Tucson Speaks Out: Feb. 6 letters of the day

Jaguar reintroduction

Re: the Jan. 25 article "U.S. says it won't reintroduce jaguars."

Tony Davis reported that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service rejected a proposal by the Center for Biological Diversity to reintroduce jaguars into the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. I am a biologist working on the biodiversity of the Sky Island mountain ranges in Sonora, Mexico. Based on our analysis of 92 jaguar records in the Sonoran Sky Island Region, most jaguar localities (73%) were in foothills thornscrub, a tropical vegetation type. The only jaguars reported from within 139 km of the Arizona border were wandering males, with females and breeding populations farther south. The oak woodland and pine-oak forest habitats in Arizona and New Mexico are northern exceptions to jaguar’s tropical habitats throughout its southern distribution. Introducing animals from tropical habitats into these temperate areas would be ecologically unsound. Moreover, the Mexican government and CITES species permit processes are very complicated, and it is unlikely that endangered jaguars would ever be exported to the United States.

Tom Van Devender

North side

Roads!

The recent rains have shown how fragile our roads are. The have gone from sad to deplorable. The old potholes are back with a vengeance — and bigger. Plus, they have invited new ones to join in the fray. There are some areas where one can hardly avoid a pothole. If we have the money to house, feed, clothe and transport the undocumented, we should have money to repair our city and county roads. Funny thing is, when the potholes are repaired, we wind up with bumps instead of holes!

Ron Furtak

East side

Robbins must go

President Robbins has been and is the villain and should walk the plank. Although a “noted heart surgeon,” he has evolved into a typical corporate hitman. He must go. His lack of candor and malfeasance is on vivid display in the Dave Heeke firing.

Board of Regents, enough of Robbins. Fire him for cause.

Arthur Balbirer

Foothills

Someone you love

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates between 7.7 million and 23 million Americans developed Long COVID at some point during the pandemic. Many were told, “It’s like the flu, gone in two weeks.” But it never left. Research did not move forward between 2020-22, leaving sufferers feeling lost and forgotten. Then, in 2023, the Biden administration announced a $1 billion RECOVER Project to test possible treatments for Long COVID, bringing some real hope for a cure.

Moreover, the FDA granted full approval to an Alzheimer’s drug that slows cognitive decline for patients with mild dementia.

For women and children, the FDA approved a postpartum depression pill, a condition affecting over 400,000 women a year. Also approved was a long-acting drug to protect babies and toddlers from the RSV respiratory virus.

Lastly, a new cancer-focused research program will aid doctors in developing better surgical interventions to treat the disease.

Someone you love needs what Biden has done.

Judy J Gillies

Downtown

GOP: Act responsibly and pass Border Bill

Once again, the Republicans in Congress are listening to the siren call of Donald Trump, who wants to save a problem with our borders for him to solve. Note he had a GOP Congress and failed to resolve the problem back then. So, the current GOPs are seeking to grab defeat from the jaws of victory in failing to pass the best border control bill in decades.

Voters come November will remember. More undocumented and fentanyl lay the blame on the Republicans who backed off a bill for bettering America. They want the same thing as Saigon 1975 for Ukraine and no help for Israel or Taiwan.

Pam Farris

Oro Valley

Airbnb for migrants

For years, Tucson has been struggling to best accommodate our 2,500 homeless citizens. The public and charity-funded organizations have had great success; those who want help get it.

Now, we’re asked to shelter newcomers that are crossing our southern border at 10,000 a day. The local solution is for Democrat Mayor Romero to employ Airbnb to link these uninvited guests with our vast progressive community. If you own a home, your garage can hold a family of five. Apartment dwellers can buy a sleeper sofa for their living room. And being progressive, you must also agree to feed, educate, and keep your boarders healthy, but Joe Biden will probably reimburse you for all your expenses, and you will get to feel good that you’re not a Republican.

As for we political conservatives who believe that our nation’s borders are sovereign, we’re going to sit this one out.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Will Dems share blame if Trump is re-elected?

Robert Reich writes a scathing criticism of Trump. But like other anti-Trump letters, he offers no solution to stopping Trump. Simply attacking Trump will not change the minds of his supporters.

I have already said here that there is a solution: if you’re a Democrat, switch parties and vote for Haley in the primary. But the apparent lack of support for Haley from Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire suggests Democrats are not doing that.

In 2020, Democrats switched parties and voted for extreme Republican candidates to help their Democrat candidate. Was that putting country first? If you are as concerned as you say you are about preventing a Trump victory, switch parties and vote for Haley.

But sadly for all of us, it appears it may already be too late. Democratic voters, along with independents and sane Republicans could have prevented this. But Democrats chose not to.

James Tuthill

Oro Valley

Trump or Biden?

It is always a disappointing day when you are forced by circumstances to take your average run-of-the-mill buffoon seriously.

But it is so truly sad and pathetic that we are forced on a daily basis to try to take seriously a world-class buffoon because he is running for President of the United States.

Are you confused whether I’m referring to Trump or Biden?

Seriously!?

Scott Seidler

Midtown

Look into debt at U of A

Re: the Jan. 28 article "Prominent Tucsonans back UA president."

U of A President Robert Robbins has a most preeminent résumé. And as stated in Sunday's AZ Star was a driving force in making University Medical Center the fine institution that it is (I was a patient for five days a few years ago). But the financial quagmire that the U of A currently finds itself in under President Robbins' tenure cannot and should not be understated. Adding $250+ million to the 2023 operating budget with the purchase of a for-profit school with a steadily declining student body, lending millions to the athletic dept while, at the same time, approving the firing and buyouts of Rodriguez, Stoops, Sumlin, Miller, and asst coaches. And just last week, the dismissal of AD Heeke with a year left on his contract that the school must absorb at over $1 million. To quote the inimitable George W Bush, 'You're doing a heckuva job Bobby'! I believe Gov. Hobbs is making a correct move in appointing an independent body to look into this.

Larry Meskill

North side

Religion is mankind's demise

Spending the last fifty years of my life deprogramming myself from the teachings of the Catholic faith, I see no good coming from the fanatical religious fervor in this country and the world. To live your life condemning and killing humans because they do not hold the same religious beliefs will be mankind's demise, not climate change. Over the course of mankind's existence, do you ever wonder how many humans have been killed and persecuted in the name of religion? Life is meant to be lived in peace and then we DIE! End of story.

Chris Kisiel

Midtown

Other peoples' money

I doubted Trump would actually pay for his campaign with his money, as he stated in his first campaign. I was right on that count for three elections. Why spend my money when others will give me theirs? Most politicians accept donations, but they do not claim to be self-funding.

I know there are some of you reading this that have donated to his campaign and do not have his wealth. I cannot imagine how you feel about knowing at least a portion of your donation is being spent to cover his attorney fees.

My conservative friends have told me over and over that all of the claims were not facts until proven in court. Now that the courts have decided, the system is to blame, or Joe Biden has mandated the outcome. Not possible with Joe being called a weak and incompetent fool. Your donations feed the pot of money for him to pay for his crimes and misdeeds.

Jeff Rayner

SaddleBrooke

Right-wing toxicity

There are several earmarks of a toxic person, among them are these:

• Constantly seeks approval and reassurance.
• Monopolizes conversations, is extremely opinionated.
• Wants to be the center of attention.
• Believes they are superior, is callous and disrespectful of others.
• Exaggerates achievements or talents, persistently lies or deceives to exploit and hurt others.
• Creates drama, violates the rights of others, lacks empathy and remorse for harming others.
• Fails to consider the negative consequences of behaviors or learn from them.
• Expects to be given special favors, behaves in an arrogant way.
• Has difficulty maintaining relationships.
• Takes advantage, manipulates and belittles others.
• Is sarcastic, bitter and has a negative view of life.

All the traits of someone we know well: the so-called, heaven-sent leader of what used to be known as the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln.

William Muto

SaddleBrooke

U of A and Robbins

My reaction to Wolfe's 'Robbins: I fully intend to solve UA crisis' was, "Are you kidding me?!" To start with was "his first sit-down interview with the ADS" and yet ADS recently published Jim Click's Op-Ed — Robbins is "available day or night, even on the golf course"! Doesn't Ms. Wolfe play golf? Then was "12, 14,16 hours a day" — I would think that with an $800,000 salary, long hours don't rate hardship pay. P-l-e-a-s-e STOP with "the patient is ill." Does Robbins ever talk like a University President? Is Robbins ever going to take responsibility for the mess he created? Answers: No and No. Finally, "the university needs to "run like a business" - "into the ground" was apparently missed by Ms. Wolfe. This was a fluff piece that was sympathetic to someone who deserves no sympathy.

Richard Janik

Northeast side

What do you mean by 'energy independence?'

I have read several letters in this space mentioning how Mr. Trump “made us” energy independent. One recent letter claimed we need the former president back to “restore” energy independence. But how do these letter-writers understand the concept of “energy independence?” Imagine I own a farm that produces berries to be sold on the market. I also buy berries from a neighboring farm. If I sell more berries than I buy, why am I still buying berries? Aren’t I “berry independent?” Can’t I just eat my own berries? The answer is that I’m selling strawberries but buying raspberries. Beginning in 2019 the U.S. started exporting more energy than it imports. This has continued every year since. If selling more energy than we buy is the definition of “energy independence,” then nothing need be “restored” since it never stopped. But given that we still rely on Canada and others for crude oil, (we export shale oil) the term “energy independence” is somewhat misleading.

Sally Lee

Foothills

Conservative viewpoint in AZ schools

Re: the Feb. 1 article "AZ offers conservative videos to schools."

Unconscionable. The effort to introduce these so-called facts into the curriculum would be funny if it weren't so pathetic. How anyone could presume to put words into the mouth of a man who has been dead for 500 years is beyond me. The other "facts" are equally laughable. Children are impressionable and will believe pretty much anything you try to teach them; they are too young to make reasoned judgments. When this so-called information reaches the schools those in charge should hold it at arms' length and drop it into the trash where it belongs.

Catherine Collinson

East side