In 1986, President Reagan signed into law the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which dealt with allowing immigrants who entered the country before 1982 to be eligible for amnesty.
Reagan’s amnesty worked
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, granting legal status to about three million undocumented immigrants. Nearly 40 years later, the results are clear, and they contradict today’s political fearmongering.
Studies show that crime fell by 5% after legalization, mainly property crimes. Once people could work legally, they earned better wages and had no incentive to break the law. The myth that legalization breeds crime simply doesn’t hold up.
Economically, those who gained legal status saw wage increases of roughly 15%, rising homeownership, and falling poverty rates. By 2006, the poverty rate among the legalized population had dropped nearly in half, and homeownership among young adults had doubled.
Reagan’s amnesty program didn’t just offer compassion. It strengthened communities and the economy. Legalization worked then, and the evidence suggests it would work again today.
Forty years since Reagan and still no immigration reform, just cruelty and otherness. Shame on the Republicans and Trump!
Lawrence E. Mazin
SaddleBrooke
Turkey talk and politics
After reading both opinions in the Nov. 24 Star, I believe the article “serious discussions" by Jill Epstein is the best advice. Holiday get-togethers are important times to practice civility and political chat. We are in serious times. We have a patriotic obligation to engage in political communication. Lack of communication is in part why we are so divided.
Democracy itself is at stake. During WWII, the country came together regardless of the sides.
Pat Barkey
East side
Law enforcement
The public is naturally skeptical when the police investigate themselves. For this reason, I commend the law enforcement agencies of Pima County for forming the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team in 2022. The creation of this team ensures that officer-involved shootings and use-of-force incidents are investigated by an independent law enforcement entity other than that of the officer involved. The investigating agency is selected on a rotating basis. This arrangement promotes transparency, accountability and the public trust crucial to effective law enforcement in our community.
Unfortunately, federal law enforcement agencies (FBI, DEA, BP, ATF, HHS, ICE and the U. S. Marshal Service) have adopted no such process as it related to shootings and the use of force incidents involving federal agents in Arizona. Is not the public entitled to the same transparency and accountability from federal law enforcement as from state and local law enforcement?
John Leonardo
Midtown
ACC not acting in public interest
After Tucson Water and TEP got in cahoots to take our drinking water for Amazon, they've both been running ads about how great they are. The ad money can be used to balance their earnings. Meanwhile, PAC donations to their campaigns are rising. People need to know that TEP is owned by a Canadian company.
I wonder why the Tucson City Council allows the head of Tucson Water to have a seat at the table after he spearheaded the effort to delete our drinking water.
Thomas Jones
Foothills
Be careful what you wish for
Let's see: Open the Epstein files, Using Navarro's approach to tariffs, having a love-in with Putin, litigation against all perceived political enemies, and finally building the East Wing Ball Room. Wow! All these wonderful actions seem to be counter to what the country needs. Epstein files will really tell us how seamy he is, using tariffs to increase costs to all consumers, putting Ukraine's future in the hands of Putin, litigation that really serves no purpose other than making him look like a vindictive old man, and finally building a gilded ballroom. Oh, I forgot declaring war on Venezuela for what purpose (a Peace Prize)? Are these the actions or qualities that we want in our President? I think not. So be careful what you wish for as we look forward to the 26 midterm elections. Also, it might be time for a remedial course on the U.S. Constitution for most, if not all, the members of Congress and White House staff.
Frank Flasch
North side
TEP half-truths and snarky Op-Ed
The recent investor relations POC from TEP wrote an opinion piece that bakes half-truths in with some investor marketing.
First lie, natural gas is green energy. The EIA study highlights nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide released with NG in alarming amounts polluting our air.
Second half-truth, natural gas is cheaper. Well, he decided to miss out on the fact that certain solar configurations compete nicely with natural gas in long-term costs. Also, 2025 and beyond, natural gas costs are expected to skyrocket. The consumer will pay this cost.
Third, TEP cares and allows public input. They don’t. He insulted Tucson with his cartoon references.
We taxpayers are paying $75 million just to study how to import water. This could be avoided if we didn’t stoke the flames of pollution, leading to extreme droughts. Natural gas plants consume huge amounts of our water. Add this to your bill that TEP is making you pay.
Carissa Sipp
Midtown
Sedition and unlawful orders
Can we all reflect back to the Nuremberg Trials of World War II, where crimes against humanity were on display? I remember that so many defenses were that they were "only doing what they were told," and that didn't hold much water then and shouldn't work now. We need to tread lightly in this area where illegal or unlawful orders are given (and carried out), hence more trials.
Fred Thompson
Midtown
Newspapers still matter
For decades, I have been receiving the Daily Star newspaper by subscription or reading my dad's newspaper. Not being a good computer person, as perhaps my grandson is, I had a problem with the electronic Star. After three days of trying to figure out the solution, I called the help line. I did not manage to get on the electronic version that morning (eventually I did), but to my huge surprise, I went out to get some fresh cool air, and my eyes went to tears. There on my sidewalk entrance to my house, the printed edition was waiting for me. Immediately, I renewed my coffee and enjoyed the old feelings I got from reading my news.
Thank you, Arizona Daily Star, for renewing my faith in good "customer service."
!!Si se puede!!
Vicente Rivera
Northwest side
Party politics
RE: Democratic Party has lost its way.
The author writes: "I trust this intervention has been helpful." Actually, it has. It reveals beyond question that folks critical of Democratic policies are largely prone to oversimplification and offensive exaggeration. Clearly, such crude logic is the bailiwick of grumblers who studiously avoid difficult issues that require discernment and perhaps personal sacrifice. That, and an empathetic disposition. The reasoning behind most progressive policies employs both hard and soft sciences, a reasonable grasp of American history, as well as humane ethics. The reasoning behind far too many policies of the right is: Follow the money.
Mary Kierzek
Midtown
Slanted political opinions
"Slanted political opinion. Thank goodness there is a Donald J. Trump and a Republican Party; otherwise, the far-left preferred Arizona Daily Star would not have an Opinion Page..." Never before have we had a president who created his own laws, his own missions, his own rules, by ignoring the law. The reason there are so many LTEs about Trump is the terrible job he is doing as president. It's not left vs right. It's right vs wrong. He is a murderer, unfit for office, and a thief. He is uniquely unqualified and unfit to be in office. Now he is pardoning even more criminals making a mockery of the law. And he is threatening military leaders who note the rules of the military, way beyond the pale.
Peter Bisschop
East side
Threats from a draft dodger
Trump and Hegseth threatening Mark Kelly is so absurd. Quoting the Uniform Code of Military Justice is hardly treason or sedition. Neither of these individuals is worthy of breathing the same air as Mark Kelly, who has served his country for so many years. Fortunately, Mark Kelly is not a man who scares easily. As he reminded us in an interview, he had missiles explode near his fighter jet, and he flew into space on rockets built by the lowest bidder. We simply need to remember, "I was just following orders" was not a lawful defense at the Nuremberg Trials.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Trump's words matter
I support Senator Mark Kelly and the other five legislators with prior service in the military or intelligence community for their message to resist “illegal orders” and “stand up for our laws … our Constitution.” For those who find fault with their statements, I hope you condemn President Trump’s hyperbolic reaction to these comments, accusing the legislators of “sedition” and posting “HANG THEM, GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!” Trump’s posts resulted in threats of violence to the six members of Congress. Now, President Trump and press secretary Karoline Leavitt scramble to reverse the statements, hoping that a Pentagon investigation led by Pete Hegseth will distract from Trump’s egregious original posts. This recent incident continues the MAGA suggestion that Americans shouldn’t listen to what President Trump says and instead, translate what he meant. The time is now for mute Republican politicians to wake up from their legislative slumber, finally resist President Trump’s bluster and bullying, and start to govern.
Roger Shanley
East side
Trump suffers from acute dementia
Dr. John Gartner, MD. declares Trump suffering from acute dementia by his walk, talk, scrambled words, devious behavior, warped sentences, weird gestures, mangled judgments, and alternating decisions. The media, press, friends, relatives, close staff, and some Congressional Republicans are fearful and reluctant to publicly complain just as they were about Biden's chronic memory loss and dementia. Dr. Gartner predicts Trump will not finish his time in office.
Why must Americans experience again this tragedy of truthful silence?
"The Emperor is naked!"
Retired Arizona and federal prisons and hospice chaplain,
Lawrence Quilici
Midtown
Sedition
Sedition is speech or conduct that is intended to incite insurrection or rebellion against a governing authority. Six Democratic U.S. Senators recently made a video intended to inform members of our military that they had both the legal right and duty to uphold their oath to our Constitution and to refuse to carry out illegal orders. Upholding the Constitution and refusing to carry out criminal acts is not sedition. On January 6, 2021, we saw Donald Trump incite a riot by his followers to attack the Capitol with acts of violent insurrection intended to overthrow the new and duly elected president. Further, Trump watched the insurrection on television and chose not to make any attempts to quell it for over three hours. This was clearly an act of sedition.
Allen Fannin
Marana
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