LIBYA

The cost of this conflict simply doesn’t add up

According to a recent ABC News article, the United States’ involvement in this Libya issue has cost U.S. taxpayers $896 million. That is not counting the $25 million the United States has promised in non-lethal aid (as opposed to the lethal kind) to the Libyan Transitional National Council. Now, if a person might have the mind, on a whim, at 1 a.m., to calculate the average cost necessary to get an unfortunate have-not motivated person a four-year college education, that person would find the cost to be roughly $15,000. And if that same person would calculate how many people we could have helped get a four-year college education with the money we just spent in Libya, he or she would find that number to be around 50,000 people. So, maybe the next time a bunch of people want to kill each other 6,200 miles away maybe we should just pay for some more math classes for, you know, us.

SHAUN SEVERSON, Boise

Let’s start rebuilding, at home and overseas

Job creation: Return the draft and, instead of the armed forces this time, utilize people to assist in rebuilding our country as well as other troubled areas throughout the world. We did enough damage, especially in Iraq, with “W” and his pre-emptive war that ultimately killed an estimated 100,000 innocent civilians — and they have Mubarak in a cage? Now we find ourselves in Libya and wondering if al-Qaida represents many of those rebels. Democracy at work once again.

LARRY POLSKY, Boise

INSURANCE EXCHANGE

Now here’s a no-brainer

“Last week, according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the state Department of Insurance chief and former legislator Bill Deal warned that a federal insurance exchange could put 2,500 insurance agents out of work.” (Statesman editorial, Aug. 28.) Talk about a no-brainer.

JAMES HOLDEN, Boise

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

Strengthen and improve schools before it is too late

I disagree with the Sacramento Bee’s view on No Child Left Behind goals (reprinted in the Aug. 14 Statesman). The goal is wrong for children, unless you think that multiple standardized test scores are the judge of quality educational outcomes. Ask kids, parents, teachers and employers. Many other indicators have been and are used to judge true quality.

Testing, and the focus on teaching to the test, narrowed what is taught and changed the way students think, or don’t.

Scores, achievement gaps, proficiency levels and gain are statistical indicators; they should never have been the educational goals. Back in the ’60s (for a summary, see supportingpubliceducation.yolasite.com) we acknowledged the gap without this gargantuan amount of testing. And we recognized that standardized tests better represent a child’s opportunity or access to quality.

The original goal of the original law was “to strengthen and improve educational quality and educational opportunities.” The title of the Bee’s article was “Are original goals being left behind?” Most definitely, years ago!

Tell Congress we are overdue for strengthening and improving the institution of public education — before it’s too late. Do the right thing; rewrite NCLB or revert to the original law, now.

RELIGION COLUMN

Focus on faith, not politics

Well, he’s up to his old tricks again. Dan Fink has misused his faith to promote a political agenda in his latest column (Aug. 20). Many years ago, during the George Bush era, Dan would rant on and on about how our country was being driven down the drain by blah, blah, blah. In recent years, many of his columns have been right in line within the purpose of religious articles: using the principles of one’s faith to advance the culture in which one lives. I would have thought that he learned his lesson, but I was wrong. Does Dan have the right to express his views? Sure, but don’t use your faith to do it. Shame on you, Dan Fink, for hijacking a faith-based column to promote your politics. It is an embarrassment to our community and the integrity of the Statesman.

NED SCARISBRICK, Boise

VICTORIA YOUNG, Caldwell

POSTAL SERVICE

Mailboxes don’t belong in the middle of a sidewalk

We are spending big bucks to get sidewalks put in. The wait is lengthy. When the sidewalk is put in, the post office sends out a letter wanting the mailbox in the middle of the sidewalk. Thus, you have to walk around the mailbox, and it’s impossible to ride a bicycle. These mailboxes are especially dangerous at night. The question is, what brain-dead idiot thought putting the mailboxes in the middle of the sidewalk was a good idea?

CARL G. ELLIS, Boise

GREYHOUNDS

Horse racing, the sport of kings, can stand on its own

In regard to the Aug. 22 letter about greyhound simulcasts, I agree with Mrs. McKean in that horse racing in this state doesn’t need to be riding on the backs of the greyhounds.

Greyhound racing in this country is just about finished. With groups such as Grey2K USA, which fights against the cruelty and the abuse these beautiful animals endure, greyhound racing will no longer exist. Then what will the horsemen do?

I would think that horse racing is a lucrative business and doesn’t need any help from abused animals. After all, it is the sport of kings, is it not?

Horsemen, stand united and on your own without contributing to animal abuse. Greyhound racing and simulcasting isn’t bringing in much money. After all, according to last year’s annual report, only $361,000 was brought in by year-round simulcasts. How much of that went to the horsemen’s group? Not much, I’m betting.

Let the sport of kings stand on its own and pull the greyhound simulcast signal. It’s not worth anything anymore.

DEBORAH HOPE, Nampa

COMEDY CLUB

Seriously, where can local comics hone their skills?

With my mother staying at a rehabilitation center for a cracked hip, I decided to bring out my old setlist and practice my comedy routine. Unlike most comics, I like to practice my routine in total privacy. I was hoping to audition for open mike night at the Funny Bone. To my chagrin, the phone number to the Funny Bone was disconnected. I assume the club went out of business.

To make matters worse, “Last Comic Standing” did not air this summer like it has on previous summers. Because of the economy, are parts of the nation suffering the same fate as Boise, Idaho, with no comedy club?

Where do our budding comics go to practice their craft on open mike Tuesday? Where do our established comics go to entertain us on Friday or Saturday nights? Is there another comedy club in Boise, Idaho? If so, where can I find it?

Another concern: I just received the new phone book, only to find the disconnected number for the Funny Bone was still listed. Doesn’t anyone comb through the book and remove the disconnected numbers? It makes one wonder how reliable our phone books are.

DAVID VALK, Boise