LEGISLATURE

Stop the sickness; dump House Speaker Denney

Tonight, Republicans are choosing the next speaker of the House. Lawerence Denney still thinks he should have the job. Are you kidding? He is the one that threw the tantrum when his appointees actually had the gall to, gasp, do what’s best for the state, instead of what he wanted (ensuring that he got the districts defined to keep his power). So he tried to fire them. Really! Does anyone want someone like that in office? Let alone as a leader? I sure hope not. He is exactly what is wrong with most of our political leaders today; it’s all about them and not the people. I really liked the Nov. 30 letter to the editor by a Democrat, Jean McNeil. I have been a Republican for many years, yet I actually agree with her analysis: a common-sense approach to solving the problems, imagine that. It’s what’s badly needed throughout our government. I remember when it was pretty much that way; leaders actually put the country first, instead of themselves. Our state is catching the same sickness we see at the national level. Keep Denney as speaker, and I’m done calling myself a Republican.

JIM FLECKER, Meridian

POLITICS

Liberal ‘realities’ are ruining America

A Nov. 21 letter to the editor titled “Far-right media aids liberal cause” offered a view of what liberals consider political reality versus a conservative view. Let me expand on the comparison.

A conservative view of reality: $16 trillion in debt, a spending deficit of $1 trillion per year, entitlement programs expanding into bankruptcies, federal regulations strangling growth, taxing corporations at the highest rate in the world.

A liberal view of reality: Government providing more stuff to the people, affordable health care, affordable education, benefits for illegal immigrants, free contraception, tax the rich more, no budget passed in three years, all “affordable” increases of stuff is paid for by borrowing 42 percent of every dollar spent.

As a conservative, I harbor great fear due to the above realities. The most powerful countries in history — the Greeks, Romans, British, and Soviets — all collapsed from decay within. America is in decline. This election showed us our culture is permeated with the desire for more and more stuff we can’t afford. Those who take outnumber those who produce. The America of old with values of small government and personal responsibility is vanishing, and we are following the demise of powerful countries past.

NORM QUIGLEY, Eagle

Right-wingers taking unproductive course

Since the election, I have been astounded at the number of letters from “ultra-right-wing” writers whose sour grapes have turned to whine. These letters contain all of the same baseless propaganda that they spouted during the campaign, but it is no truer today than it was then. They keep listening to Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and the rest of their hateful ilk and manage to stay in a state of constant anger and agitation.

Their only answer to the fact that a majority re-elected the president and reduced the number of seats the GOP holds in both houses of Congress, is to call for secession. How sad! Especially since not one of the red states could afford to run themselves without dollars from the federal government. In fact, all of them receive more revenue from the federal government than they pay in federal taxes. They can deny this all they want, but no amount of GOP “feel-good math” will change the facts.

We taxpayers will probably be held hostage by the party of “no,” and the pledge signers will force this nation over the financial cliff. It’s time for the GOP to negotiate, not stagnate.

JAMES PAULS, Eagle

BUYER BEWARE

Thrift stores don’t always save money

Caveat emptor. Please be aware that when you purchase appliances from thrift shops believing they have been “tested,” this simply means they were turned on once. It does not mean they will work after you take them home.

I’m a single mom of three. Last month, we purchased a washer and dryer set for $175, seeing them work in the store. At home, the dryer worked for three weeks. The washer ran, but did not spin water out of clothing.

After having a reputable repairman come to the house, we discovered that the dryer timer switch was worn down, so that turning the knob did not catch the mechanism. Cost of the part to repair: $160. The washer belt was detached from the washer and shredded, and there was other internal damage, which meant that the washer was not spinning at all, and had no ability to control the volume of water released.

We will be purchasing another set, from a business that only sells and repairs appliances, and therefore will guarantee them.

Thrift stores are great places to purchase clothing, books, and decorative items. Not appliances.

Expensive life lesson learned.

AMY HUGON, Boise

LEGALIZE DRUGS

Drug laws only benefit dealers, terrorists

Legalization will stop the funding of drug cartels and terrorists.

End the so-called war on drugs. Legalize all drugs and tax them. FDA will certify the drugs for purity and dosage.

The truth is that there is a certain percentage of the populace that has addictive personalities. Why are we trying to control them with laws that help keep terrorists and criminals in business? Why are we still trying to force an outdated social value? The addictive personality has not changed and prohibition didn’t work either.

We incarcerate thousands of citizens each year for drug abuse, costing the U.S. taxpayer untold millions annually.

With our farming and manufacturing know-how we will provide safe, less costly drugs and put the terrorists out of business in the U.S. Wouldn’t you rather we pay taxes to our own government instead of giving monies to terrorists or thugs?

Legalization will free up billions of dollars from local, state and federal law enforcement budgets. The legalization of drugs will solve several problems starting with the drug cartel’s influence within our national borders. This should free up police efforts to focus on violent crimes, corporate financial crimes and environmental crimes.

PAUL SCHERER, Boise

PENMANSHIP

Sit down and write a letter

I read with interest your article about penmanship. I learned cursive writing in about the third grade, back in the 1940s. I find cursive writing easier than manuscript (printing).

I agree that handwriting seems to be becoming a lost art, with all this Internet, Facebook, texting and such. All this requires a computer, which I don’t have. I don’t trust them. Any correspondence by computer is out there for all the world to see. Therefore, a handwritten letter is more private and personal.

For instance, this sexting some kids do has caused a lot of trouble.

I’ve written to several people, but they didn’t answer. A lot of people don’t write anymore. I tend to deplore this. To these people I say, “Pick up a pen and write.”

HERBERT KILLAM, Wilder