Arizona guard Sumayah Sugapong (3) and head coach Becky Burke enjoy the run of play in the early going against Bellarmine, Dec. 18, 2025, at McKale Center.
UA women's basketball rocks
As a relatively recent season ticket holder, I'm happy to say the acquisition of Becky Burke will continue my support of the gritty UA women's basketball team. Though undersized, they fought through adversity and learned so much from this excellent coach and role model. Hopefully, Becky can recruit some athletes with size and continue the spirit she instilled this year. If you enjoy basketball and don't like traffic jams or one-and-done athletes, follow this team. Bear down, sleeves up.
Lindsey Inouye
Foothills
Transportation funding
Concerns regarding the outcome of the Prop 418/419 vote have figured prominently in the opinion pages of this paper and other media outlets. Lots of doomsaying and pearl clutching, but little coverage or detail has been provided regarding the RTA Board members’ "Plan B", should these measures fail, though some public officials have been criticized for reportedly saying “they’ll come up with something”. To jumpstart the necessary creative juices they need look no further than recently utilized funding options. Take a page from the UA Athletic Department and peddle naming rights to one of the several thousand uniquely named Pima County streets; or an RTA raffle with multiple grand, first-place, special, early-bird prizes; or an auction pitting Banner-UMC vs. TMC for naming rights to major thoroughfares. They may not plug all the potential funding gaps, but it could fill some potholes.
Sheldon Clark
Vail
Unconditional surrender and U.S. legacy
Trump's demand for Iran to unconditionally surrender is the threat to either capitulate or face the same genocide as Gaza. It's important to remember the Civil War ("Unconditional Surrender Grant" was the Union General's nickname) and how the MAGA movement, with its base in the former Confederate southern states, is currently enjoying unchecked political and military power, while whitewashing the legacy of slavery. Many of the violent rioters who took over the U.S. Capitol in Jan. 2021 were carrying the Confederate flag. All of them were pardoned by Trump and now are possibly employed by Uncle Sam's Gestapo, ICE.
World War II cost the lives of nearly half a million U.S. soldiers, and I wonder if those veterans were still alive today, what they would have thought of the 2017 "Unite the Right" white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., where both the Nazi and Confederate flags were flown. Meanwhile the freedoms won and preserved by past struggles are disappearing.
Richard Boren
Midtown
ICE detention
Dear Representative Juan Ciscomani,
I am outraged to learn of the concentration camp conditions at the ICE facilities in our country today. As you are a Republican, you have a moral and legal responsibility to confront your administration to shut down these concentration camps, provide medical care, food and freedom to the human beings held there, starved and in unspeakable misery. What are you doing about this? If nothing, then you are complicit. Let us see and hear you take a stand for decency and humanity.
Ellen Marshall
North side
America Great Again?
President Trump, how do we thank you for Making America Great Again? Is it for the higher gas prices we are now having, rising grocery, furniture and clothing increases with your tariffs? Perhaps we thank you for finally firing Kristi Noem after the murder of two citizens killed in Minnesota.
Is it for leading us into a senseless war in Iran? Did you get bored with Venezuela? What happened to ending the war in Ukraine on the first day of your new term?
Like every other American, I'm tired of increases with electric, heating, water and other daily expenses. We are drowning while salaries, Social Security and other income are not increasing to meet these costs.
If you call this Making America Great again, I shudder to think what your next move will be. Keep your promise to Americans by not bombing other countries. It's time for Congress and the Senate to stand up and listen to their constituents. Don't forget about our plummeting stock market and 401K losses this week.
William Lauffer
Oro Valley
He told us
After not winning the Nobel Peace Prize, President Trump said he no longer felt obligated to prioritize peace. Now our Congress sits idly by as he shows the world what happens when he doesn't get his way.
Alan Doan
SaddleBrooke
Who should choose Iran's leader?
Not The Donald! The prospect of Donald Trump choosing the next leader for Iran is horrifying. Based on his choices of leadership for us — Robert F Kennedy, Jr, Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, Elon Musk, Dr Marty Makary, Howard Lutnik, Steven Miller (who actually is the man behind all of the ideas Trump thinks he comes up with), Mehmet Oz, and Middle East negotiators friend Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, (who're also negotiating the Ukraine/Russia war, how is that working out?), I would say that Trump doesn't know or understand enough about the Middle East to be in charge of that responsibility. His leadership choices would put the whole world in the same mess that we are in here at home.
Christie Cummins
Midtown
Iran
For over 40 years, Iran's mantra has been "Death to America." Their primary goal has been to produce nuclear weapons along with long-range ballistic missiles. Last June, we destroyed a huge depot, but they immediately started building a new one. Trump repeated numerous times he wanted to resolve the nuclear issue through diplomacy, but they came to the table with arrogance. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner stated the Iranian representative opened discussions with the fact they had enough refined uranium for 11 nuclear warheads. They are continuing to develop LRBMs. Who do you think will be the recipient of their first weapon? Washington D.C, or New York. The Iranian threat will never go away as long as there are fanatical mullahs running the country. The jury is out on the resolution of this conflict, but continuing to kick the can down the road, ignoring the imminent threat, is ignoring reality. There is an opportunity for those Iranians who desire freedom to raise up and be heard.
Bill Dowdall
Oro Valley
Cut cost, add revenue
The “War on Drugs”, instituted by Richard Nixon, remains ineffective. Humans have always imbibed in stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens as mood-altering substances. Those substances have been incorporated into some religious practices.
Since 1971, the USA has spent an estimated $1 trillion on drug enforcement. Billions are spent annually on the cost center, controlled substance enforcement. The $1T does not include alcohol and tobacco law enforcement.
It is past time to change the cost center into a revenue stream. Production of drugs for recreational use can be regulated for quality production, which will eliminate most fentanyl ODs. The criminal cartels would lose interest in the drug business if the domestic products undercut pricing and improved quality.
Wake up, Hegseth. Prohibition does not work.
James Abels
Midtown
Return to cursive writing
I believe we need to return to cursive writing.
There is nothing like a letter or thank you note written in beautiful cursive writing.
Cursive writing can help with brain development in areas like motor skills. Once you get the hang of it, cursive can be faster than printing. Cursive can be harder to forge than print.
Many people find cursive writing to be more beautiful and elegant than print.
It can also be seen as a way to connect with the past and historical documents.
In recent years, there's been a trend of states reintroducing cursive writing into their curriculum standards. California and New Hampshire are recent examples.
As of 2024, only 21 states require some form of cursive instruction.
Arizona's Board of Education recently approved a new set of education standards that will require cursive instruction to be taught in the state's public schools.
I will be glad to see my grandchildren signing their checks and letters in beautiful cursive writing.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Special license plate for Kirk
How about a special License plate for Sandra Day O'Connor, Barry Goldwater, Carl Hayden, Terry Goddard, Linda Ronstadt, Ira Hayes, Marty Robbins, Brock Purdy, Rex Allen, Cesar Chavez, Andy Devine or Eddy Basha? They at least are actually Arizonans. AZ already has 109 special plates. This Goldwater conservative thanks our Governor for drawing a line someplace.
William Ward
North side
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