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In response to the Feb. 12 column "An enormous dilemma."

The elephants should all go to a sanctuary and be able to live a normal life where they are not slaves for any one. The elephants should at least travel 50 miles a day and, when in a zoo, cannot do that.

Victoria Felix

Right-wing lapdog Jonah Goldberg smirks about various Democratic miscues in his Feb. 13 column "Demos keep shooting themselves in the foot." Fair enough, but let's check the Republican report card for the same period.

There's another Downing Street memo with further evidence of what we already know — George W. Bush planned to invade Iraq no matter what, then lie about it. We found out, contrary to his claims, that he was informed of the impending disaster in New Orleans well in advance.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby says he was instructed by his superiors, that would be Dick Cheney, to leak CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity. And it turns out Bush and one-man crime wave Jack Abramoff are well acquainted after all.

All pigs are corrupt, but Republican pigs are more corrupt than others. Goldberg might do well to focus on this right-wing cesspool before turning his venom left.

Daniel Hostetler

Woodworker/musician, Tucson

The Feb. 13 guest column "Tax cuts boost economy, despite disasters, oil price spikes" is a typical Bushian exercise in misrepresentation and tactical omission.

The column's main premise — that everything currently positive about our economy is attributable to George W. Bush's tax cuts — cannot be substantiated. Our economy is too large and complex for its condition to be traceable to one factor.

Second, John Munger claims those tax cuts were "distributed in roughly equal percentages among everyone paying taxes." That statement is patently false. The preponderance of the tax-cut benefits accrued to the ultra-rich.

Finally, Munger's rosy observations omit any mention of the fact that Bush also has foisted upon the American people a fraudulently begun, badly planned and horrendously expensive occupation of Iraq; created no sensible policy for dealing with the imminent financial crisis in Social Security and Medicare; and run up a staggeringly huge federal budget deficit.

Inevitably, the effects of these massive failures of leadership will descend upon American taxpayers like an avalanche.

Thomas Sanders

In response to the Feb. 13 guest column "Tax cuts boost economy, despite disasters, oil price spikes."

Bottom line is that the current tax cuts along with profligate spending have driven our country's deficit to more than $8 trillion. There isn't a spending bill that George W. Bush does not like.

The fiscal policy, or lack thereof, this administration and Congress is pursuing will be the ruin of our nation.

Bill Hoenig

Tucson

I am distressed at the vilification of Denmark over the printing of a cartoon in a Danish newspaper. My first reaction was, "Lighten up, it was just a cartoon."

However, there are far more serious issues to consider. There seems to be a mounting global disregard for the sanctity of the religious and political views of others.

Equally disturbing is the radicalization of not just the Muslim religion but our own religious conservatives. Historically, wars are fought for economic and religious reasons. It is frightening to recognize we live in a time when something as small and inconsequential as a cartoon could ignite a global war.

We desperately need a leader who will reintroduce courtesy, respect and cooperation in the United States and abroad, someone who will find common ground for unification rather than division and who exhibits a calm, wise and informed demeanor the rest of the world can respect.

Donna Rochester

I read recently that Social Security privatization provisions are included in the current Bush budget. Where is the publicity? Where is the outrage?

Marian Morton

In response to the Feb. 15 article "Cancer-fighting drug may get too expensive for most people."

So Genentech and Roche have decided they know what "the inherent value of life-sustaining therapies" are. Are we, as a society, so ready to allow our corporations to determine which of us should live or die? We already allow insurance companies to deny us benefits for therapies prescribed by our medical experts because of cost. How many of us will be able to come up with an extra $10,000 to $20,000 if we don't qualify for insurance or if our insurance company decides it won't pay for these treatments?

It is time to review the need for a nationwide health care policy for all citizens and for federal subsidies to make all medications available. Otherwise, the America we all love will soon be populated by only the very rich.

Richard Weeks