Tucson Speaks Out: May 20 letters of the day

Recently, President Biden reached out to President Obrador of Mexico to discuss the border. Obrador has been using his Army and National Guard along the border to deter “migrants” from entering America. There have been reports of abuse of “migrants” by the Mexican Army and National Guard. This comes as polling shows undocumented immigration to be a top policy issue for voters going into November.

There has been historic undocumented immigration under Biden with over 7 million having entered the country. Biden has dismal polling for his handling of the border.

He has had over three years to contact Obrador to do something about the border but waited until an approaching election to do so.

The reason for Obrador’s cooperation is because of a promise passed on to him from Biden last December by Sec. of State Blinken and DHS Sec. Mayorkas to do future legalization and citizenship for millions of Mexican nationals illegally in the country.

Obrador campaigned in 2018 on not doing America’s “dirty work” on immigration.

Ardel Francis

Northwest side

Facing the climate crisis

Is it cheaper to ignore climate change or to face it boldly, as we did the Nazis in WWII?

Recent estimates (by Deloitte economists) put BAU at 14.5 trillion dollars in the U.S. from climate extremes (and health issues) by 2050, but a gain of 3 trillion dollars if we transition to clean energy. Global estimates are 39 trillion dollars per year as the price of indifference. Look it up.

Regulations and tax credits are a powerful first step. They will protect the next generation.

We can take the next step (just as powerful as the regs) if we charge polluters a per ton price and rebate all fees to citizens as a cash-back. No federal outlays required! No harm to citizens.

Should we elect candidates who will move forward or backward on this, the greatest threat facing humanity?

Jan Freed

Downtown

Too much Trump — offer something else

A pompous, uneducated fool destroyed the life I cherished until 2015. As an older American approaching 80. I was born before TV, social media and the Internet. We had rotary phones and party lines (look it up), safe house parties and the freedom to walk safely down the street.

Today, there is no hour in the day, free of that pouting, snarling, grotesque face and hideously repulsive voice spouting lies, blaming an “unfair justice system” for “illegal persecution.” He did the crimes! Many of his supporters know it yet vote for him anyway. Why? Look at him. He is a pathetic loser who probably had to pay his son Eric to come to court for “display.” So far, I suppose, Melania has refused his payments. But…?

I’m probably not alone in despising this 24/7 media coverage. Every pundit, conversation, opinion and word is repetitious. We weren’t perfect but, our “American Experiment” has been at greater risk since 2016.

Call the networks. Tell them to offer something else.

Sheldon Metz

Northeast side

Better off now? Yup!

A recent writer bemoaned that Trump haters were unable to recognize they were better off under his leadership. I beg to differ but recognize that we both can be right, if your world view derives primarily from listening to the ironically named Truth Social or America’s Pravda/Fox, then you might feel that you were better off then.

But the writer omitted a couple of significant events that happened on Trump’s watch. First, President Drink-Bleach’s incompetent leadership directly led to COVID killing more Americans than Hitler, a problem that continues today with his followers’ mistrust of our Public Health Service.

Second, Trump incited rioters to attack our Capitol on Jan. 6 in order to overturn an election and keep himself in power despite losing. As such, Trump represents a clear, existential threat to our democracy, especially since he has said that he would do it again.

So, looking to repeat this farce again, me not so much?

Tim Helentjaris

Northwest side

SCOTUS

Re: the May 4 letter “The hypocrisy of Justice Neil Gorsuch.”

The writer suggested that it may be time to expand the U.S. Supreme Court to offset the Justice who claims that by stating that the actions of the court would take on Trump’s immunity would be “a rule for the ages,” but overturned Roe v Wade, a prior court’s ruling made in 1973.

We can achieve a better solution in November if the Democrats regain control of Congress and maintain control of the Senate. Then impeach Gorsuch and Kavanaugh too. He lied during his confirmation hearing. Then replace them with Jurists who will protect, not abolish our rights, like voting.

The election in November is crucial to maintain the Constitution, the Republic and the rights of the people, Trump has boasted what he would do if elected and it is scary.

Dave Glicksman

Northwest side

White House for sale

Former President Trump promised executives at a recent Mar-A-Largo event that if they donated a billion dollars to his reelection, he would rescind environmental regulations, open vast swaths of public land and waterways to drilling and mining, increase natural gas exports, and halt EV initiatives. As an extra sweetener, he would enact sweeping business tax cuts.

The oil industry will be ready on day one of the new Trump presidency.

They are drafting executive orders for Trump to sign in fear of his chaotic second term. They’ll make sure that Trump delivers.

The first Trump term didn’t deliver on infrastructure, didn’t bring back manufacturing, didn’t solve the border crisis, didn’t reduce the national debt, didn’t decrease the trade deficit, and didn’t rein in lobbying or drain the swamp. But the Trump policy you can count on is quid pro quo politics.

Jean Meconi

North side

EV alternative

Someday, we’ll all be driving electric vehicles, which should help slow climate change. Until then, what can we do? Back in the 70s, the federal government responded to the fuel shortage by imposing a nationwide 55 mph speed limit. If this were done today, I estimate a reduction of 300 million tons of CO2 each year in the U.S. However, back then, this law was hugely unpopular and largely ignored, even though consequences were fairly immediate — more frequently waiting in 45-minute lines for gas. Would people today be willing to slow down to save the planet?

Godfrey Trowbridge

Northeast side

Absence of election fraud a main issue

I saw a survey where over 50% of Republicans believe our elections are not totally fair. Despite intense scrutiny and legal pressure there is no evidence of systemic issues.

I think there would be evidence if there was a problem. Why do so many people believe a factless story? DJT is unable to accept losing so he fictionalized it. He now says he won’t accept losing in 2024 either.

To those who like to quote gas prices in 2018 as justification for putting him back in charge, what about his inability to accept losing an election? Jan. 6 where people died was his fault — no fake election scandal, no rally. No rally, no deaths. He said he wants to pardon these conspiracists.

Why, on earth, does it make any sense to reelect such a person?

The cowardly Senate Republicans should have impeached and ended this sordid chapter.

Ted Ranney

Foothills

Traffic lights

Thanks to the Tucson Police Department for changing the blinking yellow traffic lights to green arrows.

I drive daily through the intersection of River Road and First Avenue, and in the past, have done so with great trepidation. I witness an accident at least once a week, several involving multiple vehicles.

Furthermore, I could not count the number of people I have seen run red lights, encouraged by blinking yellow. Now I am cruising calmly and confidently through the streets of Tucson, no longer worried about dying in a car crash.

Cheryl Lockhart

Foothills

MAGA’s choice

In 2024, Republicans handed their party leadership to the Trump family and their MAGA minions, they wanted to “vacate” the House Majority Leader (again) and turn their focus to (wait for it…) TikTok. Republicans blocked Immigration legislation, made us suffer through a long tortuous, and deadly delay in helping Ukraine, and Republican House Majority Leader has become the least stable job in the country.

Republicans declared the Secure the Border Act as “dead on arrival.” Their incessant messaging about U.S. border conditions, crime and drugs disappears from the airwaves, even as border states continue to cry for help. Along with Republican delay of aid to Ukraine, they send a clear message to Americans, Ukraine, NATO, and Putin: Trump controls the Republican Party. Americans and our allies don’t matter.

Republicans instead focus on TikTok, an application that they know even less about than human reproduction. They made choices.

We need to make ours.

Cindy Doklan

Midtown

Campaign commercials

Once again, we are inundated with cleverly prepared advertisements selling a political agenda.

Locally, we have Ruben Gallego, a Democrat like Gavin Newsom or Adam Schiff, running for the Senate with the qualifications of being ex-military and little other real work experience.

Nationally, we have Joe Biden running for President with the qualification of 20% inflation since taking office.

Maybe the increase was expected, but Joe Biden believed that the voters had deep pockets, so the price increases would not be a problem.

How many price increases would it take for Biden to understand inflation is a problem for the average ‘Joe’?

I admit that I am a conservative thinker. I am capable of identifying nonsense in commercials and I am also impacted by the loss of purchasing power. I want a change that will improve things for most of the citizens. I oppose most of the Democrat candidates, because we need to get tough on crime again. I’m tired of hearing “Defund Police” from supporters of criminals.

Loran Hancock

Northwest side

Donald Trump

The 10 Commandments under Donald Trump — canceled!

Larry Gray

SaddleBrooke

The fabrications

The liberal media repeatedly states that President Trump encouraged people to inject Clorox. This is a fabrication and even an out-and-lie.

If you watch the video which can be found on the internet, the speech occurred during a meeting where the President and coronavirus taskforce were present. He noted that ultraviolet light and Clorox reportedly kill the COVID virus on contact.

He looked over at his advisors and asked if it was possible to utilize either of these methods internally.

He did not suggest it should be used, only asked his advisors if it was in the realm of possibility. The liberal media, as they have done so many times, cherry-picked the speech. The media will twist stories, select certain damning words, and basically prevaricate to support their singular point of view.

And, unfortunately, many of your readers continue to spout this untruth.

You are going to have to do your own research if you want the whole truth. Or be a sheep.

Loyal M. Johnson Jr.

Oro Valley

AZ Daily Star’s ‘cartoon’ section

I believe the AZ Daily Star’s Letters to the Editor (LTE) section is its great cartoon section. Every day, I read the hate-filled letters from Democrats attacking Trump.

It has now gotten to the point of being “cartoonish.” Comparing Trump to Hitler, calling him a dictator and authoritarian, that if elected he would start a “blood bath.” Was Trump ever president? I almost fall off the sofa every morning laughing, reading these cartoonish letters. It’s Trump “derangement syndrome” on steroids now, propagated by the Star. And hey, everything is so “blue” here that we have a “red” Republican Ciscomani in the House of Representatives. And, discriminated conservative writers should just “get over it” as other minority populations have gotten over their being discriminated against.

It really is hilarious reading the same repetitive attacks on Trump. I thought Democrats were more creative than what I boringly read every day. I will just keep laughing myself silly every morning reading the Star’s LTE “cartoon” section.

Gusher Adams

North side

The red tie entourage

It would be hilarious if it weren’t so scary to watch Trump sycophants show up at his trial all dressed alike.

Instead of brown shirts they were all dressed like their dear leader in blue suits and red ties. It was disturbing to listen to the Speaker of the House, a self-avowed Christian, undermining the legal system to defend a narcissistic corrupt man who cheated on his wife with a porn star.

This should certainly be a warning that there will be no one in a second Trump presidency who will defend the rule of law. All the guard rails will be gone, and Trump will do exactly what he wants.

Read Project 2025 if you have any doubts.

Mary Zimmerman

SaddleBrooke