A man holds a child's backpack as rescue workers and residents search through the rubble in the aftermath of what Iranian officials said was an Israeli-U.S. strike on a girls' elementary school Feb. 28 in Minab, Iran.
Money
Senator Lindsey Graham, in an interview with one of the Sunday morning shows, said, “We’re gonna make a ton of money,” referring to the aftermath of President Trump's war in the Middle East. With the myriad of changing reasons about why we are destroying Iran and causing unmitigated havoc in the region, the real reason is evident: money.
If extorting and plundering other nations is something to make America great again, count me out. The bellicose, authoritarian Trump regime has shown its dark side to the American people and the world.
Does everything have to be about money? Trump’s fascist, untethered regime is heading down a path that will have untold consequences for years to come. He will have obliterated the Middle East and even more so the American psyche.
In the meantime, we will be left holding the bag waiting for the “money.”
Arne Maki
Green Valley
The balance of power
TEP’s math and motivations behind the Project Blue Energy Supply Agreement and their request to recover $1.7 billion in recent grid investments will soon face scrutiny. For weeks, TEP expressed dismay that ratepayers failed to understand their technical, financial, or capital structure justifications. They assured us they provided all the required information, asking us to believe it’s the only evidence needed — no need to consider a municipal power option, or more renewable power sources. However, rate case intervenors’ filings and AG Kris Mayes’ expert witness provide a clear, counter-narrative to TEP’s rate case. The upcoming hearings will focus on the competing tension of shareholder return versus fairness to ratepayers, a tension the ACC is tasked by law to resolve. Let’s hope the Commission does its job and finds a just balance.
Sheldon Clark
Vail
Medicare
Medicare Advantage isn’t a luxury for Arizona seniors — it’s the only way many of us can afford medical, dental, vision, and hearing coverage, as well as prescriptions. Nearly 800,000 Arizonans rely on these plans.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has historically raised funding for Medicare Advantage by 3–4% annually to match rising healthcare costs. Last year’s increase was 5.06%. Yet CMS is proposing what amounts to a cut — an increase of just 0.09% for 2027, far below what’s needed to defray rising costs. This will mean higher premiums, reduced benefits, and fewer care options for seniors already stretched thin by tariffs and inflation. If this is what Trump means when he promises to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, seniors are in deep trouble.
Arizona’s congressional delegation needs to push back forcefully. We seniors paid into Medicare our entire working lives. We deserve more than a token increase that threatens our health and financial stability.
Jim Christ
East side
Mike Johnson, ultimate hypocrite
In 2022, Congress passed a resolution for a bronze plaque to be placed at the Capitol entrance honoring Capitol Police who tried to protect the building and those inside from the January 6 rioters. The day Trump called “a day of love,” over 140 officers were wounded, and some subsequently died.
However, the plaque was sent to a basement storage room on orders from Mike Johnson, who said that erecting the plaque was “not implementable,” which, apparently, meant Trump told him to.
Johnson, the piously religious and “I’m for the rule of law” House Speaker, used his power to keep the plaque in the basement for over four years. Recently, Democratic congressmen put up replicas of the plaque on their office doors for everyone to see, which was embarrassing to Republicans. Then the Senate voted unanimously to a have it erected on their side of the building, bypassing Johnson’s petty nonsense. Finally, a much-deserved plaque is in place despite hypocrite Johnson’s illegal maneuverings.
Gary Haslett
SaddleBrooke
No limits to his demands
Trump attacked Venezuela, said we needed Greenland and has begun full-scale war with Iran. That atrocity is obviously spiraling out of control. Before even one week has passed, he is now talking about his ambition to secure Cuba. Does anyone with sense admit that this madman wants to procure the entire world? Those of you who claim he is wonderful must be proud to compare him to Hitler. I'm sorry, but he is a wannabe dictator determined to conquer and conquer. This creature has no limits in mind. Let's stop him before he gets us into more wars.
Philip Reinecker
East side
Wag the dog
Although there is nothing funny about America's current multi-level quagmire economically, politically, militarily, and morally, I found my anxiety and rage tempered by some gallows humor. A 1997 political satire about media manipulation and corruption is a film that feels even more relevant in 2026, Wag the Dog.
To cover up an accusation of sexual assault with a minor (yes!), a spin doctor (Robert DeNiro, the tail) engages producer Dustin Hoffman to connive the public (the dog) that America must go to war. Willie Nelson even composes
inspirational patriotic songs deifying a made-up war hero. The film is a perverse hoot, which alleviated some of my pain for a time.
Loft Cinema, how about a special engagement?
Robert (Bob) Kafes
Midtown
Iran war
Trump has just single-handedly, with no input from Congress, declared war on Iran. History tells us that war is costly. Remember Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. Each time we entered one of these wars we lost American lives and ultimately left with our tails between our legs. Unless Trump is ready to use nukes (an Armageddon solution that only he might seriously consider), we will probably have the same result. He took office promising to end the war in Ukraine and be the Peace president, because he is the great negotiator. He even had the gall to demand the Nobel Peace Prize. His tariff policies have increased inflation (check gas, auto and grocery prices). The Trump-Epstein saga looms over every decision that he makes. My fellow Americans, let's all protest this insanity on March 28, No Kings Day.
Morton Cederbaum
Green Valley
Ciscomani, gratuitous gaslighter
Rep. Gaslighter made the news headlines twice last week, yet many of us were unaware of this.
First, his campaign was identified as having received more financial support than any other Republican from the disgraced and retiring Republican representative from Texas, Tony Gonzales. Readers may remember Rep. Gonzales had an affair with a staffer, who killed herself through self-immolation. Rep. Gaslighter earned the $30,000 support from Rep Gonzales, who is quoted as saying "no one outworks my bestie." Nice BFFs.
Second, when it was announced that Secretary Noem was fired, he was quoted as saying "It's a good decision for the country and it's something that needed to be done." Where has Rep. Gaslighter been for the past 14 months when the wholly incompetent Secretary has been wreaking havoc on the people? How convenient it must be for him to now say her tenure as attack dog needed to be ended.
Time to shut off the gas and vote this clown out of office.
David Becker
Oro Valley
How embarrassing
I watched a U of A basketball game the other day and found out that the game was being played at the University of Alkeme. Every university basketball court I have ever seen has the school name proudly painted at each end of the court. The U of A court indicates that we are not really proud of our school. Please put the Arizona name back on both ends of the court.
Barry Bingham
East side
Clown show
March 9, Page A1: Bill could make some protestors face felony charges. HB 2136 will make it a felony to “commit civil terrorism for planning, preparing or coordinating acts 'that are designed to cause widespread fear.'”
First, oxymoron alert: What is civil about terrorism? Second, it will be illegal to produce and publicly display horror movies as they are specifically “designed to cause widespread fear.”
I remember Molly Ivins writing about the nutty things the Texas Legislature attempted. Arizona appears to be trying to one-up Texas.
James Abels
Midtown
Weapons of mass deception
Of the nine countries listed in a Google search of countries having nuclear weapons, one Muslim country is listed, while one country is listed as a Jewish State, Israel. Although Israel has never admitted to having nuclear weapons, in 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Golda Meir authorized a nuclear alert and ordered 13 atomic bombs to be ready. While Trump and Netanyahu are willing to bomb Iran with no hard evidence that it has or will ever have a nuclear bomb, Pakistan, a Muslim country, does seem like a good deterrent to threats and bluster from Trump and Netanyahu. Of the listed countries that do have nuclear weapons, North Korea seems the most likely, with its arsenal of nuclear warheads and delivery systems, placing the United States at great risk. Perhaps Trump and Netanyahu should try for a bromance with Iran.
Clyde R. Steele
Oro Valley
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