Tucson Speaks Out: Nov. 17
Police agencies need to declare their policies
The dust is settling on the presidential and state elections. Now our public agencies need to advise we taxpayers of their intentions regarding implementation of the "mass deportations" plan of the incoming administration. The Los Angeles Police Chief has indicated his agency will not cooperate nor participate in the new regime's plan.
Will ICE abandon its traditional enforcement role and begin "mass deportations"? Will National Guard members be used?
What will TPD do when the new administration implements its plan to "round up" aliens? Several Southside schools indicate students have begun to "hide" or "self deport."
What will TPD and the Mayor and Council do? We as taxpayers are entitled to know how our monies will be spent.
Will the new/old Sheriff implement the new President's plans? Candidate Lappin indicated previously she would enforce Prop 314. Will she would follow the new president's plan? What about Sheriff Nanos?
Once we know, we must respond as is our tradition to protect our residents.
Margarita Bernal
West side
Hegseth for Secretary of Defense
I was a soldier for a quarter of a century in peace and war. A general I served with said, "When you put on our country's uniform, you vote with your life." Reference the nomination of the new Secretary of Defense. He will be sitting at the desk once occupied by George C. Marshall, Melvin Laird, James Schlesinger, Caspar Weinberger; all public servants with years of experience and service to country. Serious men. I don't know this Pete Hegseth. I read that he was in the Army. But he doesn't strike me as a soldier. He's a poseur with an agenda. A TV talking head; self-serving. Spectacularly unfit and unqualified to lead our sons and daughters. He is a nonentity to lead the finest military in the world. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians deserve the best leadership in these dangerous days ahead. I urge the Senate to reject this ridiculous and unserious nomination.
Colonel, U.S. Army/retired
Peter Huisking
Sierra Vista
Moving up or out?
Nothing I read in the news is surprising enough to make me stop looking for the "back story." Today the picture of Representative Matt Gaetz (aka "Syndrome" The Incredibles 1) made me realize that despite the possibility of him moving up as Attorney General, this may be the last we will see of him. He seems to be ending his legacy of great impact as a member of a "remarkable" 118th House of Representatives to move on. Digging a little deeper, he is quitting the House to quickly evade the damaging report from the House Ethics Committee to be released this week. How enterprising to "spin" another disaster into positive! He did ask for a pardon from Trump before he left office for "crimes" he didn't commit, but did not receive one. He is bailing on the inevitable before it is too late. Surprise, it is too late and you will not be missed!
Alan Barreuther
Change?
Oh boy! Many voters wanted change. So who did they vote for? Not the woman of mixed race, who would have been a first, but another old white man, this one with probable prefrontal lobe damage: impulsiveness, poor judgment, and lack of empathy. I am crying and laughing at the same time.
Sherry Machen
Green Valley
ACC hypocritical defense
Why did Commissioner Thompson feel it necessary to go on TV to broadcast a momentary drop in volatile natural gas prices? Especially after approving huge increases in natural gas and electricity charges while continuing to constrain much less expensive solar electric-energy storage whose fuel costs are free? Because he knows that he and the ACC are not doing all possible to make utility services "affordable & reliable," their popular mantra? Per the EIA, in 2023, Arizona's total in-state electricity was generated mainly from six sources: natural gas (46%), nuclear power (27%), coal (10%), solar energy (10%), hydroelectric power (5%), and wind (1%). Good news is that we have a new ACC team, and solar-energy solutions are available to harvest abundant sunshine, reduce heat trapping emissions, consequent costs, and provide new higher wage jobs. Hopefully they will act responsibly to quickly increase reliable, affordable solar-energy storage to 60% of our generation mix.
Terry Finefrock
Ann is right
Ann wrote a letter printed last Sunday about jet noise, low flying aircraft and stress. Well, she's right. There is a connection between jet noise and stress.
All of you who have been complaining about the noisy A-10 are about to find out about that because the possible replacement for the A-10, the F-35, will be flying around here training. You think the A-10 is noisy, wait until you hear the F-35. You have no idea what it sounds like and feels like when a jet takes off right over you with it's afterburner on. I do because I've been at the end of the runway and felt that. The jet was at least 3,000 feet up and I could still feel my chest vibrating.
This comes under the heading of, "Be careful of what you wish for because you might get it."
Steven Barker
East side
Law is history now
How ironic. The chief custodian of our system of law in America, Chief Justice John Roberts, has personally torpedoed America's 400-year-long system of rule of law. He did that by writing and installing a doctrine of immunity from prosecution for one single, solitary American, the President of the United States. America is now a slave to one all-powerful man rather than one all-powerful law.
With one stroke of a pen, Mr. Roberts installed that same unhallowed system of autocracy that kept Europe in the Dark Ages for a thousand years.
As our new king installs bootlickers rather than professionals everywhere in the government, it is clear that he and his gangsters are free to commit whatever crimes against our Constitution, our ancestors and our living, breathing people that they so desire.
The people elected Donald Trump to a four-year term, but one man gifted him totalitarian power while in office.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Election 2024
Post election 2024: Send in the clowns.
Valerie Golembiewski
Southeast side
No motivation to vote?
There are just as many explanations for Democrats' losing this year as there are voters, but one fact stands out: Millions of Democrats and left-leaning independents didn't vote. Democrats won in 2018, 2020 and 2022 when lefties voted; they lost in 2016 and 2024 because lefties were "unmotivated."
Were they unhappy with the price of groceries? Wait till they're paying Trumpy tariffs.
Didn't like the administration's support of Israel in Gaza? Wait till Trump empowers Bibi to broaden the barbarism.
Did they want someone stronger than Kamala to face foreign powers? Watch Trump kiss the "feet" of Putin, Xi and that nitwit in North Korea. Watch him abandon Ukraine, Taiwan, Japan.
Didn't they get reminders from their precinct captains to vote? Not believable!
Just lazy? Wait till they have to work another gig to pay for health insurance.
"Unmotivated" progressives helped MAGA give us at least four more years of crime and fascism in the White House.
Shame!
Jim Christ
East side
Trump's cabinet selections
Where to start on the recent Trump appointments? Perhaps the most questionable is Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. With a meager background in law, Gaetz is clearly unsuited to the position. Tulsi Gabbard, selected as Director of National Intelligence, has a bizarre political trail, from a Democratic candidate in 2020 to an Independent, then endorsing Trump and becoming Republican. Marco Rubio selected as Secretary of State, often a critic of Trump in the past, now his favorite. The list continues. With no obstacles for President-Elect Trump, he might get what he wants. Unfortunately for our country, the result could be losing democracy.
Roger Shanley
East side
Puppets in his cabinet
#47 is nominating so far puppets who will cave in to him, his own yes man as Attorney General, who is a pervert, Secretary of Defense who is a bigot former GI with no experience as a leader for the most powerful Military in the world, also a yes man.
#47 in his first term said he knew more than his generals. I see a civil war in the future!! If this want-to-be dictator gets his way we will be in deep trouble in this great country, Americans killing Americans for a felon. God Help us! From a 60 percent disabled Vietnam veteran.
David E. Leon
Survive the chaos with a smile
If you are a liberal like me, you are probably somewhat horrified by the events of the last couple of weeks. When you read a headline about the doings of the upcoming Trump administration, your teeth clench, your neck tightens and your blood pressure rises. That's simply not healthy. So here is my suggestion concerning an alternate mindset that will allow you to digest these stories with a smile on your face. Simply pretend that you are reading the Onion no matter which news source you are actually reading. The headline "Matt Gaetz nominated for Attorney General" would be shocking and possibly upsetting normally, but such a headline in the Onion would make me laugh and look forward to reading the story. We can all survive Trump's chaos with smiles on our faces if we realize that it's all just a massive joke.
David Parmenter
Northwest side
I appreciated Kyle Vance's complimentary definition of a liberal in his recent letter. I thought I'd pass on a definition of a conservative a friend once told me. "A conservative is a liberal with a teenage daughter."
Harold Hallikainen
East side
