Tucson Speaks Out: December 15

Jokes abound in government

I believe that our entire federal government has become a total joke. Case in point: Kristi Noem (Homeland Security) is claiming that the New York mayor elect Mamdani may have violated the Constitution. The joke is that ICE has broken a number of constitutional edicts in the performance of their "roundups" with nary a quibble from their glorious leader. So goes the clown show. Are we tired of this yet?

Fred Thompson

Midtown

Is highway renaming a priority?

The president of the state Senate wants to rename a major Arizona freeway for Charlie Kirk. Meanwhile, Arizona is facing a critical water crisis, experiencing high housing costs, pressing immigration, border security concerns, and ensuring accessible healthcare, just to name a few. If the president of the state Senate really believes that renaming the 202 after Charlie Kirk is a top priority, why stop there? While he's at it, he might as well rename the 101 after our illustrious former Governor Evan Mecham and call it the "Mecham Mile."

Max LaPlante

Southeast side

American hijackers

The video of the US seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker recalls a similar video of Houthi “hijackers” of a ship in 2023 in reaction to attacks on Palestine by Israel, a country that they deem a “terrorist state.” What makes our actions different from theirs? I would like an explanation.

Otherwise, between the execution of alleged drug runners and now the theft of an oil tanker and its cargo, Trump makes us look like one of those “s***hole countries” that he claims are “ridden with crime. The only thing they’re good at is going after ships.”

Throw in financial corruption, vengeful legal actions, mass pardoning of criminal cronies, extortion and the takeover of many cities, we are beginning to look like one of the worst of the worst. This is not making American great again.

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Rebuttal

Trump is a man who has been convicted of sexual abuse of a woman and then bragged about having done that when he didn't realize that he was being recorded, and then lied about having done that, and then slandered the woman who was his victim.

For most of my life, change often meant progress in the pursuit of everyone being treated equally; today's huge step backward in time is definitely not that; it is amoral and demoralizing.

In his response to my question about a moral imperative to vote for DJT, Mr. Pryor wrote that Trump "lives the Bible" as an endorsement with no accompanying details.

What I denoted is just one event of multitudes in Trump's malignant, malevolent behavior and that episode alone should preclude anyone who identifies as a Christian to declare Trump as someone who "lives the Bible."

Rick Cohn

West side

The politics of blowback

Blowback is a term that could describe past American foreign policy. An example is the US funding of Osama bin Laden when he fought the Soviets in Afghanistan. Years later, bin Laden sent hijackers (19 from Saudi Arabia) to fly planes into U.S. buildings killing thousands.

Today the Trump administration is blowing up "drug" boats near Venezuela. What if the US needs Venezuelans or any Latin American country's help to free American hostages in Latin America?

The damage Trump is doing to American foreign policy is immeasurable and long lasting. It must be remembered that the when the Monroe Doctrine was first announced in 1823, weapons of mass destruction were not available unlike today. In the future, will there be some retaliatory destructive plot against the U.S. by some unknown actor in Latin America that can only be stopped by a Latin American government? Would that government help?

Matt Somers

Midtown

Russia/Ukraine war

Trump thinks the measure of worth of a nation's leader is whether they are strong. He thinks only a nation that is strong has inhabitants worthy to be part of the human race, otherwise they are filthy garbage as he has called Somalia. He therefore believes Russia and Putin can do no wrong and in fact has a love affair with Putin. Trump sees nothing wrong with Putin invading Ukraine and permanently annexing part of its territory. Of course, it's illegal, a violation of the UN Charter.

But Trump wants a settlement to end the war to include ceding all the territory to Russia that it wants.

This semi-legal settlement will then justify Trump's long desire to invade Greenland and annex it. I know this sounds preposterous, but this is Trump.

Charles McDonald

Northeast side

Build a new chapter of respect

When we read the daily hatred spewed by Donald Trump, we have a choice: we can react to the outrage, or we can recommit ourselves to work that ensures this chapter of American politics becomes a thing of the past.

Trump will keep doing what he does. The real question — the one that protects democracy — is what we do. Before we go to bed or as we wake up, each of us should be asking: What did I or can I do today to strengthen democracy? What did I do to expand participation, support new leaders, and build the kind of civic power that makes this rhetoric irrelevant?

The truth is this: the headlines will only become “the old American story” when enough of us write a new chapter — built on dignity, respect, and shared responsibility. We don’t defeat hateful ideology by mirroring it. We defeat it by mobilizing in numbers, by leading with purpose, and by refusing to surrender our future to those who thrive on division.

Ronald Eustice

Northwest side

Middle housing made easy

Our state has mandated "middle housing" to help solve affordability. This dictate may make sense at the state level but at the local level it’s laughable and doomed to expensive failure. Nevertheless, Tucson is releasing three proposals to comply by allowing much greater living densities within one mile of our central business district.

UA owns a 175-acre Agricultural Center within city limits; Limberlost, Roger, Campbell and Mountain. It was acquired in 1909. It’s a fantastic place to visit and learn but just like with airports that were built in the boondocks and later find themselves in congested areas, it’s now in the wrong location. UA owns several other research sites within 40 miles of the main campus so let’s kick them out of midtown and build an amazing housing community that would actually make a difference.

The cows and corn can move more easily than an airport.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Arizona public school tax credit

The new year will be here before you know it.

Your neighborhood school is hard at work budgeting for the new year and at a public charter network like Legacy Traditional Schools that’s made up of 22 campuses across our state, we have our work cut out for us!

The campus art shows, field trips, concerts, extracurricular activities and more we offer throughout the school year require planning and precious resources to ensure that our students receive the quality, well-rounded educational experience they deserve.

This is where you come in.

The Arizona public school tax credit is one simple way Arizona families can make a real difference for local schools.

With this dollar-for-dollar credit, a donor can lower his/her income tax burden by up to $400, and contributions can be applied toward the variety of programs we offer or invested directly into our classrooms.

This is an opportunity to invest in Arizona’s future while reducing your tax burden. Visit LegacyTaxCredit.org to learn more.

Mia Vega

Northwest side

Aid for Ukraine

Why is the U.S. not providing all the money, arms, and intelligence that Ukraine needs? Ukraine presented no threat to Russia yet was invaded. Ukraine is fighting for its independence and democracy, yet our president thinks they should surrender to the Russians. Am I missing some terrible action committed by Ukraine?

I used to think the Russians had something on Trump and were extorting him. But maybe Trump just wants to be seen as one of the autocratic dictators. Sort of like wanting to sit at the "cool kids" table in high school.

Larry Hammond

Southwest side

Spying on U.S. citizens

The Stephen Miller Gestapo (ICE) were visible at the annual Fourth Avenue Street Fair. So, I am assuming when there are outdoor events the Gestapo will be around? I saw the Fernando Marcos secret police at work in 1969 in Olongapo City in the Philippines, when he declared martial law. You did talk not politics or about Marcos when on R&R. At that time the secret Police picked up protesters, enemies of the state, and they were never seen again. Yikes this sounds familiar?? It's happening here and now. Let's hope Putin's lapdog is voted out. And hope that some cult members don't vote for #47. Vote true Blue.

David E. Leon

Vail

Will wonders never cease?

The Opinion section of the Star is getting more interesting and magical than the one in the New York Times. It can turn mossbacks like George Will and Jeff Goldblum into good point makers — with help from addled Trump and poisonous Hegseth et al. And today all the letters are good too — Maga heads are hiding, and I can't blame them.

The news from pre-midterm doings, with even Josh Hawley trying to right the ship, is ominous. And Trump pardoning Honduran drug lords because somebody told him Biden had set it up! Now he's trying to seize all that Venezuelan oil, by piracy if necessary. You can't put lipstick on that pig.

Herbert Schneidau

Foothills