OBAMACARE

States have success with federal plan

I had hoped that the people who have engineered the sad situation we have in education in this state would not be the same people who will run the state's health care. Advice would be that we should look at the states that are able to get better results in educational statistics than Idaho. Look anywhere. We are surrounded by more success.

Are our legislators afraid of the DOH factor? The idea (Did not Originate Here). Your constituents will forgive you for checking out successful states with far better statistics. What they won't forgive is messing up the health care like you have the educational situation in this state.

Please go with Obamacare. Most states have wisely decided that they can count on the federal government to do a better job of running this than some part time lawmakers from Idaho. Hopefully we have learned from the sad story of our eduction system and can forget egos and get it right this time.

NAOMI ELTON, Meridian

BUDGET CUTS

Obama employs union strategy

President Obama is holding America's military, border and airport security agents hostage. The sequester is less than 3 percent of the federal government's budget. The federal government has 497 agencies. If President Obama cared about Americans, he would cut 3 percent from all government agencies. That would be the responsible way to administer the reduction.

President Obama is demonstrating the same tactics that public-sector unions use. It's always the police and fire departments or teachers - never the library or parks departments. California's public sector has $3 trillion in unfunded obligations and Chicago has 1 trillion dollars unfunded!

Maybe Tom Luna was on to something: Addressing the teachers union!

Priorities: There was no security summit for Benghazi prior to the 2012 911 anniversary, even when security issues had been raised. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had revenue to attend NATO summits working on a "World Small Arms" treaty. Would the treaty trump America's Second Amendment?

President Obama held a "Beer Summit" for a law enforcement issues, where in my opinion, he had no business getting involved. No money for Benghazi security? It's called priorities.

Wake up, Americans!

MARTIN V. DUARTE, Kuna

LUCKOVICH CARTOONS

Remove blinders

I agree with Bruce Moore's assessment of political cartoonist Mike Luckovich's lack of balance, humor and honesty.

It's obvious that Luckovich is a shill for the Democrat Party and his drawing skills could be put to better use extolling the virtues of his own party rather than taking 'pot shots' at the Republican Party. Luckovich's jaundiced view keeps him from seeing the entire playing field.

There's plenty of folly in our nation's Capitol to lampoon both sides of the political spectrum. Note to Luckovich: You could double your output if you took off your blinders.

RAYMOND J. DAVIS, Eagle

DRONES

Let generals decide on strategy

The national media has recently condemned the United States for using drones in the terrorism war. We're the great Satan because drones have created civilian casualties and constitutional rights of some American citizens who joined the enemy as combatants are violated. I wonder if liberals in this country will ever learn that we are at war. Generals, not politicians and slanted public opinion polls, should conduct war.

Will we ever again wage war where, as in World War II, the object is to annihilate the enemy to prevent American deaths and defend ourselves? You cannot conduct surgical war that has noncombatant casualties. In World War II, we fire-bombed Dresden, costing 22,000 civilian deaths. Atomic bombs dropped on Japan caused 160,000 civilian deaths. These bombings saved millions of Americans. American citizens joining the enemy against us relinquished citizenship rights and don't deserve constitutional protection.

Being a Marine who served in Vietnam ... I understand that avoiding American casualties necessitates using whatever means available. Quit demonizing our military's drone use to save Americans. Let generals complete the job of defending our country.

KEN ELLIOTT, Emmett

VOTER INITIATIVES

Bill is bad for Idaho

SB1108 Initiative and Referendum Elections - this bill is not merely anti-Democratic Party or anti-liberal voter. This bill is anti-Idaho voters. All of us.

Supporters of this bill may think this is tying the hands of those with whom they disagree today. It may be the other way around in the near future.

This is not a good bill for voters in our state.

STEVE ROSTRON, Boise