Tucson Speaks Out: Jan. 30 letters of the day

I am constantly amazed at the way some folks think the way to balance the budget is to cut essential services (except defense of course). How do you expect to run a country without the appropriate amount of income to pay our bills?

When my HOA announced that our monthly fees would increase this year, it was because the services we contract with have become more expensive. They don’t say “we won’t put chemicals in the pool, or we will not have trash picked up.” We pay for it!

There is so much money in this country that is wasted on politics and campaigns. Imagine feeding children and housing veterans instead. Imagine!

Danielle Griffin

Northwest side

Kudos for Star’s border journalism

Your recent articles on migration — how local heroes are dealing with the deluge of migrants transiting southern Arizona and those preying on them on both sides of the border — are in the finest traditions of journalism. Your in-depth reporting allows us to better understand border issues without the political motivations that have prevented our elected leaders from offering solutions. Because of his background, I still hope our congressman can be a leader in this area and your coverage will help. For example, I thought the month-long closing of border points of entry was a hardball attempt to pressure both Mexico and US border states to address this problem and your tracing the money surrounding illegal migration will help our politicians substitute laws for photo ops across the razor wire. Well done.

Frank Hartline

Foothills

Rulney still at UA

This is an outrage. She was fired as CFO but remains on staff with a different job title for $500,000/year. This is a classic case of the academic elite covering their fat butts. She needs be tossed out on the street NOW. President Robbins also needs to be fired NOW for deceiving the regents and the people of Arizona.

William Long

Foothills

UA financial crisis

An example of the effect the UA financial crisis is having on its most important asset, students. Last week, as a student advisor, I contacted the very dedicated folks in the UA Office of Financial Aid to ask for help. My student was $488 short of being able to cover her tuition, fees, and textbook expenses. I explained how grateful she was for the grants she had already received, but her father was out of work and there were no funds to cover this remaining amount. I asked if there was a way to help her with the balance and was told “Sorry, we no longer have extra money to award like we used to. She can take a loan.” Can I tie this directly to a supposedly dismissed administrator’s continued salary of $500,000? No, but it does make me upset that I must tell the student to “take a loan” when an institution with a budget exceeding $2 billion can’t spare $488 to help my student.

Mark Hanna, Retired TUSD College Counselor

Foothills

World in chaos under Biden

Pakistan bombed insurgents they say were operating in Iran. It was retaliation for Iran bombing sites within Pakistan. Turkey just conducted airstrikes in northern Iraq and in Syria. The Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen have repeatedly fired missiles at ships, including U.S. owned, in the Red Sea. Reportedly, Iran has provided the Houthis with shipping routes. Israel is at war with Iranian backed Hamas and Iranian backed Hezbollah has been attacking Israel. The U.S. military has launched several bombing raids against the Houthis, but the attacks on ships continue. All of it sponsored by Iran. Why does Biden not confront Iran directly? Instead, he has accommodated them by not enforcing existing oil sanctions and attempting to do a six billion dollar hostage payment deal. China has taken belligerent actions against us. Our southern border is a disaster due to Biden’s border policies. The world order is in chaos under Biden. He has been a disaster in foreign affairs and does not deserve to be re-elected.

Gary Beachwood

Green Valley

Let’s hear some solutions

Every Republican contributor to this forum continues to repeat years-old talking points and statistics and offers not one solution. I can only surmise that Republicans just have to whine about everything and use sensationalistic words to inflate their gripe. As for immigration, the vast majority waiting at the border are coming here to escape threats to their lives and the inability to make a living in the countries they came from. A wall to keep them out is not the solution. What needs to be done is to engage the governments of those countries and get them to improve the living conditions so their people don’t want to leave. You bet it’s a HUGE task but that is the underlying reason why they come here. Our country offers them the promise that they may succeed here and live without the threats to their lives. Somewhere in DC there has to be someone who can start this. Unless people feel safe and happy where they are, the influx will continue.

Daniel Poryanda

Southeast side

Brilliant water ideas

Re: the Jan. 21 article “Desal plants dominate water import proposals”

This front-page article about bringing water to Arizona is so lame, I almost didn’t write this letter. I then came to my senses. What this article shows is just how brilliant our Arizona water policymakers are. I came up with a list of pros and cons.

Cons:

1. Desalination plant built by foreign country, (Profits to extend war?) not built by Americans.

2. Built on foreign soil, Mexico could pay for it. (Think border wall)

3. Pipeline through foreign country to allow Phoenix area to grow. (Protected by cartels?)

4. Paid for by all Arizona water users, probably taxpayers too. (Not by developers of unbridled growth)

Pros:

1. Mexico keeps giant pile of salty waste.

Forget real solutions like, do away with unfettered use of water by corporate agriculture companies for crops not intended for Arizona or maybe limit growth and stop paying to bring more companies to Arizona.

Whoops, almost forgot the water train.

Terry Gruenenfelder

East side

Hobbs right to call for accounting at UA

Re: the Jan. 28 article “Hobbs blows up UA’s, regents’ status quo.”

Thank you, Gov. Hobbs, for not turning a blind eye to the financial incompetence that imperils the University of Arizona. She is correct in asking for an independent review of what has led to this appalling situation.

In response, UA donor Jim Click convened a round table of friends and supporters of UA President Robert Robbins. They have a cozy relationship with Robbins, listing his accomplishments while turning a blind eye to poor accounting of taxpayers’ dollars.

The $89 million dollar loan to the Athletic Department has yet to be explained. Why was the loan made, and what was the plan for paying it back? That alone should concern responsible Tucsonans, even more than winning football games.

Mr. Click’s power play is not a good look. UA faculty, staff, thousands of donors who were not invited and taxpayers have legitimate concerns.

If Jim Click’s dealership operates as loosely with its revenue and expenses, it eventually will find itself in a downward spiral.

Debbie Collazo

West side

Death of Grand Ol’ Party?

Flags were at half-staff in Arizona this past week. It was to honor the passing of Safford Mayor Jason Kouts.

However, because that same week the GOP AZ Party Chair, Jeff DeWit, resigned after failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake released damaging and secret tapes between her and DeWit AND the biggest fundraiser for the Arizona GOP was canceled when Donald Trump was too tied up with one of his many court cases to be the keynote speaker, one might be forgiven for thinking the lowered flag was signaling the death of the Republican Party in Arizona.

Karen Micaleff

Oro Valley

Missing fifth option

Re: the Jan. 28 article “What’s a thoughtful Republican to do?”

Reading this guest opinion I immediately (and hopefully) read the column. I was disappointed only to see she didn’t include a fifth option, that is immediately contact the Republicans in office who don’t have the cojones to take a stand against Trump and his big lie about the election he lost, his undermining of the Constitution, and his negative leadership in breaking down the social fabric of our country. These unprincipled Republican cowards should be named and loudly condemned.

Mitchell Anderson

Catalina

Prominent Tucsonans

A group of unimportant and obscure Tucsonans gathered around a scratched linoleum table to express anger and disappointment about the U of A. Financial issues, yes, but also ethical ones. The university president was compared to a CEO by one prominent citizen. Is it normal operating procedure for a CEO to lie, obfuscate, gaslight, scapegoat underlings and fire people at will? We have no confidence in the president of the U of A. Is this news, too? Will you put this on page one, above the fold?

Barbara Whipple

Midtown

Governor Hobbs on right path

Re: the Jan. 28 article “Hobbs blows up UA’s, regents’ status quo.”

The Star’s story on Tucson leaders’ support for Pres. Robbins comes as no surprise. These are the leaders who no doubt comprise Robbins’ business “think tank.” Also the very same people who have been supportive of the President’s riskiest decisions. As for Robbins being accessible, I am sure he is with his business cronies, not so much with faculty. Just ask! The most offensive remarks came from Mr. Meyers’ cavalier statement regarding the murder of Professor Meixner. This was not a random act of violence but a 2-year personal threat that went disregarded by President Robbins and University administration. This is all well-documented. Governor Hobbs is asking the right questions and taking appropriate action. Without greater clarity as to how mistakes were made, UA is left in a compromised position with positive changes unlikely. With diligent review and proper action, my hope is that the University might be able to recover is credibility and stature as a strong, land grant college benefitting all the people of Arizona.

Marion Smith

Northwest side

Trump cannot be trusted

It’s difficult to understand people supporting Trump and contributing funds to him. Especially when we know what we know about him. Many of his ex-Cabinet members who know him well will not support him. He clearly lies and cannot be trusted. He disparages people around him. He hires a cadre of attorneys to escape justice and do things that everyone else would be locked up for in a heartbeat without remorse. Suspect he uses campaign funds to pay his millions of legal bills that he collects from people who have little compared to a guy living in Mar a Lago as well as other places around the East coast. And this is what we have running for President! Unbelievable that we have come to this! Republicans who support him should be ashamed, because we should never compromise our country to this low level of morality.

Dave and Ann Locey

Foothills People-smuggling networkRe: the Jan. 25 Tucson.com article “Woman pleads guilty in Tucson to leading people-smuggling network”

This article explained that a Honduran woman had been extradited to Tucson to face federal “people smuggling” charges. And the story cited that she had pleaded guilty to a “charge of conspiracy to transport migrants for profit, the U.S Attorney’s office for Arizona said in a news release.” Well, that is NOT what the news release stated. In fact it stated that the Honduran woman had pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit.”

She was the leader responsible for smuggling more than 100 people from Honduras and if they did not pay, she would throw them back into the desert. She abused her own people, which is often the case with foreign smugglers. Federal statutes and federal courts officially use the term “illegal alien,” not “migrant.” That is a politically correct descriptor used by the left, as in the AZ Daily Star. Their “political correctness” was evident in reporting on this story.

Darrin Styles

Midtown