Tucson Speaks Out: Feb. 9

The end of USAID

In 2015, I volunteered to go to Nepal at my own expense to help after the disastrous earthquake in April of that year that killed 9,000, injured 30,000 and left over a million homeless. At a village near the epicenter that had been almost totally destroyed, I worked for three weeks alongside the local residents helping to rebuild their village. While there, I found empty rice bags marked USAid “From the American People.” These were from food shipments that had been received before my arrival. The people of the village greatly appreciated the food and help from myself and many other volunteers from all parts of the world. So now our president and his henchman Musk want to do away with this worthwhile organization, one of many that make our country first in helping other countries in need. What will be next on their “hit list”: The Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders or UNICEF? They’re destroying the very things that truly make America great. Shame on them.

Tom Henderson

West side

Mad King of the Divided States of America

The Mad King and his co-president Elon Musk who with six tech kids, (one barely out of high school) is accessing all our personal data via the Treasury’s payments system). Mad King is trying to break Hitler’s record of bringing down a democracy in 53 days.

The Mad King disavowed Project 2025 before the election, yet its directives were implemented within days of his coronation. After pardoning 1,500, including violent criminals, the Mad King has created his own criminal militia. Our former friends and allies will retaliate against the Mad King’s trade war tariffs and the relative geopolitical peace and economics of the world will be in chaos.

It’s sad that Mad King’s voters thought he actually cared about this country and was going to bring down the price of eggs (yokes on you). Instead, he wants to take over Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada.

The greatest tragedy, however, is that 90 million eligible voters did not vote in the November election.

Rachel Rulmyr Ed.D.

Oro Valley

The new way of doing government

Does Elon Musk have the proper security clearances for access to agency personnel records and government payment systems? Of course he does.

People have forgotten the new theory of presidential authorization floated up in the classified documents case. Any and every document is declassified as soon as the President says it is.

In today’s federal government, there is no paperwork required, no accountability channels to clear, just the President’s word.

Even sweeping national policies can be enacted in one breath today and taken away in one breath tomorrow. 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico today, zero tariffs tomorrow. An end to TikTok today, back in business tomorrow. Forced and final displacement of Gazans today, a return of Gazans to their land tomorrow.

Land deals are handled the same way. Today, the President can “own” great big strips of foreign land with no diplomacy or treaty paperwork involved. Greenland, Gaza, Gulf of America, Panama Canal belong to America just by the President’s say-so.

Kimball Shinkoskey

Downtown

Elon Musk

Rich people are bad, so the population must believe. News continues to castigate the “world’s richest man” because he looked at their personal information. I would rather someone rich looked at my records who could care less than someone who needed to profit from doing so! And do it for no salary. The Biden administration and Congress appropriated almost $5 billion to put in chargers for electric cars they promoted. Less than five got installed, with Musk installing about 3,000 at no taxpayer expense. Congress and the President knew there was government waste in our foreign aid program — this was not a new issue! But they sat back and continued spending taxpayer dollars. It’s easy when it’s taxpayer money! Musk may be rich, and smart, and he has the opportunity to reduce people’s taxes and get a bloated budget under control. Something no one else has done until now.

Dave Locey

Foothills

And the Winner is: Billionaire Autocracy

Regarding 2024 Election choice between democracy or dictatorship, Trump’s dismantling of democracy says thanks for choosing Dictatorship.

MAGA Christian nationalists, look away from billionaire Elon Musk downloading your personal, financial, medical data & bank account routing from U.S. government computer systems. Why should you be concerned that no one, literally no one knows, but Musk, knows what he plans to do with your info. Not one of Trump’s Executive orders advances Christian nationalism or anything Christian. What Americans sat closest to Trump at the inauguration? Was it MAGA leaders? Nope. Christian faith leaders? Nope. Fact, billionaires sat closest to Trump at inauguration: they are who he is now serving and will continue to preferentially serve.

Billionaires are Trump’s community. Have been. And always will be. Trump played all of you! You elected a billionaire autocracy, and Trump as figurehead dictator. You have elevated unchristian men who worship greed & power into seats of control of most powerful nation on earth. God help us all. You can be redeemed by joining resistance protests.

Glenn Johnson

Midtown

Prop 414 is just a bad idea

Why would the City of Tucson want to fund Prop 414, a half-cent sales tax increase, on the backs of the poor? Prop 414 would exacerbate poverty and inequality by:

• Reduced Disposable Income: Taxes directly decrease the amount of money poor individuals have available for essential needs like food, housing, healthcare, and transportation. This can push them further into poverty or make it harder to escape.
• Regressive Impact: Taxes that take a higher percentage of income from lower-income individuals are considered regressive. These taxes disproportionately burden the poor, widening the gap between the rich and poor.
• Limits Opportunity: When the poor have less disposable income, they have fewer opportunities to invest in education, job training, or starting a business. This limits their ability to improve their economic standing and break the cycle of poverty.
• Reduced Spending: Lower disposable income means less spending in the economy. This can stifle economic growth and make it harder for businesses to create jobs.

Prop 414 is simply a bad idea. Vote no.

Wendell Long

East side

What’s to hide?

It seems the Dems have their panties in a knot over looking into how our money is spent at USAID. Apparently, making that information public and trimming the overhead will bring to light some of the outrageous waste, which dominates this and similar agencies. They are sure putting a lot of effort into hiding the facts.

Don Flood

Green Valley

How is DOGE doing?

If you want the answer to this question, don’t look for it in the Daily Star. DOGE started by plucking low-hanging fruit, the USAID an agency with a “minuscule” budget of $40B a year and 10,000 employees. In the last two-week firestorm, all AP reports only extol the good work of USAID, and indeed they have done much, while totally ignoring their funding of Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria, and organizations in Gaza controlled by Hamas; all America’s political enemies.

USAID also funds a transgender clinic in India, sex changes in Guatemala, LGBTQ promotion in Serbia, Macedonia, Nepal and Jamaica, and teaching Sri Lankan journalists to avoid binary gendered language.

After the smoke subsides, USAID will reemerge in some form, perhaps not continuing as an independent agency but under the tutelage of the State Department, smaller, more efficient and doing good work more focused on strengthening America.

No more subversion and woke. This is what I voted for.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

No on 414

Why? Because “sales tax” is a regressive tax. Transaction Privilege Tax has a relatively greater impact on people who earn or receive less income. Want to go get more revenue for Tucson? Ask the voters for an increase in real and personal property taxes. Generally, if a person can afford the property, they can afford to pay the attendant taxes.

So says the landed property owner.

James Abels

Midtown

Why DEI?

To impose “colorblindness” in the torrent of white nationalism and persistent racial and social injustices is indeed to blind us from reality and further promote white nationalism and racial and social injustices. Please turn to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8), in following Jesus’s call to serve “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40-45), to continue to promote unity with diversity, abundance with equity, and collaboration with inclusivity. Why? Because all people are made in the Image of God: Imago DEI!

Ke Chiang Hsieh

Midtown