Tucson Speaks Out: March 16 letters of the day

“Everything Trump Touches Dies” by Rick Wilson deserves a second volume. In that second volume will be listed 17 co-defendants in GA, the Trump organization’s CFO doing time, his sons owing $4 million each, and the unindicted co-conspirators in the Jan. 6 case. Donald Trump leaves personal disaster in his wake. It’s impossible to understand why anyone would want anything to do with this guy. He has committed fraud. No, he is a fraud. And, of course, the first thing he does after being found liable is to solicit money from his MAGA followers. He has been banned from doing business in New York. Trump needs to be banned from doing business in the USA as a president bent on destroying everything he touches. He will continue to lie, cheat, and steal from U.S. citizens.

Jon Langione

Marana

Russia isn’t a communist country

Re: the Feb. 24 letter “To Marx or not to Marx.”

One can oppose Marxism, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump while noting that communist rule in Russia ended in 1991.

Ken Beegle

East side

Repurpose Davis-Monthan?

The recent comments about the military planes flying over and around Tucson are comforting to some and depress me. My year 1969 at Bien Hoa AFB Vietnam was as a witness to Agent Orange and napalm dropped over and around the base and felt the ground rumble from B-52 bombs. Vietnamese worked in our office, barracks, and dining halls during the day while we bombed them during the night. Like Tucson, Bien Hoa city shared a fence with Bien Hoa Base. The current aircraft flying from Davis-Monthan, or any future aircraft are war machines. I have lived in Yuma where there is a Marine base supporting F-35s. They have several times the amount of noise as the A-10. Imagine a future of commercial development centered around electric planes and using the existing C-130s as commercial transport for cargo, people, livestock.

Alvin Rains, USAF veteran, Lifetime Member DAV, VFW

East side

Rent rage: Arizonan housing costs soar

The fully refundable federal Renter Tax Credit would provide swift relief to a broader segment of the population experiencing housing insecurity — many of whom are not served by existing housing and homelessness programs. Thirty-six percent of households are renters in the Phoenix metropolitan area, according to the Census. This area has shown striking rent increases in which many residents spend anywhere from 50% to 100% of their income to pay rent. In fact, Attorney General Mayes just opened a lawsuit against RealPage and various residential landlords for illegal price-fixing that violates both the Arizona Uniform State Antitrust Act and the Arizona Consumer Fraud act. These laws protect the renter or consumer against unfair acts like monopolies to control fixed prices. In this context of rising housing prices, I urge Arizona Congressmen to act as leaders and to provide aid to the neediest by supporting the Renter Tax Credit.

Karina Garavito

Catalina

Basketball scoring record

I watch with interest the assault that Caitlin Clark (Iowa women’s basketball team) is making on scoring records. Now some people believe she will soon eclipse Pete Maravich’s record. Please give me a break. I know this is an era when it’s important that woman must be always be compared to men but face some facts. She will have played 4 years and had the advantage of a 3 point shot. She is averaging something close to 32 pts per game, exceptional. Pistol Pete could only play 3 years and averaged 44.2 points per game. Former LSU coach Dale Brown charted each of Maravich’s shots and determined that if his made shots were counted from 3 point range Pete would have averaged 57 points per game and he would have made 12 3 pointers per game. Folks Caitlin is a once in a lifetime women’s player. Count ‘em up and see that Pistol Pete was far and away more impressive.

Philip Reinecker

East side

A stop sign means stop

At approximately 9:15 a.m. (Feb. 29) Thursday morning I was stopped at the 4-way intersection of Limberlost and Mountain Avenue, as were other vehicles. When it was my turn, I began to pull forward. Suddenly, racing down Mountain Avenue from the Loop area came a cluster of approximately 16 male bicyclists in dark blue shirts, pumping wildly towards it.

Without any hesitation they all rode through the stop sign en masse. Rules of the road did not apply to them!

Imagine the tragic consequences if I had not yielded to their reckless selfish action.

Pat McElreath

Midtown

Stop Cop City mayhem

Re: the Feb. 27 article “Vandalism spree politically motivated, Tucson police say.”

So a protest group “Stop Cop City” chooses Tucson as their summit.

They camp on city owned land (off Stone Avenue) and with the help of a local business portable toilets are delivered and an outdoor kitchen is set up.

Their downtown March goes off the rails and two banks receive damage (approximately $20K worth). Three are arrested, bail is low, and easily met.

A day later another incident of destruction occurs on East Camp Lowell with window and door damage ($80K). Businesses somehow related to Atlanta’s Cop City project are the target of these same Stone Avenue protesters, it would appear. Similar slogans of graffiti, with perpetrators yet to The city allowed encampment, and backed their political ideals. Police mostly observed their activities.

It begs the question: what business observing these events would even consider moving to, or investing in Tucson?

Root causes can be complicated and fleeting, but it’s easy to see why Tucson runs far behind in business attraction and development.

Thomas Liguore

East side

Response to defense budget ‘socialism’

Every government provides training, housing and clothing to military personnel. Benefits: the Army and AF Exchange Service and Defense Commissary Service have been self-supporting for decades, with new facilities/ improvements coming out of AAFES profits and 5% surcharge at Commissaries. The AAFES profits go to the Welfare funds used to help fund activities like bowling alleys, golf courses and hobby shops, all of which charge rates very close to those of the local communities. The Davis-Monthan golf course closed a few years ago for two reasons: the city doubled the cost of water supply and our airmen did not have time to golf as they had so many deployments providing security for folks like Mr. Hilbert. One of my additional duties as Comptroller of the AF was Chairman of the AAFES, where I am proud to have increased the profits for the Welfare Fund and introduced fast food franchises in BXs and PXs.

Truman Spangrud, Lt General (fighter pilot), USAF Ret, U of A ROTC 1956

Foothills

Military privileges

Re: the March 2 letter “Stop Socialism! Cut Defense Budget!”

The letter writer neglected to include two other privileges that the U.S. Military enjoy: The privilege to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”, and the privilege to die and be buried with honors in a National Cemetery.

Don Minow

Oro Valley

(D) Stands for Democracy

During the 2024 election cycle, all of us need to review the realities we face. Voting is the one civic duty implicit in our citizenship. Too many of us don’t attend to this duty or recognize the importance of choosing candidates who, underneath it all, will support democracy.

One of our major political parties has drifted inexorably away from supporting fair and open democratic processes. This party’s candidates have an (R) after their names on ballots. These candidates, when elected, become part of majorities that imperil our freedoms and form of government. Other candidates have a (D) after their names. (D) stands for democracy. These candidates have a variety of policy positions and priorities, but their core values are part of the bedrock of our society and these candidates need your support.

Check with people you know to see if they plan to vote this year and whether they appreciate the importance of their choices on the ballot.

Donald Ijams

Midtown

Trump calls the kettle black

I watched Bernie Sanders on TV the other night. A year OLDER than President Joe Biden (4 years older than Donald Trump), the man is sharp as a tack. He and Biden remember Trump’s name. Both men remember the names of their allies over the years and their adversaries, historical events, dates and history itself, both having made it for the positive. They even know their wives’ names and each other’s wives.

They both know the Star-Spangled Banner lyrics.

Self-proclaimed as “one of the greatest memories of all time,” Trump cites Obama as the president and Hillary as his major opposition. Nikki Haley became Nancy Pelosi twice. Despite his lame false claim, we all saw it when he referred to Melania as Mercedes. His diminishing cognitive abilities caused him to forget his son Eric’s name. He stuttered as he tried to remember, even though he read his own kids names on note cards.

How can someone mispronounce Paul Ryan or Rick Perry?

Sheldon Metz

Northeast side

Biden takes the gold

Gauging from the sea of deservedly unhappy faces worn by those in attendance at the State of the Union address, who had come to see Joe Biden fall flat on his face, only to be forced to endure his perfect 10 performance, the exasperation must have been demoralizing. And he stuck the landing!

Unlike Trump, who when abruptly faced with the occasional seeming tongue twister appears to be on the verge of a seizure, Biden’s sporadic articulation gaffes looked to be no more serious than emergent residue of his lifelong stutter. The content of his reason and his evident clarity shone through these minimal distractions. Contrast this with his opponent, that embarrassment of a human, whose constant childish stream of consciousness, so flippantly passed off as pearls of wisdom, betrays an alarmingly deranged psyche.

It is truly worrisome that our very future comes down to half-baked concerns over the competence of this honorable and accomplished statesman who, despite the inevitabilities of age, is so convincingly coherent.

Robert Gavlak

Midtown

Strongman

The MAGA types say they want a strongman (one word) — an authoritarian who rules unilaterally. This genuinely puzzles me.

I would much prefer a strong man (two words) — to lead our country. A man who is not insecure and boastful. A man who tells the truth. A man who admits a mistake. A man who is moral and doesn’t cheat on his wife or in business. A man who doesn’t bully or name call. A man who is ethical and does the right thing even when no one is watching. A man who serves militarily in time of need. A man who admits defeat and accepts responsibility for it.

My faith in the U.S. electorate has been shaken by the millions who cast their votes for a strongman and not a strong man. I hope that changes this November and we don’t elect a morally and intellectually bankrupt ego maniac to lead our country.

Merle McPheeters

Midtown

Books are people too

Pop quiz: What do corporations; frozen, fertilized human eggs; and guns have in common? Answer: Various courts and states say they’re all people, guaranteed the same rights as actual walking-around people like you and me.

So corporations can’t vote but they do have free speech, as much as they can buy. Frozen cells can’t do much of anything from that vat of liquid nitrogen. But guns can do plenty. They can intimidate, maim and kill. They empower weaklings and help them prevail in debates.

But what about books? Misty Cox, a member of the Mingus Union High School District board, seems to think some are so dangerous they must be suppressed, kept under lock and key. Why, Misty? Books are good company. They can entertain. They can offer new ideas. They can help us learn about ourselves.

By today’s standards, I’d say books are people too. Let’s protect them!

Michael Rule

Midtown

Misinformation

I enjoyed the article on misinformation, very timely with FOX news having to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for lying. The Republican response to Biden State of the Union was a great example of misinformation. Senator Britt claimed a woman told her about being trafficked by the cartels for 4 years. Britt blamed Biden, however this occurred in Mexico from 2004 to 2008, when Bush was President. The woman involved said she never met with the Senator and wouldn’t want her life to be used for political gain. But why let the truth interfere with your story.

Craig Miller

Northwest side