Tucson Speaks Out: Sept. 6 letters of the day

Another reality check

Once again, we need to fact-check Trump’s alternate reality. Trump and his followers blame the Biden administration for the collapse of the Afghanistan government and take-over by the Taliban.

Not so fast.

February 2020: An agreement was negotiated between the U.S. and the Taliban in Qatar by the Trump administration. Neither the negotiation nor agreement included Afghanistan. The agreement stated the U.S. would withdraw all troops by May 2021. Per the agreement, 5,000 Taliban fighters were released from Afghanistan prisons — without Afghan approval. Conflict increased and Afghanistan began to collapse.

November 2020: Trump unexpectedly issues an “immediate withdrawal” order to remove troops from Afghanistan.

April 2021: Trump criticizes Biden for the withdrawal delay.

June 2021: Trump acknowledges that Afghanistan would fall without U.S. troops.

The Biden administration began withdrawing troops early, but due to an exceedingly cumbersome process, it wasn’t completed until August 2021.

August 2021: Afghan leaders leave, the military is crushed, and the Taliban take control.

Know the facts!

Carla OHara

Northwest side

Out-of-state funding

I fervently wish that Arizona will pass a law outlawing out of state money in Arizona elections. As a portion of that law specific punishments should be guaranteed for both candidates and for the local fundraisers for initiative propositions.

Jeffrey Bruce

Green Valley

Kamala Harris’ campaign

Kamala Harris has announced another increase to minimum wage. When minimum wage goes up, everyone spends more on the items they buy, whether it’s the grocery store or the gasoline pump. Businesses price their products to cover their expenses, which include wages. They cover the costs of the products they use to make the products they sell. And yes, those costs include wages at other businesses. Raising the minimum wage makes more money available to spend on more expensive goods, which means that the lowest wage earners, now in a slightly higher tax bracket, never catch up or get ahead, but she told you over and over again she wants you to get ahead. Thomas Sowell did the research in the 1970s, and it has never been refuted, that increases in the minimum wage have always resulted in a reduction of quality of life for the lowest income earners. Note: Higher corporate earnings do not equal more spending power.

Gregg Gilbert

Southeast side

Israel/Hamas

I am sad and angry as I read about the mom of Hersh, an American Citizen. Hersh was held captive underground for a year. Then when it appeared to his barbarian captors that his rescue was imminent he was executed by them. Subtract all the political and collateral effects of Hamas barbarism, and all that is left is evil. That might be a good place for the U.S. to start. Do not threaten. Do! I plan to vote for strong leadership this time around.

Mike Hennessy

East side

Theft

To whoever is stealing Harris/Walz signs around Sun City/Oro Valley — take note that police reports are being filed for every occurrence. See you on Election Day.

Maureen Salz

Oro Valley

Anti-Trump information

Re: the Sept. 1 letter “Vote for Democrats if you agree.”

This letter is an alarming list of planned government control of our lifestyle if elected. The legacy media is so consumed with the anti-Trump messaging that I fear few have realized just how deep this reaches.

In our own Daily Star, the only thing more consistent than the used car and recliner chair advertisements is the steady stream of anti-Trump cartoons. Don’t you have any other opinions? Is there anything else going on in the world?

Donald Flood

Green Valley

No support for terrorists

Re: the Sept. 3 letter “UA student protests — war in Palestine.”

To the letter writer and their misguided diatribe about the Gaza war and what he perceives as genocide and a holocaust, it is obvious he has no idea what these terms mean. Marching millions of innocent men, women and children into gas chambers simply because they were Jewish is genocide and a Holocaust.

Bombing civilians in a war inadvertently is what happens in any war. Let’s remember that this war was started by terrorists called Hamas, people these “innocent” civilians voted to put in power and still support.

Wars always result in civilian casualties. In WWII the allies bombed cities all over Europe, even allied countries, resulting in hundreds of thousands dead or wounded and the utter destruction of whole cities. And of course there was Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The only atrocity here is justifying terrorists whose stated goal is killing all Jews. Jewish history in Israel is thousands of years. Islam and Palestinians only goes back to 600 A.D.

Dennis Abrams

Northwest side

Arlington National Cemetery

The Gold Star Families invited former president Trump to help them commemorate the third anniversary of the deaths of their loved ones. (Was he invited for the first and second anniversaries?) When they issued the invitation, they should have informed him that photographing or videotaping was not permitted. When he arrived, with cameras, an Arlington National Cemetery official informed them that photos or videos were not allowed. Trump’s team physically pushed her aside and went about their business recording the event. This official declined to press charges. However, it is the responsibility of Ms. Karen Durham-Aguilera, Executive Director Office of Army Cemeteries to press charges for ignoring the rules and breaking federal law. I expect that after due consideration, that will be the case and the former president will be charged accordingly.

Jerry Lujan

Oro Valley

Veterans and the 2024 election

To my fellow veterans,

I served four years in the Navy. Just like you, I donned my uniform and did my best to fulfill my duties.

Kamala Harris understands our sacrifices and will ensure that all veterans get support from the government.

Donald Trump? He doesn’t care about us veterans. He denigrated the service of John McCain. Our buddies who made the supreme sacrifice? Trump called them “losers” and “suckers.” He refuses to appear in pictures with disabled vets because “they wouldn’t make him look good.” And he attempted to hold a campaign event at Arlington. Trump’s own service? When he was of draft age, he engineered a controversial medical deferment so he would not be called.

As veterans, we cannot let this man become Commander-in-Chief. We need a president that truly understands what we endured and will support us right down the line.

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We need Kamala Harris. And we, as veterans, can help make that happen.

Sincerely,

Joel E. Gingold

Downtown

Why I’ll vote against “45”

Never mind the personal stuff, or the lying, or even the many important issues (abortion, taxes, inflation, immigration.) What I find most upsetting about the “former guy” is his adoration of absolutely evil dictators and what that could lead to. He is easily manipulated by stroking his ego, and they know it! I am ashamed that I used to make fun of various Republican presidents. I thought Nixon and the Bushes were bad. At least they had the smarts to listen to their knowledgeable and experienced advisors, rather than surround themselves with toadies and yes-men. Read a few paragraphs from (Retired 3-Star General and former National Security Advisor) H.R. McMaster’s recently released book, “At War with Ourselves”, and the details should convince you of the danger of a second Trump term, if nothing else does.

Holly Finstrom

West side

Fast track government agencies

Re: the Sept. 4 article “State approves clean air permit for Hermosa Mine.”

I read in the newspaper today (Sept. 4) about the Hermosa 32 mine in Patagonia is receiving the “fast track 41” program that speeds up the permitting of this mine that will produce valuable minerals for the production of batteries.

What a novel idea this is. Is it a matter of telling current agency employees to work a full 8-hour day, 40-hour week or do we need to hire more bureaucrats who can “speed read” the material in front of them?

Can this be duplicated with other agencies? Imagine a country where government agencies move as fast as the private sector. The fact that a “fast track” program is in place alludes that government agencies “crawl” at the task at hand.

Just curious.

Ed LeGendre

East side

Guns & borders

Editor, Arizona Daily Star

We can probably all agree that our border is a mess. But instead of blaming agents, administrators and the immigrants themselves, why couldn’t a bipartisan Congressional committee publish a clear public policy and guidelines for all who come to our border? Most of our relatives came from other lands to make better lives here. Immigrants are still doing this. My experience with our southern neighbors has always been positive, whether at a Mexican restaurant or in my backyard. When we go to California, the clean room and landscape is kept by some of these recently arrived immigrants.

While the migrant population has been accused of being violent criminals, the shooters who committed mass murders in Sandy Hook, Columbine, Las Vegas, Parkland, Tucson, Uvalde and so many other towns were American males. So why are refugees and immigrants being demonized?

Linda Rothchild

Midtown

Trump using Section 60 for political campaign

Yes, yes, I know, some have written letters here saying a family gave Trump permission. But no family not even 1,000 families can give permission for photographs to be taken at Arlington and used for political campaigns. That’s a federal eegulation and can’t be overridden by individuals or families of those buried in Section 60. I mean doesn’t it make common sense that our fallen heroes not be used for political gain? Frankly I don’t see what the possible arguments could be to support that kind of brazen and morally offensive behavior. And this from a man who has openly and repeatedly referred to prisoners — or those of our Armed Forces who died for us — as suckers and losers. What am I missing here? It’s just deplorable. Not sure just how much lower this man can go but he’ll find a way.

Rick Rappaport

Oro Valley

Lake and abortion

Kari Lake “knows better” … and she needs to be reminded that we realize that she does know better! Abortion is not “murdering a baby in the mother’s womb,” and Lake needs to stop mouthing those false words … because she knows it’s a lie. On the other hand, there needs to be a more detailed explanation of the many elements of women’s’ health care that also are included in that one word! Until every citizen in this country “understands” the correct translation of that one word, of the functions therein, and realizes the many procedures that often are involved, there will be no justice.

Elaine Cummings

Northwest side

Shooters

I wish news outlets would not publicize names and images of shooters. There is a theory that some shooters shoot because they want to be famous and see their names and images on the TV news shows. So, news outlets, do not give them this satisfaction. Doing so only encourages other demented people to shoot.

Karen McKee

West side

Trump was invited, so it’s okay

Dear Editor,

Ron DeSantis says Donald Trump was “invited” to engage in what looked like and smelled like politicized photography in the section of Arlington National Cemetery where that kind of stuff is prohibited.

So, it’s okay to break the law if you are invited to do so?

Let me carry this line of defense a little further. If Trump loses in 2024, but is invited by his followers to overthrow the duly elected government, that will be just fine, will it Mr. DeSantis?

Sounds like a perfect way to cover over all one’s shortcomings and flip-flop evil into good. I’m in! An invitation! Send me an invitation!

Kimball Shinkoskey

Downtown

Is Trump better for the economy?

I can’t understand why voters think that Trump, a man with six bankruptcies, fraudulent charity and businesses, a scam university, and an increase in the deficit during his administration would be better for the economy. Then there is his obsession with tariffs. He obviously slept through Economics 101. Consumers pay the price of the tariff through an increase in the prices of the goods. It amounts to a national sales tax. By the way, we are all still waiting for the money to trickle down from that tax cut he gave to his billionaire friends.

Mary Zimmerman

SaddleBrooke

The energy we consume

Re: the Sept. 5 article “Electric vehicle charging stations.”

Market prices are presumed to reflect the full cost of producing the energy we consume, for both present and future generations. In reality, those prices are determined much more by the laws politicians pass and regulators and regulations that implement them. In a democracy, they are supposed to be in everyone’s interests, not just those of utility stockholders.

Legislators, regulators and utility company accountants evade that responsibility by ignoring ‘externalities’ – costs they are not required to consider. These include skyrocketing insurance costs, taxes and mounting government debt to pay for climate damages. They also do not count subsidies to industries producing fossil fuels and EV charging infrastructure. For those who insist on taking their cars everywhere, there are alternatives; plug-in hybrids, renting at your destination.

The supreme irony of this market worship is, as candidate Polachek noted, ‘it is cheaper to be building a clean energy future”, if our legislators and the ACC would stop ‘cooking the books’.

Steven Lesh

East side