Tucson Speaks Out: October 18

Enough is enough

Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District still has no representation because U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to do his job. First, it was because he needed to have the election certified (done). Then, he said she should have the full ceremony of being sworn in (a blatant lie). Now, he says he can’t do it because the House is out of DC (on his orders). But Johnson is in DC right now. Grijalva is in DC. She could walk over to the speaker’s office, put her hand on a bible and be sworn in by any judge. No special ceremony needed. After all, those of us old enough remember the iconic image of Lyndon Johnson being sworn in in the back of the plane taking John F. Kennedy’s body back to DC from Texas.

I urge everyone who cares about democracy to call his office and tell Johnson to do his job.

Karen Micallef

Oro Valley

Support TUSD override

Voters residing in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) are asked to approve a 15% maintenance and operation budget override on November 4. Estimates indicate that the measure would increase secondary property taxes by $1.02 per $100 assessed valuation the first year. This would be in effect for seven years.

Teachers’ salaries would increase by $250 per step in the salary schedule; all other employees would see a 4% increase. Highlights: Fine arts classes would expand to 14 additional schools. More career and technical education would help students prepare for jobs, and there would be five additional full-day preschool classrooms. Measures to improve student math and reading are included.

It has been 25 years since TUSD requested a voter-approved budget override. Let’s vote yes so that our students can look forward to a bright future.

Carol W. West

East side

End execution

We, as Arizonans, are killing a man this week — Richard Djerf. The manner of his death will be officially listed as homicide.

Here’s the problem: Revenge is never justice. The death penalty is wrong for many reasons, but the primary reason is that it doesn’t work. It does not do what its proponents want it to do.

The death penalty takes a generation to carry out. It costs more than life in prison with no possibility of parole. It contradicts all major religions. It has killed innocent people, and it cannot be reversed. It is not a deterrent. The only appeals are those required by law and the Constitution. Djerf is 55 years old, and we will kill him for a 30-year-old crime.

I could go on. It just doesn’t work. Save taxpayer money and abolish it. Revenge is never justice.

John Yoakum

Midtown

Return my fed taxes to Arizona

In the Oct. 16 Arizona Daily Star, Pima County Supervisor Christy was quoted as saying, “The University of Arizona, like Pima County, relies too much on the federal government for funding sources.”

I’ve lived and worked in Tucson for more than 45 years. I attended the University of Arizona with help from a federal loan program. I paid U.S. income tax all those years.

The federal funding Christy refers to are my tax dollars coming back to my state, my county, my city and my state university.

Mr. Christy, I want my tax dollars to come back to my community and my state. I do not understand why you don’t want that money.

Mari Jensen

Midtown

Commendations due

The airports in Arizona that have refused to show the videos from DHS blaming the Democrats for the government shutdown [ADS, Oct. 14] are to be commended for refusing to participate in an illegal activity.

The videos are nakedly partisan, reportedly used government funds to produce, and are promoting Kristi Noem’s political image. All of these violate the Hatch Act, various government ethical regulations, as well as the Prohibition on Electioneering in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which forbids funds being used to support or oppose legislation pending before Congress.

Costs for the videos are not known, although estimates are in the millions and will be investigated. An excellent example of “waste, fraud, abuse”. How about throwing in theft of government funds?

Barbara Hall

Midtown

Ditch RTA Next like you ditched Moghimi

As a former member of the RTA’s Citizens Advisory Committee, I felt hopeful when Director Moghimi was removed from his job. However, because it appears that the RTA Board (with the thumbs-up from the City) still plans to move forward in putting the RTA Next plan on the ballot, it appears that Moghimi’s removal was pointless. The problem with Moghimi was that he structured the RTA in such a way as to make meaningful democratic input impossible. But RTA Next was conceived of during Moghimi’s tenure, so it is still his plan. Unless the Board pulls the RTA Next plan and restructures the RTA, the plan is not worth voting for.

RTA Next does not include sufficient funding for transit, safety, or road maintenance and still prioritizes road-widening in non-city areas. City residents on the advisory committee were shut out of the planning process as they were unable to even get items on the Committee’s agenda. We need a do-over.

Ditching only Moghimi is not the answer. Ditch RTA Next, too.

Rachel Wilson

Downtown

No Kings

I will participate in another No Kings Day in Tucson, but for different reasons than most other marchers.

Since 1788, America has struggled to balance power among its three federal branches. Congress, established by Article I of the Constitution, now fails to provide the leadership entrusted to our primary branch, but we also read endless opinion that the Article II Executive is now a tyrannical, fascist kingdom.

I march against the real kings, the Article III low-level unelected federal judges wanting their 15 minutes of fame. They halt negotiated international trade agreements disrupting global markets, shut down detention centers, block long overdue federal workforce efficiencies, and oppose dismantling the racist DEI infrastructure, all at their whims. The Executive always yields to their decrees before challenging in higher courts.

The weather will be cooler than the last march, and hopefully political temperatures, too.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Ciscomani wants government open

The CR that was passed in the House is asking for seven weeks to finish the budget. Congressman Ciscomani voted yes in the House, and it is now on the Senators to vote. On Oct. 1, U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani signed a letter requesting his congressional salary be withheld until the shutdown has ended. Senator Ruben Gallego voted on the Senate Floor to shut the government down, told NBC News he can’t afford missing a paycheck. If Arizonans want the government to open, contact your AZ senators to pass the Biden Administration CR. The Senate can then negotiate during regular order the Covid ACA premium tax credit enhanced subsidies that were set by the FY2022 budget to expire at the end of this year. Regular PTCs are still available.

House Republicans passed a clean, nonpartisan CR to keep the government open and pay our troops, TSA agents, Border Patrol, air traffic controllers, and federal workers. Senate Democrats have voted seven times to block paychecks to hardworking Americans.

Pamela Furrie

Northwest side

Good news

In 1964, President Johnson and Congress passed legislation creating Medicare and Medicaid. Many millions of us have been enjoying the benefits. There was a provision that prevented these entities from negotiating drug prices. All other nations negotiate and pay far lower costs than we do. President Trump is doing it on his own, pressuring them to lower our cost to most-favored status. As this continues, costs will decline drastically, perhaps sufficient to keep them from going broke.

This will lower their profits. I have a suggestion for them and President Trump. Only America and New Zealand allow drug companies to advertise on TV. It is irresponsible to suggest to us that we should tell our doctor the drug we want. Surely you are as annoyed as I am when watching a program interrupted by a commercial saying how wonderful a drug is and then providing an extensive list of all the bad things that can happen.

Jack Walters

Northeast side