Tucson Speaks Out: Aug. 1 letters of the day

Re: the July 24 article “Wadsack caught speeding, police say.”

I’ll cite Gomer Pyle after reading the AZ Star article. With his classic line “Surprise, Surprise.” Clocked at 71 in a 35-mph zone, Wadsack’s response was “political persecution.” With no proof of insurance, the speed alone could result in a class three misdemeanor plus 30 days in jail as well as more consequences. Using the legislative impunity clause as an excuse, Wadsack hopes this event goes away like her many other missteps in politics. Please, Arizona voters, recognize Justine Wadsack as the vacuous, shallow “politician” she is and expel her from Arizona politics.

Roger Shanley

East side

AGs just say no

The Department of Justice and State Attorney General work insulated in public-dole ivory towers. Sadly, they seldom get Econ 101. So they say no to the merger of Kroger’s/Albertson’s. Because it is antitrust. Yet the resulting merged company will be far smaller than No. 1 Wal Mart’s grocery business alone. Raise prices? Will the merged company compete with Wal Mart’s “We Sell for Less by raising prices?” Hmm? Stores closed and employees laid off? Our Safeway (divestiture list) has a packed parking lot and “We Are Hiring” sign out front. Why would AG Mayes/DOJ suggest it might close? Though divested it just might.

Recall the forced breakup of AT&T Bell Telephone. Aka Ma Bell. For the identical reasons. The result? Persistently higher prices, fewer choices, and chronically worse service. Why didn’t I think of that? Forty years later it is at best a zero sum result that never should have happened. How about the government adding “yes” to its regulatory vocabulary? We will all benefit if it does.

Michael Sevier

Oro Valley

‘You’ll never have to vote again’

Trump tells crowd they “won’t have to vote” again after election in bizarre remarks. The most reprehensible person to ever run for president, Donald Trump told Christians on Friday at the conservative Turning Point Action event in Florida, to vote “just this time” and claimed they “won’t have to do it anymore” after the election in November.

“Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed (what?) it’ll be fine (what?). You won’t have to vote anymore,” the GOP presidential nominee told the crowd at the conservative Turning Point Action event in Florida.

He added, “Get out. You gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to vote.”

It’s unclear what the former president meant by his remarks.

Using unaffordable contributions from innocent Christians, this atheist professional confidence man has perpetrated the biggest scam in history, including Madoff’s.

He is using you.

Sheldon Metz

Northeast side

Here kitty ...

Vance dismisses Kamala Harris as “a cat lady.” I believe that he will find that “Catwoman” is a more apt designation.

Rick Cohn

West side

Bracy’s ‘judicial coup’ lie

Re: the July 28 article “A judicial coup that has enormous consequences.”

In his opinion column, Terry Bracy wrote, “When Antonin Scalia died in 2016, and Barack Obama attempted to appoint Merrick Garland to take his place, (US Senator Mitch) McConnell dreamed up a new rule prohibiting SCOTUS appointments in the final year of a President’s term.” That’s false.

As US Senate majority leader, McConnell simply expanded U.S. Senate rules on affirming federal judicial nominations to include nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court to a majority vote instead of a 60-40 vote minimum. It was former Democrat Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, who invoked the “nuclear option” to require a simple majority vote for judges nominated to federal district and appeals courts instead of a 60-40 vote. McConnell simply upped the ante to include the Supreme Court. He put Obama’s Merrick Garland’s nomination on ice because Republicans, not Democrats, now held the majority vote in the Senate.

Steve Sollenberger

Foothills

Presidential race

What a contrast! The Republicans rally behind a convicted felon, while the Democrats stab their President in the back.

Joe Reiman

SaddleBrooke

Crusades II

Anyone remember reading about the Crusades? 1095-1571 the Christian Soldiers executed 1.7 million beautiful human “infidels” to further Christianity. They only gave up because it didn’t work. Five hundred years of bloodshed in the name of Christ. A shining example of “Pro Life Christianity?” Five hundred years later, we now have Crusades II. The sword didn’t work, so now Christians are trying, and succeeding, in codifying Christianity into the laws of America, where you will be free to practice any religion as long as it’s Christian. Muslims, atheists, Buddhists, etc. do not show their faces in public, and will live under the rules of Christianity. And Crusades II is working! Congratulations! What is it with Christians? You get a country that protects your right to practice your chosen religion however you please, and you instantly morph to finding ways to enforce it on everyone else? Don’t you have some stuff about respecting others’ rights? Guess not.

Thad Appelman

Northwest side

Liberty over tyranny

Chase Oliver is the presidential candidate for those who value liberty and responsible governance. He supports ending the war on drugs, protecting individual rights by opposing civil asset forfeiture, and tackling climate change through free market solutions. Oliver also promotes a non-interventionist foreign policy, advocating for the closure of military bases abroad and ending military support to foreign nations, including Israel and Ukraine.

On domestic issues, he supports non-surgical gender-transition treatments for minors, advocating for personal autonomy and compassionate care. Oliver condemns the violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict and calls for a ceasefire, criticizing the Israeli government’s actions. He stands for a government that respects individual freedoms, contrasting with the authoritarian tendencies he attributes to Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Oliver’s platform promises a future where personal rights are prioritized, and government overreach is limited.

Michael McFarland

Sierra Vista

Democrats should sue DNC and Harris

Some Democratic Party voters should file federal litigation against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Kamala Harris claiming being disenfranchised in the Presidential election process in violation of the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act. The claimant(s) would say legitimately that he/she had no voter say in the choosing of Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democrat nominee for President. That it was not a democratic process and that it violated the voting rights of millions of Americans to choose their Presidential nominee through the states’ primary process. It could be a class action suit that included other like-minded Democratic voters and registered independents as well. All would have “standing” to bring the case and I think they would have a pretty good chance of being successful. It would remove the party elites’ coronation of Kamala Harris, now being deemed “Kamelot” by the Democratic news media. No kidding.

Stella Murphy

North side

The border & Ciscomani

Let me get this right, there was a bipartisan border agreement that Congress would not vote on, but the Border Patrol approved. Juan Ciscomani, who has kissed the ring, now is endorsed by the National Association of the Border Patrol, says Kirsten Engel does not support stopping the flow of people across the border. Juan you could have already passed this bill, been a hero and this would not be a topic of conversation. Why did you let Congress table this? You agreed that a bipartisan agreement would be necessary. I think there needs to be a change in Congress and Kirsten Engel will get this done. One more thing, the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe, you tweeted “To Life”, another mistake, oh don’t forget the Patriot Academy, Project 2025 on steroids. We need positive changes in our Congress to get the job done. Remember you represent all of us, not just one side. Kirsten Engel 2024.

Andrew Kunsberg

East side

Conover victory

My congratulations to Laura Conover who was chosen to keep her position as Pima County Attorney. It is not the outcome I was looking for but majority rules and we appreciate that as part and parcel to our democratic system. Thank you, Mike Jette, for providing an alternative candidacy and thank you Arizona Daily Star for printing my letters of support and opposition, I appreciate your fair access!

Richard Harper

Northeast side

Steve Christy, District 4 Supervisor

Residents in communities surrounding the proposed mine, Copper World, are concerned about the negative impacts it will bring to their air quality, water quality and supply, plummeting property values, and the destruction of the surrounding area.

Pima County Supervisors have written several resolutions voicing their objections about this mine. The only dissenting vote on all of these resolutions was District 4’s Supervisor, Steve Christy.

PCBS submitted to ADEQ a list of 56 items they felt were inadequate in the Aquifer Protection Permit, currently under review. The only Supervisor who disagreed with that comment was Steve Christy. He submitted one of his own, voicing total support for this mine that will cause immense harm to his constituents. In his letter, he says “it has been brought to his attention” and “he has been told” ... Perhaps he should do his own fact finding before objecting to the Board’s concerns.

ADEQ is holding two public meetings at Corona Foothills Middle School on August 14th and September 10th regarding the Air Permit. I implore all residents to attend and expect our fearless leader, Steve Christy, to be there. We noticed he was absent at the last two.

Cathy McGrath

Vail

We can do this

Since Kamala Harris became the democratic nominee for president, we have seen a tsunami of support. I like to think of the thousands, if not millions, who have stepped up as “Kamala’s Krew.”

What will we be doing till election day? Everything we can. We’ll be texting, calling, knocking on doors, writing postcards, marching, having zoom meetings, holding town halls and raising lots of money.

We will not be dragged backward any more. Enough is enough. We are going forward — Join Kamala’s Krew today to help restore our rights and freedoms, to help pass gun laws to save our children’s lives, and so much more. We have energy, determination, and drive and this is not just the honeymoon period, as someone claimed. We will not let it be.

Now is the time to put a woman in charge!

Sally Mayersohn

Northwest side