Tucson Speaks Out: November 14

Fulsome thanks to two LTEs on Nov. 9 trying to enlighten Loyal M. Johnson about how the SNAP program works using facts. Sadly, that’s not going to work. He knows all about the requirements by now, but continues to assert that many thousands, including illegal immigrants, are easily “gaming the system.” I propose no more wasting time fact-checking him on the matter. Instead, I challenge Mr. Johnson to prove his claims. You yourself sir, or anyone you know, demonstrate sucessfully “gaming the system” and start receiving benefits you are not entitled to. Just try it. Till then. No more promulgating this rot about this subject.

Gary Susko

Midtown

Trump’s great economy

Trump doesn’t live in a Middle American world. He says the stock market is setting records, and it is. The problem is that 90% of the stock market is owned by the top 10% of Americans. The bottom 90% of Americans own 10% of the stock market. Trump knows nothing about the lives and challenges faced by most Americans. His economy, and the economy of his friends is doing very well. Trump has never been to a grocery store, gas station, medical clinic nor have his children gone to public school. His world is doing great. The bottom 50% of Americans own 1% of the stock market. He has had millions of dollars at his disposal. (mostly other people’s money). He doesn’t live in our world. The most unaware people in America are middle-class Republicans. They are marching, waving flags, while he and his friends get rich. Wake up.

Richard Bechtold

West side

Protests played a role

On Nov. 7, voters throughout the country soundly repudiated Trump and the malfeasance, corruption and meanness his administration embodies. While commentators ascribe many reasons for the Democrats’ success, including the economy, Epstein, and election protection, they missed the important effect of powerful public protests. Nearly 8 million people took to the streets, across the country, with hand-drawn signs and peaceful presence, and that action engaged others to get out and vote.

Many people who feel dissatisfied, fearful, and angry about Trump’s mismanagement of our government saw that they are not alone. We can resist Trump’s dictatorship. They saw friends and strangers coming to protest and realized that they also can participate, at least by voting.

While MAGA media mouthpieces ask, disingenuously, “What do those protesters want?” people are saying on protest signs and on ballots, “no dictators,” “no corruption,” “rule of law,” “democracy.”

Join in! You are not alone.

Bruce Joffe

South Tucson

The future of data centers

I believe the recent opinion piece by Tucson Electric Power CEO Bakken belies the true impact of data centers as proven in other parts of the country. Virginia now has 637 data centers due to the availability of Chesapeake Bay water and nuclear power plants. These data centers each consume up to 100 megawatts of power, enough to service about 25,000 homes.

Loudoun County, Virginia, just approved a new center projected to use 2400 megawatts, enough for 600,000 homes. Dominion Power is now building a 176-turbine offshore wind farm that will produce 2400 megawatts, an extremely expensive project to power only one data center.

Meanwhile, the data center industry is receiving $750,000,000 in tax abatements from state, county and local taxes. Currently, Virginia has a 25% expansion of data centers approved or currently under construction.

Is this the future we can sustain or afford?

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Where are you?

In the first half of the 20th century, our grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought tenaciously for women’s rights. At that time, women could not vote or drive and were given an allowance by their husbands. Women in senior positions in industry were nonexistent. Women’s sport did not exist. A man getting a women pregnant was not held financially responsible for the child. Oh, how things have evolved. Men are no longer allowed to be dominant over women, except. Except in women’s competitive sports and their locker rooms. Today’s adult women have abysmally failed their daughters and granddaughters by not standing up as a cohesive team for hard-earned women’s rights. With half of the voting public women, you have power if you decide to use it. The politicians will listen if you demand your hard-earned rights. How about a massive “No Men” march instead of a “No Kings” march. Honor the exceptional courage and strength of your female predecessors and eliminate this horrific injustice.

Loyal M Johnson Jr

Oro Valley

Last Veteran’s Day?

Was this the last Veteran’s Day to celebrate? Taking time out from bashing President Biden at Arlington, President Trump said he plans to change the name from Veteran’s Day to “Victory Day for World War I” — cutting out all Vets who have served after WW I. Pretty brash for someone who didn’t serve.

Charlene Kay Brewster

Marana

Who cares?

The vote by some Democrats to end the shutdown shows not their weakness in a face-off against the Republicans, but that they care more than Republicans about the well-being of the American people. They gave in because they didn’t want the suffering of SNAP beneficiaries and the dangers of overextended air traffic controllers to continue.

Clearly, the Republicans and the president were willing to let this go on indefinitely to assert their control, uncaring about how people on the ground were suffering. Uncaring that children would go hungry, uncaring that government workers were going without paychecks, uncaring that people’s air travel, even with the Thanksgiving holidays coming up, would be delayed or canceled.

And what was this fight about? It was about the Democrats’ concern that millions of people’s insurance rates were skyrocketing. They cared about the fact that many were going to have to pay thousands more, or cancel their insurance.

What do the Republicans care about? Apparently not you.

Beth Dingman

Green Valley

Trump’s ‘liquidity’ excuse

The Trump regime’s continued efforts to withhold SNAP benefits shows there is no rock bottom in their depravity. Trump recently claimed that we cannot pay SNAP benefits because “…our country has to remain very liquid because problems, catastrophes, wars, could be anything. We have to remain liquid.”

This liquidity claim is absurd in light of Trump’s opulence on the taxpayer’s dime. Since taking office taxpayers have spent $60.7 million on his golf outings – including shaking down Vietnam with a tariff threat to secure a $1.5 billion golf club. Homeland Security purchased two luxury jets for $200 million, Argentina got a $40 billion bailout, and $30 billion a year is doled out to the fossil fuel industry.

While hard-working Americans are suffering, POTUS flaunts plans for his golden ballroom and marble bathroom renovations and throws a lavish Great Gatsby Party. Trump’s sons have raked in more than $800 million from crypto, and POTUS has increased his wealth by $3 billion.

Kathy Krucker

Midtown

Contrast JFK and Trump

There are fewer of us who remember JFK. Both JFK and Trump were born into wealthy families. JFK was ruled 4F and unsuitable for service due to a bad back and other issues. His father got a family doctor to say he was fit for service. His PT boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer, but he managed to save his crew. JFK said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what can you do for your country.” He wrote Profiles in Courage. Trump used a family doctor to dodge the draft. His book was Art of the Deal. His motto for the country is what’s in it for me? Thank God Trump wasn’t President during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Craig Miller

Northwest side