Tucson Speaks Out: August 31

Andy Biggs, the ‘Fixer’

Andy Biggs has new campaign signs calling himself a “fixer.” An interesting choice of words.

When Arizona voters chose Joe Biden in 2020, Biggs apparently thought the election needed fixing. He objected to Arizona’s electoral votes and voted against certifying the result. Years later, he still won’t simply say Biden legitimately won.

Now Biggs supports the SAVE America Act, adding new proof-of-citizenship and voter-ID requirements to federal elections, even though noncitizen voting is already illegal. His fix is to make voting more difficult.

Biggs has spent nearly a decade in Congress, including leading the hard-right Freedom Caucus. He helped Republicans oust their own House speaker and made confrontation his political trademark.

Now he wants to be governor and promises to fix Arizona.

Arizona needs serious work on water, housing, education, healthcare and affordability. Those problems require someone capable of working with people who disagree with them.

Campaign signs are easy. Governing is harder.

Andy Biggs: Fixer? Not the type we need and trust!

Frank Hagel

SaddleBrooke

Too Few LTE

I am disappointed to see the recent downsizing of the LTE column. Recently there were only five letters. We've been informed there are more letters online. I don't know or ever plan to read the paper online. And then there is the recent addition of a full page of syndicated political comics that I have no use for ... overkill. All that space could be used for more letters. I want to read what my neighbors are thinking. I mostly find the LTE intelligent, thoughtful, informative and even sometimes creative (think poems). To me (and I'm sure many others), the column represents the heart, soul and spirit of Tucson citizens. Please reconsider your decision.

Sharon Winderl

Midtown

Lake America

Didn't most Americans get all tingly when Trump signed his new edict renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America? I didn't. I thought, how boring. We already have the Gulf of America and the Straits of America. How about something different — like Lake Trump? C'mon Donnie, I know you want to do it.

Did I get this right? Now Trump wants to renovate the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts so he can put his name back on it. And if they don't let him renovate it, he wants to tear the whole place down? You know, London may have its Big Ben keeping accurate time for over a century, but we now have the American cuckoo, which hourly comes out and pruts its latest fart on the brain, hour upon hour. It gets tiring just putting up with it all.

John G Schmidt

Southwest side

Not a game

Recently, the news reported three boys in Yavapai County injured a girl while playing dodgeball at school. Dodgeball can be a very aggressive game directed to hurt a child on the opposing team. Students can either throw the ball with strength, or they can kick it toward another. Both of which can result in an injury.

In this case, the girl was taken to the hospital with a head injury. Until schools realize they are the cause of these injuries, I would like the following recommendation: Parents, please contact your schools and request that your children be excluded from this dangerous game of dodgeball.

Brian Dean

Green Valley

The comical side of irony

So, Trump wants to declare the Hormuz Strait as the 6th U.S. Territory. Under the 14th Amendment and U.S. Immigration law, "all people born under U.S. territory become U.S. citizens.” Hmm! What am I missing here?

Michael Willis

Green Valley

Bless their hearts

In their Aug. 27 opinion piece, Tom Suozzi and Scott Galloway discuss requiring mandatory public service along one of three paths for every young person in the country. Apparently, this idea will reduce “depression” and foster “national identity” for this group. They don’t define “young person,” but let’s say 18-year-olds. A quick Google check shows almost 4.5 million 18-ers in the U.S. What the authors failed to discuss are practical logistics. In the military (one of their three options), new soldiers are fed and housed and afforded health care and paid $2,400 per month. So let's calculate the 4.5 million kids x $2,400 per month = almost $11 BILLION PER MONTH in wages alone, not including extra housing, uniforms, support staff, etc., for this group. Of course this is ridiculous. I can think of 1,000 better ways to spend my tax dollars.

Jeff Albiniak

Midtown