Tucson Speaks Out: April 1 letters of the day

Greater good

Re: the March 13 letter “Contributing to the greater good.”

The letter writer did not clarify if his income levels were gross or adjusted gross income. If gross income is $35,000, the standard deduction for 2 is 27,700 leaving an adjusted gross (the amount you pay taxes on) of $7,300 in the 10% tax bracket for a total tax of a whopping $730.

If the $35,000 is adjusted gross, than this figure arrives from a gross of $62,700 (based on a $27,700 standard deduction)

A 40-hour work week for 52 weeks comes to greater than $30 per hour.

Once again the $350,000 example was not defined as either gross or adjusted gross income. If gross, it does not include money donated to charities or other valid deductions.

“Greater Good” is a socialistic term that allows people to take money from the rich to give to the poor. The United States is not Sherwood Forest.

Thomas Wenzel

East side

Centurylink

This past month I read with interest a letter written by a less-than-pleased Centurylink customer regarding telephone service. I did not expect to undergo a similar journey regarding the reinstallation of my internet service. My internet was supposedly restored to service on Saturday, March 9, and then stopped a few hours later. It has been an interesting adventure trying to reestablish service. (I am not a new customer.) The repairman, the techs online and “real” people on the telephone, have been competent, cordial and businesslike. Besides having at least seven different telephone numbers that I have identified and corporate offices in Phoenix and Monroe, Louisiana, whose phones go unanswered, I hand printed a letter to the Chairman of Centurylink since my printer is not now connected, as well as other devices, to the internet. Even with all the communication, my service is not scheduled to be restored until April 4th. How does a corporation operate in today’s world like this?

Toni Kane

Oro Valley

A cage match

Several of your readers have pointed out the forgetfulness and mispronunciation that has occurred in Trump’s speeches. Oddly, no mention of the word slaughter by Biden. And interestingly, Trump has spoken at least 100 times more than the muted Biden. I would like to see a cage match, simply a one and one-half hour debate between the two of them. CBS and FOX would each provide ten questions of their choice. Each debater would be given one and one-half minutes to respond to each question. The debater not talking would have his microphone muted to avoid interruptions. Neither debater would be apprised of the questions beforehand. No teleprompters would be allowed. Just close your eyes and imagine how the debate will elucidate the positions of each candidate so that we, the voters, can make an informed choice.

Loyal M. Johnson Jr.

Oro Valley

Red Wave fiction — Nov. 2024

January 2025:

With Republicans winning the Presidency, Senate and House in November 2024. Only hours into a new Presidency and Congress, changes are being made as of this printing.

All Brown Indigenous people have begun to be rounded up for deportation. Any American Brown Indigenous people “mistakenly” deported, will need to file a claim at the U.S. consulate in Mexico.

All Social Security beneficiaries will see a 20% reduction in their monthly benefit; along with a retirement freeze, till further notice, for anyone wishing to retire and claim their Social Security.

Medicare and Medicaid are being slashed in half, with co-pays going up for all prescriptions and visits.

Public schools will now only teach European-American history, as all others will be banned due to “Not enough sufficient information”.

Taxes will be increased for the lower and middle income; while tax cuts for upper income, $1 million and above, will become effective immediately.

More information to come ...

Alex Maldonado

Midtown

Trump and the children

In a way, what’s going on might be as much about your children as you.

Perhaps you think you can profit from life under Trump ... you think you can happily live, owned by a man repeatedly indicted by your country’s justice system ... the same system protecting you and your family from crooks and mentally troubled individuals ... like him. You think that, instead, he will treat you better than this democratic system you live in that insists upon treating everyone the same ... including him!

Since you’ve never had to live under a dictatorship, why worry about one man deciding what’s best for you and your family? ... no more of this “messy” democracy that insists on a rule of law to protect you ... and him! And who needs this sometimes-inconvenient “truth-thing” anyway ... just live with the lies and whatever he decides is best for him.

But what about your children ... What will their futures look like when this badly faulted man decides they are now his? Not yours ... his.

Wow!

Frank Parsons

Northeast side

Immigration, invasion and the Constitution

In a recent column Gary Franks castigates President Biden, writing: “He has refused to lift a finger — despite the U. S. Constitution which clearly states that ‘the United States must protect each state from an invasion.’” He slightly misquotes, for Article IV Section 4 of the Constitution actually reads: “The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion;”

Franks slightly misquotes Article I Section 8 of the Constitution, which reads: “The Congress shall have power ... To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.” This is the sole Constitutional reference to the power (and perhaps the responsibility) to act against invasion. And neither Congress nor President has declared the nation to be under invasion. Nor has the power to do so been delegated to the Governor of Texas, whose sending immigrants to blue states may be because he fears future Democratic voters in his state.

Frank Bergen

Northwest side

No egg on Biden’s face

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Dear President Biden,

Really, you are doing an eggcellent job. In fact, eggceptional. There have been lots of letters blaming you for rampant inflation. A pressing concern seems to be the price of eggs. Being a major user of eggs, this worries me a lot. One recent letter bemoaned the price of eggs is about $4 a dozen. Yikes! Well, I just checked, and you can get a dozen eggs at Walmart for $2.38. Whew! I was really concerned, with all the baskets I need to prepare in a few days. $2.38 is a real bargain; I’m eggstremely happy about this. Thank you! And, your three-egg breakfast omelet will cost you less than a dollar. Cheap eats! Hippity, Hoppity, Hip Hip Hooray!

Sincerely,

The Easter Bunny

PS: Happy Easter!

Deb Klumpp

Oro Valley

Border security

A writer from the Foothills commented that, “The current immigration problem has been created solely by President Biden.”

The hysteria about a crisis along the border is matched only by a determination on the right to do nothing about it. Rather than solve the problem, Republicans backed away from the toughest border security bill of our lifetime after former President Trump lobbied in opposition to the deal. President Biden is now forced to look at what his options are for doing something by executive order.

Republicans won’t address the border because Trump “instructed” them to stand down so he can run on the issue. Every time Republicans bring up the “border crisis” they should be confronted with this fact. Trump wants chaos at the border, which is why he scuttled a bipartisan solution.

A party that seeks to empower a candidate with authoritarian impulses who prefers chaos to order is incapable of governing.

Teresa Jenkins

SaddleBrooke

Not above the law

Anthony Kern, state senator from Glendale, tried to cheat Arizonans out of their votes by signing and submitting a false electorate to the National Archives, as the official list. Arizona had already certified the results, but Kern accuses others of weaponizing government. He further used government to attack Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.

Now he whines about, “lawfare,” possibly preventing him from running, again. No. He did this to himself. All the fake electors belong in jail for fraud against Arizona voters and the entire U.S.A.

Kern thinks if he puffs up and squawks like a wet hen, he’ll scare the law away.

Glendale, find a better Republican, a moral one that’s not part of a cabal.

Christi Driggs

Northwest side

Local pro-Palestinians getting out of hand

The aggressiveness and intimidation the Tucson pro-Palestinian supporters against the local Jewish Community is getting out of hand. Recently, I was in my car parked at a meter downtown, and a car parked in front of me. A young man got out and knocked on my window so I rolled it down. He started aggressively screaming “Free Palestine” at me over and over. He then started peeling my Star of David Bumper sticker off my car while continuing to aggressively scream “Free Palestine.” I asked him to stop, and he spit on my the bumper sticker, and then spit at me, his saliva landing on my shirt. Another man got out of the car and was filming the incident. I noticed the car had no back license plate. I made a report to the police and the man admitted everything when he was arrested a couple of weeks later.

Tony Zinman

Midtown

Mission of the University of Arizona

Re: the March 22 article “Striving toward excellence at UA.”

While I agree with Dr. Richard Powell’s view that top-heavy administration is not helpful, his view on the mission of the university is typical of the mindset by many academics. I saw this mindset first hand in my 10 years as a volunteer in the College of Engineering. Many tenured professors (not all) were totally focused on their research. Student education was a distant second. As an aerospace industry professional, I was continually looking for quality engineering graduates. The UA engineering graduates are almost always top notch because of the focus on quality engineering courses and real world projects taught by dedicated instructors. Most of these instructors were not tenured or research focused. The quality of research and fame of the faculty did not enter into the equation for hiring. The mission of the UA should continue what a land grant college was originally established for: Educate the next generation of a skilled workforce.

Donald Newman

West side

We had to go

Re: the March 27 article “We had no choice but to visit Israel.”

I just read Alma Hernandez’s reason for going to Israel to see how anti-Semitism still exists? I believe it was only a boondoggle on taxpayers’ money. What was accomplished exactly? They visited a few Muslims, an old man, some family members of kidnapped Jews and a holocaust museum. No mention of speaking to, or meeting with those that could actually affect what’s going on in the region, the Israeli government and his Highness, Benjamin Netanyahu. I am all for Israel defending itself over the Oct. 7th attack by Hamas, but why do Arizona politicians waste taxpayer money to see what is televised daily, in person?

After reading the article I’m more convinced that “You Didn’t Have to Go.” Anti-Semitism isn’t going away because a few Arizona politicians made the trip to Israel. But Arizona tax dollars should be used for the better good of all.

John Bingham

Northwest side

Climate change insanity

When in Laos, the entire country was filled with a smoky haze as the farmers burn their fields prior to the rainy season. In Beijing, we couldn’t see more than 100 feet because of the smog.

In rural India, people burn everything from wood to cow dung for their needs. We know that the forests of the Amazon and central Africa are burnt as people try to raise themselves from abject poverty. I think I’ll buy an electric car and save the planet.

Kevin Kaatz

Oro Valley