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Federal deficit

It is distressing to hear that the richest man in the world, not elected to any position, is mandating a $3 trillion cut in the federal budget, which will impose unimaginable hardship on millions, especially those hard-working, experienced federal employees who will be laid off. The only realistic solution to the budget deficit is tax reform, making billionaires like Musk, Trump and Ramaswamy pay their fair share to the country that made their success possible.

Sean Bruner

West side

Not a small error

In his letter to the editor (“By Any Other Name”) published December 21, 2024, Thad Appelman writes: “And don’t start with that ‘antisemitism’ crap! I have no hatred for the Jewish race...” Good to know, except that Judaism is not a race. “To Jews,” wrote Daniel Schwartz on Quora, “being Jewish generally refers to religion. It can also mean a cultural heritage and a family.” Please, Mr. Appelman, do your research prior to your ranting.

Susan Ulanoff

Oro Valley

Change

Lots of people, it seems, wanted change. Biden was what, too old, not dynamic enough? But people didn’t want gender identities to change, or male privilege to change. Maybe they just wanted the price of eggs to change.

Well, guess what, this is the real change you voted for: the change from a democratic form of government with three independent bodies: executive, legislative and an independent judiciary; to an autocratic one, with the supreme leader (Trump or Musk — still not clear) ruling over everything through threats, intimidation, and money, lots of money.

Already Donald Jr. is talking about maybe suspending elections in four years (maybe he thinks he can inherit the throne) and certainly Musk and Trump have started threatening the few Republicans who still have a backbone, with financing those who will do their bidding in the next congressional election.

You have handed over our government to two power-hungry megalomaniacs. You may like the change, but I, for one, am scared to death.

Beth Dingman

Green Valley

Student loan farce

Biden is again pushing to forgive billions of dollars in student loans despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that he cannot do it. But why can’t students pay back the loans they asked for, once they graduate and get jobs in the real world? Maybe the cost of living under Biden, coupled with making student loan payments, exceeds the money they make from the jobs they got after graduating. If so, why can’t students find good jobs based on their college education? The problem is that universities no longer educate. They are fermentation tanks for social activism and indoctrination instead of learning and functional capability. We no longer hear about excellence in academics from our universities. Instead, the news is all about student protests, DEI initiatives, and examples of blatant plagiarism, none of which promotes educational excellence and academic capability. Maybe the time has come to clear the distractions and return to an environment of learning and holding both faculties and students accountable.

Loran Hancock

Northwest side

Power and control

We all want power and control over our own lives. The irony of power and control over others is that it almost always results in violence and destruction of the other. We see this on the interpersonal level, when someone trying to control their partner usually results in domestic violence. We see this on the international stage with wars between countries: Israel’s desire to control the Palestinians is destroying Gaza; Putin’s desire to control Ukraine is destroying Ukraine. Here in our country, power over results in discrimination and bias against others we fear and try to control, resulting in their misery and death. The ultimate irony is that power and control over others also destroys those who try to control. We’re likely to see lots of politically controlling actions with the new federal administration over women, immigrants, and other marginalized communities who already lack control over their own lives.

Tim Wernette

Foothills

Not rooting for the uniform

With NIL and open transfer portals there is little continuity in UA basketball and football teams these days. Gone are the times when each new season you recognized most of the returning players. It was great to watch players skills progress from freshman to seniors. Not anymore. I don’t know the guys on the basketball team, they’re all new and will probably be gone next year. Dozens of UA football players are transferring, so next year will be largely new faces. I’m not just going to root for a red and blue uniform, so next year my seasons tickets from 1983 will go into the transfer portal, money back into my wallet.

Dennis Winsten

Northeast side

U of A athletics

From a long-time basketball/softball season ticket holder and major donor, I offer the following perspective:

• UA has lost significant talent to key competitors in athletics over the past few years — AD Greg Byrne to Alabama; Jedd Fisch to WU; Laura Ianello to Texas; Jay Johnson to LSU. It’s not a surprise that these losses were to wealthy Big 10 and SEC schools.
• Mike Candrea retired and our softball team hasn’t performed up to UA standards since
• The despised school up north earned a first-round bye in the college football playoff, winning the Big12 conference in its first year; Bobby’s rag-tag basketball team of transfers at ASU is off to a good start, and our Wildcats will have to prove they can consistently beat ranked teams

I’m not gloom and doom — and I will continue to support Wildcats sports, but the program has a lot to prove in the midst of professional pay to retain its value vs. that despised school up north.

Rob Matteucci

Oro Valley

Trump’s agenda

A recent letter bemoaned the appointment of Kash Patel as FBI Director. Really? Trump’s public disdain for the FBI made such a corrosive appointment inevitable, the only qualification loyalty to the Dear Leader. Other egregious, clown-car appointments include Tulsi Gabbard in Intelligence and the lunacy of RFK Jr., whose discredited vaccine theories will surely adversely impact many innocent young lives.

So, congratulations conservatives. Your disregard of the credible and professional warnings of dangers of a second Trump term accomplished what no foreign adversary could. You still chose chaos and tyranny over competence and morality. Vengeful attacks on media and public officials now underway are only the tip of the looming onslaught. Trump may soon exit the stage due to mental and physical decline but his toxic agenda will probably continue via his supporters. The real victims are our children who will pay the price for this shameful and historic collapse of integrity by the electorate.

Joseph Stanley

Northeast side

Foul ball

Like creatures emerging from the underbrush, Trump and Musk are sending thunder and lightning our way. They are not blowing smoke either. This country is likely to be set afire.

Our new leaders, brave beyond measure, are ready to roll out the first of their critical edicts, cutting Social Security, Medicare, and VA benefits. This proves that lunacy is part of their management style.

But it could cause MAGA to hang up their hats or wish they were helmets. They know there is likely a blowback from Democrats who will throw scorn and words of disdain their way in a rain of no end. MAGA depends on those monthly funds to survive and make their truck payments. In fact, everyone will suffer by taking away those social programs.

Now, MAGA men and women know a rat when they see one. They claim they were deceived. Trump cast a spell with his bravado, and they fell into it. Soon, many of them will take the antidote and be free.

Ron Lancaster

North side

Be honest about immigration

Most of the Star’s readers are undoubtedly reasonably law-abiding people, and many will be offended by foreigners who come to the US without legal status, or arrive in legal status but overstay or violate it.

I share these qualms. However, let’s be honest: Even the most law-abiding of us may break the law if we see no other option. Which of us would remain in poverty in a country where our children were being menaced by gangs and threatened with violence if they didn’t join as either shooters or sex slaves? Would we really refuse on principle to violate the laws of a wealthy country that seemed to offer its residents safety from crime and even, dare we hope, the chance of a better life? Or would we break the law to save our families? Be honest.

SW McFadden

Foothills

War perspective

For all of you who continue to moan and object to the casualties in Gaza, here is some historical perspective as well as some common-sense perspective. All wars produce civilian casualties, some inadvertent and some intentional. In World War II just prior to D-Day, the allies bombed numerous French cities in the area hoping to get at the German army. Many towns were destroyed, and thousands of Frenchmen were killed and wounded. Germany was repeatedly carpet-bombed, destroying cities and thousands of civilians. And then we have Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a deliberate attack on civilians in an attempt to convince the Empire of Japan that continuing the war was futile. These were not acts of genocide, but the gas chambers and ovens were.

Hamas attacked Israel and Israel went to war with Hamas, the political terrorist government of Gaza whose people overwhelmingly support Hamas. It is Hamas who advocates genocide with their stated intention to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. Wake up!

Dennis Abrams

Northwest side

Literacy and libraries

RE: Why Tucson should focus on literacy right now

While non-profit organizations have an important role to play in elevating literacy in our community, young people’s ready access to books is a strong predictor of reading achievement and success in life. Sadly, the Pima County Public Library system is struggling to staff and keep all of its current branches open; there are only 16 certified school librarians in 89 Tucson Unified schools.

As Walter Cronkite once observed: “Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”

Let’s commit to funding our public libraries so librarians can engage patrons of all ages in dynamic literacy experiences all year long. Let’s commit to lobbying the Legislature to appropriately fund our K-12 district public schools. More funding will allow districts to staff all schools with certified librarians who have sufficient library budgets so they can lead vibrant school library programs 180 days of the school year.

Judi Moreillon

Northeast side

Help from Ciscomani?

So, Daily Star, your man Tim Steller thinks we need Congressman Ciscomani to help us “rein in Trump’s worst impulses”. I’ll be watching the weather reports from hell. I wonder if they use 32° F or 0° C.

John Kromko

Downtown