Supreme irony
Re: the May 29 article “COVID hearing omitted facts.”
According to the now-famous Yale University study, which was recently cited in the Tucson Daily Star, the pandemic death rate for Republicans was much higher than for Democrats, especially after vaccines became available.
This is understandable because Republicans seem to have refused to wear masks, rejected vaccinations, and resorted to Trumpian bogus remedies at a much higher rate than Democrats.
The death rate differential was much more pronounced in Arizona than in many other states. The supreme irony is that Kari Lake and other Republicans may well have truly won if not for this differential.
John Kromko
Downtown
Money not well spent
So the Arizona Senate Republicans paid the Cyber Ninjas, AKA Moe, Larry, and Curly, $150,000 to conduct a hand count audit of the 2020 election. According to Forbes, Trump-supporting groups spent an additional $6 million to support the audit. The result was laughable and predictable as the firm had no experience or even a viable plan, typical Three Stooges. In other fundraising news, Steve Bannon et al. raised $25 million to finish the wall. Unfortunately, most of the money went into the organizer’s pockets. Trump pardoned Bannon, but the others are doing hard time. Every time Trump experiences new legal trouble, he uses it to fundraise. I wonder where the money goes? P.T. Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Was he talking about today’s GOP?
Edward Espinoza
Southwest side
Ignorance as an excuse
Re: the June 16 letter “Trump is unique.”
A recent letter claimed that since Trump was “unique” and ignorant that his crimes should be excused. This is an excuse for trying to prevent a peaceful transfer of power, attempted election interference, mishandling classified documents, etc. I would like to see how far this would work for other criminals. Judge, I’m not guilty because I’m unique and didn’t understand right from wrong.
Craig Miller
Northwest side
Equity vs. equality
Re: the June 12 letter “Equity.”
As a recent writer said, equity does not mean what another letter writer said it does. None of the three dictionary sources used to check the meaning support the usage of the original writer. All refer to impartiality, fairness, equality, justice according to a natural law or right and an English-based legal system.
Simply reviewing dictionary definitions prior to writing and being loyal to correct word use might make opinionated positions more understandable and less summarily dismissed as verbal garbage.
Clarence Johnson
Oro Valley
A plea to Mayes to do her job
It seems odd to me that our Attorney General is satisfied to let the DOJ investigate and potentially prosecute crimes committed against the citizens of Arizona. I am not a lawyer, but I am pretty sure there is at least one Arizona law that prohibits tampering with election results.
The attempt to negate my vote as well as over 1.6 million others in Arizona, surely must be against the Arizona statutes. At an early age, most of us were taught right from wrong. We learned this at home, in church and at school. It is stunning that the leaders of one of our political parties could dismiss all sense of propriety and attempt to steal an election by attempting to negate so many properly cast votes.
Time to prosecute the conspiracy of fake electors.
Jeff Rayner
SaddleBrooke
Hobbs picking and choosing the laws
Funny, laws are supposed to be upheld by the elected officials instead of ignored or actively countered through Executive Order instead of involving the other members of government, like the Legislation. Gov. Katie Hobbs decided to implement her abortion political agenda and to violate the law, so can we assume that everyone is free to break whatever laws they don’t approve of? Perhaps like New York, it is now OK to steal from stores?
As the governor, did Hobbs actually swear to fulfill the oath of office, or did she have her fingers crossed behind her back? If Hobbs does not agree with a law, isn’t it her responsibility to legally change the law, which means working with the legislature? Or perhaps Hobbs believes that she can pick and choose which laws to obey and ignore. Does anyone know the first step to starting a recall effort?
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
Mutiny in Russia
It is Sunday, the day after the failed coup in Russia; I am listening to the talking heads promote the weakness of Putin in the view of his capitulation to Prigozhin. They are giddy. Even I, a peacenik, consider that the actions of Putin are odd. He was supposed to be so strong. Someone to be afraid of because he was a murderous bully. I am not with those thinking that Putin is a forgiveness guy. If Prigozhin is alive one month from now and his “army” not decimated, I will be surprised. Putin sent Prigozhin to Belarus to be killed, no doubt about it.
Marilyn Pollow
East side
40th aid package to Ukraine
So Congress controls the purse string on the country’s money, right? That’s what we learned in middle school in Michigan.
OK then, what I want to see is a voting record (yes/no) of EACH member of Congress on approving aid to Ukraine BEFORE it’s committed. I don’t think they have a say in it at all. I think C-Span could air those votes.
They announced today that this $500 million is the 40th drawdown of our own military assets; at what point will we say “we gave at the office.”
China is going to kick our butts.
Troy Curtis, retired Air Force
East side
Republicans ignore climate change cost
A recent writer talked of the cost to combat CO2, implying it’s a foolish cost with no benefit. Our current expenses from climate change are the increasing costs of more frequent superstorms. The entire west is at risk of catastrophic wildfire over a longer fire season. Some areas can no longer find willing insurance carriers. The number and severity of extreme heat episodes is increasing, along with heat deaths. There is a serious water crisis on the Colorado River already affecting agriculture. These are all current costs. These types of costs dealing with the consequences of climate change will increase dramatically in the future. Focusing only on transition costs and ignoring the cost of doing nothing is disingenuous. The longer we take to transition, the higher the total cost will be. There is no long-term benefit to any of us in ignoring climate change, only rising expenses to everyone. The level of CO2 is still rising.
William Garrity
Foothills
SCOTUS decision on race in admissions
SCOTUS has deemed illegal the practice of colleges and universities using race as a determinate in admissions, saying that the practice violates the 14th Amendment’s “equal protection” clause. The case stemmed from an Asian guy who had a perfect SAT score and was denied admission to Harvard University. I hope this decision transfers over to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices that have been implemented nationwide by leftist Democrats.
I believe that DEI is also inherently discriminatory against white males. My hope is that some white guy, who has been denied employment because of DEI, files civil suit in federal court that ultimately goes to SCOTUS for a similar decision. I have no doubt, however, that leftist-run colleges and universities will circumvent or outright ignore SCOTUS’ decision. After all, that is how leftists operate. I expect orchestrated illegal protests again in front of SCOTUS Justices’ homes as occurred after their Roe v. Wade decision, where nobody was federally prosecuted. I expect leftist ProPublica to attack more conservative Justices.
Marsella Mavis
Northwest side
Thieves aplenty
In the last years, we have been witness to the great American rip-off. It is hard to pick up the newspaper and not find out another way thieves have stolen from the nation’s coffers or business enterprises. And this is not to mention slick scoundrels who swipe from us all.
A sucker is born every minute is a good way to put it here. A sucker is a fish and we are swimming around waiting to be hooked. Advertisers provide the lures.
It is a sorry game. Big-gain hunters are on the prowl; sordid creatures they, cheating us out of our nest eggs.
Billions are pilfered every year in clever schemes. Banks steal from their customers with subterfuge. Corporations see a shrewd way to raise prices to exorbitant levels under the guise of inflation. There are no winners here, just losers.
Sadly, the golden goose may be running out of eggs.
Ron Lancaster
North side
