Sen. Ruben Gallego
Failed US Senators?
To Mr. D'Andrea's letter regarding Senators Gallegos and Kelly: First, it is impossible to respect the office of a president who is a convicted criminal, an adulterer, an inveterate liar and someone who has refused to even consider working with Democrats to find common ground. As for Senator Kelly, a respected war hero and astronaut, President Trump called for him to be indicted and even executed for acting within the First Amendment right of free speech. Why should he stand up and support Trump's racist policies against immigrants of color or origin? By the way, illegal immigrants cannot vote. As for Senator Gallegos not attending the State of the Union; no Republican attended the initial call by Congress to question Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on his affiliation with and support of Jeffrey Epstein. So much for fundamental duties of U.S. members of Congress.
Chuck Cabrera
Oro Valley
'Cash' Patel has nothing on Pelosi
In a recent letter, Mr. Dick is complaining about Kash Patel flying to Italy. After his FBI business, he attended the U.S. men’s hockey final game. Mr. Dick lists all the costs for flying there and back on the public dime.
What a joke — does he remember Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House flying back and forth from Washington D.C. to San Francisco several times a month on the public dime? Mr. Dick, why don't you figure out how much those trips cost the American taxpayer?
Give me a break — Republicans couldn’t spend as much taxpayer money as Democrats if they tried!
Debra Berthelot
Marana
The infamous records
Now we have records relating to our ruler that have gone missing, reminding one of the making-things-disappear skills of a mob boss. These are records which refer to activities that are far more than just embarrassing. There are illegal activities involved. The mysterious disappearance of specific records relating to our ruler are particularly painful for the victims.
Yes, "innocent until proven guilty," but access to the records is necessary to determine if "innocent" would be the legally determined response to a lawful claim of assault. The standard phrases come into play: "What are you hiding? "What are you afraid of?" Others caught in this same web of reprehensible activity are receiving the justice they deserve.
Will our ruler's mylar-lined suits (gold-leafed, of course) be able to protect him from having to answer to the same or similar charges made against others involved, or will his thumb-nose response likely be "Catch me if you can?"
Don Gerlach
East side
RTA and safety? Buyer beware
A friend was hit today on a bike at University and Euclid by a driver turning right. She’s OK, but it was frightening — especially given how many people died on Euclid this year.
This area has one of the highest concentrations of people biking, scootering, walking, and riding the streetcar in Tucson. Data shows that where more people use non-motorized transportation, crash rates decrease. Yet this happened at an intersection used by thousands.
So what in Props 418/419 — the RTA Next plan — would address this? Not much. No major corridor projects are planned here. While $100 million is allocated to the City of Tucson for safety and active transportation, spread over 20 years, that’s just $5 million annually.
Those funds must compete with higher-fatality areas and be distributed using an equity index to address long-neglected neighborhoods — essential and non-negotiable.
Realistically, would RTA Next improve safety along Euclid? Probably not. A local half-cent sales tax just for Tucson would be more effective.
Kylie Walzak
Downtown
Traffic, speed, tires, potholes
Traffic/Speed: I was driving in the middle lane on Broadway. The light was just turning yellow as I was stopping. The car behind continued at the same speed, swerved around me into the right-hand lane and sped through the light. Within a few weeks of each other, two different cars ended up on their sides at the intersection or adjacent to 1st and Grant. People seem not to know that a red light at a pedestrian crossing means stop. And further, as the light changes to flashing red, each car must stop, then proceed as you would for a stop sign. Request: Can TPD monitor intersections for a limited time period? Tires/Potholes: I have had five flat tires in the last year from potholes, including one tire that was shredded.
Just another bright, sunny day in Tucson.
Margaret Gordon Magruder
Downtown
RTA Next and underserved communities
People peddling the message “vote for RTA Next because it’s good for underserved communities” are selling snake oil.
RTA is central to why our underserved communities are underserved and desperate for investments. For the past 20 years, RTA has extracted from us to pave the way for wealthier people to settle in sprawling tax havens that destroy our land. RTA Next is more of the same.
Telling people to vote for RTA Next because we need to think about vulnerable communities is the exact type of manipulation you see in abusive relationships. The abuser causes the harm and then says they are the solution to the damage. Leaders could have put together a different package, but they chose this one. We aren’t asking for perfection; just thoughtful and fair regional investments.
We must break the cycles of abuse and get our region on the right track: Vote No on RTA Next. Then, get onboard and pass a different transportation package that will actually help our most vulnerable populations.
Steve Marquez
Northeast side
Propositions 418 and 419
I am Chairman of the newly established PAC, Tucson Deserves Better, opposing Propositions 418 and 419. As a former director of transportation for Tucson, I firmly believe that both Propositions are bad for the City.
• Tucson is unfairly underrepresented on the RTA board. One vote out of eight doesn't work.
• RTA Next should correctly account for the stalled projects in RTA 1 that are diverted to RTA Next. Instead, the RTA is counting the costs to complete these projects as part of Tucson's share of the anticipated revenues.
• Fundamentally, the 20-year plan needs more flexibility without having to return to the voters. After the housing crisis of 2008, the RTA was required to return to the voters with a new plan reflecting the reality of the greatly diminished revenue but did not do so.
Our city’s infrastructure is too important to get wrong for another 20 years. Our city needs a plan that genuinely meets resident needs and respects taxpayers — rejecting these propositions will allow us to create one.
Jim Glock
Downtown
GOP legislators — silliness transcendent
Smell a whiff of pot in the air — make it against the law; don’t like the way the U.S. Census Bureau counts people — pretend we’re counting M&Ms and only certain colors get counted; intolerant of someone’s religion — vilify them and label them animals; debate and vote on over 200 bills in 24 hours. These are very unserious people, maybe even crazy.
Sheldon Clark
Vail
Beware Trump's dealings with Iran
Beware Trump's "negotiations" with Iran. If things fall apart, as I believe they're designed to do, there will be strikes that could lead to war. Historically, Americans do not change administrations during war, and Trump is counting on that because he's seen the polls.
Barbara Benjamin
Foothills
Dr. Gouins — a life well lived
In reading the obituaries, I usually find the life history of the person who passed away quite interesting. But I was very impressed with the obituary of Dr. Lafon Louise Gouins.
Talk about a life that should be a movie! Dr Gouins went through much in her childhood and yet accomplished a great deal more. It was inspiring to read of her accomplishments and her life history.
I do not know Dr. Gouins or anyone in her family. I wish I had met her.
Matt Somers
Midtown
The year
This is the year we Americans will save our democracy. Or we will lose it.
This president knows he cannot survive in a democracy. He knows he cannot sustain his corruption, cruelty, incompetence and chaos in a society governed by laws, a constitution, non-partisan courts, and basic human decency. Consequently, he knows he cannot survive the mid-term elections.
He attempted to stop the 2020 election with false electors, lies about fraud, demands for nonexistent votes, and the January 6th insurrection. He will attempt to stop the midterm elections with more of the same, plus the “detainment centers” he’s building in every state to hold the millions of protesters he knows will appear when he attempts to stop the vote by force.
Yes, we Americans will decide this year — over the next eight months — if we will live with this president’s authoritarian nightmare. Or we will save our democracy, for ourselves and for the generations to come.
Tom Dudley
East side
Meeting with the president
The USA gold-medal-winning men's hockey team accepted an offer to visit the White House and meet the president. Upon dining at the palatial palace, the team was treated to McDonald's and all the accompanying trimmings. I eat McDonald's but if I was dining at the White House, I certainly would expect steak, lobster etc. with all the trimmings. Either Trump believes that is all the team is worth or his sense of a classy meal is different than most. Trump simply cannot show appreciation in any meaningful way, or maybe he just doesn't care.
Philip Reinecker
East side
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