Tucson Speaks Out: July 7

Honoring animal advocate

From June 23-26, a free spay/neuter clinic for pets was held in honor of the late Terry Kathleen Brite. Over 100 dogs and cats received examinations, vaccinations, microchips and excellent surgical treatments courtesy of a generous, anonymous donor.

Thanks go to PACC (especially Laura O'Brien, operations manager for Friends of PACC), the fabulous, professional staff at Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic and the Tucson Action Team for coordinating the event.

Terry volunteered with PACC, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter and Cody's Friends Charity, and had close ties with Best Friends Animal Society in Utah. She founded Angels All Animals Assistance. With her husband, Eddie, Terry established a sanctuary for cats and dogs requiring special care.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this exceptional event. Not only did it benefit our community, but it was also a wonderful way to honor an outstanding animal advocate.

Kris Thompson

Foothills

Green Party

Gary Swing's letter highlights Green Party values — but Democrats share those values, too. The real question is the electoral consequence.

With Arizona's governor, Secretary of State, and 6th Congressional District races all potential tossups, Green candidates can tip outcomes the wrong way. The Green Party dismisses both major parties as a "corporate duopoly," but that framing ignores real differences. Bernie Sanders, Zohran Mamdani, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are not Andy Biggs, JD Vance, or Kari Lake. Those differences matter enormously under an administration many Arizonans find authoritarian and corrupt.

The CD6 race between Republican Juan Ciscomani and Democrat JoAnna Mendoza could help determine control of the U.S. House. A spoiler candidacy there isn't a protest — it's a risk. The vast majority of voters, Democrat and Republican alike, will reject the Green Party's refusal to reckon with political reality, no matter who their candidates are.

Richard Grayson

West side

Supreme Court

The phrase “I’ll buy me a Congressman” has become a reality. I am seriously against the Supreme Court loosening campaign finance laws. I have lived and worked in twelve countries with varying political constraints, but I never expected our country to do away with the controls that prevent corruption in our government. Why is the Supreme Court sitting on its hands and letting our Constitution and democratic rules be erased? The Supreme Court is no longer a protection for our population, and specifically the American voters. It’s sad to believe that the American people would sit still and let the government become the most corrupt government in our history.

Deane Ford

West side

Women’s safety on the ballot

Ciscomani betrayed women’s safety. He voted to bury the Epstein files. He then kept $30,000 from Tony Gonzales’ Honor Courage Commitment PAC after a House ethics probe tied Gonzales to sexual misconduct allegations involving a staffer who later died by suicide. Honor? Courage? Commitment? Ciscomani showed none of them.

JoAnna Mendoza offers the opposite: integrity. A sexual assault survivor, she turned trauma into service as a Marine Corps Uniformed Victim Advocate, protecting others and standing with survivors.

This is not a close call. Women and girls deserve more than empty promises — they deserve a survivor, a fighter, and a leader who will never look away. That leader is JoAnna Mendoza.

Maureen Salz

Oro Valley