ABORTION

Denying services would cost taxpayers

Recent news articles have indicated states are using the establishment of state-run insurance exchanges to limit or deny insurance companies from providing abortion services to women.

While many people consider this a good thing, I would urge our lawmakers to consider carefully the denial of these services. I would much rather have an insurance company pay for an unwed mother with more than two children to have an abortion than have my tax dollars used to provide welfare services for her to continue having children by multiple deadbeat fathers.

If our lawmakers want to deny abortion services, then how about requiring mandatory sterilization for both parties involved after the second child? Or, as an alternative, how about the churches or religious groups picking up the tab to pay for promoting unlimited reproduction.

This does not even address an abortion in the event of rape or incest. Should these women be denied abortion services also?

JAMES ROGERS, Meridian

Abortion facts

Regarding the recent guest editorial from Planned Parenthood, I take specific exception to "women must have access to safe, legal abortion services"- an extremely questionable phrase, since most women are never told that approximately 10 percent of women undergoing elective abortion will suffer immediate complications of which approximately one-fifth (2 percent) are considered life threatening.

The nine most common major complications that can occur at the time of an abortion are: infection, excessive bleeding, embolism, ripping or perforation of the uterus, anesthesia complications, convulsions, hemorrhage, cervical injury and endotoxic shock. The most common "minor" complications include: infection, bleeding, fever, second degree burns, chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, gastro-intestinal disturbances and Rh sensitization.

It would be nice if women (and men) had all the facts regarding abortion, and then, as Ms. Greer says, "the way people think about abortion" might be slightly different than her view.

KAREN SIMKINS, Boise

Double speak

Ms. Greer's Readers View (1/30/2013) had a celebratory mood toward a law that has resulted in over 55 million deaths.

Equating abortion to healthcare is the epitome of Planned Parenthood's double speak. Pregnancy is not a disease, a virus, nor a cancer.

I find it amusing that Ms. Greer would declare that politicians need to stay out of a woman's medical decision while at the same time her company receives over $500 million a year in taxpayer money!

The decades of damage that Planned Parenthood has done on the female population can never be truly counted.

We do know that over 27 million women will never have an opportunity to make a difference in this world. That the countless women who go to Planned Parenthood to seek help are not empowered with knowledge, but instead are sent right back into the situation that brought them there in the first place.

The only people empowered by abortions are men. They are free to have sex without consequences or obligation.

If Ms. Greer is serious about giving women accurate information, how about letting them see a sonogram before they decide to abort? Because real knowledge is power!

MARY RYAN, Eagle

Safety doesn't exist

In response to Hannah Greer's column of the 30th of January: The fact is, despite your title, "40 years of safe, legal abortions," you didn't mention why they are so "safe." So I investigated the awful procedures used to murder the unborn and I discovered that in two of the most common procedures often the mother experiences severe bleeding, in many cases needs blood transfusions. "Safe," huh? Multiple times you spoke of how a woman should make her own "medical" decisions.

The Declaration of Independence states that everyone has the right to life. Since 1973 in the U.S., women have made their own "medical" decisions and 55 million babies have been denied the right to life! Since 1980, 1 billion people worldwide never got to laugh, love or live.

Why do we treat unborn babies like they're an unwanted tumor of some kind? When in reality, that fetus is a person just like you and me.

I challenge everyone who reads this, especially those who support abortion, to go to www.abortiontruth.com. Click on abortion methods. If you still think murdering helpless babies is okay because they may be an "inconvenience," click on pictures. Then I just dare you to click on videos.

BENJAMIN MCCAMMON, Cascade

A voice for the voiceless

Re: Planned Parenthood article dated 1/30/13.

Suppose we woke up tomorrow to find the population of California and New York murdered? Would 55 million dead shock us? Number of innocent babies the PP industry has murdered over 40 years, about the same. Hitler murdered 8 million. The USA is seven times greater and counting!

"For God formed my inward parts, God covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise God, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps139:13)

The innocent blood of 55 million dismembered babies cries out to God from America's soil. Genesis 4:10 records the following; "then the Lord said to Cain, "where is your brother?" Cain said, "I do not know, am I my brother's keeper?" Then God said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground." Today we can substitute the word "baby" for "brother" in the above dialogue.

Day of reckoning; "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of God to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13)

My voice - A voice for the voiceless.

FELIPE CHAVEZ, Boise

IDAHO POWER

Customers foot bill for small generators

There have been lots of letters written against Idaho Power's proposal to alter the commercial arrangements it has with its residential and commercial customers who supply small amounts of power to its grid.

Idaho Power's assertion is that its other customers are subsidizing the small generators. None of the letters I've read from these operators of small generation facilities, though, have refuted Idaho Power's claim with facts (i.e., dollars and cents).

As one of the customers who subsidizes (per Idaho Power) the small generators, I'd like to know. I do know, though, that taxpayers have provided lots of subsidy to many of these alternative energy suppliers in the form of tax credits. Let's not forget that.

DAVE CHURCHILL, Boise

Investigate the company

Stop Idaho Power. Enough is enough. I'm sure by now, Idaho Power has made enough money from their "let's make a fortune off Idaho Power customers in a recession plan." It's time for the attorney general to investigate what they have gotten away with.

It's time Idaho Power started living within its means. No more of this "the more we spend the more PUC let's us make for a profit." You're a utility company, it's time you got off your high horse and see what the real world is like.

But Idaho Power doesn't care about anything except making up new ways to take advantage of the customer. Just like when they sold and bought their own power three times just to raise our rates. Nothing happened except big bonus checks. It's time for the state of Idaho to investigate and put a stop to it.

BRETT JOHNSTON, Kuna

Enemy to solar power

Idaho Power threatens to cut off the sun from its customers.

I run a small solar energy company, Altenergy, Inc., in Boise. We install solar systems on Idahoan's homes and businesses, however, because of a recent rate change request from the state's largest electricity provider, Idaho Power, our business and all renewable energy projects in Idaho may cease to exist.

Idaho Power, a company granted a legalized monopoly by the state, submitted a request to the Idaho Public Utility Commission that will increase the monthly fees to their customers who have installed solar systems and devalue the solar electricity they add back onto the grid. Although these penalties alone will eliminate Idaho's growing renewable energy industry, it gets worse.

Solar energy customers actually help Idaho Power reduce costs to their nonsolar customers. Solar energy offsets the need for Idaho Power to build more power plants as well as puts electricity back onto the grid when we need it the most: on hot, sunny summer days.

Regardless of the outcome, my small business, along with many others, are actively being crippled while we wait for this narrow- minded, unfounded request to be denied.

MATTHEW DUNAY, Boise

DANO SAVINO

The dauntless one

Humor is back on the Opinion page of the Idaho Statesman. The bombast, puerile, pseudo-facts contained in a letter (Opinion page) were all I needed to know that - He's baaack - the dauntless, daring Dano Savino. Breathed a sigh of relief - thought he was gone forever and he is sorely needed to provide the boffo laughs needed today. And, his marvelous wit was shown by his tagline - don't think I need to repeat it here. Incidentally, does he have a PR gig for Honolulu?

JANETTE MCFARLAND, Fruitland