Tucson Speaks Out: Dec. 30

Trumpnomics

The basic principles of Trumpnomics go like this. Tariffs are taxes on products paid by the importer. The U.S. is the importer. The tariff tax will be passed on to Americans. U.S. companies will not pay the tariff tax, American consumers will pay. Mass deportation of immigrant farm workers, carpenters, hospitality workers, health care workers and many other workers will raise the cost of products and services done by immigrant workers. Next, the effect of massive tax cuts will decrease revenue to operate the government. Without revenue, the government cannot provide programs and projects that assist and employ Americans. This is not to mention Social Security and Medicare which are at risk with decreases in revenue. Trumpnomics is the concept of a spoiled millionaire. Those who voted for him should enjoy driving around on cheap gas eating an egg sandwich to see all the stuff you can't afford to buy.

Richard Bechtold

West side

Misguided opinion

In her opinion piece about the murder of the CEO of United healthcare, Ms. Gaines writes "of course I do not condone murder." Yet, throughout her piece, she writes about the ills of the health insurance industry, as an implied stimulus for the murder. As a retired physician, I know many of the faults are real. However, her implication that someone could be upset enough to murder an executive in the Health Care industry is wrong. There is, and was, no justification to murder the father of two children in cold blood. Mangione is a murderer, pure and simple. Perhaps he is deranged, perhaps not. He is no folk hero. Ms. Gaines gives herself away again at the close of her piece when she writes, "We should be surprised that this did not occur sooner."

Donald Jeck

Foothills

Freudian slip?

There is not a "Jewish race." There are people who subscribe to Judaism. The National Socialist German Workers' Party freely used the term "Jewish race" to support their agenda.

Everyone, except those who lie to themselves, has biases and discriminates on physical appearance. That is a result of evolution. Recognizing and deconstructing personal bias limits the impact of prejudice.

To arrive at an appropriate solution to any problem, the problem should be correctly understood first.

James Abels

Midtown

RE: Biden's grand finale

Just before Christmas the Star printed side-by-side opinion columns about President Joe's swan song. I like this format and if you do too, tell our editor. Both long articles are worthy of a full read but the crux is summed up in the first few words of each.

The column appropriately positioned on left side of the page proclaims that the President must use the unspent trillions in his slush fund to dictatorially shore up civil service, ERA, military, etc. during his last days to strengthen our Democracy.

Column right declares that Democrats should return power to Congress and the courts and that the American experiment can be summed up in one big idea: Don't put too much power in one place, i.e. executive branch agencies issued 2,018 regulations in 2023 but Congress passed only 65 bills.

If you voted for column right you should be feeling pretty good about the preservation of our Republic right now.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Even Christmas Day 45/47 can't be civil

On December 25, 2024, 45/47 couldn't honor Jesus' birthday. He still attacked his so-called "enemies." Already, chaos and he is not in the White House yet. I know I won't watch the news for four years if he makes it through since he is on his first stage of dementia. Happy New Year's, I think??

David E Leon

Vail

Biden's parting shame?

To the writer denigrating Joe Biden with disrespectful nasty names for commuting the death sentence of 37 federal prisoners: He was simply showing his disdain for the death penalty, but not condoning the specific actions committed (they will remain incarcerated for life with no parole option). The death penalty is certainly a debatable issue and will be forever. However, it is apparent that Biden isn't 100% against it since he didn't commute the death sentence for the three most egregious offenders.

Since 1973, at least 200 people who had been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death have been exonerated and more will follow. Between 1877 and 1950, 3,959 violent lynchings/murder of black men, women and children took place in 12 southern states of which the majority went without jail time conviction let alone a death sentence. How do you justify these horrific atrocities? The issue of abortion doesn't compare to the aforementioned facts.

Chuck Cabrera

Oro Valley

Commercialism at the cost of comics

So here I am, reading the Star on December 27. I happen upon two huge sections of real estate ads for Oro Valley and Saddlebrooke. In order to make room for all of these commercials they bounce the color comics extra out of the paper! I know that the paper was giddy over all the money they made by putting in expensive housing ads, but what about those of us who paid for the paper? We don't count? You couldn't run one extravagant real estate ad one day and the other the next? Have respect. We pay for the paper and I am betting most of us don't care about Oro Valley or Saddlebrooke.

Michelle Lynn

Three Points

The Making of a Political Football 101

Essential Ingredients of a Political Football:

Step 1. Identify a highly emotional issue that has no philosophical resolution in absolute terms.

Step 2. Adopt the most emotional side.

Step 3. Demonize the opposing side.

Step 4. Bask in self-righteousness.

Mix and serve hot.

Ed Waymire

Midtown

National elections

These remarks were included in George Washington's farewell address as he ended his second term as president: "I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State" and also "One of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts." Sound familiar? George Washington was the first, and last, president elected without any party's backing. No one ran against him because the country was still trying to find a leader, and General George Washington was the leader who had won many battles against the world's largest, well-trained, well-paid and well-equipped army and navy with his initially untrained, underpaid, and under-armed citizen soldiers. He was the leader the recently emancipated country needed. Unfortunately, every election thereafter has been a fight between parties.

Jerry Lujan

Oro Valley