The Pied Piper president
How do we change the idiotic, moronic belief, espoused by the president and believed by the poorly informed, that we have more cases because we are testing more?
Pay attention. If we tested fewer people, the results would show fewer cases. However, that does not mean that those not tested are not infected and carrying the coronavirus directly to your favorite gym, bar, restaurant or clubhouse.
Still, many of you reject that this is real because you have a person who paid someone to take his SATs, was a poor student, who rarely attended school, lied about having a degree from Wharton, was kicked out of military school, illegally salutes the flag and the anthem (only military and veterans can salute, civilians place their hand over their hearts), never reads and rarely attends daily briefings, and allows bounties to be paid over the death of our brave soldiers. He lies without consequences and incites political and racial division.
People are also reading…
Veterans, you are gambling on your adoration of this man.
Sheldon Metz
Northeast side
‘Warp Speed’ vaccine initiative promising
A few months ago, President Trump announced his “Warp Speed” COVID-19 vaccine initiative combining government and private industry research and development. It is intended to develop a vaccine by the end of this year or early 2021, unprecedented in vaccine development history. Normally vaccines take years to develop and are tested to finally get FDA approval.
Warp Speed is fast tracking that process. Billions have already been allocated by the government for speedy funding of the vaccines. On July 14, the National Institutes of Health and Moderna, Inc., announced they will start a most important step, a 30,000-person study to prove if the shots really are strong enough to protect against the coronavirus. Thus far, testing volunteers have developed neutralizing antibodies in their bloodstream — molecules key to blocking infection — at levels comparable to those found in people who survived COVID-19.
Other promising vaccines by Pfizer are being fast tracked by the FDA. Hopes are to have vaccines by the end of the year. Thanks President Trump!
Ric Hanson
North side
Choose McCarthy over McSally
Daniel McCarthy must beat Martha McSally in the Senate primary on Aug. 4 if a Republican is to win the Senate seat come November.
McSally’s election record is poor. She lost two of her four congressional elections, then lost her Senate race two years ago. Her soft-toned website has no hard information on issues or her political beliefs. McCarthy’s website is chock-full.
McCarthy is a forthright practical doer, a self-made (with his wife) entrepreneurial millionaire.
Republicans must beat Democrat Mark Kelly. Kelly’s strong in the air but his policies are leftwing quicksand.
The McCarthy/Kelly preelection debates will highlight the person and his policies on security, taxes, healthcare, immigration, education and more.
McCarthy has long been in hot pursuit of McSally to debate. Why has the ex-fighter pilot fled from him? If McSally can’t explain herself facing McCarthy, how can she do it debating Kelly?
D. Clarke
Sahuarita
McSally demonstrates a lack of integrity
I can’t watch Martha McSally’s current campaign ads without remembering her ads from her last campaign. They were the most vile and disgusting ads I have ever seen. To me they demonstrated a complete lack of integrity on her part, along with a willingness to say and do whatever it takes to get elected.
Since that time, she has also shown herself to be weak. She lacks the courage to perform the most basic function of her job, namely apply checks and balances on the executive branch. I don’t believe President Trump would have been the disaster he has been if the members of Congress had been strong enough to do their jobs.
Dave Rollins
Patagonia
Justice in Pima County
After 30 years in the justice system as a lawyer and administrative law judge, I know through my own experience how little actual justice there is. The county attorney’s office for years has been only interested in winning and putting people in jail regardless of their actual guilt. Both male candidates for the office have been there for years, supporting this attitude and practice.
We desperately need someone from the outside who actually knows what justice is. Laura Conover is just what we need. She has experience as a defense attorney and has seen just how unjust the win-at-all-costs present county attorney is.
She has federal court experience, which is invaluable and broadens her point of view positively. I highly recommend that you vote for Laura Conover for Pima County attorney.
Bette Richards, Esq.
Northwest side
Pima County Attorney’s Office needs reform
I, like many other Tucsonans, am extremely disappointed in the Arizona Daily Star for their endorsement of Jonathan Mosher for Pima County attorney. Change is needed in our neighborhoods and despite his claim as the true reform candidate, Mr. Mosher’s words are not backed by actions. He has sat on his hands as the second in command to the current county attorney and failed to enact meaningful changes that might have solved the problems that have suddenly become so dear to him in recent months.
Laura Conover has spent her career working for meaningful change in our community, whereas Mr. Mosher has spent his career sending a record number of our neighbors to prison. Instead of framing herself as the reform candidate in order to secure votes, Laura Conover is true in her mission to better the Pima County Attorney’s Office. She is the only candidate that will bring meaningful reform to our stale, dangerous, and unjust system.
Brannon Watters
Midtown
Defund public schools
Re: the July 15 article “Private schools getting taxpayer peanuts.”
I’m impressed. The Star actually published an opinion from Tom Askew that shows for every student that leaves the Arizona public school system for a real education the public schools make money. Of course, we who support school choice have known that all along, but the biased mainstream media will never report facts, only opinions, and call it news.
One of the great side effects of the coronavirus is that for months parents had to be involved in their children’s education, and they now can see that rather than teaching, the public school system is focused on indoctrination. I saw a report that some 30 to 40% of parents will not send their children back to public schools after seeing what is being taught. Great progress. The next step is to defund colleges and make them sell their services just like any other business.
Raymond Trombino
Green Valley
Zoo needs an aquarium
My name is Wrenethen Falk and I am 9 years old. I have been researching community resources and I took a virtual tour of Reid Park. I propose that the City of Tucson add an aquarium to the park.
It would provide water, animal exploration, fun and recreation, animal refuge and habitat and it would give people outside time. All of these are resources are important for a healthy community.
Wrenethen Falk
Northeast side
Conover the candidate for justice reform
I began working as a receptionist at the County Attorney’s office in 2013. I took the job very seriously because I was playing a small but important role in something much bigger than myself: the pursuit of justice.
In the two years I worked there, I grew disillusioned. I came to realize the office cultivated a hostile workplace, discouraged innovation, and promoted draconian, tough-on-crime policies that elevated winning in court above justice for our most vulnerable communities.
Jonathan Mosher is a product of that culture. As chief deputy overseeing the entire criminal division, he delivered Barbara LaWall a record-breaking number of felony filings, one-third of which were low-level, nonviolent, drug offenses.
We need more than empty promises. Our community has been crying out for criminal justice reform and only one candidate has been working for that her whole life — Laura Conover.
Kat Stratford
Midtown
An idea to preserve local journalism
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, co-sponsored by Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and supported by Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, deserves support from American voters. The bipartisan effort on this act aims to develop various tax credits to local media in their efforts to provide news to the public. The pandemic and growing economic pressures threaten local radio, newspaper, and television sources, and this act would assist with funding .
In Arizona, closures occurred with 18 local news outlets, and the Local Journalism Sustainability Act would extend eligibility for local media to access funding through the Paycheck Protection Plan. The need to support media has never been greater. Contact Democrats Sinema, Kirkpatrick, and Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington, and voice your support of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.
Roger Shanley
East side
The perfect storm to elect Biden
Early this year, Joe Biden’s campaign was on life support. He lost the first primaries and was urged to drop out. Then, Black voters in South Carolina, urged by Congressman Jim Clyburn, saved his campaign. He since has been the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Beating Trump would be a tall order. But then came COVID-19. In reality, with 50 diverse states and state’s rights under the constitution, it never really could have been contained.
Trump has taken a beating in the polls while Biden has been in his basement, reaping high poll numbers for an imaginary handling of the crisis and the economy.
Trump’s strongest reelection asset was the robust economy. COVID-19 has tarnished that. He cannot safely do his cherished rallies, so loved by supporters.
He suffered through two years of a “trumped up” investigation and partisan impeachment, driving down his poll numbers. Biden luckily has arrived during a perfect election storm, barely campaigning and avoiding public scrutiny.
Alice Moreno
Northwest side
