Letters to the Editor

DISCRIMINATION

We're still far from fulfilling King's dream

I recently was in one of our local grocery stores and saw an advertisement for a scholarship competition. Upon reading the advertisement, I was offended and angered by the rules for the scholarship. You have to be African-American to apply. My wife is of Latin descent, and she too was offended. It offends me because if there was a company who put out a scholarship just for white students, the ACLU and the NAACP would be in court within a week. Where are these organizations when the discrimination goes the other way?

When President Obama was inaugurated, everyone on television was talking about the fulfillment of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. We are still very far from that dream. While there are scholarships that are only for specific minorities and lawsuits if there is one for white students, his dream is still a long way off. I want that dream fulfilled, too, but until everyone stops calling attention to the color of their skin, we will never reach the dream.

Prejudice is prejudice, discrimination is discrimination, and racism is racism. We can end it, but we all have to end it, not just people who look like me.

JOSHUA BLESSINGER, Boise

SCHOOL BULLIES

Changing schools was the right choice for us

Male educators should learn how girls bully. Feeling good about making someone feel bad is a form of bullying. Our daughter was persistently targeted by a group of girls who wanted to push her out. The principal assured her that they would lose interest if she would ignore them. The abuse escalated. While she played alone, three girls assaulted her and tried to throw her down. We became concerned about her safety and sought legal advice.

When I told a former teacher of our decision to transfer her, she said, "It's the best thing you ever did for her. ... I didn't agree with the way problems with the girls were handled."

During her senior year, she received solicitation letters from MIT and West Point. Her counselor considered her to be a promising candidate for Harvard. Wellesley College was her choice. The faculty there called her their "teacher extraordinaire" and urged her to return to teach at Wellesley.

When asked if she regretted transferring in fifth grade, she said, "Had I stayed at that school, I would never have had the confidence to do anything."

Seemingly innocuous bullying can affect a child profoundly.

CATHERINE AND JOHN MUTCH, Boise

TAX LAWS

Be careful if you liquidate your IRA

With stocks plunging way down, you may be thinking of liquidating your IRA before you find yourself with almost nothing left in it for your retirement.

After seeing mine plunge quite a bit, I liquidated and put the whole think into a money market, which at least gives you some interest. My big mistake was discovered too late. The law requires you to put that money from your IRA into another IRA (IRA/CD or Money Market IRA, etc.) within 60 days, or you will be taxed on it and pay a penalty.

My biggest mistake was not having the taxes taken out when I liquidated, and that cost me a large amount. It also put me into a higher tax bracket - double whammy!

Don't let this happen to you. If you do liquidate your IRA, make sure that you find out what the tax laws are or it could cost you big time. I know.

JERRY COHEN, Boise

GALENA TOWER

Clash over cell tower is a key moment for Idaho

The Galena tower debate has come to stand for more than a mere cell tower. The disruptive battle has mired on longer than most wars and even picked up certain mythic qualities. Some of the healthiest dialogue offered has come from spokespersons for and against the tower, who occasionally contradict themselves in funny papers and public meetings.

While some who claim they are indigenous Idahoans say they prefer living in the Flintstone ages versus the digital, we should examine the motives of those speaking against the tower, as several hold animosity against former associates or competitors from other fields who could benefit by better communications.

Whatever the outcome, people will discuss the results of this Dark Age communications clash for decades. Astute Idaho historians should include this chapter in state history textbooks so our grandchildren may gain clearer perspectives than we have.

Even if efforts to install the potentially lifesaving tower are defeated, to complement our history books ITD should install a historical sign at Galena to commemorate the epic battle over the toppled tower. To appease earth-muffins and virgin snow-sprites, they could mount it smack-dab next to the new landline phone, to take up less sacred SNRA space.

JIM BANHOLZER, Ketchum

ENVIRONMENT

Simplot operation is poisoning Smoky Canyon

Say this much for the J.R. Simplot Co.: When they promise change, they deliver.

To secure approval for expanding its Smoky Canyon phosphate mine in southeast Idaho, Simplot promised "immediate results" from cleaning up deadly selenium contamination in area streams and springs. And then to win an injunction in a Boise court, company officials promised magistrate Mikel Williams - with straight faces - that cleanup of these Superfund sites had met state and federal water-quality standards.

Here's the reality, ironically in Simplot's own findings: Selenium poisoning at Smoky Canyon has actually skyrocketed. Contamination in Pole Canyon is 1,000 times higher than Idaho's water-quality standards, Hoopes Springs has seen the toxins double to seven times the state maximums, and the poisoning of Sage Creek - which was already exceeding the standard - has increased 27 percent.

Selenium contamination already has killed more than 600 head of livestock, reduced area native cutthroat trout populations by 90 percent and threatened our drinking water. Now Simplot wants to expand into new territory, and they are again making promises to clean up the inevitable poisoning from this new mining.

Tell me - is that change you'd believe in?

PETE RIEDE, Afton, Wyo.