President Donald Trump holds a gavel presented to him by House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., after he signed his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts Friday at the White House in Washington.
Whom do you serve, Juan?
After seeing the front-page picture in the July 4 edition of the Star I sent the following message to my 鈥淩epresentative鈥 in Congress: I have cut a front-page photo from the July 4 edition of the 蜜柚直播. It shows you beaming after voting to pass the president鈥檚 Big Beautiful Bill, which abounds in elements you told us over and again you opposed. You voted for Donald Trump and against the people of your district. I will keep the photo as a daily reminder of why you should not serve another term in the House. I鈥檓 not asking for a response because nothing you might say could change that vote or my intention to do all I can to elect a person who will talk straight and vote for the people of the district.
Frank Bergen
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Northwest side
Ciscomani just sold his district out
As regards the Big 鈥淏eautiful鈥 Bill, which Representative Juan Ciscomani just signed off on, his decision to side with the bill means he is not representing the concerns and needs of the people in his district. Our district of 813,933 residents reportedly incudes five billionaires, and he has decided to favor them over the rest of us. Those five billionaires whom he bestows unnecessary tax breaks upon represent 0.000614% of our population, leaving the remaining 99.9994% of the people in this district to foot the bill through the defunding of necessary services and programs we citizens need. Lost on him is the fact that billionaires don鈥檛 need tax cuts. The rest of us do. Ciscomani has done us dirty. His ads lie about his accomplishments and pretend he is working for us. It is clear he鈥檚 not. This should/must be his last term in Congress.
Andrew Gage
Midtown
Big and bad
Each day during my working days, we cared for eye patients on AHCCCS with exactly the same kindness and professionalism as the University professors who also came to our practice. Creating a subclass of human beings by denying them the right to good healthcare is bad policy and morally bankrupt. Why would anyone want to belong to a group of people who have no compassion or empathy? Look in the mirror. You may have voted for this. Shameful.
Sue Bulau
East side
No one else could have done it
Trump has accomplished what no other Republican president has ever done. With only slim majorities he got his signature bill passed. I credited Pelosi for holding the Democrats in line, voting 100% party line but now with Jefferies as Speaker, they still are totally submissive.
Trump has transformed the Republican Party to supporting the working class. He has become the F.D.R. president of today. Beginning to understand, enough voters supported him to his second term. Knowing that the time is short, he has thrown caution to the wind, taking bold positions no one else would have dared to do. All of the predictions of tragedy have been debunked to date.
He has defanged Iran. I am convinced he will achieve peace in Europe and the Middle East, ending generations of hostilities.
When those who hate him finally begin to realize the miracles he is achieving, they might give him support.
Jack Walters
Northeast side
Constitution: Words matter
The First Amendment protects the rights of the people to peaceably assemble, and the number of Star readers who disagree with this must be zero or less.
Where we have issues is whether assembly and public speech of the 鈥減eople鈥 is exclusively reserved to American citizens and whether 鈥減eaceably鈥 includes destruction of property, physical harassment, looting and blocking public streets.
If we stay focused, that鈥檚 our LTE debate.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
No taxation without representation
History seems to be repeating itself because of the wannabe king in the White House, his billionaire cronies and corrupt political leaders. The blue states are coming up with an answer: Withholding taxes to be paid to the federal government for every dollar Trump holds out for schools, healthcare, and other social programs which the states cannot afford to fund alone and for which we pay federal taxes. So, why not follow our colonial ancestors and refuse to pay individual taxes to the federal government and support only our local ones? The majority is not represented in the federal government because the feds have gone against citizens鈥 interests. No taxation without representation.
Barbara Benjamin
Foothills
Daily dose of cruelty
Just when you thought you were safe, Trump is going to go after naturalized citizens when they have committed crimes. What, like a traffic ticket or jaywalking?
鈥淲here liberty dwells, there is my country.鈥 Benjamin Franklin
From a recent Opinion cartoon, inscribed over the American flag.
Margaret Gordon Magruder
Downtown
Critical thinking
I admit, under Biden we allowed more immigrants in than any country can realistically absorb. And now Trump is removing them, just like Obama did, who removed about 3 million illegals. Wait! Just like Obama? Not quite: Under Trump, it is a manhunt, a race for the numbers, a photo op to make him, Trump, look great, and truth be trampled. ICE is on the record of going after people without any criminal record other than having lived and worked here for decades, to the benefit of their employers.
This, our low-paid workforce is also easy to see. Hard criminals, drug and sex traffickers etc., are far more difficult to find. And no sane person is against deporting them. But this is no longer what鈥檚 happening. And it is the way this manhunt is conducted that is outrageous. By the way, 1,000 removals a day makes it roughly 365,000 per year ... just a mathematical reality to think about it, critically.
Lotte Decker
Northeast side
DOGE effect
This week, over 25 children drowned in the Texas rainstorm and flood. Recent cuts to the national weather forecasting staff certainly played a part in this tragedy. The grieving parents can thank Trump and Musk for this horrific event. The attacks on science and cuts by the Trump administration have made us vulnerable in so many ways. Measles is on the rise. Don鈥檛 need that vaccine. Air traffic accidents and near misses because FAA staffing was cut. And now the 鈥渂ig beautiful bill鈥 will cut food assistance for needy families. Don鈥檛 pay attention to nutrition science and recommended food safety. Cut that too. 45 million for Donald鈥檚 parade. But no money for critical lifesaving services. What a country!
John Kautz
Midtown
鈥榃辞谤办补谤辞耻苍诲蝉鈥
In the July 5 Star, Mr. Rappaport鈥檚 letter says that people will find 鈥渨orkarounds鈥 for all the negatives in the 鈥渂ig beautiful bill.鈥 How do you find a workaround for not being able to get necessary, life-saving healthcare 鈥 just die? That鈥檚 some workaround!
Michael Price
Midtown
A sad day in America
The day before our country鈥檚 birthday, July 4, the President of the United States said, 鈥淚 hate Democrats, I really do.鈥 During the campaign, he continually referred to Democrats as 鈥渆nemies of the state.鈥 In 2017, A Trump supporter drove a car into a peaceful crowd, killing Heather Heyer. They attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, threatened to hang Pence and caused five deaths. Four Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses were gunned down recently, two of them were killed. Even here, in the Old Pueblo, my neighbors who had a Kamala Harris sign in their yard were harassed for months after the election, when Trump had won. We can only imagine the violence that would have occurred had he lost. In the letters section of the Star, Democrats have been called insane, mindless and prone to ranting. I cannot understand such hatred and vitriol simply because folks have a different world view or set of values. I fear for my country and am deeply saddened.
Anne Lane
Northeast side
My 蜜柚直播 bucket list
When I arrived in 蜜柚直播 in 1976 to head the local FBI office, I started a 鈥渂ucket list鈥 of places I wanted to experience. Now, nearly 50 years later and happily retired here, I鈥檓 proud to say I鈥檝e checked off every single one 鈥 some of them many times over!
Mission San Xavier del Bac, the 鈥淲hite Dove of the Desert,鈥 was at the top of my list, and I鈥檝e visited countless times.
Mount Lemmon quickly became another favorite escape, offering breathtaking views.
As a longtime Wildcat fan, the University of 蜜柚直播 campus was a must-see.
My passion for handball led me to join the 蜜柚直播 Athletic Club, and 蜜柚直播 is now home to the Handball Hall of Fame.
My background as a Naval Aviator made the Pima Air & Space Museum a fascinating destination. Finally, the 蜜柚直播 Rodeo completed my list, an event I鈥檝e enjoyed many times over the years.
At 88 years young, completing this lifelong list has been nothing short of a magnificent journey.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
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