Tucson Speaks Out: October 23

The dance of destruction

The demolition of the East Wing of the White House is emblematic of the footprint Trump leaves wherever he goes. In the abstract, he destroys our democracy. And in the concrete, he destroys our White House, the 225-year-old symbol of our democracy. While Rome burned, Nero fiddled. And while American democracy vanished, Trump and his sycophants danced in a gilded ballroom.

Sandra Katz Foothills

Unhoused guests as good neighbors

I am a member of Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. There has been a flurry of articles over the past couple weeks about our unhoused services program in this publication and others. We’ve heard a lot about the desperate need of those who make use of these services — food, showers, and help to obtain IDs and other necessary documents. We’ve heard a lot about the anxiety of those living nearby. What we have not heard is the ways in which our unhoused guests are good neighbors. I spend a fair amount of time on the GSP campus, and one of my favorite parts of being there are the many spontaneous conversations I have with the guests who are present. They share with me aspects of their experience, and they inquire about how I am doing. They are, without exception, warm and friendly. What if we imagined these folks as enriching our lives?

Elizabeth Jaeger

Midtown

In response to Steller

Tim Steller’s most recent article talks a lot about the Democratic City Council candidates aligning with Mayor Romero. These candidates are not appointed or hand-picked; these candidates earn every vote.

And these candidates have their own ideas.

The Democratic Party is a wide umbrella. The notion that there would be a dominant ideology on the City Council is ridiculous. There is diversity in background and ideas from all democratic candidates and councilmembers.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors has a four-to-one Democratic majority, and there is no worry of a “progressive dominance.” The difference for City Council is the fact there would be a women’s majority.

This is not a “stronger majority” win for Mayor Romero. This is a win for Tucson voters.

Tucson is an amazing, cultural city that embraces our diversity- in community and in government. I wonder what the argument would be if they were all white men.

Candelaria Corral

Southwest side

Re: Children need TUSD override

Reading this op-ed that laments the lack of full-time librarians in TUSD schools, one would think that librarians “responsible for opening the world to our kids” will be hired with Prop. 414 funds. However, nowhere in the TUSD information about the proposed tax override can I find any mention of librarians or libraries.

With fewer than a third of TUSD students scoring proficient in reading, students clearly need better literacy learning through the expertise of state-certified school librarians. They need library programs that build a culture of reading and materials budgets to provide resources. The ability to read with comprehension and to use reading skills to understand today’s flood of information/misinformation are essential for living, working, and participating in society.

I will vote “yes” on the override. And I will keep pressuring TUSD to achieve equitable access to librarians for all its students and to prioritize literacy learning through libraries in our schools. Please join me.

Judi Moreillon

Northeast side

Just say no

While I am extremely gratified that the U of A and ABOR Board of Regents declined the government’s extortion, I wish they had just responded with an equivocal and resounding “no.” Good businessmen and negotiators know that you let the other party initiate any prospects of negotiation. Indicating otherwise implies that, perhaps, you will agree to some other terms and conditions. Such a response leaves the door open for the government to continue to attempt to suppress the independence of our university.

Dennis Winsten

Northeast side

Outstanding guest opinions

There were two outstanding guest opinions that appeared in the Star on Oct. 21. Both were written by local authors, Gerald Farrington of Saddlebrooke and Robert Samuelsen of Vail. They were so meaningful they deserve national readership. I commend our editor for publishing such opinions.

Ron Ancell

Oro Valley

Pardon of George Santos

I supervised the investigation of fraud and financial crimes for the Tucson Police Department. Not one of those convicted was ever pardoned. These complex cases are often committed by persons without conscience. The George Santos pardon is what happens when you have a convicted felon running the government of the United States of America, where the U.S. Supreme Court has given this tyrant unlimited power with unfettered restraint, acquiesced by a servile MAGA Congress.

Donald’s (and Joe’s) abuse of the pardon to prevent justice is contrary to the rule of law and principles on which this country was founded. The dishonest practice of the pardon must be eliminated. Honesty? Consider this, the family of terrorist Ted Kaczynski turned him in. Abraham Lincoln once said our government exists of, by and for the people. Donald’s response to that, “Who cares?”

We do, Donald, and we are going to make sure our American democratic form of government does not perish from the face of the earth.

Richard Harper

Northeast side

Trump dump

It’s just Trump being Trump, his apologists are declaring. Yeah ... but it’s the president. Of the United States. Piloting a jet and dropping excrement on No Kings protesters while wearing a crown. Posted by POTUS himself. You can’t make this stuff up. But, as jaw-dropping a depiction as this is of precisely how Trump regards basically everybody, it also perfectly symbolizes the dispensing, once and for all, of any last vestige of decorum remaining in this farce of a presidency. The Founders would be overjoyed.

Can it get any worse? Of course it can! The end of the government shutdown hasn’t even begun to be negotiated. Thousands of government workers have been fired or are working without pay. But POTUS, the grand master of deal-making, is indulging his highest governmental priority, effectively proclaiming “let them eat cake!” — or worse — by starting construction of the $250 million Trump Ballroom boondoggle, perhaps in preparation for his coronation.

Robert Gavlak

Midtown

Re: ‘In power’ letter

The opposition party has proposed a better way to govern. (Anything is better than the lawlessness of Trump.) But with an uninvolved and scared GOP in Congress, and his Supreme Court not willing to do its job, it’s impossible to right the ship. Established policies and common good actions are not being carried out. The man at the top and his cronies have broken all norms and gone on the warpath without needed hindrance. The two or three staffers that put power in his hands are not doing the country any favors. There is no vile name-calling from the Democrats. The unpresidential, disrespectful trashy words are coming from Trump, the ridiculous actions are coming from Trump. We need policies that are good for the country. We have “no kings” demonstrations across the country for a reason. “Whatever presidential is, it’s not Donald Trump.” His actions make the country worse, while he enriches himself.

Peter Bisschop

East side

A breath of fresh air

Between all the headlines about war and politics, I found myself wondering what it would look like if Tucson led the way in building healthier spaces to live.

HSL Properties has been part of this community for decades, and Micaela Isabel Machado of Old Pueblo Hemp is bringing new ideas to life through sustainable materials like hempcrete. I think it would be amazing to see them collaborate on an apartment project made for our desert climate, something breathable, affordable, and in harmony with nature.

Apartments that actually help people feel better. Spaces that stay cool in summer, warm in winter, and don’t carry the hidden cost of poor air quality.

Tucson has the creativity and community spirit to pioneer this kind of living. It’s time we start imagining what the future of home could look like, right here in the desert.

Conscious architect

and futurist,

Diana Genardini-Rose

Foothills

A joke?

One has to wonder where hate for America truly exists, when the President of the United States posts a video of himself dumping excrement on citizens from a plane named King Trump while wearing a crown, and both the Vice President and Speaker of the House pass it off as a “joke.” An old saying: Many a true word is said in jest.

Barbara Hall

Midtown

Dastardly oversight

It’s just astounding to me that our nation has gone around 250 years without a 90,000-square-foot ballroom in the White House. I am so glad our president has managed to raise $250 million among his cronies to correct this dastardly oversight. What possible better use of $250 million could one find in this day and age? Fiddle on, Nero, fiddle on!

Eleanor Arnold

Northeast side

History redux

During World War II, Joseph Goebbels, Germany’s Minister of Propaganda, is rumored to have said, “Tell a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth.” Here we are, 85 years later, and we see that many in our current administration follow this hateful advice all too well.

Case in point: during the recent No Kings Day rally, millions of Americans, nationwide, protested the Trump administration’s cruelty, sadism and total disregard for our constitution.

But brazenly denying reality, the president and his followers said this patriotic effort to save democracy was really a “Hate America” event.

Once again, the truth is mangled and mutilated. But it won’t be destroyed. We will not let it be destroyed.

Miriam Furst

East side