Tucson Speaks Out: May 11

Fool me once ...

Trump (2016): Border wall to be funded by Mexico. Result: Mexico $0; American taxpayers $15 billion for 80 miles of new wall and 372 miles replacing existing structures (BBC), with much evidence of fraud and waste (ProPublica). (Original estimate was $8 billion for 1,000 miles.)

Trump (2026): Ballroom to be funded by private investors. Result: Republican reconciliation bill proposes $1 billion for ballroom (original estimate was $200 million).

Barbara Hall

Midtown

Military genius?

On May 5, Trump ordered the start of Project Freedom, which was to have U.S. military ships guide oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. He called this the “greatest military move in history.” He is putting his order on par with Hannibal crossing the Alps, Washington crossing the Delaware, D-Day, Patton’s march to save soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of Midway or Gettysburg.

The “greatest military move in history” lasted 50 hours and was called off with maybe a couple of cargo ships exiting the strait. I don’t think this Trump strategy will make any top 10 or 100 or 1,000 in military history books. Trump is playing the board game Risk, with real people, and losing. He should stick with Chutes and Ladders, suitable for ages 4-6.

Gary Haslett

SaddleBrooke

The deficit

Regarding Mr. Will's commentary on Sen. Paul's efforts to do something about the national deficit: They are absolutely correct in that something needs to be done before a calamity happens. With Sen. Paul's solution, I fear balancing the budget will come on the backs of the poor. Not to mention his bill will never pass. But something that could actually happen and would help — elect Democrats! I challenge you to look up the performance of all the presidents in the last 30 years in regards to the deficit, and you will see that Democratic presidents lowered the deficit while Republican presidents exploded it, especially Trump. Our current course is unsustainable.

Dave Bertagnoli

West side

The destructive child

Trump has paid $2 billion of our tax money for contractors to stop building wind-power stations off our coasts. While energy prices explode, like bombs in the unplanned, unnecessary Iran war, Trump canceled new, non-polluting energy sources. Destruction with no plan.

Now, as the climate crisis reaches irreversible proportions, Trump increases our dependence on oil-based energy. Is he purposely destroying our air and our climate? We won't know for sure because he closed down four major atmospheric observatories that were measuring CO2 pollution.

The White House East Wing's rubble, destroyed with no rebuilding plan, is another remnant of this destructive child's tantrums that we taxpayers must pay for. So is DOGE's trail of useful government agencies gutted and shuttered.

Democracy itself is being destroyed by Trump and his billionaire backers, but they do have a plan: to rule as oligarchs in a dictatorship based on coercion, not cooperation.

Bruce Joffe

South Tucson

On big cat public safety sct

The Protecting Local Zoos Act (H.R. 7159) may sound harmless, but its misleading name hides an industry of exploitation, cruelty and public safety risks — protecting neither animals nor humans.

This bill would weaken existing federal protections for big cats like tigers and leopards, and also the communities around them. In 2022, Congress passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act with a coalition of bipartisan support to address major public safety and animal welfare concerns. It curbed the breeding and trade of big cats in roadside zoos and private collections, ending practices that treated cubs as entertainment props before discarding them as they grew older and more dangerous.

Even in captivity, big cats retain their natural instincts as powerful predators. This creates perilous situations for handlers, the public and law enforcement when animals attack or escape. Rolling back the safeguards that protect humans from potentially lethal attacks and big cats from cruelty is wrong. Congress should reject this misguided bill.

Kaivalya Ilapakurthy

Downtown

Thank you, Mr. President

It seems a fine and comely thing to have appreciation signs for our president throughout the land. However, a leak from recent rule-making of the Federal Communications Commission has revealed that, based on the use of public properties for such signage as well as the equal time doctrine applied to media in public media, the appreciation signage must include all parties at interest, past and present. Thus, it would appear that the current signs must be modified and all future signs must be created to read:

Thank You, President:

WASHINGTON, ADAMS, JEFFERSON, MADISON, MONROE, J. Q. ADAMS, JACKSON, VAN BUREN, HARRISON, TYLER, POLK, TAYLOR, FILLMORE, PIERCE, BUCHANAN, LINCOLN, A. JOHNSON, GRANT, HAYES, GARFIELD, ARTHUR, CLEVELAND, HARRISON, CLEVELAND, MCKINLEY, T ROOSEVELT, TAFT, WILSON, HARDING, COOLIDGE, HOOVER, F. D. ROOSEVELT, TRUMAN, EISENHOWER, KENNEDY, L. B. JOHNSON, NIXON, FORD, CARTER, REAGAN, H. W. BUSH, CLINTON, W. BUSH, OBAMA, TRUMP, BIDEN, TRUMP.

Chuck Barrett

Midtown

Charlie Kirk Way

In an earlier letter, I wrote that Cesar Chavez should be remembered for his historical accomplishments and not his foibles, suggesting retaining signs and monuments in his honor. While Cesar was born in Yuma, his achievements were in California, and I also boycotted lettuce back then.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Charlie Kick’s home base has been Arizona for a decade. His political impact compares favorably with Cesar’s, but he is squeaky clean regarding said indiscretions.

Instead of destroying, let’s honor Charlie with at least one street sign for his contributions. I suggest renaming Speedway, Tucson’s longest thoroughfare, to Charlie Kirk Way, celebrating his legacy while discouraging speeding on our streets.

This may be the most ill-received letter I’ve ever written.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Living In the past

Donald Trump and I probably share one trait common to many seniors: we drift back toward what is familiar. Call it muscle memory, habit or simply age. The older we get, the easier it is to revisit old victories rather than imagine entirely new futures. That’s why we retire!

For Trump, that means ballrooms, gold trim, branding buildings and stamping his name on anything that stands still long enough. He came from a world where success meant casinos, hotels and giant letters spelling TRUMP across the skyline. So now, even while the country wrestles with AI, climate stress, affordability, debt, global instability and war, he retreats to what he knows best: self-promotion and construction projects.

The danger comes when nostalgia replaces leadership. A nation of 342 million people cannot afford to be governed like a retirement scrapbook.

Lawrence Mazin

SaddleBrooke

Trump is not old!

Trump is one cheeseburger away from the afterlife.

Trump loves cheeseburgers from fast-food places along with diet soda. He is a victim of a bad diet, and he is functionally deaf! He does not listen to anyone and does not read.

Diet and functional deafness can contribute significantly to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Many Americans older than Trump continue participating and helping our country.

Their efforts and wisdom and actions are needed by all.

Pat Bannon

East side

Dislike

Some of our rulers' fervent supporters like to ask, "Why do you hate Trump so much?" It almost seems to be asking for some sympathy. To respond to that question, one has to assume that the questioner is defining "hate" generically, i.e., some level of dislike (there are many levels). In virtually all that he does, our ruler demonstrates one or more of the following: rudeness, crudeness, being self-serving, egotism, being misogynistic, racism, boastfulness, incivility, lacking diplomatic skills, incoherence, disrespect, etc. His followers would want to respond with an example of something he has done that may have been justified, had some benefit to the country and did not just benefit him. Those times are lacking in frequency. His followers accept "the end justifies the means." The remainder of us are often horrified by his actions. The ever-present dislike is both understandable and justified.

Don Gerlach

East side