Mary Zimmerman
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Articles by Mary Zimmerman
Letter: The Election Expert
Trump cheats on all his wives, stiffs contractors, cheats at golf and his taxes, and pretty much everything else. He is a habitual liar who uses the United States Treasury as his personal ATM. This is the man who suddenly is an expert on election integrity. Election fraud never existed before he came along, and does not exist now. It seems that if you can't sway voters by your policies and performance, you have to try and control elections.
Letter: The Dear Leader Doesn't Care
I had an interesting experience the other week. I never realized my Subaru Outback could take $65 worth of gas. I couldn't help but think about those people on a tight budget who have decide between groceries and gas. So far we have paid over 40 billion extra dollars in fuel costs. Meanwhile, Trump is standing in front of has golden ballroom project telling us he doesn't care about American's financial situations. He doesn't care about anyone.
Letter: Where's Juan?
Since those giant Juan Ciscomani signs are popping up at every intersection, I guess it's safe to assume he's still somewhere in Arizona. You would never know it when you try to get a response from his office, other than a form letter about how he's fighting for all of us. He's MIA. Have we seen him at a town hall? MIA. Has he been out soliciting our opinion about his rather dubious pro-Trump voting record? MIA. I think it's time the voters of this state make sure he is MIA in the halls of Congress.
Letter: This rings true today
I recently found a quote from H. L. Mencken that is more apt today than it was many years ago. "As democracy is perfected the office of the president represents more and more closely the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." Mary Zimmerman SaddleBrooke Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Metamorphosis
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Letter: The art of the deal
Trump likes to tout himself as a savvy deal maker. This is how it's done. First, you create a crisis like threatening to invade Greenland and slapping illegal tariffs on our European allies. This in turn tanks the stock market. There is push back all around, both domestically and abroad, so you announce you have a "concept of a framework of a deal" and you won't invade Greenland. Details to follow. Crisis is averted and you pat yourself on the back for avoiding the crisis.
Letter: The "I didn't vote for this" blues
We're hearing a lot "I didn't vote for this" from Trump voters. Actually, this is exactly what they voted for, and given the chance, they would probably vote for him again. When you get wrapped up in culture war issues to the point where you vote against your own interests, nothing good can come out of it. Although issues like gay rights, black lives matter, and a woman's right to choose do not affect their lives in the least, they somehow feel put upon.
The University of Iowa
Written by Mary Zimmerman Adapted from The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts Gaius Valerius Flaccus Translated by David R. Slavitt Apollonius Rhodius Translated by Peter Green Directed by Josh Turner Sing in us, Muse, the story of Jason and his Argonauts, how he was sent away on the first voyage of the world to bring back the Golden Fleece.
Letter: Trump and the media
Trump is in his garish Oval Office complaining that 97 percent of the media is against him. He thinks the problem is the media. There never was a man so totally incapable of introspection. What ever happened to his defense of free speech? The voters who elected a criminal should not be surprised that we now have a fascist bully in the White House. Mary Zimmerman SaddleBrooke Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. Video Player is loading.
Letter: A lot of people did not pay attention
In the words of the great Maya Angelou, "when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." Apparently, a lot of voters forgot the over 30,000 lies told during Trump's first term. Then there was the mishandling of the Covid crisis resulting in over a million deaths and rampant inflation. January 6th should have been a real wake-up call but was overlooked.
Letter: Do You See What Trump Really Is?
To all the people who voted for Trump, is this really what you wanted? Have you figured out that all that bluster about not touching Medicare and about releasing the Epstein files was just that - bluster? He stood there and said, "I love the uneducated," and you cheered. He said, "I don't care about you. I just want your vote." You cheered. Now he said that you are stupid and foolish, and he doesn't need your support.
Letter: The Meanness and Cruelty Should be Apparent by Now
The meanness and cruelty of Trump's big ugly bill, and the Republican support for it should be obvious. Republicans in Congress do not represent their constituents. For some unknown reason, they only follow Trump. Somehow, helping the disabled, the elderly, and the poor is waste, fraud, and abuse. Republicans have no trouble harming the folks who have very little power.
Letter: Who Matters to Republicans
Dr. Oz, the man in charge of Medicare and Medicaid, defends the major cuts to these programs by saying the work requirements give people a chance "to prove they matter." Apparently, you only have value if you are working a meaningless job, if indeed, you can get one at all. It ignores the reality that most recipients who can work, do. There seem to be no strings attached to the billionaires looking forward to their tax cuts. After all, in Trump world, they mater.
Letter: Another Trump projection
Trump, like all narcissists, is a master at projection. He accuses anyone he doesn't like or he feels has slighted him, of all his own worst faults. He has always been fixated on Joe Biden ever since Biden defeated him in the 2020 election. His latest projection is that Biden was not in charge during his administration due to cognitive issues. If you have ever listened to one of Trump's rambling, incoherent, and nonsensical diatribes, you can certainly sense that there are mental issues at work.
Letter: Where the fraud, waste, and abuse really is
If the Republicans want to end government fraud and abuse they should start in the Oval Office. Trump just pardoned Scott Jenkins, a Virginia sheriff who took bribes during his campaign. Ed Martin, Trump's Pardon Attorney, rejoiced that "no MAGA left behind." Paul Walczak, who siphoned off $10.9 million of his employees' payroll taxes, was just given a get out of jail free card after his mother paid $1 million to attend a fund raising dinner at Mar A Lago.
Letter: Don't accept this as normal
Authoritarianism doesn't need to shock you. It just needs to have you accept it as normal. Trump talks about suspending habeas corpus and due process. A mayor gets arrested for protesting and people are snatched on sidewalks for exercising their 1st Amendment rights by masked men with no identification. Government employees and programs are axed with no justification. The dear leader wants a multimillion-dollar military parade on his birthday. We can't just shrug and go about our business.
Letter: Will we be able to overcome this?
Almost half the voters thought, Hey, I like a guy who lies all the time, tries to overthrow the country, has felony convictions, is guilty of sexual assault, filed bankruptcy 6 times, and never takes responsibility for anything. I want 4 more years of this!! Sadly, Joe Biden worked as hard as he could to make the country a better place, especially after the mess he inherited from the first Trump term. Trump swoops in and in 100 days does everything possible ruin what was accomplished.
Letter: You can't keep blaming Biden
Trump lives in his own reality. He's still blaming Biden for the absolute chaos his inept tariff policy has created. You only have to look at the numbers, and unlike Trump, numbers don't lie. The Dow closed at 44,544.66 on January 1, 2025. On April 30, it closed at 40,945.59. Under President Biden, the United States economy grew 5.3%. Under Trump, it's down 3%. Business leaders are warning of empty store shelves, and a dismal Christmas while Trump tells us we have to take our medicine.
Letter: 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?
Letter: Sleepy Joe
Once upon a time we had a President the Republicans liked to deride as "Sleepy Joe." Maybe that was a good name after all since I could sleep at night knowing our economy was in safe hands with steady growth. United States citizens of Hispanic heritage could feel safe from being thrown in jail for no reason and accused of being unauthorized aliens. Federal employees could go about their daily tasks free from worry that some fool with a chain saw was going to fire them for no reason.
Letter: The Germans of the 1930s didn't speak out either
Trump and Musk came for the Hispanics. I didn't speak out since I'm not Hispanic. They came for federal employees. I said nothing since I'm not a federal employee. The came for the LGBTQ community. I didn't speak since I'm not part of those groups. They came after journalists and newscasters. I'm not part of the media so I didn't protest. They came after teachers and universities. I'm not an educator, so I didn't speak out. They came after attorneys and judges.
Letter: Republican Time Warp
Republicans have created their own time warp and totally ceded the power of Congress to Trump. In order for Trump to impose his insane tariffs, he declared a National Economic Emergency. This emergency can be ended by a vote of Congress within 15 days of the vote being proposed. Democrats called for a vote and the Republicans changed the calendar. From now and to the end of the 119th Congress, the remaining months shall be counted as one day.
Letter: Musk should give it a try
Recently, the world's richest man and de facto POTUS, Elon Musk, called Social Security a Ponzi scheme. The average monthly benefit is $1,783.55. As he eagerly awaits his tax cut, I would suggest that he would try to live on that amount of money for a few months. A lot of people do just that. Mary Zimmerman SaddleBrooke Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. Video Player is loading. Current Time 0:00 Duration 0:53 Remaining Time -0:53 Beginning of dialog window.
Letter: Trump should be ashamed
The treatment of President Zelenskyy at the hands of Trump and Vance, two narcissistic bullies, was truly appalling. Trump thought he was looking tough and in charge, when in fact, he showed just how incompetent and weak he is. If you have to bully to get your way, you are not in a position of strength. Every American should be ashamed, especially those who voted for this mess. Our only hope is this country and the Constitution can hold until the midterms.
Letter: This is how a coup starts
This past Tuesday, after golfing all morning, Trump signed another executive order stating that only he or his Attorney General can say what the law is. He obviously never heard of the separation of powers where the Judicial Branch interprets what the laws and the Constitution of the United States says.
Letter: This is how a coup starts
This past Tuesday, after golfing all morning, Trump signed another executive order stating that only he or his Attorney General can say what the law is. He obviously never heard of the separation of powers where the Judicial Branch interprets what the laws and the Constitution of the United States says.
Letter: What didn't they understand?
It's interesting hearing Trump supporters expressing remorse about voting for him. The usual excuse is, "I didn't think he would actually do that," as he takes a wrecking ball to our safety and prosperity. They forgot the incompetence and corruption of his first term, and they certainly forgot the attempted coup of January 6. Those bureaucrats that Trump and Musk are gleefully firing are the people who make sure Social Security checks go out on time and pay our Medicare claims.
Letter: Could there be a conflict of interest?
Trump and his minion, Elon Musk, want to dismantle the Department of Education. Think of the money that can be saved by denying hungry children school lunch. The surplus wheat and soybeans of midwestern farmers will no longer be bought by the Government for foreign aid. I assume that this is what red-state farmers wanted. Then there is the idea of taxing scholarship money. Making it harder for low-income students to attend college is a great idea since Trump said he loves the uneducated.
Letter: Who Is To Blame?
Donald Trump fires the Federal Aviation Administration Director, orders a freeze on air traffic control hiring, disbands the Aviation Safety Advisory Committee, and wants the retirement of most Civil Service air traffic control employees. He creates chaos in aviation safety, but when the worst happens, it's the fault of DEI, the Democrats, or the LGBTQ community. He talks about hiring qualified people when his Cabinet picks are literal clown college. How long can the MAGA cult keep defending him?
Letter: Is this what you wanted?
What exactly did Trump voters want or expect? If it was cheap eggs and gasoline, that didn't work out. Trump now has said inflation is not a concern, and after trashing the economy during the campaign, he thinks it's great. How about freezing federal funding? I guess things like airport safety, Medicare payments to states, disaster relief, school lunch programs, child care, and cancer research are not a priority. Does gutting the Civil Service workforce sound like a good idea?
Letter: A man of God?
It was quite a moment when the Bishop of Washington DC stood at the pulpit, looked Donald Trump in the eye, and reminded him of the teachings of Jesus. We have been told by his followers that he is a man of God sent to save America. This Bible salesman could only squirm in his seat and become angry. All he could do after the service, in his usual pathetic style, was criticize that soft-spoken woman and the message he and a lot of his "Christian" followers need to hear.
Letter: The Party of Law and Order
It comes as no surprise Trump pardoned his fellow conspirators in the January attempt to overturn an election. The Republican Party is now the party of ex-cons, wife cheaters, tax dodgers, and alternative facts. All of this brought to you by the convicted felon in chief. It's strange how you Republican voters want to build a wall to keep immigrants out of the country but have no problem with the leader of the Proud Boys and his fellow seditionists walking the streets.
Letter: Useless in a crisis
Donald Trump likes to think of himself as a powerful leader and a man of action. In regard to the horrible fires in Los Angles, all he has done is criticize and call elected leaders childish names. It is not in his nature or ability to say a simple, "How can I help?" At the very least, this man, who tells us how rich he is, could write a large check to help the victims of the fires. He has no clue how to respond with decisiveness and empathy to any kind of crisis.
Letter: Two very different men
It is more than a little ironic that Martin Luther King Day and Inauguration Day fall on the same date. On a day when we honor a man who fought for social justice, voting rights, and a better life for all, we will be swearing in the 47th President who believes in none of these things. When Trump puts his hand on the Bible (hopefully, not a $59.95 Trump Bible printed in China) and swears to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, we better hold him to it.
Letter: You expected something different?
The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. Did Trump voters expect something different this time around? Trump is still what he has always been, namely mean, small, ignorant, petty, and self-serving. Look at the unqualified sycophants he is putting in his administration. His plans for revenge against his perceived enemies and the media are truly frightening. Take a look at his plans for Social Security and Medicare.
Letter: Those pesky grocery prices
Trump campaigned on bringing grocery prices down on "day one." Apparently he's had a come to Jesus moment and now says it will be hard. It's going to be even harder when he imposes a 25% tariff on Mexico, which supplies 69% of fresh veggies and 51% of our fruit. It will also get harder when he deports the majority of our agricultural workers and those who take the awful jobs of working in the meat packing industry.
A Case for Compassion — The Heights
This morning, I started to write a radically different article. After a painful U.S. election, I wanted to issue a call to action and a plea for hope in the face of what seemed like utter hopelessness. The first paragraph quoted Emma Lazarus and the second lamented Arizona’s passage of Proposition 314. Frustration poured onto the page. Then I got an email. My friend died this afternoon. The world had seemed so loud for the past 24 hours, and everything suddenly went quiet. I couldn’t breathe.
Arizona opinion: Making the case for compassion
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: This morning, I started to write a radically different article. After a painful U.S. election, I wanted to issue a call to action and a plea for hope in the face of what seemed like utter hopelessness. The first paragraph quoted Emma Lazarus and the second lamented the passage of Proposition 314. Frustration poured onto the page. Then I got an email. My friend died this afternoon.
Letter: How It happened
In 1945 when the German people were picking up the pieces of their country, both literally and figuratively, I'm sure they asked themselves the question of how was this allowed to happen. We may be asking ourselves the same question four years from now. Unfortunately, the answer is simple. So many of us blindly allowed it to happen without a thought of the consequences. Mary Zimmerman SaddleBrooke Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. Video Player is loading.
Letter: A very dark vision for America
When people like Trump talk, listen to them, for they will tell exactly who they are. It can't be a coincidence that Trump's rally in New York was held at the same place as a 1939 American Nazi Party rally. Do you want a country where people are denigrated because of their ethnicity? Where Kamala Harris is called stupid and accused of having pimp handlers and her husband is called a bad Jew?
Letter: History's lessons
Winston Churchill told us that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That seems to be the case with Trump supporters. He talks about poisoning the blood of America, rounding up people and putting them in camps, and using the military against citizens exercising their right to free speech. It seems we heard this before in the 1930s. When a Trump supporter tells you he likes Trump's policies, it's really code for he hates the people I hate.
Letter: There goes the neighborhood
I just returned from a month in Europe where people are terrified at the idea of another Trump term and found new Trump signs in SaddleBrooke. This tells me all I need to know about these people. They haven't read Project 2025, and if they have, democracy means nothing to them. They really don't care about those grandchildren they are always talking about since destroying the environment is fine with them for that all-important cheap gasoline.
Letter: What Does Trump Offer Us
I look at the Trump signs and flags in Saddlebrooke, and wonder how generally affluent and educated voters can support that man. I guess mass deportations that in his words, "will be bloody," unleashing the military on our citizens, jailing those who disagree with him, replacing civil servants with sycophants, and dismantling a free press are all appealing to his supporters.
Letter: Is Trump Better for the Economy?
I can't understand why voters think that Trump, a man with 6 bankruptcies, fraudulent charity and businesses, a scam university, and an increase in the deficit during his administration would be better for the economy. Then there is his obsession with tariffs. He obviously slept through Economics 101. Consumers pay the price of the tariff through an increase in the prices of the goods. It amounts to a national sales tax.
Letter: It's Tough Being a Republican
Even though I'm childless, I care about the welfare of children, and I might mention to JD Vance that being childless does not make me a sociopath. I care about Black lives even though I'm white. I care about transgender people although I'm not transgender. I care about immigrants even though I was born in this country. It's tough being a Republican and being able to understand the concepts of sympathy for the concerns of others and empathy for our fellow citizens.
Letter: Same old Shtick
When are Republican voters going to tire of the same old shtick their candidates keep feeding them? As I recall, Obama was going to take away your guns, and then it was Biden who would take them away. Guess whos going to do it now says the man in the bullet proof glass box? As I recall, if Biden was elected we would have the worst recession that "anyone has ever seen." Now it's Kamala Harris who is going to bring on this calamity.
Letter: This Is Where the Money Goes
$18,000 a month is paid to Melania Trump's personal stylist from Donald's Save America PAC. Trump, who has reminded us all that he is "very rich," begs for his followers to send any amount of money they can. So, to all of you MAGA folks, don't complain about grocery or gas prices. You obviously have money to throw away for important items like a personal stylist. Mary Zimmerman SaddleBrooke Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. Video Player is loading.
Letter: If You Worry the Democrats Made a Bad Choic
There has been a lot of angst over the Democrats possibly making a bad choice for a Presidential nominee. However, Democrats are not the party that offers a candidate whose fake charity and fake university ended up being shut down. This same candidate has a business that has been found guilty on multiple fraud counts and whose CFO is in jail.
Letter: Mouthy Women Speak Out in November
Royce White, a Republican who is running to unseat Amy Klobucher in Minnesota, told Steve Bannon that women have become "too mouthy." I assume that is like saying he, as a black man, has become "too upity." Hopefully, women voters will remember Roe, the strong arm tactics of the GOP, and the fact that the Republicans have no problem with a convicted felon in the White House. Lets really get mouthy and let them know what we think come election time.
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