RTA is highway robbery
Re: the Sept. 11 article “Cash shortfall could affect RTA projects.”
The rock classic “We Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who is a rebellious ballad and appropriate response to the sick drumbeat by city leaders, currently leveraging support for an “RTA Next.” The first RTA is finally ending after stealing 20 years of working-class peoples’ taxes, for earth-wrecking pork road projects! Tucson just got another road tax this spring, but it is never enough. This is highway robbery, in the face of housing, economic and environmental crises.
The political math is simple — the RTA dies (deservedly) without city voters. And it’s painfully obvious that the stagnant leadership running the RTA is corrupted by the dullest obedience to developers’ agendas. If there would be any taxation imposed ever again it should mandate leaders to deal with the climate emergency that is killing people, and will melt our roads, and vaporize all the street-chalk paintings we can dream of.
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Dwight Metzger
South Tucson
Seniors get relief from Rx prices
I’ve had asthma since I was 17 months old and I’ve been hospitalized 22 times because of it. If it wasn’t for prescription drugs, I wouldn’t be here. But the cost of these lifesaving drugs are killing my wallet.
One of my medications carries an annual list price of $74,000. I regularly spend upwards of $7,000 out-of-pocket on my health care costs. Every year, health care takes up most of my budget — it’s more than rent, more than food, more than just about anything.
So I was ecstatic when President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, capping out-of-pocket prescription costs at $2,000 annually, meaning I will save around $5,000 each year. I’m over the moon that seniors will finally have relief from high prescription costs. Thank you to Arizona’s Democratic representatives and President Biden for standing up for seniors like me by passing the Inflation Reduction Act.
Carol Brown
Midtown
Tempest in a Tea Party
Republicans’ uproar over the FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago lacks any foundation. Citing their concern that the action is unprecedented, while ignoring the fact that Donald Trump’s mendacity is also unprecedented, is disingenuous.
Trump’s lawyer submitted a document falsely declaring there were no records being held at Mar-a-Lago. After uncovering deception, the department of Justice rightfully obtained a warrant for the FBI to search the premises where, unsurprisingly, multiple boxes of documents were found.
If anyone deserves outrage, it is Trump and his followers. Trump lied about not having broken the law, and with that false proclamation he inflamed his followers, thereby endangering the lives of FBI agents who were just doing their jobs. Despite awareness of Trump’s history of document mishandling and calumny, Republican scoundrels supported his bogus controversy that absolved Trump and disparaged the FBI. Their pandering to his lawless behavior is irresponsible, unpatriotic and immoral.
Rick Cohn
West side
Forced pregnancy
Re: the Sept. 8 letter “Department of un-justice.”
In reply to the gentleman who lives in the NW Side, I would resoundingly stack every complaint listed by him against the overwhelming cruelty Arizona has placed on every woman in this state who, under state law, will be forced to carry a pregnancy to term. Thousands of women are going to go to the polls and vote Democratic, not because they agree with the Democratic ticket, but because they hate forced pregnancy!
Jean Tencza
Rio Rico
Biden referring to specific group
Re: the Sept. 9 letter “Biden’s name-calling.”
Regarding this letter, I would respectfully submit that President Biden was referring to the Jan. 6 mob of Donald Trump supporters who simply did not act with the respect the seat of government demands of any visitor; i.e. instead, attacking Capitol police with flag poles, breaking into buildings, defacing the interior of buildings, etc. As for “those he is supposed to represent,” I do not think that they are looking to embrace his leadership and ideals, instead embracing the previous president’s chaos and mayhem. So, since I don’t believe you were part of the mob, illegally entering the Capitol building, breaking windows or assaulting police officers and other nefarious acts of violence, I don’t think he was referring to you, and thus you do not need to be offended by his words.
Richard Rebl
East side
Fascist?
Re: the Sept. 12 letter “I am a fascist.”
I think the writer who facetiously calls himself a fascist is very much mistaken. Most of the reasons he mentioned are those of both a sound Republican and Democrat, except for calling the DOJ biased for doing their job. However, if the writer was part of the Jan. 6 insurrection, if he advocates violence toward government officials, if he partakes in social media rooms discussing civil war, if he blindly follows a leader who has no regard for the democracy of this country, if he calls fraud when his candidate loses an election, and if he does everything possible to make voting difficult — yup, I’d say he was a fascist and not the Republican that requires the respect of any political party in this country.
Duane Harpet
Northwest side
Oh, the hypocrisy
Reading some letters and watching certain politicians on the news who are so aggrieved by President Biden’s speech castigating the MAGA Republicans for their existential threat to our democracy, brings to mind the line from Hamlet: “The lady doth protest too much ...” Biden, if one paid attention, went out of his way to distinguish the Republican Party of old; the decent and collaborative conservatives, so vital to a healthy democracy, to the lunatics who have hijacked the party and supported beyond all reason, the worst and most dangerous president in our history.
Yea, they say, I’m not a racist, fascist, supremacist or insurrectionist, but did I vote for Donald Trump not once, but twice and would I vote for him again despite his hideous venality? To those offended by Biden’s speech, please spare us the hypocrisy. If anybody has disgraced and humiliated, not half, but each and every one of us in this country, it’s been Trump and his MAGA supporters.
William Muto
SaddleBrooke
The crazy old golfer in pajamas
Here’s how it’s going to go down for Donald Trump.
He pleads insanity to all charges, federal and state, saving attorney fees. Adjudicators and prosecutors affirm his plea. He is set free and plays the crazy old golfer in pajamas for the remainder of his days.
Jerry Wilkerson
SaddleBrooke
Comics and puzzles
The Arizona Daily Star is really an exceptional daily newspaper, and has managed to weather the move away from print journalism and all the changes over the last decades. We have subscribed to the print edition for over 35 years, and really appreciate the depth of local coverage. We were surprised to open the paper today to a greatly reduced and disappointing comics and puzzle section, and the addition of a half-page of horoscopes! Wondering if you did focus groups to determine preferences of your readers? We went to the puzzles and comics link, and were redirected to the disappointing USA Today puzzles page. We’re especially missing the Cryptoquip, which has to be done on paper and didn’t even show up on the puzzles link. Our preference would be to skip the horoscopes and use that space to bring back Cryptoquip, a family favorite, and some of the current comic strips such as Dilbert, Rubes, Crankshaft, Adam and Sally Forth. Please consider making adjustments to the comics and puzzles.
Lori and Ron Nelson
Midtown
Too little, too small print
Dear editor,
I regret to say that we have reached the end of the road.
The comics: font is too small to read. Variety and choice of comics, already far less than in other newspaper publications, disappointing (Zits and Dilbert, for example, are missing).
The puzzles: halved. My wife enjoyed having two puzzles at breakfast, with coffee, at the start of her day.
We find it unworkable to spend $35 per month on Jim Click, Sam Levitz and furniture advertisements.
I will miss some of the columnists. We are not renewing our subscription. Let us know if anything changes. If the subscription was $15 we might reconsider.
Regretfully,
Paul and Rita Zohav
East side
There will be sand
How and when will the Western water crisis be solved? Who will step in to solve it? Crisis management has yet to kick in. Many key players have their heads stuck firmly in the desert sand and they will remain there until they suffocate. No one has the answer — certainly not the folks who have decision-making power. Until the power brokers — the developers, bankers, corporate farms (who stand to lose the most financially from pervasive water shortages) face reality and understand there is nothing left to do but collaborate for the good of the country. They are way too busy making money while the sun shines!
Patricia Lewis
Northwest side
Changes to the format
I want to express our displeasure in the changes made to the comics and puzzles. In addition to getting rid of many comic favorites, you have eliminated the Cryptoquip, one of the Sudokus, and two crosswords (changing to LA Times crossword). We enjoy the printed version of the paper and do not feel that we should have to go online for a newspaper that we pay for to be delivered, daily. Who makes these decisions without the public’s input?
Please return what we enjoy!
Leslie Harris
Southwest side
Revamped comics and puzzles
As an experienced, daily, multiple print newspapers reader of 60-plus years, I appreciate in-depth local news features as well as current comics and puzzles. Including reruns of old comics (Peanuts, Garfield, For Better or Worse) in the daily print newspaper was an unwelcome surprise this morning, despite the warning from Jill Jorden Spitz, editor, that the change was inevitable. Please banish them to the e-edition, where they belong. Running really old comics, such as The Katzenjammer Kids, The Yellow Kid or The Gumps, in print from the beginnings would be more entertaining and engaging. The sole new comic, Crabgrass? Looks like a bore. Losing the Cryptoquip puzzles in all formats is a shame. At least it had entertaining groaner puns. The given reason for these changes was improved in-depth local news supported by Lee Enterprises. Better put those stories in hard-copy print. And above the fold.
Katherine Scott
East side
Hobbs is right
Thank you, Katie Hobbs, for pointing out the elephant in the room. Televised political debates have become circuses with inept ringmasters. The recent Arizona GOP gubernatorial primary debate demonstrated how debased these debates have become.
Candidates arrive with their prepared quips, put-downs, talking points and obfuscating non-answers. Reporters moderating try to corral the participants with gentle nudges that are completely ignored.
The Clean Elections Commission should serve the public by responding positively to Hobbs’ proposal for town hall forums with individual candidates where reporters and audience members can pose questions and hold their feet to the fire when candidates dodge direct answers.
Monica Manning
Foothills
Hobbs is scared
Only in the bizarro world of the Left does Katie Hobbs become a hero for refusing to debate Kari Lake. Hobbs, who was sued successfully for racial job discrimination, chose not to debate Lake mainly because she knows she loses in the open debate of ideas as well as personal character. If Hobbs were a hero, she would have stood up and openly challenged Lake on the substantive issues facing our state. Sadly, the voters of Arizona won’t be able to make a sound decision for governor due to Hobbs’s cowardice.
Tom Peña
Northwest side
Changes to paper
With four sections of the newspaper to play with, why have you changed the Comics/Puzzles page? You have ruined the one page I have enjoyed for over 20 years. Everything seems crowded together and the print smaller and harder to read. Why the LA Times crossword? Please change back. Some things are better left alone and this is one of them.
Rose Marie Brogmus
Northwest side
Morning blues
I used to start my day with a couple of chuckles, a jumble and a cryptoquip. Got my brain going. You can’t imagine how mad I got seeing Peanuts instead of Crankshaft yesterday. Sorry, I don’t want to start my day on the computer. So I guess now it’s just coffee and the New York Times crossword. They don’t even have cartoons. Nobody needs a horoscope to show us how miserable our day will be.
Nan Schubel
Northeast side
