.
VP Harris is not a convicted felon, rapist, man hater, liar, crooked businessperson like the Republicans have nominated for president.
How can a party be so blind and hateful to want to put a person with his character up for election?
The man is all about himself and has no remorse about the terrible things he has done.
Mike Johnston is a weak knee untruthful person follows Trump bend over with his nose just inches away from Trumps behind. The circus is in town and it is all Republican.
Patrick Allen
West side
A bridge too far
This writer has been a contributor to the Letters To The Editor for many years. I mostly disagree with him but I always read his letters because until now, I have considered him to be a responsible commentator and it is good to hear “the other side of the story”. However, his latest letter attacking Yassamin Ansari is truly out of bounds.
The writer accuses her in derogatory language and context of not being a “native Arizonan”? Methinks that would include a very substantial segment of our “non-asylum” seeking population. Should we all self-deport? Further, he accuses Ms. Ansari of bringing “foreign political attitudes with her” with no examples to supposedly illustrate both the fact and reasonableness of such “attitudes”. What could those attitudes be? Hmmm, maybe “democracy”. I can now see why the letter writer might think that is a “foreign political attitude”. Moderation, Mr. letter writer, Moderation!
Michael Price
Midtown
Something wrong with this Harris picture
Within 24 hours of President Biden’s withdrawing from seeking re-election, Vice President Kamala Harris became the new nominee. 2500 unelected, appointed, states’ delegates switched their choice from Biden to Harris. She has been coronated as the Democratic Party presidential nominee without one vote having been cast for her or having won one primary. Her name was not on primary ballots as a presidential candidate. Democrats railed at the Electoral College and sought its elimination after Trump won the 2016 election by Electoral vote, but not the popular vote. Now the same thing essentially occurred with appointed Delegates nominating Harris, with no complaints. And just who are these Delegates? For both parties they are donors, activists, party leaders, etc. Millions of Democrat voters across the country had absolutely no say in who should have replaced Biden. Granted most would have voted for Harris, but there was no Democratic choice or process. As far as I am concerned, Kamala Harris is an illegitimate Presidential nominee picked by party elites, not by voters.
Ivan Stanski
Marana
Madame Vice President
A few questions if I may. First, after six months of assuring the nation that Joe Biden was as sharp as a tack how do explain your statements attesting to that fact. Were you lying or did not know? Fourteen million Democratic primary voters were disenfranchised when party leaders and George Clooney pushed out Biden. What are your thoughts on that? Something just feels wrong to me about this whole situation. Hopefully, the media will report honestly and not go into another version of Obama-mania. But I have my doubts.
Mark Moral
East side
An open note to President Joe Biden
Mr. President: You are, and will remain, my President until Inauguration Jan. 20, 2025.
Please continue to devote your full attention to Presidential duties, with assistance as needed from your able advisors, until Inauguration. Your experience and self-sacrifice are essential to good, unselfish governance in this period of transition.
Thank you for your wisdom and dignity in withdrawing from the campaign, allowing room for a very capable Vice President to campaign for the Presidency, and allowing you to continue to focus on being President now.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Ila Abernathy
Midtown
What’d we do before plastic?
Per a new study published in Environmental Science and Technology, microplastics are found throughout the human reproductive system, including the uterus, where life is developed and nourished for roughly nine months until birth. Microplastics have also been detected in the endometrial tissue of women who have suffered multiple miscarriages, per the study. The impact of plastic on future fertility and our overall health is unknown.
Currently, a metric ton of plastic waste exists for every person on this planet!
What did our great grandparents do before plastics were introduced for our convenience and the fossil fuel industry’s profits? They reused/refilled containers on hand. We can return to responsible consumption habits, including reusing /refilling what we already have, buying non-plastic items whenever alternatives are available. We can elect city, county and state lawmakers willing to build a zero-waste infrastructure. We must hold fossil fuel producers accountable for inundating us with toxins in forever chemicals (i.e. plastics).
Our current path is unsustainable. Time for change: plasticfreejuly.org
Barb Reuter
Southeast side
Black Lives Matter condemns Harris coronation
Black Lives Matter (BLM), an organization that Kamala Harris supported during the summer protests of 2019 that cost $2 billion in rioting damages in 140 cities, has denounced her coronation as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. On July 23, they released a statement, “Black Lives Matter demands that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) immediately host an informal, virtual snap primary across the country prior to the DNC convention in August. We call for the Rules Committee to create a process that allows for public participation in the nomination process, not just a nomination by party delegates. The current political landscape is unprecedented, with President Biden stepping aside in a manner never seen before. This moment calls for decisive action to protect the integrity of our democracy and the voices of Black voters.” Even BLM saw Harris’ coronation as not being Democratic and violating the rights of black voters to choose their Presidential candidate. This disenfranchisement was another Democrat threat to democracy.
Langhorne Bilby
West side
Party support for Conover is the wrong choice
After reading two recent op-ed submissions from the former Restorative Justice director of the Pima County Attorney’s Office and a Domestic Violence victim I am convinced that Ms. Conover is not right for the position of county attorney. It also tells me how out of touch with our citizens Mayor Regina Romero, AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes, Former Senator Dennis Deconcini, Congressman Raul Grijalva, Sec. of State Adrian Fontes and Senate Candidate Ruben Gallego are when it comes to crime in Pima County. While you have thrown the weight of your office behind Ms. Conover to serve her, you have done a great disservice to the people of our communities. It appears to me you have not done your homework but instead blindly support a candidate who has proven not to meet the legal and community standards of her office. Shame on all of you for promulgating further poor service and victimization. Mike Jette is clearly the better candidate. Your party loyalty bodes ill for all of us.
Richard Harper
Northeast side
Cheatle hearing
I am embarrassed by the bipartisan vitriol and insults hurled at former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. It’s understandable members of Congress are angry that someone was able to shoot a former president. But if Cheatle had been present, she probably would’ve shielded Trump with her body.
There was also indignation over her answers. It’s the Secret Service, they are not about revealing their methods, and the investigation is ongoing.
Is she ultimately responsible for her agency, yes. Was she the incident commander or security architect of that event, probably not. I hear politicians calling for less violent rhetoric. That hearing would’ve been a good place to start.
Kevin Heiderman
South Tucson
Words matter
What if politicians stopped using the word “fight” when promising the public what they would do for them in office and used the word “work” instead? Because we live in a democracy, because there is more than one party, our elected leaders need to work together, not fight each other, to get things done.
Jeanne Heintz
Midtown
Select Jen Allen for County Supervisor
I urge Democrats in Pima County Supervisor District 3 to vote for my longtime friend Jen Allen. Jen is a climate champion with an impressive environmental resume. Early in her career she worked for the Western Shoshone Defense Project to protect indigenous land rights against mining companies. She also spent years at the League of Conservation Voters, where she worked her way up to Senior Vice President and helped begin the Chispa program.
District 3 includes my favorite protected lands, from Saguaro National Park and Ironwood Forest National Monument to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Pima County has an award-winning and popular Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan to protect wildlands and endangered species. I am happy that someone who knows environmental policy, with years of experience protecting natural resources, will be our next County Supervisor. Please join me in voting to select Jen Allen for District 3 County Supervisor!
Kevin Dahl, Tucson City Council Member
Midtown
Beep! Beep!
Emulating the well-known cartoon roadrunner, State Sen. Justine Wadsack was stopped zooming through Tucson, going 71 in a 35 zone. It’s about her Freedom! When stopped, she avoided immediate responsibility thanks to a law that says legislators are exempt from the law while in session. Amazing. Above the law! Once out of session, Justine then refused to sign the citation, claiming political persecution (sound familiar?) and offering up excuses about her Tesla battery. This situation gives us a good look at the real Wadsack. She thinks she has the freedom to dangerously speed, offer up excuses, and refuse to take responsibility. Then throw in the “political persecution” lie for a dose of MAGA belligerence. A big no on your ballot this year for Wadsack and the rest of the “Freedom Team” should be a No-Brainer. Their extremist views were recently highlighted in The Star. Justine lost her FOP endorsement over this speeding debacle. Question — why on earth did the FOP endorse Justine in the first place??
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
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