Tucson Speaks Out: Oct. 17 letters of the day

Who will you vote for?

I will not vote for a person convicted of 34 felonies. I will not vote for a person convicted of voting interference. I will not vote for a person indicted and impeached for insurrection against the United States. I will not vote for a person indicted for obstruction and illegally refusing to return classified documents. I will not vote for a person convicted of sexual assault. I will not vote for a person who demeans people from cultures and countries other than his own. I will not vote for a person who fosters misinformation about immigrants. And I will not vote for a person who is so immature as to call opponents made-up names. I will not vote for a serial adulterer. This is a person who is unfit to hold the office of President of the United States, commander-in-chief, and leader of the free world. Nor should you vote for him.

I will vote for Kamala Harris and so should you.

Ira Adler

Foothills

Walgreens closing stores

Walgreens to close 1,200 US stores.

Will they follow Sears, Kmart, Montgomery Ward, Woolworth, Sam Levitz? It is still the survival of the fittest in USA.

Donald Plummer

Northwest side

22nd Amendment vs. Obama’s 4th term

The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in February 1951, limiting any president to two terms. About a year later, Harry Truman packed up Bess and their belongings and motored off to Independence, setting a precedent for almost all his successors. Step down, get out of town and stay there. #44, however, chose to set up shop just a few blocks from the White House.

Using skills that might have made Jim Henson proud, Barack Obama has nearly completed his third term — and is contemplating a fourth. While the letter of the 22nd amendment has perhaps not been violated, the spirit certainly appears to have been.

Donald Trump is certainly hard to love — but at least it is clear who you are voting for.

Stu MacKay

Foothills

Trump’s team of felons

Republican voters, before you join the new “stop the steal” campaign in three weeks consider this. The facts are that Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts for misrepresenting his business records and is awaiting sentencing. Let’s look at his associates who were charged, convicted and sentenced to prison. Campaign chair Paul Manafort, vice-chair Rick Gates, lawyer Michael Cohen, close advisor Roger Stone, advisor Peter Navarro, advisor George Papadopoulos, CFO Allen Weisselberg, National Security advisor Michael Flynn, Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, inaugural advisors Tom Barrack and Elliot Broidy, post-election lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell. In addition, Trump is liable for sexual abuse in a civil case and his company was found guilty of tax fraud. And to top it off, Trump is “friends” with Vladimir Putin, war criminal and serial killer. When initially asked about Putin, Trump did what he always does, he lied about it. Read Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 4-count superseding indictment of Donald Trump, it is eye-opening.

Richard Harper

Northeast side

The Catholic vote

I believe the Catholic vote will determine the outcome of the 2024 election.

In 2016 Trump won the Catholic vote by a margin of 52-45.

In 2020 Trump narrowly won the Catholic vote 50-49.

A recent Pew Research poll showed Trump winning the Catholic vote 52-47.

The Pew survey was based on Catholics who are registered voters.

Protestants tend to vote Republican and Jews tend to vote Democratic.

Catholics are the swing vote — they can vote for either party.

Catholic voters favor Trump in most battleground states, according to new NCR poll, by 5 points. Harris leads among black Catholics.

A recent EWTN poll favored Harris but did not distinguish between baptized Catholics and practicing Catholics.

Even though the number of practicing Catholics is declining, they still matter.

In this year’s closely contested presidential race, if the 9 percent of the population that are Churchgoing Catholics come out in droves in the toss-up states,

I believe the Catholic vote will determine the 2024 winner.

Tom McGorray

Northwest side

Let’s not forget important legislation

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We are getting bombarded with advertisements, texts, and mail focused primarily on the election. While it is obviously important, I hope that our elected officials remember that there is still important work to be done in Congress in 2024. One piece of legislation that I have personally been invested in supporting is the multi-cancer early detection legislation that would cover some of these new and innovative cancer screenings. They have shown to be able to detect dozens of cancers, and will help seniors catch cancer earlier, which helps survivability. This legislation is co-sponsored by Rep. Ciscomani, as well as both of our Senators Kelly and Sinema. It has overwhelming support in Congress, and now it just needs the push from these leaders to get it in the right package for passage. It will undoubtedly save lives.

Heather Martinez

Downtown

Endorsing Kevin Volk for State House

As a priest and pastor, the wellbeing of the wider community I serve is paramount. I was deeply concerned with the harm that the recent 1864 abortion ban would have had on our families.

There are many reasons women seek reproductive care, including fertility challenges. Access to safe care from qualified physicians is essential, and all deserve the freedom to make their own health care decisions. We must trust women, with their families and providers — not the government — to do so.

My current representatives in the State House have failed to safeguard these rights. They voted multiple times to outlaw abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

This year, I will be voting for Kevin Volk for state House. He is committed to expanding, not restricting, access to safe reproductive healthcare. He understands the consequences of one-size-fits-all bans, which diminish women’s access to healthcare. Choose Volk, and only Volk, for state House and vote “yes” on Prop 139.

Stephen Kelsey

East side

Corporation Commission election

Mr. Rappaport is passionately against re-election of Lea Peterson, as well as Walden and and Lopez. I need to refute several of his charges. Utility companies are forced to generate power from more expensive sources, so they must pass the cost along to users. Denying those charges actually hinders implementing those “green” sources. Overall, solar is not cheaper than natural gas, plus, gas generates power at night. Gas is plentiful and cheap, solar panels are expensive, mostly made in China, and lose efficacy each year making them obsolete eventually. Nor is it the best model for rooftop solar, but utility-owned solar farms allow the less-than-affluent to benefit.

Finally he criticizes Peterson for a bankruptcy. Small business is fraught with those actions. Once protected, however, the small business has a chance to recover.

Electing people who deny rate increases sounds good but will prove detrimental to power generation.

Steve Scholl

Oro Valley

Support local charities

Gabriela Rico’s recent story about JTED, the public school that helps students graduate with certifications in medical professions, highlighted an important program that makes a difference in the lives of so many young people here in Southern Arizona. The Rotary Club of Tucson is proud to have been a strong supporter of the JTED expansion, raising and donating more than $700,000 to the program over a three-year period.

Those funds were raised at our annual Tucson Classics Car Show (TCCS), which is takes place this Saturday, October 19th at The Gregory School. More than 400 classic cars will be on display and all funds raised will go to three Tucson charities, the 18th year of generating funds for local charities through a fun community-based event.

Join us in support of this year’s beneficiaries: Pima Community College’s Center of Opportunity, Wright Flight, and Sister Jose Women’s Center. For more information, please visit TucsonClassicsCarShow.com.

Kurtis Dawson, President, Rotary Club of Tucson

West side

Understanding ballot propositions

There are 13 propositions on our ballot. Only two were placed there by citizen initiative. The other 11 were placed by Republicans to confuse and overwhelm voters and take away citizen’s rights. You will be able to tell the Legislature’s propositions in the voting pamphlet. 100 numbered propositions start: “Amendments to the Arizona Constitution by the Legislature relating to”; 300 Propositions start “Referred to the people by the Legislature relating to”. All these deserve a “no” vote. While citizen initiatives require hundreds of thousands of signatures, these received just 47 solely Republican votes to place.

Only Propositions 139 and 140 deserve your consideration. Proposition 140 gives us open primaries. There are strong voices both for and against. CEBV and the League of Women Voters recommend a “no” vote citing a poison pill that would allow partisan legislators to decide who will be on the final ballot, potentially excluding opposing party candidates.

Please vote “yes” on Prop 139 for women’s rights and the 400 Propositions that support our schools.

Dee Maitland

Marana

Vote to make America honorable again

On the fifth day of the eleventh month in the year 2024, vote as if without your vote, there will be no tomorrow. Vote as if without your ballot, democracy will end. Vote to preserve freedom and liberty for all. And celebrate your vote to make America decent, honorable, and kind again.

Jerry Wilkerson

SaddleBrooke

Trump’s threats

Trump now says he can use the National Guard or even the military to silence and jail those who oppose him if elected. That is what Putin does in Russia, what Kim does in N. Kores, what Orban does in Hungary. Is that what you want to happen in our country? Have you heard any Democrat make such a threat? So, who is for democracy and the First Amendment? Certainly not Trump and Vance.

Don Ries

Southeast side