Ad nauseam
Okay everyone, raise your hand if you’re really enjoying the political ads we are seeing on our televisions again and again and again. How about a thumbs up for how thoroughly these ads inform us about the candidates and their positions on the important issues? And who doesn’t love all. the. lying? Does anyone think the campaigns respect voters when they run ads like these? It’ll stop soon, but wouldn’t it be great if it stopped for good? There’s too much money in political campaigns. Too much money, and too much influence from the extremes. If we can get it under control, not only will our democracy improve, but so will the way political parties treat us. Especially when you notice that campaign season virtually never ends. Election in November, inauguration in January, new ads almost immediately.
Mike Cohen
Oro Valley
Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.
Ciscomani votes against children with asthma
If you have asthma or COPD, congressman Ciscomani voted against you. He campaigned on the theme that we needed new blood. He said he was pro-life. However, when President Biden’s EPA proposed a rule to reduce soot in the air he voted to block it. Less soot saves the lives of asthmatic children and adults who find it hard to breathe. He is such a right-wing radical, he even votes to stop rules to save people’s lives.
Jim Cubie
Green Valley
Re: ‘Where is the church when we need it?’
I can speak to the heart of the letter, “Where is the church when we need it?” (Oct. 14), from the Catholic point of view. The letter writer laments that Christian churches seem to be silent on solutions for the ailments of society.
Most of the sermons I hear nowadays are a soft-sell on current events solutions. Priests are afraid to rouse us to a call for action in our public life. Priests would rather be friendly with us than admonish us to stick our necks out in public. The Twelve Apostles would be embarrassed if they knew this. My cousin in Texas tells me the same laxity in sermons is occurring where he attends Mass.
As a layperson, I am well known to be a rabble-rouser of religious topics. I intend to mildly stir the consciences of people I encounter on how the precepts of religion could cure the ills of society.
Daniel Pryor
West side
Thank you Kari Lake
Many people are convinced that MAGA is a cult of personality. Sunday in Prescott Valley at the Trump rally Kari Lake confirmed my suspicions. She said, “You know, I used to say after the first term of President Trump, we just witnessed one of the great presidents in American history. And now I say this is the greatest president in American history. But I think it goes further than that — I think we are, we are in the midst of one of the greatest leaders in human history and his name is Donald J. Trump.” That’s an absurd exercise in adulation. It’s deluded. But it fulfills Trump’s need to center veneration on himself. Thank you Kari Lake for giving us a pre-election reminder that MAGA is a true-believer cult.
John Stark
Southeast side
Republicans and the economy
Republicans inherited a strong economy in 2016. From 2001 to 2009, George W. Bush ruled the land and Republicans had almost exclusive control of Congress. The result? The greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Democrats take over Congress under Obama in 2009. The results? The economy had recovered and was doing well in 2016. Republicans take control from 2016-2018 and partial control from 2019 to 2020. The results? Economy doing well but what about the national debt? In 2008 the ND was 10 trillion. In 2016 almost 20 trillion. A 100% increase to stimulate the economy and save the country from a horrible depression. In 2020 the debt had increased by 35% to 27 trillion but there was no depression to fight. Tax breaks for the rich drove the increase. From 2020 to the present a 22% increase to repair an economy hurt badly by Covid. It seems to me that Democrats do pretty well when inheriting a bad economy. Republicans do poorly when inheriting a good economy.
Stewart Freidman
South Tucson
History’s lessons
Winston Churchill told us that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That seems to be the case with Trump supporters. He talks about poisoning the blood of America, rounding up people and putting them in camps, and using the military against citizens exercising their right to free speech. It seems we heard this before in the 1930s. When a Trump supporter tells you he likes Trump’s policies, it’s really code for he hates the people I hate.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Vote no on 140 and 311, yes on 139
Prop 140, aimed at fair elections, is flawed. It allows politicians, not voters, to determine primary-to-general election advancement and select candidates for multi-seat races without considering voter rankings. Giving such power to the legislature, especially one like ours, is dangerous.
Prop 311, while seemingly necessary, is redundant. Families of fallen officers already receive substantial support from various sources. It unfairly penalizes defendants by adding fees for those accused of crimes, essentially fining individuals for being arrested. This proposition is unnecessary and punitive.
Prop 139 will reinstate a woman’s right to make medical decisions throughout her pregnancy under her doctor’s care and protect them from prosecution.
In summary, Prop 140 is potentially dangerous due to its flaws, Prop 311 is unnecessary and unfairly punitive, while Prop 139 aims to restore and protect women’s medical rights during pregnancy.
Margaret Scott
Midtown
The enemy within
Donald Trump has suggested using the military against American citizens — of course, ones who aren’t his supporters!
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed that Trump and his supporters wanted to use the National Guard as well as active military against protesters over the summer of 2020. He recently suggested using the Nat’l Guard/military on Election Day to combat potential chaos from “the enemy within,” citing “left-wing lunatics.” Why didn’t he call in the military on Jan. 6th, 2021, when right-wing lunatics were storming the Capitol and unleashing serious violence on Capitol Police and threatening to kill and maim our elected representatives — including killing VP Mike Pence? Trump sat watching on TV, relishing every violent moment. Donald Trump is the Enemy Within! This dangerous, unhinged person is destroying our country. If using military force against citizens who don’t support The King isn’t fascism, tell me what is?
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Juan Ciscomani is a hypocrite
Two decades ago, I taught English as a Second Language and citizenship test preparation to Mexican farm workers who had come to the United States. Some of these hard-working, honest people were “undocumented.” They came to this country to do the hard, grueling work that most American citizens do not want to do. Many came for the future of their children, wanting them to have an education and a more prosperous life than they had in Mexico. I proudly attended the naturalization ceremonies of many of my students. In one case I attended the university graduation of a first-generation American citizen. These are exactly the kind of people that I want for my neighbors. Congressman Ciscomani insults them, and apparently his own family members, by suggesting that only certain kinds of immigrants are “legitimate.”
Jenise Porter
North side
Quarterback performance
Brennan’s understatement of the season, “we’re focused on trying to get the ball out of his hand, he has taken too many hits and we need to protect him.” The comparative analysis done by the sports media is irrelevant because when a quarterback is taking the kind of punishment that Fifita has, it is a miracle he can finish games let alone make plays. Should the focus be on the offensive line and formations that will protect Fifita? The coaching staff should be evaluating some of these hits on Fifita for late-hit penalties. This includes late hits after the ball has left the quarterback’s hand, Violent or excessive force that goes beyond a standard tackle, such as driving the quarterback into the ground or hitting them in the head or neck area, and low hits around the quarterback’s knees or below, which can lead to serious injuries. The first time one of these happens the coach should be on the field. Fifita needs your help, coach.
Richard Harper
Northeast side
Harris and taxes
Sorry Bill Boaz, re. Kamala’s tax list. There was a typo. (a “k” instead of “m” behind the $100). But, just like Kamala, I “plagiarized” the info. I took it from Fox Business News who shared her manifesto. I guess you better inform Kamala that she is wrong!
Linda Bergstedt Schaub
Southeast side
Sick of Democrat lies
How many letters will I need to write before one is printed. I see rebuttals every day from Democrats trying to dispute letters supporting Republican candidates. Mostly the letters are about MAGA supporters and President Trump and all the supposed lies! Democrats — when will I see your letters decrying Biden’s & Harris’ lies? How about Biden lying about the Inflation Reduction Act which only added to our debt and was basically the green new deal or how about his uncle being eaten by cannibals? How about Harris lying about the security of our border? And the biggest lie — that President Biden has been capable to be the leader of our wonderful nation for the last three years?
That lie alone should disqualify her from ever holding elected office. Come on Democrats — you can’t come up with anything to vote for — all you can do is complain about President Trump.
I see letters asking how we can vote for President Trump — I can’t believe you will vote for Harris!
Debra Berthelot
Marana
How to bankrupt a nation
Trump is promising tax cuts to everyone. Tax cuts for corporations, seniors, families, food service workers and everyone he speaks to. He also promises to spend billions on customs and immigration, deportations using the military, internment camps, fossil fuel incentives. Who is paying for all this? Guess who? We are paying. Two ways to ruin a nation. First, cut revenue sources. Second, spend too much. He will say whatever the crowd or moderator wants to hear. There is no plan. He is a con man of the first order. I wonder if it’s too late to charge Mexico for the wall he promised? He promises all things to all people. Wise up America. MAGA people are being deceived by Trump. Just follow the lemming in front of you.
Richard Bechtold
West side
Re: ‘Our failing schools’
Where did the writer and his family attend school? Most likely they attended local public schools, and their children possibly graduated from public schools, filled with the same books and high quality teachers that this writer chooses to insult.
While their own schools launched their families on successful paths, the rest of the public schools in the United States are failing whiteboard jungles.
Public schools are low-hanging fruit for attacking government, and yet, along with the military, public schools are great examples of what socialized institutions provide to all Americans, including the underrepresented. Schools must continuously search for best practices to address ever evolving and expanding needs of communities, and on budgets, dwarfed by government subsidized corporations.
There is an obsession with sexuality, but the writer’s attack is misdirected.
Robert Pitts
Downtown
Re: ‘Vote no on Arizona’s Proposition 139’
A few criticisms regarding this writer’s agenda:
Exaggerating abortion health risks:
It is well established fact that abortions have lower morbidity and mortality rates than childbirth.
Re: Misrepresenting health advisor’s roles in caring for patients:
Unqualified ancillaries will not be performing abortions.
Lamenting that pregnant teens will escape the controlling influence of parents:
Children are people and deserve a say in their futures. The time for parental influence is well before pregnancy occurs.
Claiming fetuses are killed at birth:
No.
“Without conception, no one would ever be born,” overstating significance:
Without life no one would ever be conceived. Conception is a stage in the continuum of life and doesn’t produce a sentient being.
Offering lyrical prose to cajole us with vacuous religious sentiments:
Predictably irrational.
Freely abusing the emotionally charged label “baby” in defiance of its conventional usage referring to postnatal existence:
Fallacious appeal to emotion.
Claiming that the numbering of Proposition 139 is contrived mockery of Psalm 139:
Paranoid.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
