Rep. Alma Hernandez, posted an image of a political flyer critical of her pro-Israel stance that she says was circulated in her neighborhood and included her home address.
Israel trip
Re: the March 13 letter “Israel shouldn’t be legislators’ top priority.”
I was disgusted to read the letter writer’s antisemitic letter criticizing Alma Hernandez for her support of Israel. The letter writer has long ignored terrorist acts by Hamas against Israel and attacks people for their support of Israel. Ms. Hernandez had an Israeli flag on her desk. Would the letter writer criticize someone for having an Indonesian flag on their desk? Indonesia’s human rights record is horrible. And furthermore I did a little research and it seems the letter writer is a regular contributor to Peoples World, a publication of the American Communist Party. Enough said
David Moore
Midtown
Two words
Regarding legislators’ move to get rid of codes in the name of affordable housing.
Just what we need, more praying to the altar of deregulation. My entire life, Republicans and sometimes ignorant Democrats have flocked to the idea that if we just remove the rules keeping business from taking advantage, business will stop taking advantage.
Case in point. Greedy landlords and out of state property management companies will happily continue to raise rents on houses that have carports and houses that have a garage. Price gouging happens no matter what the type of roof. Cookie-cutter homes are a result of developers throwing up as many houses as cheaply as possible, not codes. In fact, anybody with half a brain will tell you that custom homes cost more, not less.
If legislators are serious about housing costs they need two words. Rent. Control.
Anything else is just smoke and mirrors.
David Reynolds
East side
National security and border security
The Republican Party is weak on U.S. national security and also weak on security for our southern border. By opposing additional funds for Ukraine, Republicans in the U.S. House are aiding Vladimir Putin’s invasion. If Russia’s war on Ukraine is successful, Putin is likely to invade other European countries in the future, which will threaten the national security of the U.S. Also, Republicans in Congress are supporting chaos at the U.S. border by blocking the border security bill developed by U.S. Senators.
What happened to the Republican Party of Reagan, Bush, Dole, McCain, Romney, etc.? It has become the extreme MAGA cult party.
Paul Marion
Oro Valley
Nothing is getting done
An idiom that most people would be familiar with today goes back over one hundred years. That idiom is “actions speak louder than words.”
Another version of this phrase is “words are cheap.” In light of the fact that there have been no positive, productive or meaningful bills put forth by MAGA Republicans in the house, we can clearly see an illustration of the phrases above.
In contrast, President Biden signed into law the largest gun-safety bill in thirty years; passed the CHIPS and Science Act which lowers costs, creates jobs, strengthens supply chains and counters China; lowered prescription drug prices, including insulin, for millions of Americans. These are a few of the many bills Joe Biden passed to help all Americans get through some difficult times.
This administration has not been and will never be an illustration of “no action, talk only.” Democrats are the do-something party and are proving that every day.
Sally Mayersohn
Northwest side
Why would any woman vote Republican?
As a 73-year-old retired educator I am perplexed as to why any woman would vote Republican.
When the former president brags about “grabbing women by the genitals” and he can do anything he wants with them is demeaning and disgusting.
The former president brags about terminating Roe v. Wade and he is proud of being responsible for taking women back 53 years. Now in 2024 my daughter and granddaughter have fewer reproductive rights and health choices than I did in 1971.
Last week Sonny Borelli, No. 2 Republican in the state Senate, responded to a question about whether he would oppose future efforts to restrict access to emergency contraceptives. He said that women shouldn’t need contraceptives. “Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin. Put it between your knees” implying that, if women hold aspirin between their legs, they won’t be able to have sex and risk pregnancy. That is beyond outrageous, and is mortifying, shameful and degrading.
Sign the Arizona Access to Abortion Petition and vote in November.
Rachel Rulmyr Ed.D.
Oro Valley
Don’t remember or take the fifth?
All this blathering about “I don’t recall, I don’t remember.” More to the point, who was it that did NOT say “I don’t recall” but took the fifth over 400 times in a civil fraud hearing, and at one time asked, “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” Anybody recall?
William Muto
SaddleBrooke
Misinformed about Marxism
The right makes a habit of accusing ideas of the left to be Marxist. To point, here are statements made by State Sen. Kern, U.S. Rep. Taylor Greene, and former President Trump. In the Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx et al., the authors clearly laid out the concept of Marxism. Four important tenets of the manifesto are:
“Abolition of private property”
“Abolition of all right of inheritance”
“Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels”
“Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.”
I doubt any on the left advocate such ideas.
Other important Manifesto tenants are:
“Free education for all children in public schools”
“Abolition of children’s factory labour [sic] in its present form” (meaning at a young age).
Left and right support these positions.
Right politicians need to be better informed about Marxism before accusing ideas of the left.
Terry Plaza
North side
Comparing apples
Re: the March 13 article “Biden’s Trump-like speech last week failed the moment.”
In his vapid opinion piece, Nolan Finley equated President Biden and Donald Trump. Let’s compare apples and apples: the Biden apple, slightly shriveled but still nutritious OR the Trump apple, poisonous, rotten to the core. Which will you choose?
Jefferson Carter
Midtown
Protect us from armed criminals!
Re: the March 15 article “Lawmakers want repeal of new gun ordinance.”
Sen. Justine Wadsack seems to be a bit confused or misdirected in her opposition to the new city firearm ordinance. Say, you are required to take strong drugs to repress pain, but they are dangerous because they can make you addicted. Someone steals those drugs, which threatens the lives of their illegal customers. If your drugs are stolen and you do not report that to the police, then something is deeply wrong with you. Firearms are deadly weapons; and if those disappear, and you do not report that theft to the police, this is not only highly irresponsible, but it amounts to a criminal act because someone might use that weapon to kill people. Sen. Wadsack, please do not argue with a reference to the 2nd Amendment; that is completely irrelevant here and ignores the collective need to be safe from criminals. The Pima County Supervisors acted wisely; opposing that ordinance is simply unwise and unworthy of a state senator who should have more intelligence to understand this ordinance’s importance.
Albrecht Classen
Midtown
Trump’s behavior doesn’t matter
Trump once boasted he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and it wouldn’t matter to his base. Absolutely true that 40% of the populace doesn’t care about him being a draft dodger, tax cheat, philanderer, failed businessman, sexual predator, and serial liar. I guess this speaks more to us as a country that a despicable, vile demagogue was elected once and potentially again.
Craig Miller
Northwest side
Undocumented crimes
In a recent letter to the editor, the writer stated that there is a lack of evidence that supports the idea that undocumented in the U.S. commit crimes more often than U.S. citizens. While this theory has been stated in numerous other articles, I have never seen the basis on how it was reached. It appears that the author is trying to minimize the crimes that are committed by illegal aliens. Be that as it may, the fact of the matter remains that those crimes committed by illegal aliens in the U.S. would not have been committed, had they not been present in the U.S.
Thomas Leupp
East side
Trump’s supporters
Re: the March 18 letter “Disgusting display.”
I’m am also amazed that Trump’s persecuted Christian supporters don’t find his support of Vladimir Putin, a brutal dictator whose behavior is the antithesis of Jesus Christ’s, to be somewhat problematic. And this also applies to some of the other dictators, such as Kim Jong Un, he supports as well. The man is an enigma.
Gerry Maggiora
Foothills
Democrats in LD18 are on fire
Re: the March 18 article “Have Democrats finally stopped wimping out?.”
Jackie Calmes asks if Democrats are wimps who ‘don’t bring guns to a gunfight.’
Democrats in LD18 in the Foothills are scrappy, amped up and assertive. We are circulating petitions for the Abortion Initiative, knocking on doors and using E-qual to get Democrats on the ballot, and presenting speakers like Rachel Bitecofer, to accurately brand Republicans as extremists.
Just check out our Facebook Page at Facebook.com/LD18Democrats. Check out the action at LD18dems.org. Be among the scores of people who attend our monthly meetings.
Sure, this is not as outrageous as herd-like Republican rallies, or dementia poster child Donald Trump, or Republican disruptions of public meetings.
LD18 is the blue center in the blue city in the blue county of Arizona. We have 200 precinct committee people on top of 1,400 volunteers.
Join us as we blaze a path to flip the Republican-dictated Legislature. You ain’t seen nothing yet.
Larry Bodine
Foothills
Fascist Trump
As Donald Trump’s narcissism is threatened, his intense feelings of revenge, fury and rage are on full display. He recently warned of a blood bath if he is not re-elected. His opponents are vermin. Immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country. The Jan. 6 defendants are hostages.
He masks his menace by combining hateful rhetoric with mocking laughter. What better way to dehumanize his opponents? It helps him desensitize his supporters, who lack discernment, and give away their power and money to support his treasonous cause. Trump’s supporters consent and collude with his rhetoric. Hitler would be proud. As Joseph Goebbels said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
If you are repulsed by this darkness, do not remain silent. You have a voice and a vote. If you don’t want to live in a hellscape of insanity, vote for Joe Biden in November to stop the madness and save our democracy.
Cindy Bordelon
Downtown
Bloodbath comment
MSNBC and CNN have been scaring their listeners about a comment Trump made at one of his rallies. He said there would be a blood bath. They refer to him as Hitler. These networks, who have vilified him since 2015, take everything out of content.
Trump was warning that China’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer was planning to build a plant in Mexico making electric cars to sell in America. They would wreak havoc on our auto industry wiping out thousands of jobs. He said it would be a blood bath. As president he threatened to put a 100% tax to keep it from happening.
Now you know the rest of the story.
Jack Walters
Northeast side
AZ probes school choice fraud
Re: the March 13 “AZ probes school choice fraud” and March 16 articles “AZ officials underplayed Medicaid fraud scope.”
I can not believe what I read. The ESA program advocates are ok with the fraud that is taking place in the program. They say fraud is basically going to happen and just go with it. Of course it is not their money. It’s mine and I feel Arizona needs to hire the people to try and stop this fraud. From what I read fraud seams to be the way of the new world. Why can’t we try to stop this new era the best we can? Would they feel the same way if it was their money.
The same goes for the Arizona healthcare containment system, allowing providers to ignore or check requirements. This State needs to do the right thing. If our government is doing things illegally then we need to stop it. It appears to me that our leaders just sit at their desk with their feet up and collect their big salaries. Then lie to us.
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
A modest proposal
Interviewer: I am with Mrs. Mamie Righteous who has proposed a novel idea for the Pro Choice/Pro Life debate. Tell us about your proposal Mrs. Righteous.
M.R. Yes. There has been much criticism about politicians injecting themselves into this issue. I propose that to help them we form citizens committees, you know, like peers, in a jury.
Interviewer: Do you mean ordinary citizens who would evaluate a woman’s reasons for seeking an abortion?
M.R. In conjunction with politicians? Yes.
Interviewer: What criteria would be used?
M.R. White Christian Nationalist Evangelical of course..... GOD!
Interviewer: Which God? Whose God?
M.R. Mine of course.
Interviewer: So you are Pro Life?
M.R. Yes, molecular life not death row life. We call them people, 0 to 9 months in the womb.
Interviewer: What do you call them after birth?
M.R. Problems
Melvina Strijdonk
Oro Valley
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