SCHOOL AIDES

Temporary employees cannot last forever

The headline says, “North Idaho school district to lay off aides.” I don’t know who coined the phrase, “When is a job not really a job?” but this is it. School districts that accept federal short-term (two-year) education funds, and then lament the loss of the jobs, don’t get it. These are not permanent jobs, they are temporary jobs. What about the two-year part do they not understand? These are part of the millions of jobs that Obama claims to have created. They are not real jobs, they are only temporary, just like Mr. Obama’s job; it is only temporary. The sooner the federal government quits printing phony money and trying to lay the cost of these programs off on state and local governments the better, maybe School District 171 as well as other districts will learn a lesson. Don’t whine when the money runs out.

WAYNE CRAWFORD, Boise

Student assistants deserve better treatment

My daughter has been teaching for 19 years as a classified special education instructional assistant. She has been told over the years from many students and parents that if it had not been for her constant help, support and extra encouragement for the children, they would not have finished school and dropped out. My question to you is: When the teachers’ pay for performance starts, what happens to the instructional assistants? Are they included in the extra pay? How are they evaluated for their work? Let me assure you, most of them work very hard and the credit would go to the teachers, because the students would pass the class. I am pretty sure I will not get a reply to my letter, but I think somehow the assistants should also be taken into consideration.

ERIKA JUNGER, Mountain Home

IDAHO 21

Fish and Game misses mark with deer claim

The claim by Idaho Fish and Game that the underpass on Idaho 21 is responsible for fewer deer kills this year is indefensible. The reason was less snow. Most of the deer don’t get killed there anyway.

Maybe after a normal snow year Fish and Game can claim otherwise, but not based on this year.

All it did for us this year (we live there and pass it multiple times per day) is cause us to stop because a herd of deer was caught between the fences. One put her head down and ran into the side of our stopped 4Runner.

The installation is a blight on the local environment. They should at least have used green or brown fencing and installed it professionally. It looks like a third-world prison’s wiring. My heart aches every time I drive through it.

LARRY LEACH, Boise

INL

Credit is undeserved

I just finished reading Jared Fuhriman’s Reader’s View of June 13 about all the great things the Idaho National Laboratory is doing for our economy and the role of the governor’s LINE Commission. What a great thing. What a great LINE. So when Mr. Fuhriman and Mr. Otter bury some nuclear waste in their children’s backyard, give me a call and I’ll go along with their plans.

ERROL WATERS, Boise