Tucson Speaks Out: August 22

Bulk trash pickup

Many thanks to the City of Tucson's Environmental Services staff for the excellent way they handled the Brush and Bulky Trash pickup in our neighborhood. We live near Alvernon and Broadway, and the neighborhood piles up 6 months of tree trimmings, household goods and even old appliances in anticipation of this semi-annual service. This morning my street side area was transformed from a substantial mound of landscaping cuttings to an immaculate gravel path. The crew did a great job. Thank you to all who were involved in this important program.

Glenn Lippman

Midtown

Socialism vs. the Constitution

Out of curiosity, I just read the DSA's official platform, and it didn't mention anything that was stated in Mr. McConnell's LTE. Maybe he should propose to abolish the very Socialistic billions in subsidies that the oil companies receive and that are making record profits due to Trump’s unnecessary war. He should refuse his Social(istic) Security checks and Medicare. Maybe he could inform us of which Democratic Socialist countries are a threat to our country, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and why these countries, along with Canada, are listed as having the top 4 rankings in quality of life and the U.S comes in at 27th?

The Communist countries of Russia, China, and North Korea are the biggest threats, and whose leaders are pals of Trump, and who he wants to emulate. He even exchanged "love" letters with Kim Jong Un. I thought the MAGA crowd was down on guys that write love letters to other guys.

Michael Monahan

South side

Unpresidential

Destroying national parks, putting Trump on everything, dictating by executive order, defunding PBS/NPR. Ecological/environmental nightmares. Disregard for environmental laws, illegal land grabs, indifference to the rule of law. Rising inflation, fostering misinformation, abusing power both at home and abroad. Unwarranted military conflicts, open animosity toward minorities and legal immigrants. Dismantling vital healthcare programs. Reversing previous executive orders. Manipulation of data. Gas prices, climate crisis. Budget? There seems to be endless funding for his military endeavors. The environmentally harmful wall remains a pointless project. Tribal rights are being disregarded, essential services cut, the misuse of ICE. A systematic erasure of our history. Vaccines? Gutted EPA, subsidized coal and fossil fuels, shuttered clean energy programs, reneged on climate agreements. Fired scientists who tracked the weather. Making money on his policies. Paid access to his posts. Restrictions on voting by mail. "Friend" with our enemies. Military suffering. Tariffs. No-bid contracts. Nepotism. Crypto deals & bank. Shielding shell companies. Unpresidential.

Peter Bisschop

East side

Visitor impression

To the City Council and County Board:

We had some visitors last month. They were driving from San Antonio to Las Vegas and spent a couple of days with us. Upon pulling into our driveway and exiting their car, their first words were not "it's really hot" or about the mountains or the saguaro, but "the roads in this town are crap."

That was their first and lasting impression of Tucson.

William Long

Foothills

Forms of governing

Current governing forms in use:

• Oligarchy — Government where a small, elite group of people hold all political power

• Plutocracy — A system that is ruled or controlled by people of great wealth

• Kleptocracy — Government by corrupt leaders who use political power to steal the wealth of the people

• Ochlocracy — Oppressive majoritarian form of government (mob rule)

• Kakistocracy — Government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people

• Autocracy — Absolute rule by a single person

• Ecclesiarchy — A government ruled by or in conjunction with religion

• Patriarchy — A power structure where men are dominant

Only form to be used in November when Democrats win:

• Democracy — A system where power belongs to the people who hold the ultimate authority, exercise their voice through free and fair elections, abide by the rule of law and protect their core human rights.

Please vote for Democracy in November.

Dee Maitland

Marana