POWER
Underground lines could reduce outages
I have a question for you. I watched the news about the power outage earlier this month. We had high winds at our house, which caused the power to go off and on a good part of the evening. This meant no TV or computer as well as no cooking, heat/air conditioner, etc. We are lost without electricity.
Mountain Home and Twin Falls had more damage than Boise. Trees and power lines came down. In addition to being an inconvenience, it’s very costly. Lots of businesses are forced to shut down without any notification, causing their employees to sit idle. Others had to throw out food. Many businesses, like hospitals, have emergency generators to cover critical needs.
I think there’s a solution to this. Put power lines underground. Areas in this country that have done this have fewer power outages. Some may say we can’t afford it. Let’s look at the advantages: fewer lightning strikes to power lines, very little tree trimming, less damage to equipment, less down time for factories, etc. With the exception of hospitals, most places would not need generators. This will not eliminate all power outages, but I think it would help.
BRUCE C. BOYLES, Boise
PRISON
If you can’t do the time, don’t commit the crime
Enough. When are people going to hold themselves accountable for their own actions and quit blaming (insert problem here) for their woes? Lisa Bennett writes in (letters, June 14) detailing her son’s medical issues while incarcerated in the Idaho state prison system. She feels her son is not receiving proper or immediate care at the prison. I have a solution for her son. Stop committing crimes and you won’t be in prison!
She then writes that her son is on call 24/7 for his prison job that pays 30 cents per hour. Don’t like the wages? Stop committing crimes and you won’t be in prison!
She continues saying that he cannot receive baked goods or lie out in the sun. Stop committing crimes!
Oh, she doesn’t complain about him getting to take college courses at taxpayers’ expense. Nice. It’s great when her son receives good “perks,” but if it doesn’t accommodate her son, then someone else is to blame.
JOSEPH DEFRUSCIO, deputy marshal, Boise
PROPERTY TAX
Eliminating business tax carries big consequences
Dan Popkey’s recent personal property tax story omitted significant information. He didn’t mention that personal property tax will be eliminated for 90 percent of Idaho businesses with a law already enacted. It exempts the first $100,000 of taxable value, and would go into effect by 2014 or 2015.
Eliminating the entire tax, as advocated by the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, would shift up to $124 million in taxes to other taxpayers. This would be in addition to the $75 million shift from business property taxes to the sales tax in 2006 with elimination of the $3 per $1,000 basic school levy. Total property taxes for business, industrial and utility property would be cut another 40 percent. Utilities would be big winners with a 68 percent cut, or $39 million.
Eliminating the personal property tax would mean continued inadequate support of public schools and more school overrides. Restoring the $140 million cut from the state school appropriation in the last three years should have a higher priority.
KEN ROBISON, Boise
