Tucson Speaks Out: July 6

King of Greed?

Representative Juan Ciscomani recently released a TV ad touting his record of opposing "greed" in Washington and claiming to be working for Southern Arizonans rather than working for "DC politicians who get rich off their positions."

How uninformed does he take the voters of CD6 for? This is a man who never walked away from a vote supporting the King of Greed and often votes in ways that hurt the constituents he never wants to face.

And speaking of face, why did he shave off that beard?

Fran McNeely

Northeast side

Right-wing theocracy

The Trump administration has released a report attacking the separation of church and state, calling for a greater role for Christianity in American public life, including displaying religious texts in schools and exempting faith-based organizations from certain civil rights requirements. It calls for declaring that the phrase “separation of church and state” should no longer have authority in public policy, despite the First Amendment Establishment Clause forming the constitutional basis for that principle.

MAGA claims to desire a “diverse church” while loudly contesting the value of black lives and the humanity of immigrants. They say love thy neighbor, then go all in for ICE raids, healthcare repeals and Muslim bans.

The separation of church and state wasn’t designed to keep religion out of America; it was designed to keep the government from deciding which religion belongs to all of us.

We are a country of many faiths and no faiths that has served us well for 250 years.

Teresa Jenkins

SaddleBrooke

Politics of citizenship

I read Tim Steller’s column about American identity. A person’s legal status as a citizen of the United States of America is the basic requirement for a recognized status as an American. One must either be born in the United States, have ancestral rights through a U.S. citizen parent, or successfully complete the process for naturalization. There are no other requirements. These rules are race and gender-neutral standards. Based on our Bill of Rights, we have freedom of speech, assembly, association, religion, press, weapons, due process of law, a restriction against unreasonable government intrusion, right against self-incrimination, right to a lawyer and speedy trial by a jury of our peers. With few exceptions, anyone can become a U.S. citizen; in fact, on average, about 800,000 people become naturalized citizens each year. With few exceptions, Tim can write what he wants, people can believe what they want, define themselves how they want, and associate how they wish. Until the prejudiced Republicans change the rules.

Richard Harper

Northeast side

Military families and ESA vouchers

One of the 10 ballot measures offered up by the state legislature is titled "Military families’ ESA scholarship protection." The Republican Legislature's goal: Amends the Arizona Constitution to bar the state from “confiscating” Empowerment Scholarship Account money belonging to children of military families.

This account refers to money individual families did not use for the year's elementary/high school expenses. This unused money is placed into a state-held savings account to be used for college expenses by those individual families. Several news outlets have reported that there is currently $350 million dollars in this account.

It takes a pretty cold heart to deny services to military families; however, this ballot measure refers to savings for all 100,000+ students participating in the Arizona voucher program.

Questions: What percentage of the 100,000+ students are from military families, and what percentage of the $350 million is due to military family savings?

There are other highly questionable items in this ballot measure hidden behind the "protect military families" banner.

Randy Garmon

North side

Identity theft of Dems

Socialists ran for government offices, as their own party, until that would never work. They joined the Democratic Party and pretended they were just a progressive arm of the Party. Love at first sight. 

The Democratic Party focused on Trump Derangement Syndrome; but left their back door open to more intrusive infection ... the Socialist Party.

Open borders drove rental and home prices up. Inflation from 2020-24 drove prices up. The Green New Deal drove energy prices up. Healthcare initiatives drove healthcare costs up. Socialists, promising free bus rides, city-run grocery stores, and rent freezing, are sneaking into the Party. Free cheese to the mouses of voters.

Fraud being uncovered in Minnesota, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts. Does that not bother you? Their desire to support DEI and antisemitism has clouded their eyes on supporting the law. They love DEI and fear of racism to allow fraud to flourish.

Stop pickin' their cotton! Wake up; your slavery will continue because Democrats have wanted to keep you under their thumb.

James Quigley

Marana

Mendoza not concerned with my safety

As a student at the University of Arizona, there have been many times I have felt unsafe walking around campus. There’s a lot of crime in the area and not many places on or around campus that I feel safe walking alone.

I was in disbelief to hear that JoAnna Mendoza believes prostitution should be decriminalized. The effects of legalized prostitution will be felt all over the city. Walking around campus would be even more dangerous, and honestly, I already do not feel comfortable being alone due to the crime in the local area.

I won’t support a candidate like JoAnna Mendoza who wants to normalize criminal activity, or who supports the policies of a mayor like Regina Romero, who has been one of the root causes of crime in the city of Tucson. I want to be able to walk to and from class, work, and home safely. I’d encourage all UofA students to consider JoAnna Mendoza's stance on prostitution this November.

Carly Matheson

Oro Valley

History means something

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress passed a “Resolution for Independence” declaring “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

Also known as the “Lee Resolution,” after Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, who had proposed it, the resolution was the final break between the king and the thirteen colonies.

Congress’s approval of the final form of the Declaration of Independence two days later, the adoption of the Lee Resolution marked the delegates’ ultimate conviction that a nation should rest not on the arbitrary rule of a single man and his hand-picked advisors, but on the rule of law.

Source: Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American, July 2, 2026

James Witkowski

Northwest side

Members of Congress

In a recent televised ad, Juan Ciscomani proudly announced he went to Washington to stop his political brethren from profiting by insider trading. Commendable, but stopping insider trading does little to help his constituents. In fact, Juan voted to make the lives of his constituents more difficult by voting for huge Medicaid and healthcare cuts, elimination of clean energy subsidies, reduction in SNAP benefits, elimination of Affordable Care Act credits and cuts in education funding.

So, it is quite possible that fighting greed in government may be Juan’s one notable effort. Perhaps he can up his game against greed by looking at a certain individual who is profiting enormously while in office. Of course, Juan may also want to hold a town hall now and then to tell constituents how his efforts are progressing.

Robert Bishop

East side

Pesky, ain't it?

July 3 LTE: National pride.

“Traditional Democrats. Republicans and Independents need to collectively defeat this movement” fomented by Marxist and MAGA radicals.

There must be a way to subjugate the First Amendment. Who supports such radical expression in the marketplace of ideas? Who would support installing an authoritarian government under Marxist and/or MAGA influences?

Some scholars and lawyers actually believe the First Amendment allows the free expression of radical ideas in the public sphere. They actually believe people are judicious enough to make rational decisions. They believe that if enough people and politicians believe the USA should have an authoritarian government, then it should. Ridiculous! Pesky First Amendment!

James Abels

Midtown

Photo enforcement

How can we view red light cameras as anything other than a revenue-generating scheme when Chief Prieto says TPD’s top concerns are street racing and street takeovers? I would add speeding in general to her list. Red light cameras do little or nothing to stop these violations. If City Council wants photo enforcement, bring back the mobile speed camera vans. Move them around, but don’t publish their locations. Have penalties on a progressive scale based on speed, ranging from increasingly high fines to revoking drivers’ licenses to impounding vehicles and jail time. Focus on safety, not revenue. Speed cameras are something some red light camera haters, like myself, could get behind. Speed cameras will still require voters to repeal Prop 201, but they actually sound like a safety initiative, not a money grab. Speed cameras have a better chance of voter approval than predatory red light cameras.

Paul Peterson

East side

Red light runs

Red light runs. What may be the major cause? Besides speed, is it the long wait times? How often have you sat at a 4/6 lane intersection and had no vehicles entering/exiting, all adding to your frustration?

For examples: Oracle and Magee, Ina, Grant. You could move these intersections east to 1st, Swan, Craycroft, etc., with the same effect.

Increase the number of cycles by decreasing the red/green light times. Knowing that the red light time will be shorter (more cycles) could change a person’s mindset, knowing that the wait will be shorter and I don’t have to ”run” the yellow/red light.

Another benefit would be to the "pack" size. Drive Oracle/Ina etc. and notice  the empty mile followed by a large pack charging to the next long light! More cycles would spread vehicles into a smoother flow and smaller packs, which could also have a positive impact on mental attitude.

Bill Mc Gourin (Lt Col, USAF, ret)

Northwest side