ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Boise ordinanceis anti-freedom
The City of Boise’s proposed anti-discrimination ordinance can make it illegal to make business and commerce decisions in the City of Boise in keeping with one’s personal moral beliefs. Current state and federal anti-discrimination polices cover race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, and/or disability. Boise City Council’s proposed document does not list religion as protected (why?). The city is proposing special protection for sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. If this ordinance passes, businesses, landlords and many others, will be at risk of fines and/or jail if they are accused of discrimination against someone in this special category while doing business or offering services. This ordinance even prevents nursery schools, day care centers, or children’s camps from using discretion in their hiring. Where is the end of such an abyss?
This ordinance proposes special protection based on personal lifestyle behavioral choices which is way different than the color of our skin. They say you cannot legislate morality, well, should we legislate against morality?
Please petition the Boise City Council to not pass this anti-freedom ordinance.
The second reading of this ordinance is Nov. 27 and the final reading Dec. 4.
Thank you and God bless.
JOHN SEALE, Caldwell
IDAHO POWER
Trust is essential
Idaho Power is disappointed to learn of John Weber’s dim view of our company (Letters, Nov. 6), especially as someone who’s participated on our long-range planning council, and contributed to both our inaugural sustainability report and blog. We sincerely hope we can again find common ground.
Idaho Power spends considerable time and money determining how best to integrate wind and other renewable energy sources. Mr. Weber is aware of our ongoing Wind Integration Study, which is available on our website.
The Langley Gulch power plant was subjected to rigorous public review before the Idaho PUC deemed it necessary and prudent. Mr. Weber is aware that one of Langley’s primary assets is that it can be ramped up or down quickly to better integrate intermittent wind energy. Langley also provided significant generation during record summer demand, while wind energy was negligible.
Regarding the July 1 increase, we issued a news release and bill insert upon filing with the PUC. The PUC issued a release on approval, and we don’t duplicate their efforts.
We’re committed — and obligated — to provide safe, fair-priced, reliable energy. Our customers’ trust is essential and we endeavor to operate with complete transparency.
BILL SHAWVER, Idaho Power director of corporate communications, Boise
BUDGET
Change priorities;rebuild America
We are faced with a national budget shortfall. Perhaps this is a good time to evaluate our priorities. History tells us that empires almost always collapse from within when the costs of empire building overwhelm them. I suggest that we begin to pare back our offense department (we call it defense for some odd reason).
We have much to do right here, right now. The money could be spent much more wisely by creating a real rapid train system, rebuilding our highways, and improving our school system. We have about 500 military bases scattered around the world. Wake up, folks! The Cold War has gone dead and cold. Long, long ago.
TOM EDGAR, Boise
FEDERAL DEFICIT
New ‘forward’moves us backward
Let me see if I get this right. The president wants to increases taxes to raise an additional $1.6 trillion over the next 10 years. The October federal deficit (more spent than taken in) was $120 billion. At that rate, we will spend the additional tax revenue, that will take 10 years to raise, in the next 13 months. This is what the new “Forward” looks like?
JIM MCKENNA, Meridian
TAXES
Norquist supportersare anti-American
Grover Norquist, the super PAC president with the custom-made suits, and the 275 congressmen who signed his “No Tax” pledge should be investigated for subversion, if not treason, for attempts to undermine and destroy the U.S. government.
Paying a little more tax on my over-$75,000 income is in my self interest. I am sick and tired of rotting bridges, potholed highways and crappy electrical infrastructure. Heck, the savings in car repairs and tires would offset the tax increase, and we’d all be safer and happier.
DALLAS BAIRD, Boise
DECLO TEACHER
Disgraceful episode
Regarding the Declo school “teacher” Summer Larson.
The Statesman editors should have put this article on the front page, with a full figure photo of S. Larson who told some of the students to deface and embarrass some students who didn’t perform as well as or as quickly. And it would also be appropriate to exhibit photos of the bullying students who participated in this disgraceful episode.
She should be thankful that no relative of mine or of my friends were in her classroom. Has “teacher” Summer Larson been fired yet?
DICK LEE, Boise
CLIMATE CHANGE
Global warmingdoesn’t hold up
Global warming alarmists are at it again this week (Lewis Smith, Nov. 15), citing “expert” special interest groups to back their claims regarding Sandy; however, legitimate scientists do not agree the hurricane was caused by global warming.
A recent report quietly released from the Met office shows the earth warmed from 1980 to 1996. From 1997 thru August 2012, there has been no discernible rise in global temperatures from data compiled at more than 3,000 measuring points around the world. Whether a pause in warming or the end of a trend will take years to determine, but scientists with the Met didn’t predict it would stall like this. If you remember, in the 1970s, scientists were alarmed by global cooling and were predicting another ice age. The earth cyclically warms or cools throughout its millions of years in existence, and there is no concrete evidence that it is rising significantly due to man-made carbon emissions.
Climate predictions based on computer modeling prove inaccurate again and again. Yet, we have spent billions, with plans to spend billions more (cap and trade) with money that is needed to address immediate needs in our country and our world like hunger, poverty and job growth.
INEZ HARTWELL, Boise
REGULATIONS
Qualifying for jobis a job in itself
Idaho has set forth a framework that promotes monopolies, limits small companies, and costs Idahoans more tax dollars by creating a noncompetitive marketplace.
This overregulation is in the public works department. In the state of Idaho to work on commercial and residential private jobs, you have to be licensed and insured. Completely understandable. To work on public works jobs, however, is different. You have to have an additional license, which is useless, and qualify financially. To qualify for these levels is not hard if you want to sweep streets and do sidewalks. If you want to actually build something, you can’t. My references say I can and have in the past, but I don’t qualify.
Example: Look up all state work above $10 million and tell me how many companies were hired. Or even count how many companies bid.
There are no extra regulations on state work in Washington. Why? Because they want a competitive marketplace, and don’t believe in overregulation.
LAWRENCE JOHNSON, CEO, L.W.Johnson, Boise
