RAUL LABRADOR
Political middle ground is not the right path
Regarding your “Our View” editorial about the Simpson-Labrador dispute, printed Jan. 16; forget your middle ground! Idahoans, and all Americans, should appreciate the kind of strength in resistance demonstrated by Congressman Labrador! If our founding fathers had “sought middle ground,” you’d be clearing your column with some other buffoon in the Department of British Media Compliance before you’d be allowed to publish such tripe!
Kudos to Raul Labrador, and every other congressman like him, who is willing to put principle before compromise! And shame on Rep. Mike Simpson, and the Idaho Statesman, for encouraging the opposite! Ignorance is truly contagious, and you guys are the germ-laden carriers of that pandemic affliction!
SCOTT WORTHEN, Boise
Grandstanding doesn’t solve problems
Recent articles about Congressman Labrador fail to mention the singular most important trait of a U.S. representative — effective leadership! The articles state that:
He’s against President Obama and Governor Otter. He opposes John Boehner. He slams seasoned politicians in Washington.
Unfortunately, the only characteristics that Rep. Labrador exhibit are: his grandstanding, his showboating, his patting himself on the back and his telling everyone how “great a job he’s been doing in the lowest rated Congress in U.S. history.”
No one mentions his outstanding leadership traits. He hasn’t displayed any.
Mr. Labrador is best suited for his earlier profession — lawyering. There, a judge can rein him in, can tell him to “sit down and shut up” and can hold him in contempt of court if he fails to do so.
Idaho needs strong, effective leadership in Congress, and Mr. Labrador is not that leader. He’s better suited for flimflamming products at a carnival side show.
We, the voters, need to take steps to remove him from office and to replace him with an effective political leader.
We don’t need arrogant braggadocian rhetoric! Congress already has enough, and Labrador has only shown that he, too, can blather at pitched volume!
BEN SIMPSON, Boise
LEGISLATORS
Idahoans have right to demand common sense
I recently read a couple of interesting items in the Idaho Statesman. First, Mr. Bedke will be attending an ethics training course in Dallas, Texas. I think most folks in Idaho would agree that improvement of ethics in our state government is direly needed.
Second, I saw that our state legislators are exempt from being required to have a concealed weapons permit as well as being exempt from even having any firearms training. As was stated, former peace officers, peace officers and some military personnel are also exempt, but they have been required to be trained in handling firearms. It is ridiculous that legislators should not be required to have at least a basic weapons safety class, just as it would be ridiculous for any state to allow someone to get a building, electrical, plumbing or other contractor license without training, qualified certification and proper testing to verify they are familiar with that particular trade.
Oh, wait a minute, this is Idaho and anyone who wants to print a business card can be a contractor.
How silly of me to expect any more of our legislators.
We, the people, should expect some legislative common sense, which nowadays, is too uncommon.
HUGH MASSIE, Boise
TRANSPARENCY
Idaho Reporter should be allowed on the floor
Archiving video of legislative sessions is a good idea! All but 17 states do it. Idaho should be forthcoming in offering transparency. What legislative leaders don’t want sessions available to the public, hiding something? It’s good speakers are aware that their words are remembered forever and they are held accountable.
I don’t believe Dan Popkey’s accusation that the Idaho Freedom Foundation has malicious intent. Kudos to Idaho Freedom Foundation offering to archive, no charge! To my knowledge they are nonprofit and don’t receive taxpayer dollars. Idaho Public Television assumes to charge an archive fee? They produce the video and already receive taxpayer dollars!
Why are “chosen” reporters allowed on the floor? Who appointed Dan Popkey captain of the “brown badge club?”
I’ve not found Mr. Popkey to be an unbiased reporter. I’d like more balanced reporting from the Idaho Statesman, and if not, then by others such as The Idaho Reporter. Why should The Idaho Reporter, and the Idaho Freedom Foundation be excluded from the floor? They cause no riot, are not disruptive. They just have the audacity to challenge outdated press decorum. Remind me, what is freedom of the press?
SHAWNA SHEARER, Boise
GEORGE WILL
He’s no Bill Buckley
It was with a real sense of chagrin that I read George Will’s column Jan. 27. As a liberal, I have always found it enjoyable to read opinions and critiques that would challenge and make me think about my views. From early high school on, I looked forward to reading Bill Buckley for these very reasons; sometimes I would feel he had the more convincing arguments (at least for the moment).
As life progressed, George Will moved into this space; an articulate, educated thinker from the other side, agree or not, I thought he thoughtfully laid out the nonextremist conservative argument. In this opinion piece, his manipulative climate change denial allows me to believe him to have become a part of the anti-science extremism that pervades most of today’s extremists of the conservative movement. This follows a column last summer when he waved away concerns about changing and worrisome patterns of heat with the incredulous dismissal of “it is just a hot summer.” Maybe he should tell that personally to the polar ice cap!
George Will is too educated to believe this nonsense; so I must ask: what is his real agenda? What a predictable disappointment he has become.
STANLEY ZUCKERMAN, Boise
INAUGURATION COST
Many millions spent
I don't know how many millions the inauguration cost we taxpayers, but it occurred to me that we could have put CNN's Piers Morgan in the White House and gotten the same arrogance for a lot less!
JOHN A. MOSHER, Kooskia
POLITICAL POSTURING
Irrational behavior wasting taxpayer money
Political posturing is Sheriff Donahue announcing that he will not enforce rules when he knows that he has no authority to enforce them.
Political posturing is the Republicans in the U.S. House voting to repeal or de-fund health care reform over 30 times when they know that they do not have the power to do so or voting over 200 times to reduce environmental protections and calling their effort job creation.
Political posturing is several state legislators proposing state laws making it illegal to enforce federal laws or regulations about health care and firearms in their state.
Political posturing is the Republicans in Congress claiming that the ATF has the authority to deal with the gun situation when they know that they have cooperated with the NRA to cripple the agency. They also haven’t approved a director, which is now required because of one of their sneaky changes.
Why are these nut-jobs wasting the people’s money? Better yet, what nut-jobs elected them?
The uninformed may fall for this type of irrational behavior, but the election last fall showed that they are a minority. Even the Democratic House candidates got 1.4 million more votes than the Republicans did. Think gerrymander.
LEO E. FADDIS, Kuna
HOUSE BILL 55
Stop annoying calls
Regarding House Bill 55, Phone Solicitation:
I have been on the federal No Call List since it started. I still get four or five calls per day coming from “unknown,” or other 800 numbers from solicitors trying to sell me something. It drives me crazy, and it is a major inconvenience and annoyance.
Now our legislators want to open up the door again. Are they just nuts or being paid big money to support something so ridiculous?
If my phone rings I expect it to be from somebody I know. Not some business calling trying to sell me something I do not want or need. How about enforcing the current No Call List and get our Legislature back to helping our wonderful state of Idaho to be a leader in common sense.
BRENT SMITH, Boise
