Tucson Speaks Out: December 17

A tragedy made worse

I’ve seen many comments by supporters of Trump accusing those who criticize him of “Trump Derangement Syndrome”.

Some of my own friends and relatives cannot understand why I am so vocal in my condemnation of the things he says and does, and I can offer up no better example of the reason for my intense distain for the man than his latest hateful tweet about the tragic deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife.

In a pattern all too familiar to those of us who despise him, Trump made the deaths all about himself and in the process, deliberately failed to show an ounce of compassion or dignity in his pathetic response.

Sadly, those who defend him will no doubt do so again, likely resorting to some sort of false equivalence to the shooting of Charlie Kirk, but make no mistake, if you defend the type of rhetoric Trump employed, you are the problem.

Glen Vann

West side

Rob Reiner

That Rob Reiner and his wife were horribly murdered is horrendous on its own. That President Trump would speak out mocking those persons, calling it Trump Derangement Syndrome, went far beyond the norm. Why did Trump feel the need to speak out at all? Does he truly believe that any incident must, in some way, involve him? I wonder why the President has so much time on his hands that he grasps for straws to stay newsworthy. To me, Presidential matters should be enough to keep busy. It seems that his obsession with notoriety takes more time and effort than what most of us believe reasonable.

Philip Reinecker

East side

Treason and sedition

The Attorney General would save more embarrassment for Trump and Hegseth by reading them a legal definition of "treason and sedition" and explaining that it does not include recitation of settled law. An example of actual treason might include the theft and sequestration of classified documents or the sharing of classified military strike plans with unqualified persons. An example of sedition would include inciting a riot against the United States government. The AG’s explanation should also include the fact that there is no statute of limitations for treason.

Todd Ackerman

Foothills

Do not normalize Trump's behavior

It's bad enough that our President is an anomaly as far as presidents go. I understand the press and other media have a responsibility to inform the public. But do they have to print or verbalize everything he says all the time even when parts of it may mean something. The more it's out there without an editor's note, fact check or comment the more of his unbelievable nonsense and actions become normalized. He doesn't represent us, he represents himself. It is daily propaganda, giving him unjustified credibility. His is not normal presidential behavior. Please figure out a way not to normalize it.

Debbie Smith

North side

Bilingual education

As Arizona’s Deputy Schools Superintendent and a Latina, I abhor Michael Chihak’s bigoted statements about Supt. Tom Horne’s approach to English instruction.

I grew up in Bisbee, speaking Spanish at home, though my parents insisted that we learn English. I graduated from the U of A and have been an educator for more than 40 years, an impossible goal without learning English as a child.

Mr. Chihak falsely asserts that immersion is racist. I co-wrote the initiative mandating English immersion be used to teach immigrant children. Properly implemented, the proficiency rate for English learners was 31%. But after Supt. Horne left office in 2011, the law was weakened, and proficiency is now 11%. Horne is in court to have the law applied correctly and increase that rate.

Ironically, it’s often white liberals who try to speak for Latinos, but Hispanics like me don’t need Mr. Chihak’s help. I understand English perfectly well, no thanks to bilingual education proponents like him.

Margaret Garcia Dugan

Phoenix

Imran Khalid opinion piece

On Dec. 15, an opinion piece by Imran Khalid analyzed global policy changes brought about by Trump and his MAGA brain trust. While we rage at Trump’s daily affronts to civility and our way of life, these distractions hide worldwide upheaval, as our allies and foes each try to adjust to the new, grim world order we’re promulgating.

The lessons of World War II and the destructiveness made possible by nuclear weapons forced changes that have, in practice, mostly succeeded in containing our worst offensive reflexes and in keeping the major powers at peace with each other. An unintended benefit has been greater global prosperity and worldwide trade. Khalid rightly describes how all that is now changed – probably forever. We might try to recapture the post-WWII paradigms, but that’s likely undoable.

It’s too easy to become derailed by Administration hatefulness. Instead, we should insist that our leaders refocus on managing and containing the global changes that could actually destroy us all.

Shelly Fishman

Midtown

Johnson's lost grip

House Speaker Mike Johnson is making a frantic effort to appear concerned about health care coverage for everyday Americans following months of inactivity. Johnson’s plan does little to lower the pending health care increases facing American families, projected to double out-of-pocket premiums. Additionally, Johnson’s plan for cost-sharing reductions for lower-income families wouldn’t take effect until January 2027. Johnson is facing increased criticism from fellow Republicans for these rushed and ill-conceived efforts in the few days remaining in the current legislative term. His plea to fellow Republicans to see him rather than “venting their frustration in public” adds credibility to the claim in Michael Gold’s article “Republicans Undercut Johnson, Circumventing Him to Force Votes”: Speaker Johnson “appears to have lost his grip.” Instead of gamesmanship, we need and deserve thoughtful bipartisan collaboration with the goal of reducing health care costs and the numerous financial strains on American households, not score a win for a political party.

Roger Shanley

East side

TEP

I have seen all the criticism of TEP in Letters to the Editor. Although I do not fully agree with the TEP support for Beale and Project Blue, I will speak in defense of TEP Vs. City of Tucson taking over provision of electric power. Tucson government is challenged in managing current Tucson issues and is certainly ill-prepared to manage a huge utility and the conversion process to public utility. Speaking from personal experience with TEP in the years I've lived in Pima County serviced by TEP, I have had excellent service at a reasonable price. One can always reduce electric bills by such things as practicing conservation in the use of power, installing double-pane windows/doors, etc. Bottom line, Tucson is not capable of managing the conversion and operating electric power by filing condemnation of TEP assets. One needs to consider the membership of the Arizona Corporation Commission when you vote in November, as they approve/disapprove all rate increase requests.

Cliff Wagner

North side

Wrong on autism

In my highly provocative column ‘Democrat Party Has Lost Its Way’ of Nov 25 one zinger accused Democrats of believing that autism is one in 20,000, not 1 in 36. I was wrong.

We now learn that autism statistical data is corrupted by massive fraudulent billing schemes harking back to our perennial favorites, whiplash, stress and back pain. Much of this crime is linked to Somali-American and Somali non-American networks centered in Minnesota, and began several years ago.

I correct and expand my point: Rising numbers in autism can be attributed to improved diagnosis, massive fraudulent reporting, and other factors that we don’t yet understand, but the newly reconstituted CDC is addressing them.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Universal health coverage

As an aging American and retired advanced practice nurse, I follow our health system closely. I know we need universal coverage.

We’re the only industrialized country without affordable health care for all. This puts us in the company of Yemen, Afghanistan and Iran. We have among the worst health outcomes and highest costs in the world.

Waiting for Washington to act is pointless. Politicians beholden to insurance companies and pharmaceutical giants will never support universal health coverage. It’s been over a year since Trump touted his “concepts of a plan.” Republicans tried over 60 times to repeal the ACA since 2011, but never offered a replacement.

It’s up to us.

Call your legislators. Demand reform. Tell them how the system affects you.

Join National Nurses United or Physicians for a National Health Program. Both are free and open to anyone who supports universal health care.

Talk to your neighbors and family. Share on social media.

Citizen activism can work. Please do your part.

Teresa Goodell

Oro Valley