Tucson Speaks Out: June 24

Iran

Well Trump's peace deal with Iran is just another ceasefire. It evidently opens the Strait of Hormuz, but of course it was open before Trump started the war with Iran.

And rumor has it, frozen Iran assets from everywhere will go to Iran; bank vaults will be emptied along the East Coast.

What Trump calls radioactive "dust" will probably stay in Iran.

What a "deal."

Trump should have sent more than just two real estate developers to negotiate.

Charles McDonald

Northeast side

Pedestrian Safety

I don't really know much about the statistics behind what I hear constantly: "The Tucson streets are not safe for pedestrians." But I can tell you from my experience the other night on Fort Lowell near Columbus that I can see what they mean! It was dark. In the space of 1.5 blocks at 8:30 p.m., I saw two men crossing in separate areas in the middle of the block, in the dark, in dark clothing. I barely saw them in time as to not hit them. The other man was on a beat-up bike, all dressed in black and hunched over as he rode up to the intersection. I barely saw him either. Barely saw is the operative word. I could so easily have hit them! So, it would seem that the lack of common sense on the part of the pedestrian has something to do with the danger of the situation.

Diane Daniels

Northeast side

Antisemitic attacks on Hernandez

I have been shocked at the attacks against Alma Hernandez. Hernandez has worked in our state legislature advocating for working Arizonans. She supports public education, affordable health care and child care. She supports a woman’s right to choose. She advocates for protection for children against bullying and the rights of all people regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender or religion. Her opponent would have you think otherwise. Why? He argues it is because she is Jewish. He would have you believe that because she cares about Israel, she does not care about Arizona. This is antisemitism at its worst. This idea that Jews cannot care about everyone in this country because they are Jewish and care more about each other and Israel is very old and very frightening. Does support for the USA make you a bad person because we currently have a bad administration with, what we believe, are bad policies? The same is true for someone who supports Israel. You can support the right for Israel to exist without supporting the current prime minister or his policies. This attack on Hernandez makes me angry and scared. As a Jew, am I no longer welcome in the Democratic Party?

Linda Horowitz

Foothills

Rodriguez Balza

This obvious violation of the civil rights of Rodriguez Balza by a U.S. government agency should shock every U.S. citizen. If the government can do it to Rodriguez, it can do the same to anybody. Why are the representatives elected by the people allowing this to persist? The undersigned lifelong registered Republican will vote to replace all the sycophant Republicans currently holding elected office come November.

Robert Rogers

Northwest side

TEP's June 21 Op-Ed

The Mayor and her cabinet bending over backward for TEP in exchange for $2m/year is not collaboration. It is a betrayal to her voters and Southern Arizona's future.

Voters want politicians that fight for lower prices and a better future; not politicians that are eager to make excuses to deliver on TEP's demands. The Mayor paid hundreds of thousands for a study that showed public power would save all of us hundreds of dollars per year. Now she pretends like it doesn't exist and repeats TEP talking points.

Another perfect example is the TEP rate case: Council member Cunningham requested that the city intervene. The city intervened but then proceeded to do nothing. Council members Schubert and Cunningham then requested that the city do something but were met with resistance from the Mayor's office.

The new Franchise Agreement is not collaboration. It is surrender to a future of endless rate increases and capitulation to TEP. It is not at all surprising that TEP is giddy about that.

Randy Rothschild

Catalina

Wildcat Nicknames

Mr. Hansen claimed that neither Steve Kerr nor Sean Elliott had memorable nicknames. I respectfully disagree. STEEEEEEVE KERRRRRRRR!

Todd Johnson

East side

Social Security opinions

I recently read two dueling opinion articles in the Star. One advocated for the ridiculous proposal of privatizing Social Security. The other article articulated valid reasons why this is a bad idea but offered nothing in the way of solutions to address the current shortfall.

The solution is really simple. The current taxable maximum income for Social Security is $184,500. Simply removing that cap with no associated benefit increases would make the system solvent until 2067! With the incredible growth in income inequality over the past few decades, this flat tax on high earnings seems entirely justified. To make the system solvent for the long term, a small increase in the retirement age may be needed down the road.

Remember that Social Security is insurance. It provides money for basic living expenses, not for a lavish lifestyle. If you want to invest in the stock market, use your own retirement savings!

Lee LaFrese

Northeast side

A fool's pool

Trumpty Dumpty sits on his wall,

Trumpty Dumpty deserves a great fall.

He needs no Kings to be shown a fool

All he needs is a Reflecting Pool.

Craig Marken

Northwest side

Rewriting Black history

The Margraten, Netherlands, cemetery holds over 8,000 American soldiers who died fighting their way to Berlin in 1944. The cemetery’s museum, maintained by the grateful Dutch, has several panels explaining what happened there.

Two panels focused on the heroic contributions of Black soldiers, despite the strict segregation policies of the time. One panel tells of a Black soldier receiving the Medal of Honor, but not until 1997 (posthumously).

The other plaque details the heart-wrenching and sickening story of 290 Black soldiers directed in the fall of 1944 to bury, by hand, over 20,000 soldiers who had been killed during the summer and transported to Margraten. I urge you to Google Margraten Cemetery and read the gory details.

Last summer, after a complaint by the Heritage Foundation (the authors of Project 25), citing DEI violations, the panels were removed. The Dutch vehemently protested to no avail. This is a blatant, racist, Jim Crow move, yet again, by the Trump administration to remake Black history to their standards.

Gary Haslett

SaddleBrooke

He's trying to bankrupt our country

What will it take for Congress to awaken to the fact that pathetically erratic DJT is working to bankrupt our country?

His impulsive chainsaw firings led to thousands of re-hirings at great cost. Renaming the Kennedy Center and removing his name cost money. Appointing boot-licking Cabinet members who come and go through a revolving door cost $$$. An unnecessary billion $$$ war which is NOT over, work on a reflecting pool without competitive bids, a mess! The $400 million ballroom "all paid for" not — just like Mexico paid for the wall(s). The millions spent on privately-run detention centers to dissuade immigration, a proposed ostentatious Trump Arch on the National Mall, who's paying for all this? Not billionaires, but the beleaguered American taxpayers struggling to provide necessities for their families.

It is past time to say "no" to the narcissistic, impulsive bully boy in the Oval Office before he destroys our beloved country.

Eleanor Arnold

Northeast side

Funky accounting

Is the U of A leadership deploying financial manipulation or is the foundation, this is the question. Well, possibly they are in collaboration on the matter. I feel an audit into the 20% highest-paying positions is in order to ensure no “friend of family” pay rates are being protected at the expense of the organization’s that should be protected and respected, not robbed by funky financial manipulation. While they are at it, review expenses and justification for all the highest expense submissions to ensure all are following the prescribed guidelines and again not hiding fraudulent expense utilization to cover budget or perceived entitlements.

James Wells

East side

Memorandum of misunderstanding

In the beginning ...

There was chaos in the land. Missiles were flying, drones were bombing, straits were closing but then came a man.

At 6 feet 3, weighing 245 (well maybe more), he was Big Don, Big Bad Don.

With one sweep of his mighty pen, he signed the MEMORANDUM.

And now we all have peace in our time.

Oh wait a minute, wasn't that Neville Chamberlain in 1938 who promised us peace in our time? We all know how that turned out.

To be continued ...

Steve Gluck

Foothills