Personal credit sought by Trump on food boxes
The United States Department of Agriculture has millions of boxes of food to distribute to needy families across the country. A very supportive gesture from many organizations. So many people are hurting from the disappearance of jobs during the massive quarantine.
Our most benevolent leader, having nothing to do with this effort, wanted to take credit for it. The selfless donors and organizers across the country said no. However, this was being coordinated by Donald Trump’s USDA.
Now, this memo from Politico: “The Agriculture Department...began mandating that millions of boxes of surplus food for needy families include a letter from President Donald Trump claiming credit for the program.”
Using taxpayer dollars for his own reelection campaign, Trump has required millions of food aid boxes to go out with a personal letter stating: “as President, safeguarding the health and well-being of our citizens is one of my highest priorities.”
The irony is that these letters would go out to those who’ve been most affected by his failed coronavirus response.
Sheldon Metz
Northeast side
Get over it; ‘fake news’ comes with the job
Fake news has been around for a long time. Rush Limbaugh probably put the term in Donald Trump’s ear as he commonly uses the phrase “drive-by media” on his program. Could also be called paparazzi, “yellow” (sensational) journalism or some such term. Presidents, celebrities and others have dealt with it for years. So, get over it; it comes with the job.
Second, Newt Gingrich said about Trump, “the first thing he thinks is ‘who can I get in a fight with today?’” Not a character trait at the top of the list of leadership skills. A leader doesn’t throw his people or his country under the bus for personal gain on a daily basis. Dictators, czars and tyrants do.
And a leader doesn’t call people in war zones, “losers” or a POW not a “hero.” Finally, Trump’s not empathetic. Pathetic maybe, but not empathetic. Empathy means deep concern or consideration for others and their feelings. That term clearly isn’t in his limited vocabulary.
Jim Keeton
Tubac
All you need is a copter
President Trump says “don’t fear COVID.” He is right!
If you contract it, a helicopter will whisk you to one of the best medical facilities in the country, give you a private suite and fill you with all the latest medical drugs available. All at no cost to you, what could go wrong?
Margaret Terrell
Green Valley
COVID travel bans didn’t work
Donald Trump boasts that he acted early to block COVID by implementing travel bans from China and Europe. Although well-meaning, the travel bans didn’t work.
The “bans” didn’t completely block all travel from China and Europe because thousands of exceptions were made for returning U.S. citizens (and rightly so).
However, the implementation of the bans was botched and had two major flaws. No attempt was made to test returnees to determine if they were infected with COVID. No attempt was made to isolate or quarantine the returnees who were contagious.
Because of these fatal flaws, countless (thousands?) of COVID infected returnees scattered across the country and spread the virus to their hometowns, far and wide.
Because he botched the implementation, Trump’s COVID travel bans did not work, did not stop the virus and did not protect us!
Wes Clark
East side
We can’t afford
4 more years of this
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the virus could kill 300,000 Americans by the end of the year. Although the president refuses to take any responsibility, it is obvious that his actions or inactions have directly contributed to this tragedy. If President Trump doesn’t manage to pass a second stimulus bill real soon, he’s going to kill thousands of small businesses, the airline industry and quite possibly, the U.S. economy.
Meanwhile, his policies have resulted in short-term market gains and long-term destruction to the environment, which will affect future generations for decades to come. Clearly, we cannot afford another four years from this clown. Vote him out!
Ed Espinoza
Southwest side
Precedent for fining those who distort truth
Get this. The U.S. Treasury Department head recently was quoted as saying that the president’s plan related to payroll deductions for Social Security would not have any impact on future payments to Social Security beneficiaries. None! Some current political TV ads, however, claim that the president’s plan will cause Social Security to be out of funds in three years.
Now get this. The U.S. Security and Exchange Commission has fined BMW (the luxury car maker) $18 million for reporting inflated monthly U.S. sales figures. Purposeful distortion.
With the current barrage of political advertising and the extent to which some seem to be based on misinformation, wouldn’t it serve potential voters if the commission responsible for monitoring truths would act in the same capacity as the SEC by fining those who distort the truth, now and wherever the reliance on truth is valued?
Don Weaver
Midtown
Pinocchio
has got to go
The 2016 rival of the current Oval Office’s occupant (to call him president gives him unwarranted dignity) called him a xenophobic, misogynistic, racist bigot. Today, those same congressional Republicans are his enablers.
Vladimir Putin’s Pinocchio has accomplished more in four years to destroy America than the puppeteer in 40. Failure to denounce a white supremacy group, telling it to “stand back and stand by” is a call for civil unrest.
He has no plan to combat COVID-19 and rejects medical experts’ guidance.
He is trying to reverse everything the Obama/Biden administration accomplished. He promises to protect preexisting conditions but is in court trying to kill Obamacare with no replacement plan and strip health insurance from millions of Americans during a pandemic.
His nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would reverse everything she fought for.
His cavalier attitude about the virus puts everyone in jeopardy. He has to go.
Dave Glicksman
North side
Vote yes on 208; help prepare kids for future
Re: the Oct. 5 article “Prop. 208 and the law of unintended consequences.”
I appreciate that Mr. Larsen openly shares that he is “a rich old geezer,” thus making his opinion self-serving. I am a retired TUSD teacher, who never had to worry about taxes over $250,000 a year. As a retiree, I will reap not one penny from the passage of Proposition 208.
I have read Prop. 208, and unfortunately, Mr. Larsen would fail either my middle school reading class, my math class, or both. What the bill indicates is that there will be a surcharge on money earned over $250,000 of 3.5%. Add that to the existing 4.5% and you arrive at an 8% increase. Not 77%. This is on an individual’s income tax. No additional taxes on business.
Much of this money would go to increase employees’ salary, lower class size and add counselors. Higher salaries will permit educators to continue teaching in Tucson and better prepare our kids for the future.
Vote yes on 208.
Ken Freed
East side
Balance a good thing
on Supreme Court
In 2016 the majority of voters chose Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by nearly 3 million votes. Given that, why should Trump, along with a Senate for which Democrats received 18 million more votes than Republicans, be able to shove their Supreme Court nomination down our throats only weeks before an election that could change everything? They are the ultimate hypocrites.
Have they no shame? Are they more interested in party than country? This will divide the country even more and perhaps permanently. Just because you can do something does not mean you should. While balance in life is desirable, balance in the Supreme Court is necessary.
Balance means that 5-4 decisions might go one way or the other with some regularity, which allows everyone to be a winner some of the time. Without balance, majority respect for and faith in court decisions will be nonexistent. For these, and many other reasons, the Senate hearings and expected vote must await the results of the election.
Stephen Shawl
Northeast side
McSally needs to push for pandemic relief bill
COVID-19 cases in Arizona remain high: 222,000 cases according to a recent Daily Star article. Arizonans are at continued risk not only of contracting the virus but also economic devastation.
More than 1.6 million Arizonans have filed for unemployment. Families don’t have enough to cover basic needs, and financial-assistance programs are being eliminated. This month the Salt River Project, a Phoenix-area electric utility, lifted its moratorium on shut-offs. Across the state, cities are starting to shut off water.
Cutting off utilities is unconscionable when we need to wash our hands often and many of us are working from home. Families who lose power and water are put at risk, and so are communities when more people need to enter public spaces to access basic services no longer available at home.
Sen. Martha McSally must push for a COVID-19 relief bill that helps Arizona families stay safe throughout the pandemic, pay utility bills, and gain access to other lifesaving services and programs.
Cybele Knowles
Midtown
Biden and Harris
will be pushed left
Democrats in Congress like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who are concerned that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will back away from the leftist policy agenda, just released their new “People’s Charter,” a socialistic blueprint for America. It includes free public health care (“Medicare for All”), universal child care, creating millions of green jobs (the Green New Deal), public buyouts of oil and gas companies, creating public banks to make needed investments whenever private markets fail to, canceling student debt, a $15 minimum wage and shifting money away from police departments and toward investments in schools and communities.
Creators of the People’s Charter said it is the vehicle to organize for the election, to activate the base and hold Biden accountable if he wins. “We’ve always said that electing Joe Biden was a doorway, not a destination.”
AOC has previously said that she thought Biden could be pushed to the left. Kamala Harris co-sponsored the Green New Deal in the Senate that would cost trillions and essentially eliminate the oil and gas industry.
Rosalinda Vasquez
Southwest side
Climate health
is human health
As a member of a coalition of thousands of doctors representing all 50 states who have signed an open letter to U.S. patients, I can unequivocally state that your health is on the ballot in this election. A vote for leaders who act on climate change is a vote for health.
From longer allergy, asthma, mosquito and tick seasons, the Gulf Coast hurricanes, to the tragic fires in Tucson and the West Coast, these consequences are impacting our health.
Prevention is the best medicine. Health experts agree that it is imperative to transition to clean forms of energy and reduce emissions substantially in the next decade. The number health benefits that would result from making this transition cannot be underestimated.
For your health, and your family’s health, vote for legislators who take the climate crisis seriously. A vote for climate is a vote for health!
Linda Karl
Northeast side
Republicans
don’t trust you
The Republican Party consistently refuses to listen to the American people. They don’t listen to us when 64% of us say we want stricter gun laws. They don’t listen to us when 70% of us say we believe women should have the right to reproductive freedom and safe abortions. They don’t listen to us when 67% of us say Black lives matter and people have a right to assemble and protest.
They don’t listen to us when 79% of us say “dreamers” must be allowed to remain and apply for citizenship. They don’t listen to us when 65% of us say the popular vote should replace the Electoral College. They don’t listen to us because they and their billionaire donors don’t trust the majority of the American people.
They believe they know better. Show them they are wrong. Vote Democratic in this election.
Liz Callahan
Marana
Where in the world is the bill collector?
President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign still owes the city of Tucson $80,000. This week, Trump added another $50,000. If you or I or any other private citizen owed that much money we would have our credit rating trashed and be accruing interest as well as be subject to bill collection efforts.
Why then do we let them get away with this? In these times, every dollar is needed to assist our community. It goes to show a lack of character and an assumption of privilege.
How many other cities are in this situation? Maybe we should instigate a class-action lawsuit, with other stricken cities, before it’s all gone to Trump’s Chinese bank account.
Susan Dabbs
East side
