Political signs
Political signs were already out — even before Memorial Day weekend?
Every election cycle our city is plastered with signs. For an election happening in November is this even allowed?
Colleen Columbus
North side
Renters vs homeowners
I believe that the 2024 election will be determined by either renters or homeowners.
With the high cost of home ownership today, I believe renters may out vote homeowners. Renters historically are more likely to lean Democratic. Renters represent almost one in three voters, or 30.2% of the eligible voting population. Although 34.9% of Americans live in rental housing, renters comprise just 24% of the voting population.
Only 29% of those living in renter-occupied housing voted in the 2016 elections, compared to 52% of those living in owner-occupied housing. An estimated 60% of renters are voting-age citizens, versus 77% of homeowners.
Renters historically are less politically engaged than homeowners. An estimated 67% of eligible homeowners voted in 2016, compared to just 49% of eligible renters.
I believe the 2024 elections will turn on which party has done a better job of presenting a vision of the country that inspires voters to show up at the polls.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Americas Taliban
I can’t help but compare the viewpoints and goals of the Taliban with America’s right-wing, evangelical “Christians”.
Consider women’s rights, e.g. abortions, religious education e.g. state-funded “private” schools, support for “cult leaders” without moral character who pander to their biases. Today, America seems to be on the verge of becoming a so-called “Christian” religion driven state under which the extreme religious right’s rules will apply. Am I wrong?
True Christians need to speak out.
Dennis Winsten
Northeast side
Law and order and who respects it
How audacious that Republicans will criticize Ruben Gallego under the guise of support for law and order.
Let’s look at how much law and order
Republicans stand for. Jan. 6 saw hoodlums attacking the Capital, breaking windows, physically attacking law officers and disrespecting the American Flag.
Still today when courts try to bring those hoodlums to justice, republicans stand in the way, led by the ultimate scofflaw who still calls the 2020 election rigged and those same Republicans booed some of those same law officers who are honored in various legislatures for their heroism.
There is no stand for law and order in the Republican Party, only calls for rioting and disrespect for the courts and justice in America.
Please vote Blue to bring back law and order.
Carl Olson
West side
MIAMI, FLORIDA — MAY 20: Customers shop at a Target store on May 20, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Target announced plans to cut prices on thousands of consumer basics as inflation cuts into household budgets. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Inflation is a global issue
Biden didn’t cause inflation and there isn’t much he or any president can do about it.
Inflation is a global issue. Its main drivers are supply-chain issues, volatility in the energy sector, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and corporate greed. The U.S. has the lowest inflation rate in the G7 and one of the lowest in the world.
Trump inherited a growing economy, low inflation and low unemployment. When he left office, the economy was in tatters.
Under Biden, the U.S. has had the strongest economic recovery of any country in the G7: 15.6 million jobs created; unemployment below 4% for 27 months. The Wall Street Journal called the American economy today “the envy of the world.”
Anyone who thinks the Orange Felon can automatically lower prices and inflation is as delusional as he is.
Deporting millions of immigrants, slapping higher tariffs on imported goods, and lowering taxes for the wealthy, would devastate the economy and boost inflation.
Celeste Rogers
East side
Economics
For those of you who feel you were better off under DT because gasoline was cheaper, I have to assume that you either failed, slept through or never took a course in economics.
Economics is a difficult subject to understand but the basic concept is called supply and demand.
An overly simplistic example: if the supply of a certain good increases more than the demand for that good, the price will generally fall. A lack of goods with high demand and the prices generally rise.
You might need to extract your head from DT’s drill hole because more drilling will not make gas cheaper. It costs a lot of money to drill more wells and that cost will get passed on to you.
Trump has no understanding of economics as can be seen by how many of his companies went bankrupt. Presidents don’t control the economy no matter what DT thinks.
If you educate yourself on how economies function, it will help you avoid some very serious errors.
Dr. George Ball, PhD
Midtown
Support vs awareness of Biden policies
According to the New York Times reporting on polls done by YouGov and Blueprint, some of Biden’s most popular policies have little awareness among people who support them.
The following is a short list showing Support/Awareness: Reducing the federal deficit (89/46), Capping Medicare drug costs (83/49), Restricting China’s use of AI chips (83/40), Suing big tech companies, (79/48) Deploying more border agents (76/43), increasing oil and gas drilling (74/48), Increasing police funding (74/46), Easing sanctions on Venezuelan oil (68/42).
Democrats are to blame for not sufficiently publicizing Biden’s actions and the results of these policies.
To do so may change the narrative that seems to be dominated by the negative discourse by the MAGA people.
Michael Mount
Foothills
AZ Star article inadvertently revealed border secret
Re: the June 9 article “Border medicine confiscations lead to harm.”
The AZ Star ran an article written by their sympathetic to migrants reporter Emily Bregel. The Border Patrol seizes medications from migrants not knowing what they contain.
They then re-prescribe the medication from their own pharmacy to asylum claiming migrants, often times already released from their custody. The story detailed what has been suspected all along, but kept secret by CBP and the Biden administration, that some migrants entering illegally have serious medical conditions.
Bregel cited migrants being pregnant, being HIV positive, having colon cancer wearing colostomy bags, and children with asthma, etc. Some would otherwise be inadmissible if applying to immigrate legally under the “public charge” provision.
Think of the medical costs these people will incur to our healthcare system, not only with needing prescription medications, but eventual medical care.
Think of the millions, who have already been released into the public under Biden’s border policies, some not carrying prescription medications, but having medical issues.
Janice DeAngelo
Tubac
Two trials
Donald Trump: guilty. Hunter Biden: guilty. That’s where the similarity stops.
One was rigged. The other was fair.
In one trial the accused attacked the judge, the prosecutor, the judge’s family, the unfair system. In the other the accused made no derogatory comments about system or people.
In one trial the accused had a cadre of toadies defending him daily at the courthouse, but most of his family, including his wife, was absent. In the other the accused’s family was there and showed their vulnerability but made no excuses. No toadies present.
So either both trials were rigged or both trials were fair. In which case it is time for Trump supporters to stop the lies, the defaming of the justice system, the defense of a man found guilty on all counts by a jury of the people.
Now we will see which guilty person shows remorse.
John Kautz
Midtown
Gay Pride
Some of the debate in the letters to the editor seems to be about whether the Bible speaks for or against homosexuality.
May I suggest that we start with what the Bible does say. All Christian Bibles, no matter the language or version, teach us that we are all sinners.
The message of the Bible that continues from there is that when we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ reconciled us to God by his act of love, forgiveness and sacrifice on the cross, then we can walk with God and by his grace move away from actions that separate us from him. If we read the Bible to justify sin in whatever form that takes (lying, gossiping, sexual immorality, etc.) then we are missing the main message.
And more importantly we will miss out on a personal relationship with the living God. God can’t forgive an excuse or rationalization.
He forgives us when we humbly acknowledge our sin and seek him.
Jeanine Arnold
Sierra Vista
Hunter Biden’s jury convictions
Let’s review how we got to the point of Hunter Biden’s trial and convictions.
U.S. Attorney Weiss, appointed by Trump, conducted an investigation of Hunter Biden, which primarily was focused on tax evasion issues.
Biden had received millions from shady business deals conducted with foreign persons in China, Russia, Ukraine, etc. Years went by and no results. Then, two IRS Senior Special Agents told Congress that their investigation of Biden had been stymied by perceived political interference. That Weiss was kept from pursuing indictments against Biden in other jurisdictions.
Under pressure, USAG Garland formally made Weiss a Special Counsel. Meanwhile, the USDOJ offered Biden that sweetheart plea to a gun charge, under a Diversion agreement, which the conviction would be expunged from his record. It also provided broad immunity from other indictments.
The Federal Judge saw how ridiculous it was and denied the plea. Subsequently, Weiss indicted Biden in Delaware on firearms charges and on tax evasion charges in Los Angeles.
But nothing addressing Biden family influence peddling corruption.
Alan Jeffords
Midtown
Not all Pima Public Libraries protect democracy
Re: the June 11 letter “Oro Valley Library — protector of democracy.”
Apparently not all local libraries protect democracy. Take the Sahuarita Public Library, for instance.
One hot sunny morning in May I set up my tiny table and chair to register voters and obtain signatures for ballot measures, well to the right of the only door into the Sahuarita Public Library.
I was in the shade against a blank concrete wall (no windows, no doors, no pipes, just concrete). I was not blocking anything, there was no drive or walkway to this spot because there were dense plantings beyond which prevented access to the building from this direction for any and all purposes, including emergency.
I was ordered to move my table out into the hot sun next to the parking lot. I was disallowed from sitting in the shade of their building.
I did not experience any protection for democracy at the Sahuarita Public Library. Shame on them!
Libraries are called “public” for a reason but I am not sure what it is.
Peggy Hendrickson
Green Valley
Trump/Biden mental fitness
Our polling system about presidential candidates shows a lack of understanding by the electorate of mental fitness.
Opinions about Biden’s and Trump’s mental state, miss an obvious flaw about Trump.
A CBS News poll in early June showed 42% said only Trump had the requisite “mental and cognitive health to serve as president”, while 25% said only Biden did. This poll demonstrates how a serious and known flaw in Trump has either been ignored or is unknown.
Dr. Lance Dodes, a retired Harvard Psychiatrist has said that Trump is a psychopath. Others in the field have concluded that Trump has similar personality disorders that closely match what Dr. Dodes had stated.
These are the disorders seen in DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) under cluster B (particularly NPD, narcissistic personality disorder and ASPD, antisocial personality disorder, AKA sociopathy). It’s impossible to have mental fitness with any of these.
Sure, Biden is slower than he once was but is surely no psychopath.
Steve Rasmussen
Foothills
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