President Joe Biden
Why not UNLV?
All this talk about every other college but UNLV in the expansion. Is it because of academic standards? Or gambling problems? Vegas has built a brand new football stadium for the Raiders. Couldn't the Rebels rent that out when the Raiders aren't in town? There are a huge number of fans in Vegas as the overflow crowds for the hockey team testified to. And they have a number of basketball venues there for postseason and special interleague games. Couldn't they play league games there as well? Pairing UNLV with San Diego State, even while adding SMU to pair with Utah, makes sense to me.
John Schmidt
Southwest side
Clickbait headlines explained
"Trump is running to stay out of prison." (He should be running to the Kremlin.)
"Trump conspired to delete security camera footage." (The only time in his narcissistic life when he didn't want to be seen on camera.)
"Trump lawyer says no security tapes were deleted." (Trump has one employee who understands when he is being tasked with a criminal act.)
"Evidence is overwhelming: Donald Trump might have finally put himself in jail." (Lost the popular vote twice but will now achieve unanimous "guilty" vote.)
"Trump now among the biggest supporters of January 6th rioters." (Trump plans to personally meet with them all — in prison.)
"DeSantis says he would pardon Trump." (Ron should first ask to be pardoned for his egregiously ignorant remarks about slavery.)
Rick Cohn
West side
Arizona crime & violence
Gun violence and crime is at a high volume throughout America currently.
All Arizona Police Departments should believe in solutions to address this unacceptable violence and start with bringing a range of constituencies together. Striving to establish understanding between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Their main goals could be ongoing and continuous dialogue between communities and the police. An example, is the work will be organizing events in which young people, seniors and other community members can have positive interactions with police officers working in our city. Seeking to help close the divide between the police and some in the neighborhoods.
Arizona political leaders including Gov. Katie Hobbs, plus Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly should work to deliver more legislation on reachable goals and solutions that support peace. Decreasing the violence and crime drastically.
Alim Howell
Southwest side
Trump coverage
We all know what Trump looks like. Must you run huge photos of him on several pages every day? Enough! We are tired of looking at him.
Shari Lewchanin
East side
Trump's base
Will Trump’s latest indictment, with its detailed and damning allegations, lead at least some Republicans to rethink their support for him? According to recent polls, most will not. Why? Psychologists have long been aware that people cling even harder to their beliefs when confronted with provable evidence that they are mistaken. Trump’s base is emotionally attached to him. Their sense of identity has become intertwined with his. If he claims he is persecuted, they are persecuted. If he cannot ever admit to making a mistake, they can never admit that supporting him is a mistake.
There is no point in trying to persuade Trump supporters that he is a threat to America’s constitution and law based representative democracy. The only option is to defeat Trump and his sycophants including Kari Lake and the LD 17 so-called “Freedom Team” at the ballot box. For as long as it takes, we must campaign and vote for candidates who oppose Trump's dark MAGA vision.
Eileen Hollowell
Oro Valley
Awareness
There are now eight countries that have nuclear weapon capability (with a couple more possible on the horizon).
At least half are not our friends. This is a major concern of which there are numerous ones facing our country.
Yet "WOKE" concerns are in our headlines. We better wake up America and put "proper" pronouns on the back burner. Get real of the "left" or we may burn ourselves beyond recognition.
Patrick Richardson
Northwest side
The Paper
I love how our paper is read about three times a day. Once delivered to my mom's. My house second, then goes to the pool. People really love the Star. Please keep publishing.
Caroline Jennings
East side
Medical debt relief loophole
Re: the july 30 article "Loophole undercuts new medical-debt limit law."
As one of many volunteers who worked to get medical debt relief for Arizonans, I am outraged at the behavior of the medical professionals and the new credit card/loan loophole scheme.
Shame on doctors, hospitals, and dentists who knowingly display, and thus offer, the credit card or loan “services” of Curae to their unsuspecting patients who then incur credit debt instead of medical debt.
These professionals know that the medical debt interest rate is a maximum of 3%. However, according to the Opinion in Sunday's paper, because they are a credit card and loan business, Curae legally can and does charge from 9.9% to 36% interest, with larger interest penalties if a payment is missed.
Shame on those who are taking advantage of people with limited funds and big needs.
Barbara Smith
Northwest side
Aspiring to live in a shadow
This dreadful heat makes me long for taller buildings to cast shade on top of my home. God bless efforts to allow more homes to replace asphalt parking lots. Hopefully the city government will give a height bonus for sticking solar panels or that super white paint on the roof of new buildings. I think it would be terrific to allow more small stores run out of small storefronts, garages, and the like in residential areas so we could shorten our trajectories under the inclement sun, especially if the stores promise to stock a lot of bottled water.
Dawson Allen
South Tucson
Choose your side
The indictments read "The United States vs. Donald J. Trump." They could read "Donald J. Trump vs. The United States" just the same but more accurate. Either way there are two sides: Trump on one side, our country on the other. It's time to choose a side. We must take either the blue pill or the red pill. The red pill takes you to the other side of the looking glass to an alternate reality where there is no country, no "U.S." and nothing left to do except worship a twice impeached orange and soon to be criminally convicted con-man. That will work for a while. But not for very long.
Because everyone is ultimately accountable. All of us. Even on the other side of the looking glass.
Paul Simon
Northwest side
No Labels party
The No Labels party touts itself as a moderate, bipartisan alternative to the two likely presidential candidates — Biden and Trump. However, it’s a dark money group with many large donors who have contributed millions to Republican candidates. Including Harlan Crow, the billionaire benefactor of Clarence Thomas. Polls indicate their candidates will take more votes from Biden than Trump.
We’re at a perilous point in our history and the next election could well mean maintaining our democracy or becoming an autocracy. Those who may think this hyperbole haven’t been listening. Trump campaigns on using executive branch agencies, including the DOJ to destroy his enemies. He’s shown that he demands loyalty to him personally. Not our Constitution or country — to him.
I would prefer a different Democratic candidate. But Biden will preserve our democracy. Trump has promised to end it. The choice could not be more stark or momentous.
Any vote not for Biden is essentially a vote for Trump and autocracy.
Dan Gipple
Southeast side
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