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Project Blue

“Balanced growth. A rising tide. Sustainable development.” We can’t risk the detriments to Tucson and Southern ����ֱ�� presented by this project — which seems to never go away. Susan Gray’s comments lend one to believe she is more than biased toward Project Blue. No Tucsonan and Southern ����ֱ�� lover would base support for a bad project on her grounds “creating jobs, protecting families, and building a stronger economy for generations to come,” at all costs. She doesn’t seem bound to the community in any way. Project Blue is anti-Tucson for anyone who loves The Old Pueblo. No water — no need for Project Blue. There is nothing sustainable in the project, it’s the “gift” that keeps on taking, not giving. Please make it go away. TEP is a subsidiary of the Canadian company Fortis Inc., and makes plenty of money. Beale is not local, and their job is to develop data centers nationally no matter what it takes, seemingly wheeling and dealing in secret.

Peter Bisschop

East side

Rome to Rambo?

Once, a military group called the Praetorian Guard protected the Roman Emperors, to whom the Guard pledged their loyalty.

The tale did not end well. The Guard did silly things like kill the emperors. The Guards were very powerful because everyone feared them.

Today, we may have the beginnings of our own Praetorian Guard. Could it be ICE?

ICE is military-like and seems to be built around people who have a loyalty to President Trump, because he, by the way, pays their $70,000/yr salaries, gives their families excellent healthcare, educates, feeds, and houses their children, and gives them $50,000 bonuses besides.

All one has to do for those goodies is enjoy looking like Rambo, run a block or two chasing a guy holding a sandwich, wear a mask, break windows, and like assault rifles. Being able to ride a horse helps.

But every fable has a moral: Trumpists, be careful what you wish for.

Peter Bakke

SaddleBrooke

Dems in disarray — again?

Democratic Party elites just love losing. And they’re doing it again!

Instead of embracing popular newcomers such as Zohran Mamdani and rising Gen Z candidates, the old guard is busy trashing them.

Let’s not forget when those decision-makers chose Hillary as our presidential candidate and prematurely canceled the California primary in 2016. Didn’t that work out well?

The old Democratic elite are part of our MAGA problem. With their knee-jerk adherence to outmoded neoliberalism and identity politics of the past, they continue to ignore the increasing economic needs of the rest of us. Voters and newer candidates already know this, but our leaders remain out of touch.

This time, let’s let our voters choose our leaders and not our party elders. Hog-tying our future with politically correct pronouns and “wokeness” isn’t going to cut it. We should follow the energy of our voters, not dictate from the top who should be allowed to run.

Sue Swenson

East side

Brainwashed

The United States of America is the only place on Planet Trump where poor people shun unions, free healthcare and free education because the rich tell them to.

I think we should rename Planet Earth to Planet Trump because that’s his true motive, to take over the world.

Who builds a $200 million ballroom and then leaves? He’s in it for the long haul even if he is on life support.

Terry Louck

East side

What color is free?

In 1955, I was 8 years old and attending third grade at Miles Elementary School in Tucson. One night, I heard my parents discussing the segregation of schools in the South. I didn’t understand why children whose skin color was different than mine had to go to separate schools. My mother tried to explain it so I could understand. She used the word “free.”

And then I asked my mother, “What color is free?”

She couldn’t answer me as she began to cry.

Now, 70 years later, I ask myself the same question. And I cry.

Karen Papagapitos

Northwest side

Voice of the people

The voice of the people has been duct-taped shut by Project Blue’s insistence to proceed with development. Some say that Tucson must be “business-friendly.” What about business being “community friendly”? There are two types of businesses: No. 1: A “fertilizer,” one that sets up in its community and prospers and contributes, beneficially, to the place it lives. No. 2: A “parasite” one that chooses a site, knowing full well that their existence puts extreme pressure on the people in the place they chose to locate. Project Blue is a data center that does not need to be near highways to transport its product. It just needs wires, and they can be strung anywhere to connect it to the world. How about anywhere along the Mississippi, near a Great Lake or anywhere in Canada? There are hundreds of places with more plentiful water access than Tucson.

Daniel Poryanda

Southeast side

What’s in the color of a shirt?

First, he summarily pardoned about 1,600 thugs convicted of attempting to overthrow our government. DT calls them patriots. Currently, there is discussion about compensating these traitors. Next, organize them with the new ICE recruits, provide uniforms (with the appropriate shirts) training and equipment necessary for a paramilitary group in service exclusively to DT. Watch what he does, not what he says.

Mussolini’s Blackshirts were an armed paramilitary wing of the Fascist Party, initially installed to counter opposing political groups but later became the weapon of choice using intimidation, violence, even murder against his own citizens.

Likewise, the Brownshirts played a similar and crucial role in Hitler’s rise to power using the same tactics as the Blackshirts. It’s not a stretch to think DT could structure his own dedicated paramilitary group. Watch what he does, not what he says. Do not allow this history to be repeated. Vote all his enablers out of Congress.

Ernest Saccani

Foothills

Crime dilemma

As crime in major cities is a significant controversy in today’s news, is there an answer? Brandon Johnson, the Chicago mayor, believes the way to reduce crime is to spend more Federal money, particularly on the elusive “affordable housing” issue. Other mayors seem to agree that more money on social programs will solve the rampant problem. As a contrast, the Washington, D.C. police force, with assistance from the National Guard, has made significant inroads into crime by deciding that crime is unacceptable and direct action will be taken to locate and hold criminals responsible. It seems like that the government officials in many major cities have unfolded the surrender flag, admitting that they do not have the political will to address the problem, are willing to forgive criminals instead of holding them responsible, and refusing to fund law enforcement adequately. Persons against aggressive crime mitigation must be Trump-hating, virtue-signaling Democrats that live in upscale, crime-free neighborhoods and don’t give a hoot about terrified regular citizens.

Loyal M. Johnson Jr.

Oro Valley

Asleep is good?

I have never understood why a political party would prefer to model itself as asleep rather than awake (“woke” in low-class jargon).

Delores Keahey

Southeast side