Tucson Speaks Out: Nov. 22

Ignoring the obvious

There were two headlines in Sunday's paper, one on page A1 and one on page B1.

A1-"Hotter temps No. 1 trigger of West's drought"

B1-"Climate change didn't ring in election"

Arizona is part of the West that is experiencing drought, yet Arizonans voted in a climate change denier President as well as many Arizona legislators who also deny climate change.

Why?

Cindy Soffrin

Northeast side

Comical

Got a good laugh at the cabinet pics. Thanks for that, after the loss of the funny papers. Dr. Oz — hilarious!

Cynthia Duncan

Midtown

Red is the new yellow

After nearly being obliterated for the third time today on Tucson’s lovely city streets, I felt compelled to write this letter.

Please bring back the red-light cameras.

They were not popular before, and I wouldn’t expect them to be popular again, but that’s not the point.

The point is to prevent people from running red lights and endangering other people’s lives.

As most drivers have observed at any major intersection these days, once the light turns red there are usually two or three vehicles flying through it.

Same with the left-turn signals — once it turns red there are typically several vehicles flying through, trying to sneak by on the heels of the guy in front of them.

It’s ridiculous, dangerous, and gotten much worse, and it’s obvious that the police don’t have the personnel needed to curb such behavior.

So if that’s what it takes, then I’m all for the return of the red-light cameras.

Todd Robinson

Midtown

Transgender access to bathrooms

Small-minded, petty, sexist behavior rules the Congress. Sarah McBride, an openly transgender woman, is being treated like some low-life individual by both Republican women and men in Congress. They want to ban her from using the woman's restroom. I guess they think she'll be peeking under the stalls to get a glimpse of women or soliciting sexual favors, sort of like the testosterone-laden men. I imagine she no longer has dreams of penis envy, like some who roar at the locker room myths about Arnold Palmer. In fact, I doubt if those thoughts enter her mind, but individuals enveloped by gross, degrading language fill the airways with such talk. Also I doubt seriously that any self-respecting man wants to flippantly change gender to compete in women's sports. How stupid! Maybe Republicans, you need to join the twenty-first century and get out of the locker room.

Carl Olson

West side

Zipper down?

Speaker Johnson has announced that all persons using the lavatories must use the facility consistent with his/her gender at birth. I wish I could be there when the only member of Congress that has had a sex change operation to female from male walks into the men's room, clothed in her women's clothing and discovers Speaker Johnson, with his zipper down. Will Speaker Johnson exclude her from the men's facility also? Will the member be forced to exit the building to relieve herself? Will Speaker Johnson propose the construction of a facility to accommodate such members? What will Speaker Johnson do?

Kenneth Haber

Northwest side

Trump and US dollar

Currently, the dollar is strong due to the strength of the U.S. economy, its function as the petrodollar, its status as the world's reserve currency, and the relative safety of the dollar due to the low risks of the U.S. economy and government. 58% of global reserves are in U.S. dollars and practically all trading of Oil is in petro (U.S.) dollars. Much of that has to do indirectly with the independence of the Federal Reserve. President Trump says he wants input into the actions of the Federal Reserve. If that happens, confidence in the dollar will start to erode. That gives groups like BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and United Arab Emirates) more incentive to start/initiate another currency to take the place of the dollar. And if oil trading is in another currency, the leverage of the U.S. in world markets diminishes greatly. We can only hope that Trump and his administration start to realize that before it is too late.

Frank Flasch

North side

Pedestrian death

Another pedestrian death. This is a sad thing. All over the city I see pedestrians not looking before crossing the street. I see pedestrians who won't walk a few more feet in order to use the crosswalk. I see pedestrians wearing dark clothing at night. So many of these accidents could be avoided so easily with a little common sense.

Scott Thompson

East side

Lame duck

Plaudits to President Biden for authorizing Ukraine to use American weaponry to strike into the heart of Russia. Now, before the Future Occupant can intervene, Biden should double or triple the level of arms sent to that beleaguered nation. This is the last chance to stand firm against Putin’s posturing before the FO does his Neville Chamberlain act. As Benjamin Disraeli said, “Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.”

A couple other executive actions that might delay the FO’s fascistic intentions:

- End arms shipments to Israel; perhaps too late, but this might bring Bibi’s war cabinet to the negotiating table.

- Pardon the “crime” of illegal entry into the United States for anyone who applies; this is a calculated risk for migrants — coming forward and identifying themselves as the DACA residents did, but it should provide another layer of protection.

Joe Biden accomplished good things as President, but if he does nothing to protect the most vulnerable, he leaves the door open to the FO’s vile intentions.

Jim Christ

East side

The VA dismissed

A large proportion of us veterans voted for Trump, knowing full well one of his aims was to get rid of the VA. As the new to-be-administrator, Doug Collins, indicated, we are just grifters and he would like to dismiss the lot of us. That would please Trump. He likes armies, not individuals.

Even if many of us have been receiving care from the good doctors and nurses for years, we still seem by our ballots, to acknowledge that scores of these men in wheelchairs and walkers can be turned away to save money. We are too old and feeble to take up arms against such a smarmy foe as Mr. Collins and his hope to be rid of us.

So, the Trumpers among us get what they voted for, even though it is not what they really wanted.

Maybe a recount?

Ron Lancaster

North side

Government controlling Big Business

Can our government control Big Business if Big Business controls our government?

Stephen Weiss

Oracle

Single political party system

While many are considering a third major “Independent” Party, MTG (American Taliban Party spokesperson) and James Quigley (“Unify America by Saving Democracy”) suggests converting to a single political party system to “Unite America”. This would involve eliminating all political parties except one — American Taliban Party. They believe this would fulfill the promise of “never having to vote again” and President for Life.

No thanks.

Ray Bynum

Northwest side

The shakedown

Our "loyal" friend in OV thinks that a shakeup is needed because the current administration devastated our country. I'm so happy we've been devastated for the last four years. All of those that voted for the sexual predator and felon will now reap the rewards of 4 years of undisciplined corrupted administration. You'll get the richest man in the world to oversee what he thinks are necessary changes to the administration of our government. He's the guy that runs the car company that has been sued by numerous employees over sexual harassment and racism in the workplace. It makes sense to put someone like that in charge, right? He fits in perfectly with the new administration. There's no shakeup coming, just like there was no replacement for the ACA. We who hold out hope for this country will just have to grin and bear it, right Loyal?

John Bingham

Northwest side

Pay radio next?

I’ve given up trying to watch U of A sports on TV. How many different pay-for-view channel subscriptions do you need to see U of A football, men’s and women’s basketball? Money is destroying the most watched amateur sports. They’re all professionals now. I’m waiting for the next shoe to drop: pay radio. Want to listen to the UA game, subscribe to K$$R.

Dennis Winsten

Northeast side

Scumbagger

Dear Democraters,

I read day after day your rants about Donald Trumper. The same old same old adjectives such as: 34-count felonizer, bankrupter, porn sleeper, groper, women hater, migrant hater, Elon lover, tariffer, and such, appear regularly.

The "Star" only gives you 170 words per letter. Scumbagger is one word that means all the above words and more. Just say "scumbagger" and we will know you are talking about Donald Trumper. This gives you much more room to come up with something new and original. We've heard it all before. Find something different to rant about.

I discovered the word "vitriol". That is all I have to write, and everyone knows who I am talking about, a vitrioller. Perhaps, you should come up with a universal word that describes a person you don't like. Scumbagger is a good choice. It doesn't necessarily have to be that wa wa wa wa wa wa wa wa "Trump". It will now be that "Scumbagger."

Ed LeGendre

East side

NIL era endangers big home matchups

As a proud graduate and a season ticket holder of the U of A, I will no longer attend or really pay much attention to their sports any longer. I've only been paying attention since the mid-'60s. I was there when Chuck Cecil took that ball back 100 yards. I had the pleasure of dining with Lute and Bobbi. The NIL has created a new profession that has absolutely nothing to do with the education. I always agreed with the concept that if you received a scholarship and graduated, you received something of extreme value. If you didn't graduate, you were used. Guess what, every student athlete is now being used, oh excuse me, now being paid to play sports. Didn't this used to be a world-class educational institution? Why not change the name to a more honest representation: The University of Arizona brought to you by (whoever pays the most money), Inc.

Shane Lindstrom

Catalina

No surprise there

Why are so many people astonished by American willingness to give up democracy? William Shirer predicted it all in his opening to "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" when he wrote that Germans elected Hitler with only 32% of the vote while Americans would do it with 51%. His percentage was slightly off but his prediction was accurate. So there's no surprise there.

Barbara Benjamin

Foothills

Time to go cold turkey

I am a teacher in Arizona. That means I know the pain of the criminally low levels of funding the Arizona Legislature forces upon the teachers and students of the state.

With that disclaimer, based on the last year or so of headlines (the latest being that the outgoing president that trashed the budget is getting an extra 40K to pad his golden parachute with) I am more and more inclined to side with the Legislature when it comes to university funding. The University of Arizona upper administration is out of control. The Board of Regents has abdicated its role.

Perhaps it is time to cut off the U of A and the regents until their addiction to shiny distractions known as athletics and presidential perks is over.

David Reynolds

East side

Re: Hegseth for SECDEF

In this letter to the editor a person identifying as a former 25-year soldier started by naming four gents who had once occupied the chair of the Secretary of Defense! I recognized only one as a military veteran. Halfway into the letter he declared that he did not know Pete Hegseth but that he did not strike him as a soldier! If he hasn't yet, he just might be quite surprised if and when he looks up Pete's bio. I believe Pete is a Lt. Col. in the reserve now. Two Bronze Stars, CIB. He then proceeded to pile on with highly derisive insults towards someone he has declared he doesn't even know. Unbecoming of a Colonel, very much so. I don/t know the writer, but I read he was a soldier. His words. I too was a soldier.

Robert Powers

South side

Difference between liberals, conservatives

In an opinion a writer offered an inane definition of a liberal and a conservative. Apparently, he thought it was funny and maybe even true. I found it neither. The real difference is that liberals have the ability to accept others' ideas and cultures. Conservatives are so unsure about their own ideas and culture that they must cast the others as evil.

I am not threatened by someone who has to change their gender. They must feel a deep-seated need to do that, as they know what level of hatred they will face by acting on that need. I cannot understand their reasons, but they must be real to them. Why should I judge? If it bothers you, why does it?

If bathroom safety is at risk, it has always been that way. I have no knowledge of women’s bathroom etiquette. I presume the same rules as in men’s room, except with more privacy. If violations to privacy occur, deal with that as a problem.

Jeff Rayner

SaddleBrooke