NUCLEAR COMMISSION
‘All’ doesn’t apply on Otter’s panel
Gov. Otter’s Nuclear Commission is promoting the idea of importing more homeless nuclear waste, since they claim clean up promises have been kept. Past governors are simply lying when they claim Idaho won the infamous “all means all” lawsuit. The judge said Idaho decided to agree to leave most plutonium buried! Idaho agreed new projects could bury more plutonium on site! All never meant all. Butch silently signed a settlement to leave 90 percent of the plutonium buried.
The judge said, “Late in the negotiations, the state ceded the point and alpha low-level waste was taken out of the final definition thereby removing any obligation upon the United States to remove alpha low-level waste from INEL.”
The state Nuclear Oversight team brags they are “partners with INL” and falsely told the Times-News, “INL has constantly followed through on its promises,” said Susan Burke, INL coordinator for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Why are Otter and his team calling this keeping a promise? Demanding the full cleanup promised would bring $13 billion in jobs.
Idaho is a wasteland to DOE and politicians. All now means 10 percent. “Safe” means potential meltdown. “Interim storage” means repeating history.
DR. PETER RICKARDS, Twin Falls
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Cities accomplish what state doesn’t
No one should lose their job because of whom they chose to go to sleep with at night. In Idaho and 37 other states, it is legal to fire someone solely based on their sexual orientation.
The LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning) community initiated a campaign called “Add the Words” to get the Legislature to add the words “sexual orientation” under the employment discrimination clause. They held small rallies and put sticky notes on the doors of the meeting room for the Legislature. The Legislature ignored all of these attempts and wouldn’t even listen to the idea.
The state of Idaho would not do anything, so the cities of Idaho are. Pocatello and Sandpoint were the first cities in Idaho that have an anti-discrimination ordinance that includes gay, lesbian and transgender employees. Now Boise has stepped up and joined the cause. Personally, I think it’s sad that the cities of Idaho are having to do something because the state of Idaho hasn’t.
HOLLY ANNE WILLIAMS, Boise
IMMIGRATION
The list grows
Only in America can a person come here illegally, get a job and a driver’s license, live tax free or get welfare entitlements the same as legal citizens. Now you can get put on the top of the organ transplant list, too. What’s next?
AARON AMOS, Burley
