Biden ignored Latinos for his VP choice
Joe Biden chose a Black female as his vice president choice. The narrative was that since African Americans in South Carolina and in other Southern states saved him in the primaries, that he owed the position to an African American. Black leaders like Reps. Jim Clyburn and Maxine Waters demanded it. So Biden chose Kamala Harris, of Indian and Jamaican heritage.
In this whole process, Biden apparently never seriously considered a Latino for his running mate. We already had the historic eight years of Obama. So why not give the VP opportunity, and potentially the presidency, to a Latino? The African American population is about 14%, but the Latino American population is about 15%. Where was their outrage on this?
Was their silence bought by the Democratic Party’s promise of legalization and citizenship for millions of Latinos illegally in the country? Biden’s focus on picking an African American was to the exclusion of Latinos and other races. A prime example of how Biden and the Democrat party play their ethnic identity politics.
Doug Lawrence
Midtown
Criminality
in the post office
If a gang invaded a U.S. Postal Service sorting facility and tore out one of its sorting machines, they would be charged with multiple felonies. But apparently, if you rip out over 670 of them, you’re immune because you are the president.
If someone stole a postal service drop box off a street corner, they would be prosecuted for a felony. But if you steal hundreds of drop boxes across America, you are immune because you are the president.
Interfering with the delivery of a single piece of mail is subject to fine and imprisonment for six months. But if you interfere with millions of American’s letters, prescriptions and packages, you are immune because you are the president.
If you don’t believe in presidential immunity, call your senators and congress members and complain. If you agree this is criminal, tell them. As I am doing, start phone banking, or just call your friends and ask them to call and complain.
Arthur Post
Northeast side
Stock market doesn’t tell whole story
I’m writing in response to an op-ed where a retired financial consultant gave a compelling argument for the recent run up of the stock market under Donald Trump.
Statistics alone don’t tell an accurate story. It is true that stocks are almost at pre-COVID-19 levels, but the reason for the uptick is that the Federal Reserve propped up the markets with $4 trillion targeted primarily for investment-grade corporations.
This is a boon to stockholders and retirement funds, but it does nothing for the 45% of the population with no market investments or savings who are living paycheck to paycheck.
Recent events have given me a new insight to the many injustices that I have previously ignored because they didn’t affect my daily life. I would have preferred that this money be allocated to those in real need, than to my portfolio growth.
Morton Cederbaum
Green Valley
Trump insecure around strong women
The Monday night DNC convention was a great opener and Trump acted like a Big Fish, who again bit the hook of insecurity. He can’t refuse denigrating anyone who disagrees and his comments about Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are clear indicators of his fears of educated, smart and articulate women of any color. They were so correct and on the money that the coward in chief couldn’t resist a chance to give his ignorant comments.
The GOP should be extremely proud of their pet in the White House. His defenses are so poor. Hail to the ignorant one in charge. Die-hard supporters should be so proud of his total inability to have a day without signs of incapable leadership.
All people regardless of color or religion bleed red in combat. He doesn’t know that.
Donald Groner
Benson
Actually, some rights are under attack
In times of an emergency, necessary limitations such as wearing a mask may be imposed to keep us safe. We have elected leaders to put those reasonable limitations into action. This should not be the problem that many are trying to make it.
Society rightfully restricts individuals in many ways. For example: litter laws, property rights and driving mandates. Government is the people serving the people.
The problem for some is that there is no “green light” that gives citizens legal rights based on personal beliefs. What you believe is not a right. This creates a lot of unnecessary friction against the mask requirement.
Let us also consider that the erosion of the democratic process is much greater in scope than the mask requirement. Women’s rights and gay rights are under constant attack by those who would pass off a “personal belief” as a legal right to discriminate. Legal lines have been clearly drawn. Stay in your lane. Wear a mask.
Doug Wood
Green Valley
Vote, drop off your ballot and be counted
How astonishing is it that the president of the U.S. would interfere in the upcoming election by influencing the postmaster general to slow down the mail, including our ballots. Our president even admits to this in an effort to prevent mail-in voting, which he himself does. Arizona mail-in ballots have always been safe and secure, as affirmed by Gov. Doug Ducey, and this practice is particularly important in the time of COVID-19.
I encourage everyone who can to deliver your ballot to a drop-off location designated by our county recorder to ensure that your vote is counted and that our democratic process continues. The president should be held accountable for his interference by being soundly defeated in November.
Sandra Beecher
Northwest side
Tucson needs Latino vaccine volunteers
Tucson is on the COVID-19 vaccine front lines. Our very own Quality of Life Medical and Research Center has been selected to recruit subjects for Phase 3 Moderna vaccine trials.
It’s my patriotic duty to volunteer, and I have, but I realize that my chance of being selected are dim, not because I’m 75 years old but because I’m white. While Black people and Latinos account for more than 50% of COVID-19 cases nationwide, so far they make up only 15% of participants. The trials need more minorities to enroll if the trials are to succeed or an effective vaccine will be delayed.
I urge Pima County Hispanics sign up.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Trump’s FBI move
all about bottom line
How many ways can I be disgusted with our president?
We already know every action our president takes is only to serve his personal benefit. This is no exception.
The FBI Building is old and too small. He wants it rebuilt where it is so that it will block any business competitor from building a hotel which would take business from his close-by Trump hotel.
So, he added a $1.75 billion rebuilding demand into the White House’s COVID-19 proposal, intended to provide financial relief for desperate Americans. The FBI planned to rebuild in the suburbs. Rebuilding in the same location would double the cost. Furthermore, the FBI would have to temporarily spread out to multiple locations, severely disrupting their operations.
Once again, I am disgusted by our president.
Jonpaul Barrabee
Oro Valley
Limits needed
on executive power
If there’s one thing the last four years have taught us, it’s that we need to pass laws that limit presidential abuse of power.
Specifically, we need laws that require personal fiscal transparency and that eliminate financial conflicts of interest on the part of our president. We need laws that make seeking political help from foreign governments illegal, that require the president and his staff to comply with Congressional subpoenas and that outlaw presidential pardons where there is a personal, political or economic benefit to the president.
None of these laws were required in the past because, for the most part, the previous 44 presidents respected the ethical traditions and norms associated with the highest office in the land.
Looking forward, we need to protect ourselves from ever again having to risk the erosion of our balance of power and the loss of our democratic form of government.
Ron Andrea
SaddleBrooke
Trump isn’t
this cat’s pajamas
So, Donald Trump is complaining about voter fraud again — but this time he claims that cats and dogs will be voting by mail. Well, I say that if my cat can fill out the absentee voter application form, sign it, and mail it back, she’s earned the right to vote. And I’m not worried about it, she’s too smart to vote for Trump.
James Nesci
East side
Ballot harvesting in Arizona
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich successfully sought a stay of the U.S. Court of Appeals decision to strike down Arizona’s ballot harvesting law. The case is pending review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
This means that assisting others to submit their ballot is currently illegal in Arizona. If a neighbor is elderly, injured, immobile, without a driver’s license or for some reason cannot get to a post box and do not have a family member close by, voting is effectively blocked.
For example, suppose someone regularly picks up the mail from the mailbox at the end of the road for a neighbor. Taking their outgoing mail to the collection box would be illegal if it includes a ballot. There needs to be a legal way for persons to seek voting assistance.
Hysteria over voter fraud is out of control. Assisting someone to exercise their right as a citizen to vote is not ballot harvesting. Call it compassion, neighborliness or patriotic duty.
Christine Flanagan
West side
We’re all expendable to Trump
Do you know someone who has gotten sick or even died from COVID-19? No worries if you haven’t, because it is just a matter of time. Wait a bit and you will. You see, the 200,000-plus of us who will die are just collateral damage (“cannon fodder”) to President Trump, a small price to pay to keep the economy humming along.
Trump loves bragging about his achievements, so he can add this one to the list: By mishandling the pandemic, the Trump administration is now responsible for more American deaths than any president since World War II.
Mark Elson
West side
USPS is first; what’s next ?
The numerous images of trashed postal drop boxes and sorting machines are a metaphor of the Trump administration. The intentional destruction of items essential to the American public mirrors the unprecedented attempts to eradicate much of what makes our society strong.
The Postal Service is the second largest employer in the nation. More than 100,000 veterans, many of whom have disabilities, are in that work force. Countless citizens rely on the timely delivery of bill payments, business and personal communications, and prescriptions. Now, this is jeopardized by a huge Trump contributing henchman.
After almost four years in office, suddenly Trump worries over the postal financial situation. No, these actions are a brazen attempt to be sure the election is compromised.
My fellow Americans, can you imagine what will be next on the agenda of this wannabe dictator?
Sandra Heater
Foothills
