Dr. Joe Cione, an NOAA hurricane researcher and chief scientist for the Coyote program, holds an unmanned aircraft at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Six of the drones were flown into Hurricane Maria last week to take weather readings close to the ocean.
Radical leftists in NOAA?
Silly me. I always thought the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was a useful organization that has developed incredible technology to give us daily weather reports, accurate long-range forecasts, pinpoint hurricane predictions and effective information that protects mariners and fishers.
Who knew it was a haven for rabid, radical deep state leftists trying to tear down America?
We must find a way to stop this madness before the Musk/Trump regime destroys our government, our economy and our American way of life.
Bruce Hilpert
North side
We are owed an explanation
President Trump owes us a clear, well-articulated, and rational explanation: Why is he "unfriending" our allies, praising tyrants, and relinquishing leadership of the free world? Why does Mr. Trump support Russia and not Ukraine?
Trump's sudden 180-degree pivot does not make our country more secure. Without the intelligence shared by now-betrayed partners, we are much less safe. The abrupt reorientation cannot better us economically. Russia's GDP is 1/7 that of Europe's. There are not moral or humanitarian reasons for aligning with Russia. No good comes from partnering with a world-class liar and thug, much less his authoritarian regime. So what's going on?
What is driving our president to change sides? What facts informed his thinking? What other changes are planned? If the president expects us to follow, as he leads our country in an entirely new direction, we need answers to these questions, and to many more.
Leslie Kanberg
Downtown
New American exceptionalism
One of the longstanding myths believed by conservatives and faux-patriots is that of American exceptionalism — that we are simply better than the rest of the world. Thanks to Trump and his MAGATS that belief has been even more separated from reality. The new and improved version now includes:
• An embrace of authoritarianism at the expense of democracy.
• A rejection of a rules-based world order.
• A circumvention of Congressionally mandated programs.
• The undermining of decades of civil rights progress.
• An absolute ignorance of the wisdom and lessons of history.
Richard Jones
Downtown
Apologies to Zelensky
Dear President Zelensky, I am a proud American and I want to apologize to you.
Duane Barbour
Midtown
New model
We have been dealing with a governmental paradigm for years that the taxpayer pockets are bottomless.
The new model has changed that. We as average Joes have been witnessing the rocks being turned over and all sorts of odd things coming out and light being shined on all sorts of things both odd and disturbing.
We’ve been asked to support endless programs of benevolence that are mind-boggling.
My point is that buckling down on waste, fraud & abuse is a good thing. Tightening our belts and tackling our massive national debt load is needed now more than ever.
We need to create more benevolence towards our own citizens, some needing as much or more care than we send off our shores.
Ushering in a new regime that does more than take care of the managerial class for a change.
Richard Barnes
East side
Bully pulpit
One of the most distinguished presidents in American history, Teddy Roosevelt, coined the phrase, “the bully pulpit." I don’t think what he had in mind was a bully in the pulpit.
Nancy Williams
Northeast side
Political polarization
Thank you for Gerald Farrington's sensitive article about the loss felt by both MAGA supporters and progressives. In addition to loss/grief, both sides often feel angry. There are significant differences in these two groups. Notice how much more violence has been done by the MAGA supporters: the violent attack on our Capitol trying to overturn the election results; support from violent right-wing groups such as the Proud Boys and neo-Nazi organizations sporting Confederate flags. Farrington mentions "entitlement" and I would add "privilege": either real or perceived. MAGA also expresses an authoritarian impulse: A strongman dictator who embraces fellow authoritarians like Putin and Orban. Progressives embrace expanding "birthright" "constitutional and civil rights", especially for historical and current marginalized groups: women, racial/ethnic minorities, LBGTQ+, refugees/immigrants. Progressives' vision is for greater equality: politically, economically, and socially. MAGA and Republicans favor greater tax cuts for the wealthy and powerful.
Tim Wernette
Foothills
Kamala called it
Kamala called it when she said if Trump were elected, “Putin would eat Trump for lunch.” That was an understatement: it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet with Putin gobbling up Trump, the Cabinet, and the entire GOP.
The astonishing spectacle that took place in the Oval Office on Friday was shameful, disgraceful, and a betrayal of an American ally. President Zelensky did nothing wrong. He bravely stood up against Trump and Vance’s disgusting barrage of Russian propaganda and lies.
Trump and Vance disgraced their office, our country, and abandoned everything that America stands for. Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have endured three years of Putin’s brutal invasion. Putin has bombed hospitals, schools, and energy grids. His brutality against the Ukrainian people is merciless, torture of Ukrainians is glorified, and the daily bombing continues.
Aligning with Russia is beyond my comprehension. The GOP’s acquiescence to Trump’s hero is also beyond my comprehension. It is unforgivable. Indeed, Kamala called it! Too bad voters didn’t listen.
Kathy Krucker
Midtown
Do not watch
Do not watch the Don's speech on March 4. Instead you could watch replays of the 4 nations hockey finale, or Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. How about binge watching of the compelling TV shows: The Vampire Diaries, or Two and A Half Men. Other suggestions could include the award winning films like: Birdemic, Shock & Terror, or Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
You could watch The first concert from the Kennedy Center featuring the likes of Roseanne Barr signing the national anthem, The J-6 choir singing, "Russia, Sacred Russia, Long Live our Fatherland, Land of the Free" and the Revised Version, "This land is not your land, This land is our white land, you do not belong, so get going along" WPN which has replaced PBS, has nightly ministerial shows as well as repeat showings of "Birth of a Nation." All to inspire you and keep you going. If I had 1000 more words I would have other suggestions. Just don't watch the Don.
James Robinett
Southwest side
Revenue and expenditures
Businesses determine budgets with estimates of revenue as well as expenditures. Just to break even, it must collect what is owed for products and services. As DOGE looks for ways to reduce our current deficit, it should interest every American that an estimated additional $700 billion could be collected by the IRS if they had sufficient technology and personnel. Firing 6,700 IRS workers, many who were assigned cases to address tax-dodging individuals and corporations, may end up saving $7-10 million in payroll, roughly 0.00055% of our $1.83 trillion deficit. How much less revenue would come in as a result is hard to estimate. But any business that fires their collections department can expect less revenue. Recouping that $700 billion would reduce our deficit by a full 38%. I like that number a lot better, even if we have to spend a few more million to re-hire and expand the IRS.
Jennifer Prileson
Foothills
Time for immigration reform
It appears border migration is finally under control thanks to President Trump. The pressure exerted on Mexico and the previous administration have all played a part. High immigration has contributed to higher inequality by expanding the labor pool and weakening national identity, at the same time justifying higher taxes.
Get an aggressive naturalization program under way. Get those who have entered the country and born in the country who want to stay a clear path to citizenship. Get a goal established for the number allowed to enter the country with qualifications, and a plan for living and contributing to our country's welfare. The U.S. is not and should not be a welfare state!
We need to recognize immigration as a positive for the country. This should be the expectation to our Senators and Congressmen to just get it done. Get the bipartisan legislation written and filed.
Dave Locey
Foothills
Three masks
The truth: (1) That the Republican party, since Ronald Reagan, is the party of the uber-wealthy. The rest of us be damned. They’re always about tax cuts and policy favors for the wealthiest and powerful. We basically stopped being a democracy with the election of Reagan. (2) With the ambush of Ukraine’s President Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday February 28th, Trump and Vance clearly sided with Russia. Trump’s alignment with Russia over the USA has been obvious since Helsinki. Clearly Trump is engaged in treasonous actions favoring our enemy Russia. (3). Trump swore many times that he knew nothing about and did not support Project 2025. Now his policies are exactly those. The American people did not vote for any of this. It was all denied with egregious lies. Now the masks are off, and we the people must do all we can to stop the conversion of our nation to and white ethno-Christian nationalist authoritarian oligarchy by and for the wealthy.
Dwight Swisher
Sahuarita
Profile in courage
President Zelensky stood up to a mob boss on Friday. He refused to betray his country. He should be Time Magazine’s Man of the Century.
Susan VonKersburg
Foothills
Vance, family get chilling reception
Our Vice President decided to take his family skiing after he enjoyed a heated White House verbal attack on Ukraine's President Zelensky. Hundreds of protesters lined Route 100 near the Sugarbush ski resort in Waitsfield, Vermont holding up signs showing support for Ukraine. One sign held by a protester said: “Vance is a traitor go ski in Russia.”
I for one, wholeheartedly agree and I'm here to suggest great ski resorts in Russia for the Vance family to enjoy free of Ukranian protesters.
Rosa Khutor Ski Resort, Krasnaya Polyana, and Gorny Vozduh.
Ben and Jerry's Vermont-based ice cream chain should take this opportunity to introduce its new flavor:
"White House Wicked Walnut," packed full of nuts.
Max LaPlante
Southeast side
Give him a break
I negotiate for a living, but it doesn't take a professional to understand that from the get-go Trump's plan for Ukraine was to cut a deal with Putin and present it to Zelensky as a fait accompli.
All well and good, but for Trump and the little twerp vice president to dress down Zelensky in public is not only despicable and bush league; it also gives Putin way too much negotiating room.
Zelensky is a democratically elected president who brought Russia to a military standstill against all odds. He deserves respect.
Trump's handling of Europe is also logical because he wants them to take more responsibility for keeping Putin at bay. Again, however, he went way too far and has now alienated pretty much all of our longtime allies.
Maybe these poor negotiation techniques are why Trump needed to file bankruptcy six times?
Larry Fleischman
North side
Putin’s sock puppets embarrassing
Like most Americans, I watched in horror as King Trump and lapdog JD Vance attacked the Ukrainian president. They threw red meat to the MAGA base, while denying the reality of who attacked whom and comparing diplomatic relations to a card game, as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. This cringey performance not only torpedoed decades of U.S. diplomacy, it showed a level of vileness and disregard for decency that’s shocking even for Trump.
The insults about Zelenskyy’s military-style attire (worn to show support for his troops during a time of war) were beyond the pale, coming from a far-right “reporter” with a rap sheet and a draft dodger with bone spurs. The next day, while Zelenskyy was back on the front lines, the Putin sock puppets were playing golf and going skiing.
The nation is being run like a nightmarish finale of The Apprentice, with all of us shrinking in horror like Marco Rubio.
Laurie Cantillo
Northeast side
PACC parade
It was so great to see all the dogs prancing down the street in the PACC parade on Sunday. They all behaved perfectly — no barking, aggression, fear, etc, etc. We should all take a lesson in how to get along so well!
Gail Powell
Northwest side
Ciscomani votes against his constituents
Methane (aka natural gas) is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in causing climate change. The Star reported on 2/28/25 that the “GOP-controlled Congress voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers that release high levels of methane.” Republican Congressman Ciscomani was one of those votes.
We all remember last summer’s record-breaking heat and high levels of methane will make this summer worse. In voting to make climate change worse, Ciscomani voted not to protect his constituents or even his own children but rather in lockstep with every Republican member of the House of Representatives to ensure that heat and drought would worsen.
He will come up for re-election in January 2027. We should all remember whom he stands with and whom he stands against. Perhaps if enough of us write or call him, he can realize how disappointed we are.
Mike Carran
Marana
Huge public response needed
I agree with Suzanne Ferguson’s and other letters today. We should all write similar letters to Ciscomani and any other representative that has authority to resist the criminal trend of this administration. While we still have a democracy, a huge public response can remedy this disaster.
Allan Kowalski
East side
Pied piper of Mar-a-Lago
Our so-called "strong leader" is really a supplicant appeaser to Vladimir Putin. Trump covets the Russian dictator model of government. Incredibly, the Republican Party has accepted this. Anybody who didn't see this coming is beyond naive. NATO is now the enemy. Everything our compromised appeaser-in-chief does completely and totally rewards Putin for his unprovoked, savage invasion of Ukraine. MAGAs and evangelical Republicans are praising him as a brilliant negotiator and peacemaker. A peacemaker like Neville Chamberlain in 1938. Russia's hand-picked U.S. president and his cult followers are willing to do a 180-degree pivot from 75 years of challenging Russia's expansionist designs. Wonder what Ronald Reagan would say? Veterans, is this capitulation what you served and sacrificed for? The Pied Piper of Mar-a-Lago has half the country hypnotized.
Rick Klumpp
Oro Valley
On being tough
I firmly agree with most of the letters in the Sunday paper regarding our malignant president, but it comes down to this; the difference between being tough and being strong.
A "tough" minded person tries to hide his insecurities behind a persona of blame-games and lies. Such a person is not in touch with his real self. He is easily insulted and does not negotiate with others unless they exalt him. He does not belong in government.
A "strong" leader would be one who is honest (with himself and others), knows his own shortcomings, is willing to seek advice from others when needed, and above all is at peace with himself. How can we hope to have peace and unity if we have a leader who knows nothing of peace?
I hope we see fit to elect a "strong" president next time around.
We don't have to look far.
Mark Kelly fits the description!
David Hatch
Southeast side
Meeting in the Oval Office
There was a "dust-up" in the Oval Office. President Trump and Vice President Vance shamefully ganged up on Ukraine President Zelensky, hurdling charges at him about the war. The visiting president tried to make comebacks to the charges, but Trump shouted him down. He did as well as he could before Trump wandered off about "Hunter Biden in the bedroom, or bathroom," and bad-mouthed former president Biden. Not an unusual tactic for him when he loses his train of thought, or an argument. They were supposed to sign an agreement about mining the precious minerals in Ukraine. The signing never took place, nor did a meeting with the press. It was a very poor showing by both Trump and Vance.
Jerry Lujan
Oro Valley
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