Tucson Speaks Out: March 28

How do you spell ‘hypocrisy?’

In the March 26 letter entitled “thank you for your response” the writer claims that a prime example of the “liberal elite” hypocrisy (how can the half of the country who voted for Harris be called “elite?) is that Democrat FDR “served more terms than allowed.”

The 22nd Amendment, which limited presidents to two terms, was not passed by Congress until 1947 and wasn’t ratified until 1951. FDR died in 1945, when term limits didn’t exist.

I learned long ago that before you submit something for public dissemination you would be well-advised to know what you’re talking about. Otherwise, you look foolish. Or maybe even hypocritical.

Larry Fleischman

North side

Gen. Daniel James

In ’87, President Reagan and I went to Tuskegee. He dedicated the new ROTC Bldg; I dedicated the F-4C aircraft General “Chappie” James flew from Thailand in ’67. He was Vice Commander under Col (later BGen) Robin Olds. I served under them in the 8th TFW. Chappie joked they were the “Dynamic Duo: Blackman and Robin”. President Reagan was really well received. He’d promoted James as the first black four-star general in history. A CBS newsman questioned him about a Nat’l Security Council item; he said: Ask me back in DC, we’re here to honor Gen. James (who’d died prematurely). The only thing the news covered was the NSC question. Nothing on Reagan being the first President to visit a Historically Black University, and honor Gen James. Can you see why I view news skeptically?

Truman Spangrud

Lt. Gen, USAF (ret)

Northwest side

Ciscomani needs a backbone

Ciscomani needs to grow a spine. He lied in his campaign that he was bipartisan. He barely won. Now he ducks meeting constituents out of fear of having to explain his votes. His office never responds to direct questions. Our elected officials should be responsive to the public, not hiding and quaking in fear of being forced to defend their positions.

Craig Miller

Northwest side

Ciscomani: Truth to power or just power?

Among members of Congress at Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s funeral on March 26 was fellow Southern Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani.

The second-term Republican’s attendance showed respect for his Democratic colleague and Grijalva’s family. Will he continue that respect in Congress?

Will Ciscomani reflect his humble upbringing as Grijalva embraced a humble past, or will he continue forsaking those seeking the same opportunities?

Will Ciscomani act with unwavering morals as Grijalva did, or will he continue voting to please a racist president?

Will Ciscomani speak truth to power as Grijalva did consistently in 11 congressional terms, and decades before in local offices, or will he capitulate to the antithesis of his very being?

Raúl Grijalva knew who he was and from whence he came, and he served with that self-awareness. Will Ciscomani be able to say the same at the end of his political career?

Michael A. Chihak

West side

A word of warning

For those readers who feel it necessary to explain why their imperial leader DJT is not simply a buffoon (despite going to an Ivy League school) and isn’t a megalomaniac, you are fooling yourselves. Trump thinks that anyone in opposition to his worldview is corrupt and should be jailed (currently more than half the population). You are supporting someone who wants to not only change democracy in America but replace it with an autocracy.

Therefore, heed these words variously attributed to Abraham Lincoln and others: “It is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

As a scientist, I believe in factual evidence for something to be true. The factual evidence about Trump shows he is someone not to be trusted. As Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”

George Ball

Midtown

Your Social Security

The tactic of taking away voting rights due to nonexistent voter fraud is now being used to take Social Security benefits away from seniors and the disabled. The aim is reducing the number of people who receive SS benefits through a claim of non-existent fraud. Millions of elderly and disabled folks will soon be forced to visit an understaffed office or navigate an online-only system to access earned benefits.

The aim is by adding stringent identification procedures and closing off some of the easiest and most convenient ways for people to access benefits, millions of people who worked hard and contributed their share in good faith will not get their money back.

Why kick seniors off the rolls? Money is needed to pay for $4.5 trillion tax cuts for the rich. An unelected billionaire will deny your benefits unless he’s stopped. Contact your Senator/Representative in Congress and tell them hands off your Social Security.

Teresa Jenkins

SaddleBrooke

Stop the insanity

Karen Uhlich just proposed to use Tucson’s parks for homeless camps. This is absolutely naive as well as nonsensical idea to assist the homeless. Not only does it not solve the problem, but it also perpetuates it. This is a Band-Aid that makes the problem worse.

Our kids already cannot use Tucson Parks because they are overrun with homeless. When is the last time Karen had as much concern for the taxpayers and business owners as she does for the homeless? When will we have local politicians develop plans that actually help the homeless instead of creating a smokescreen that does little more that create a headline in the newspaper?

Mark Van Buren

North side

Amateur hour in the West Wing

It’s amateur hour in the Cabinet Room of the West Wing of the White House. Is there a responsible adult in the room who has any idea how to do their job and who has the courage to defy the occupant of the Commander-in-Chief’s chair?

Phil “Bulldog” Bentley

Foothills

Ciscomani border bill

Did anybody else catch this?

Juan Ciscomani’s FLASH Act (“Federal Lands Amplified Security for the Homeland Act”) would allow construction of roads on federal lands, provide U.S. Customs and Border “protection” to all wilderness areas, allow states to provide “temporary” structures on federal land, and direct “federal land managers” to target marijuana cultivation on public lands.

All this is to be allowed anywhere within 100 miles of the border — not 5, not 10, but 100 miles. The entire Tucson area lies within 100 miles of the border. I do not want to see “federal land managers” (or the CBP) turning our beloved Santa Cruz River Valley and mountains into Washington’s latest get-tough military and political photo op. This is an invasion.

For shame, Juan Ciscomani.

Regula Case

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Midtown

Commo security

Back in the 60s, I was a radio, teletype, crypto operator. If I had disclosed a fraction of the National Security Team’s recent sensitive chat, I would have been reprimanded, demoted and possibly court martialed. My great-grandfather, an Apache, used encrypted smoke signals, the first wireless means of communication to my knowledge. The Don’s double standard response is to sweep it under the rug. Favors his D.E.I. Don’s Envisioned Inequality.

Joe Sanchez

Marana

1,000 words

Photos and videos are more compelling than words, but might evoke different words from different people. Saturday’s paper showed a line of head-shaved prisoners walking stooped over with prison guards’ hands on the backs of their heads. Some might say: This is what we now do to bad guys; and others: This is what we now do without due process, even domestically. Today, there was online footage of the abduction of a Turkish PhD student by ICE agents. She had apparently written something pro-Palestinian or criticized Israel. No doubt some are saying: That’s how we deal with antisemites, while others wonder: how long before they come after me?

Peter Harley

Midtown

Zeldin’s agenda

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin says his goal is to protect the environment while fostering economic growth, but his actions in just a few short weeks in office suggest otherwise.

Zeldin just proposed defunding and destabilizing the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and toxic chemicals standards that keep us safe. He’s illegally frozen billions in cleanup funds and investments for communities in need, and his actions will cost thousands of clean energy and manufacturing jobs here in Arizona and across the country. He’s been dubbed “Project 2025 frontman” for his polluters-first agenda.

Lindsey Chavez

East side

What have we got?

The Republic took a hit in the last election, but we’re holding on while being bruised repeatedly. There are some struggles among the three branches of government trying to function both independently and responsibly. They are having difficulty following the Constitution — now DJT is going after voting.

A statement attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “A republic, if you can keep it,” definitely comes to mind. Franklin’s statement was in response to the question, “What have we got? A republic or a monarchy?”

Don Gerlach

East side

A lot of ifs, ands and buts

I applaud Councilmember Uhlich for trying to find solutions to the Tucson Homeless situation, which is getting worse. Her proposed program involves homeless aid organizations and groups obtaining city park permits to provide services and operate overnight camp sites in 12 city parks. Will these homeless aid organizations and groups be responsible for security and cleanup? Will homeless folks have to follow rules like no drug or alcohol use in the parks? Will the organizations have patrols? Will TPD and Parks & Rec. be expected to assist the organizations if campers’ activities get out of hand? What time in the mornings will the campers have to vacate the park by? I believe Uhlich’s proposal will receive an abundance of blowback from NIMBYs and neighborhood associations as well as citizens in general. There is no easy answer to this ongoing plight, but it’s a step nonetheless, hopefully in the right direction.

Max LaPlante

Southeast side

Security breach on Signal

As I listen to the news regarding the massive security breach on the Signal app I am reminded of something I heard many years ago. My coworker was advising her children about the use of the internet. She told them that they should never post anything on the internet that they wouldn’t want to see on a billboard on Speedway. Perhaps our national security team needs to heed this advice.

Barbara Tanzillo

Downtown

I can’t avoid seeing the truth

Recent news included the near-collapse of Social Security, where I worked for 30 years, top intelligence and military staff using an insecure system for sensitive battle information, funds for measles and other infectious disease prevention and treatment being suddenly cut off, federal funds for health centers across the nation being severely reduced, tariffs of 25% being imposed on cars, and other catastrophes — all on one day.

I am left to conclude that it is unfortunately true that the administration and the billionaires who bought the last presidential election are truly determined to do anything they can in order to divert funds to their selfish, immoral, impossible-to-justify tax cuts. The administration and Congress seem to have zero interest in whether the 96% of us who share the one-half of the wealth not reserved for the top 4% of the population. We are living through a nightmare, and only one of our political parties even cares.

Carol Hearn

Southwest side

Making sense of it all

As the Trump Administration continues its onslaught of unprecedented attacks on democracy and American values, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed — to the point of hopelessness. That’s part of MAGA’s strategy: to exhaust and demoralize the opposition before it can even organize.

To counter this, I find it helpful to keep in mind MAGA’s six core goals:

1. Establish America as a fascist autocracy/oligarchy

2. Dismantle the federal government to pre-New Deal, Gilded Age levels

3. Enable MAGA elites to accumulate massive personal wealth and power

4. Enforce an “America First (and only)” foreign policy

5. Cement the U.S. as a White Christian Nationalist country

6. Pacify the MAGA base and motivate them to act against their own self-interest

Nearly everything MAGA does falls into these categories. Recognizing this helps make sense of the chaos. Next, do something to resist. Anything beyond despair, cynicism, or apathy. Apathy is surrender. Make noise however you can — boycott, spend strategically, rally, join, write, speak, and organize.

Dave Gamrath

Green Valley

Where was Trump?

What happens when you put improperly vetted, hastily confirmed know-nothings at the heads of military and intelligence offices of the United States? They treat their first mission like a group video game. Instead of meeting in the highly secure briefing room at the White House, they create a group chat on an unsecured, non-governmental site and sloppily invite a member of the press. Then they deny that they did it. The whole lot should be fired.

And where was the Commander in Chief while this was going on? On the golf course?

E. Kathy Suagee

Benson

Barnes’ statement

Attending the UA-NAU women’s basketball game last week, I was expecting a large, enthusiastic crowd of fans and students. Surprise, there was practically no student body support. After the game (which UA lost), Adia stated, “overall, as a collective, we didn’t want to win. We were indifferent. I’m not surprised at the result, to be honest.” It is the coach’s responsibility to coach and motivate the team to win games in the name of the university. Adia was not able to do this. With the salary Adia is receiving, she owes all of us in attendance at the NAU game a refund. If I had known that “collectively” the team did not want to play the game, I would not have attended. The fans cheered on the team as we always do, but “collectively,” the team and coach did not care. Is this the type of coach we want to represent the U of A?

Dennis Sabol

Northwest side

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