UA President Suresh Garimella
Garimella, say the right thing
What the University of Arizona community needs from Suresh Garimella is a straightforward statement that he opposes the U.S. president’s bullying and racist tactics.
UA President Garimella must do so as a person of color and as leader of a university with a highly diverse student body, including its designation as a “Hispanic-serving institution.”
Garimella said in response to the elite of the university’s faculty calling for him to stand up to the federal administration’s defunding threats that he must obey the law and protect federal and state funding for faculty and students.
He can do that while also declaring that he opposes racism and bullying and stands for diversity, academic freedom, freedom of speech and equality.
It can be his own “Have you no sense of decency?” moment, the challenge of lawyer Joseph Welch to Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy that brought an end to McCarthy’s communist-hunting hearings in 1954.
Michael A. Chihak
West side
U of A politics
The administration of the University of Arizona, unlike other universities in Arizona, has refused to provide any details of regarding letters from ICE to students telling them to self-deport or risk arrest. The new president refused to sign a letter to the Trump administration defending academic freedom. When asked by the MAGA leaders of the Arizona Legislature to jump, President Garimella said, “How high?” and sent them a letter agreeing to all their anti-academic freedom demands. I suggest that U of A change its name to Trump University.
James Gilbert
Green Valley
We want ice cream
In 1972, I took an elective course at the University of Arizona in “corrections”. This course was about incarcerated persons and the existing corrections system.
Today’s newspaper had an article about inmates getting college courses to help them reintegrate into society. How novel is this idea? Apparently, not very novel as we studied this very aspect when I took that course 53 years ago. I guess prison systems are slow to act and learn. Maybe they didn’t go to college.
Let me see, I have a population that cannot go outside and play when they are supposed to study. If they do not turn in their homework, they do not eat. After a few days, all homework is turned in. Get an “A” on a course, and you get ice cream. Anyone in the slammer for 4 years or more would have a college degree. College courses would be put on YouTube, and all inmates would have a degree in something.
Am I missing something?
Ed LeGendre
East side
Erasing culture
Regarding humanities cuts: That is the point, to erase our culture, to erase Navajo culture, to erase immigrant culture, to erase public service culture, to erase, to erase and ok, to erase. The point of Project 2025/Trump/one and the same is to do create a new America that is white, Christian (their form of Christianity) and ideologically opposed to anything opposed to that strategy.
So Kimi Eisele, your thoughtful Opinion is exactly why the culture you so beautifully describe is targeted. It is targeted because it is an obstacle to Project 2025/Trump’s ideological bleaching of anything and everything of the past.
There is no plan to make America great again. There is only a plan to seek vengeance and retribution on all of America that does not conform to Project 2025.
Rick Rappaport
Oro Valley
Incompetence or malice
The sacking of the American economy by a president, that’s incompetence. The mistaken deportation of Abrego Garcia, and the self-deportation letters issued to U.S Citizens, definitely incompetence.
Closer to home, I am concerned by the handling of Jose Hermosillo, a learning-disabled U.S. citizen who was held in custody for over a week. There are two conflicting accounts of how Hermosillo came into custody: one account states he was apprehended near Nogales, AZ, while another claims he voluntarily turned himself in and signed a confession, a highly irregular occurrence. When pressed further, the U.S. Attorney’s Office offered only information contained “in the public record,” raising serious questions.
The situation grows even more alarming when the prosecution, upon being presented a birth certificate, chose to delay action. Instead, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is content to showcase its weekly prosecution figures. History has shown that such practices conceal more than they reveal.
We are witnessing a troubling blend of bureaucratic incompetence and outright malice.
Edward Espinoza
Southwest side
Fair water rates
U.S. Census data shows Catalina Foothills’ household median income [2023] was $113,201, while Tucson’s was $54,546. Clearly, most county residents can easily pay water bills compared to Tucson residents. The fact that county households (having larger lots, often at higher elevations, with more pipes, pumps and power used in serving them) are more expensive to serve than city households is simple math.
So, is it fair for wealthier consumers to have less-wealthy consumers bear the burden of their higher costs of service? It is not.
Analysis of Tucson Water’s operations shows that it should charge a premium to non-owner, county customers, because City residents also bear the risks of ownership. The City of Phoenix has long charged non-city water users an extra 50%. Tucson’s analysis in support of differential out-of-city water rates seems far more reasonable, and justified.
W. Mark Day
East side
Guilty until proven innocent?
I’m reminded when Pima County Superior Courts summoned me for jury duty. In the courtroom the judge asked anyone who felt they could not be impartial, to stand. One woman stood — she was asked to explain. She said she didn’t believe in our system of justice because where she was from, one was presumed guilty until proven innocent. The judge asked where she was from? The woman was from Russia, in the U.S. legally as a student, and planned to work here after her studies. Ironically, despite her beliefs, she would be entitled to our due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Then there’s Kilmar Garcia. He is here legally, has work and family, no criminal conviction, and contributes to society. At what point did Kilmar lose his right to due process?
To the members of the coffee klatch who routinely contribute letters (Mr. Johnson, Mr. Hancock, Mr. McConnell), I ask; how do you square this for Kilmar?
Ernest Saccani
Foothills
Irony
Kilmar Abrego Garcia basically was kidnapped without due cause or due process and flown to El Salvador and put into an infamous prison. There have many accusations against Mr. Garcia, but no evidence brought forward of any criminal record. The administration admits that they made a mistake with Mr. Garcia, yet won’t bring him back because of “Trumped” up charges. The Constitution, the Supreme Court, the Rule of Law, due process all be damned.
The “Greatest Generation” fought and died to free the world from evil dictators. They must be rolling over in their graves, that after their sacrifices the U.S. would be ruled by a homegrown dictator. The irony is that an innocent man is imprisoned by a convicted felon who occupies the White House.
Fred DiNoto
Northwest side
Hopeful developments
Recent efforts to halt President Trump’s barrage on international and national issues give me a degree of hope. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 11 other states have filed a lawsuit claiming that Trump’s tariffs are illegal and harmful to local, national, and international interests. Restricting federal funds to sanctuary cities has been found unconstitutional in a California lawsuit. Trump’s efforts to restrict voting rights by requiring proof-of-citizenship have been halted in North Carolina, noting states and Congress have the constitutional right to legislate such changes. Defunding public schools with diversity, equity, and inclusion programming has been blocked in New Hampshire. I support these efforts and encourage ongoing challenges to Trump’s myopic, illegal, and hurtful agenda.
Roger Shanley
East side
Toothless Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s Trump immunity decision makes the ruling that the Trump administration facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia useless. John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito surrendered the court’s fundamental function of oversight of the executive branch. Their decision makes the Executive completely dominant over the court. The long-established separation of powers system of government is destroyed. What remains is an all-powerful omnipotent executive, dictator, king, strongman, etc. This is exactly what Washington and the other founding fathers feared. The amazing aspect of this tragedy is that these justices did this to themselves. It makes them as impotent as the Republican-led Congress.
Rick Klumpp
Oro Valley
Look it up
Recently, there were several LTE denigrating Fox News and chastising conservatives for getting their news from such a source. A simple check found this: Fox News is consistently the top-rated cable news network, and they have been No. 1 in cable news for 93 consecutive quarters. Wow. Perhaps thinking people prefer not to be lied to by the Democrats and their network shills. Like being told that Biden was sharp at a tack for the past four years, when anyone who bothered to look could see the mental decline. Or that the economy was booming, when in fact inflation was at a 40-year high? Even now, Democrats and the mainstream media try to defend positions that the majority find indefensible. Yet, they still can’t figure out why they lost while pointing fingers and calling the other side out of touch. Simply amazing.
Dan Rusciolelli
East side
Contacting the President
Frustrated by President Trump’s incompetent cabinet appointments, I tried calling his number on a Thursday morning at 10. I assumed I could leave a message and my opinion would be noted by someone.
I dialed the number listed for the president on the Internet. I was next instructed to enter the number ‘4’ for a directory. Each time I tried, I heard that the number ‘4’ was not a valid entry.
Next, I noticed directions stating that if number ‘4’ didn’t work, I should enter another number for an operator. I did this and was told there were no operators available. Do I no longer live in a democracy where my president cares about my opinions?
If so, I guess we do live in a plutocracy now. Rich people who care nothing about us now rule We the People. When will more Americans get smart and demand change?
April Hoffman
Oro Valley
Borderlands, Playformance important
Borderlands and Playformance are locally grown, successful businesses important to residents and families in Tucson. Rio Nuevo is supporting putting stress on them to help Peach Properties profit along with a large national corporation. With little notice of their displacement, even if these businesses find other locations we will lose them, most likely, as part of our downtown. Part of the their appeal to the Tucson community is that they are downtown and easily accessible to many people, with a pleasant outdoor space to enjoy right in the city. Amidst much downtown “revitalization” that has favored corporate interests, these two local establishments are worth protecting. Also we don’t need a comedy club from Live Nation. We already have our own local comedy clubs — Laffs, Tucson Improv, and Unscrewed.
Robert McLane
Downtown
Brother Trump’s traveling show
When voters thought prices were too high under Biden, they voted for some economic snake oil by a very slick snake oil salesman. Did it ever occur to them that if Biden could have magically brought prices down, like Trump promised to do on day one, he would have? Now, Trump is busy eliminating food safety inspections and firing the scientists working on bird flu, which has a very real chance of spreading to humans. What could possibly go wrong there? Come the midterm elections, Trump will probably try to sell the voters some other type of snake oil, which should work about as well as his tariffs and DOGE. Remember the old adage, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Mary Zimmerman
SaddleBrooke
Do DOGE in reverse
No, Donald, you can’t cancel Constitution culture.
On April 23, you said that due process wasn’t meant for undocumented migrants, that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t apply to them. “It wasn’t meant,” you said. “The system wasn’t meant. And we don’t think there’s anything that says that.”
Yes, Donald, there is — U.S. Supreme Court rulings. Here’s an example, from Matthews v. Diaz, 1976: “There are literally millions of aliens within the jurisdiction of the United States. The Fifth Amendment, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment, protects every one of these persons from deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”
Clear enough?
Yes, there is an awful backlog in processing immigration cases. There are more than 700 immigration hearing judges nationwide, but only 29 immigration appeals judges — a bottleneck of delay and denial.
Instead of cancelling the Constitution, why not hire more immigration judges? Do DOGE in reverse.
Instead of cancelling the Right, why not right the wrong?
Chuck Barrett
Midtown
Let’s get real
If any person enters the United States without proper authorization, they are breaking the laws of this nation. To enter illegally simply makes the entrant a criminal. Much ado has been made about the due process, rule of law, and a right to defend oneself. Each illegal entrant must appear before a judge and prove their entrance was legal. If that person cannot prove legal entry, the case is closed, no questions, no further delay, no further legal actions are called for. For the far-left devotees who argue that this is not a correct and legal action indicates that they are espousing the abandonment of democracy in this country. One cannot pick and choose what laws should be administered and still have a democracy as we currently know it. The real threat to democracy is these left-wing radicals who are willing to ignore the law, expose the public to unnecessary crime, and burden the taxpayers with the ongoing costs. The liberals are the cause for concern.
Loyal M Johnson Jr
Oro Valley
President impeached, removed from office
The President was impeached and removed from office within four months of his arrest. He faces charges of insurrection, which is punishable by life in prison or death. The High Court unanimously said that President Yoon Suk Yeol betrayed the trust of the country and must immediately be removed from office.
As a tourist visiting South Korea and experiencing recent protests and political turmoil in Korea, the April 4, 2025, decision was swift. Justice was not delayed. Where would we be today if our courts would have been swift in holding a convicted felon president insurrectionist to justice and consequences?
The world would not be facing recession, famine, and more wars from our wannabe king tyrant whose No. 1 goal is to enrich himself and his billionaire Cabinet and “techno bros.” We would not be faced with being a pariah in the world where our enemies mock us and our allies pity us.
When can we return to being the Light of Freedom, Democracy and Justice?
Rachel Rulmyr
Oro Valley
Military geniuses
On Feb. 21, Trump and Hegseth summarily fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff. No replacement has been named. Reliable sources tell me a decision has been made. Gilligan.
Weaver Barkman
Midtown
Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star.
