Tucson Speaks Out: March 6

Ciscomani deception

On Feb. 19, Rep. Juan Ciscomani sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson pointing out the serious repercussions for his constituents if the Republican majority made massive cuts to Medicaid. I called his office to express my support for his position, pointing out that the only way we could stop the destruction of our government is if Republicans stood up to Trump. I even stated that if he voted against these cuts, I would vote for him in the next election.

Well, when the vote went down, Ciscomani abandoned his constituents to show his loyalty to Trump, voting for the budget that will decimate Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security to fund tax cuts for billionaires. I will remember his spineless capitulations in the next election.

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Americans on watch

One night almost 80 years ago, my father stood on the bridge of the USS Jacob Jones and used binoculars to search the murky Atlantic for signs of German subs. Heavy cloud cover hid possible clues of danger, but he persisted. He was a small part of a huge operation — to defeat an enemy who threatened to overtake democracies, spread bigotry and hate, and hand victory to hungry despots. Suddenly the clouds separated, and a beam of light from a full moon shone down on a periscope slipping into the water. That beam of light, a vigilant officer who shouted for action, and a ready ship were part of a gargantuan effort to stop an evil leader's dream of domination. Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Congress take heed! There are beams of light breaking through the clouds of disinformation and lies. There are voices shouting about the dangers to our democracy. Watch. Listen. Act.

Patti Albaugh

Green Valley

I am voting with my feet

I am taking my money out of the U.S. stock market for three reasons: 1, I have low confidence in the Trump administration to maintain the economy in a manner that has historically brought favorable returns to US stocks; 2, Self-preservation. I am retired, what I have in my investments is what I have to live on, so I can't be risking it on an economy headed by a felon who has surrounded himself with sex offenders and people who deny proven science; and 3, to send a message to the powers that be that I am not OK with the direction this country is headed.

While mine is but a tiny message, I think it is one the market will listen to.

John McConnaughey

Oro Valley

Local balance

Thirty-four years ago this week, the late Rodney King was severely beaten by the L.A. police department, and riots consumed the city. Mr. King took the high road and his response to this violence was, "Why can’t we all just get along?" I am disheartened by the truly vile and hateful letters to the editor on both sides of the political spectrum. Both sides are just repeating what is discussed on national cable networks like Fox and MSNBC.

Jeff Bezos recently fired the opinion editor of the Washington Post. Like the Star, its opinion pages were filled with hate and negative comments. They will now only post letters relating to “personal liberties and free markets.” My reasoning for subscribing to the Star is to keep up to date with our local news. If our paper would not print these national grievances maybe we will have more responses to our local issues.

Thirty-four years later, Rodney King’s words still apply.

Ron Church

Foothills

Selective hearing

Republican politicians who are limiting their town hall meetings to vetted groups of supporters should reread the Bill of Rights, Amendment 1, about the “right of the people ... to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Barbara Hall

Midtown

After the fall

In his book "After the Fall," Ben Rhoades explores “what is happening ‘after the fall’ of the global system created by the United States” and the rise of authoritarianism.

He offers that “the internet and globalization have become more of a threat to the democracies that set them in motion than to totalitarianism regimes like China’s.” He goes on to say, “the (Chinese) Communist Party is operating in an Orwellian way. It rewrites history. It monopolizes information and therefore controls people’s minds.”

The same can be said of other authoritarian regimes.

Rhoades' book is honest, challenging, and brought clarity to the struggles I have comprehending the chaos and complexities of being an American as well as a citizen of the planet.

I invite others to read this book and make their own observations of world history past and present. For me, it was and remains a call to action — at the very least to continue as an informed and engaged citizen who cherishes freedom.

Howie Adams

Northeast side

Support for Ukraine

I unequivocally support the Ukrainian people in their heroic effort to thwart the dictator Vladimir Putin's aggressive attempt to take over their country. Putin is responsible in every way for this egregious violation of another country's sovereignty and for the documented war crimes that have inflicted terror and unspeakable violence upon Ukrainian children and other innocents. I find Donald Trump's behavior toward President Zelenskyy despicable, and his groveling before the former KGB officer and current president, Putin, totally unacceptable and un-American. Please remember history: Stalin felt no compunction about starving millions of Ukrainians in the Holodomor because they resisted his totalitarian government edicts, and Putin has a long history of Stalinesque behavior. The United States should never, ever capitulate to a despot such as the Russian president.

Janet Oslund

Oro Valley

How to crash an economy in five simple steps

— Appoint unqualified sycophants to cabinet posts so you don’t get advice

— Pardon violent rioters to enforce your GOP stranglehold

— Give unfettered access of sensitive data to a billionaire soon to become a trillionaire who will profit greatly

— Fire tens of thousands of essential experienced government workers who keep our country running

— Start a trade war with our North American allies that has already flamed inflation.

Bonus: continue to promote chaos, thus making financial markets volatile.

Jean Meconi

Oro Valley

A comedy of errors

I have an idea to pitch to Hollywood, an outlandish sitcom: An insane reality TV celebrity who’s deeply in debt to a murderous Russian oligarch dictator agrees to run for president and do whatever he’s told. The dictator enlists the help of a South African immigrant, who owns a car company and space exploration outfit, to be his inside man. Oh, the hijinks that will ensue! America abandons her European allies, stabs Ukraine in the back, and abdicates her leadership role on the global stage. Prices skyrocket, inflation soars, thousands of people face sudden unemployment! Tariffs alienate our trading partners, the stock market crashes, the government closes its doors, democracy dies in broad daylight! But there’s a plot twist: It’s all fully embraced by … wait for it … Republicans, formerly archenemies of Russia! Stay tuned for this crazy Shakespearean comedy of errors!

Anne Lane

Northeast side

Make Russia Great Again

Make Russia Great Again! The latest hat currently in production following No. 47's meeting with President Zelenskyy. Order soon before all the Republican politicians buy them up. Order now, and you will receive one free Russian language session for every 3 hats ordered. Hurry, as supplies are limited.

Sherri Schamel

Northwest side

Holy guacamole!

A 25% tariff on avocados?! Are you kidding? Like most Arizonans, I can't live without guacamole at least once a week. So I guess I'll have to encourage one of the Mexican avocado growers to meet me at the wall at night and throw them over. I'll catch them in a basket and then pay him in cash through a crack in the wall. I think it'll work. Got to do something.

David Williams

Northeast side

Never point your finger

Having had some corporate training in selling and negotiating, there are at least three basic rules that Trump/Vance violated while meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House last Friday. 1. When meeting with others to negotiate a contract, you never point your finger at someone when talking to them. It is received as a hostile act. 2. You never talk down to them, no one likes that. 3. You never tell them what "they" should do.

The best method for negotiating difficult issues is to have professionally trained negotiators work on the details, and when a Resolution Agreement is finished then have the principles/decision makers meet to sign the agreement. You see what a disaster occurred last Friday.

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George Workman

Marana

Dealmaker-in-Chief explained

Reader Kanberg asks a reasonable question, "Why does Mr. Trump support Russia and not Ukraine?" The President is unavailable to respond but I would humbly like to take a shot.

The Dealmaker-in-Chief wants to mediate peace between these two warring adversaries. Three years of an expensive and brutal U.S./Europe proxy war has produced a military stalemate with no discussion of peace but only of victory. It should be a no-brainer that a mediator has to talk to both sides! Trump praises, deprecates, bullies and then praises again. This may not be your negotiating style or mine but apparently it works.

Let’s give him a chance to avoid more years of unnecessary conflict.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Trump is out of control

Trump has lost control of his presidency and is moving our country into chaos. Trump supporters believe that his election victory allows him to be irresponsible in his governance. Last week, Trump embarrassed our nation when he lost control, along with VP Vance, during President Zelensky’s visit to the Oval Office to sign a critical minerals deal. The meeting, on national television, dissolved into a shouting and finger-pointing debacle. Our European allies, shocked by the behavior, question America’s commitment and leadership.

Again exhibiting a loss of control, Trump, in response to a planned student protest at Ohio State regarding DEI, threatened to arrest protesters for “illegal” protests and to stop federal funding to any school, college or university. The threat to stop peaceful public dissent runs contrary to the values and Constitutional guarantees of our Country. Trump is no longer rational and is a danger to our Constitution.

Steve LeGendre

Northeast side

Wardrobe note

Re: the Zelenskyy/Trump kerfuffle, I'll start wearing a costume like 47's as soon as he becomes civil.

Don Gerlach

East side

Keep funding science, health research

There are many areas that are being attacked by the current administration. I will focus on one: higher education and research. As a recent Steller article discussed, Republicans have waged war on higher ed for years, but recently, they’ve really upped the attacks. The reduction of indirect costs for NIH and NSF grants to 15% (from 50% or higher) will cripple research universities, such as U of A, which stands to lose more than $40 million annually. These funds are used for labs, specialized facilities, personnel, infrastructure. Governmental support is one of the reasons why the U.S. is the world leader in technology and science. Science and health research fuels innovation, creates new industries and strengthens our economy. Cutting research funding doesn’t make America great, it makes us weak.

Melanie Bell

Midtown

Keep an eye on state legislators

Many of us struggle to make sense of national events happening in Washington D.C. and the world. It's important to contact those representatives to share our concerns.

But it is still our obligation to remind our Arizona representatives and senators they should be working to solve the issues in this state that are causing harm to ourselves and our communities. Why should the legislative body be wasting time on an Arizona official greeting that no one ever uses or mandating the teaching of the Gulf of America in our public schools? We have big issues with water and climate, I-10 is still hazardous to drivers at times between Casa Grande and Phoenix.

If you have an opinion or idea to share with a legislator, it is really easy to find their email and phone number at www.azleg.gov. If you don’t know your district number, you can find it there as well. Please communicate with them. They will be happy to hear from you.

Lois Rose

Vail

Want to reduce the deficit?

Want to reduce the $35.96 Trillion U.S. deficit?

Congress, try this:

Don’t renew Trump’s $1 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy.

Don’t raise the debt limit to allow Congress to add more to the deficit.

Raise the limit on Social Security taxes on all income over $250,000 so the rich pay more without affecting the low and middle classes.

Rehire the fired 7,000 IRS employees who work diligently to prevent fraud and tax dodgers.

Don’t deport the undocumented immigrants (except criminals) who in 2023 paid $75.6 billion in state, local and federal taxes to keep the U.S. solvent.

These straightforward steps are sensible ways to keeping America financially solvent. No chainsaw needed.

Sara Busey

Green Valley

A better deal for Ukraine

Here's a new and much better deal for Zelensky and his country: Ukraine agrees to provide right of first refusal to the UK, France and other European countries to mine and purchase its rare earth minerals; in exchange, Ukraine receives automatic admission to the European Union; any second-hand sales of said minerals to the US will require a 25% surcharge or tariff, the proceeds of which will fund Ukraine's military and rebuilding needs.

Jennifer Prileson

Foothills

Federal layoffs worth the price?

I am a retired Federal employee of the U.S. Geological Survey. I worked on a Nationwide study to evaluate the quality of groundwater (aquifers) and surface waters (rivers and streams) of the U.S. No private company could do that kind of large-scale study. It required the personnel resources and vast data of a federal agency. To those voters who think Trump/Musk can lay off tens of thousands of Federal employees and still keep us all safe, I would ask: Who do you think will be monitoring your drinking water quality? Not the USGS or the EPA. Who will inspect your food and drugs to ensure their safety? Not the USDA or the FDA. Who will alert you to tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, and air quality problems? Not NOAA. Will the promised tax cuts from federal layoffs be worth it when your water is undrinkable?

Gail Cordy

West side

A terrible failure

Two Arizona Daily Star articles on March 1, concerned rare earth elements, critical for technology & defense. One was "Trade conflict casts shadow" on A-11, reporting that China controls over 90% of the world's refined rare earth elements, and Trump's trade war on China could make them unavailable to US. The other was "Trump, Zelenskyy meeting cut short", on A-1, reporting the meeting to sign the Ukraine rare earth elements deal, giving the U S access to them, was blown up! The deal was not signed. This was a terrible failure. What's going on? A 10-year-old could have completed that deal for critical U S interests, but instead Trump claimed his "great TV" while the U.S. got nothing. Trump's negotiations were and are terrible. Trump has already given Putin virtually everything Putin wants against Ukraine, before negotiations, but when asked what Putin will give up, Trump said nothing. We need someone with the skills to negotiate! Not bully smaller countries.

Steve Cox

North side

Hoped for more

President Trump's address to the nation was about as uplifting as knowing that the asteroid heading for Earth may not hit us after all and destroy all mankind. Mr. Trump had an opportunity to help unite the American people. Instead, he chose the path of hammering an even bigger wedge between supporters and non-supporters. In order to make America Greater (not great), we all need to ride the same train.

Fred DiNoto

Northwest side

Brain dead a national pandemic

Couple of things I get weary of.

Some local folk are disappointed in Ciscomani because he doesn't seem to be working as many of his campaign promises. C'mon, people ... he's a Republican. As such, he votes as he's told. If he didn't, he'd have no status in the House. He could just as well stay home.

More wearying than these are those folk, at all levels, including those in the White House, who vacuously repeat that government is full of waste and corruption. Unless things have changed in the last 50 years, every government organization has an in-house unit dealing with efficiency and program improvements. If you truly want waste and corruption minimized, eliminate Congress. Every member has constituency requests/demands which can lead to waste and corruption. Viz closing Davis-Monthan, politician-protected for years. Government agencies originate only programs required by Congress, which seldom provides detailed input, mainly generalities. Which are seldom left to the pros to develop.

Charles Larson

Green Valley