Letters to the Editor

IMMIGRATION

Statesman's opposition to reform bill rings hollow

Regarding the pro-illegal, amnesty-for-all Statesman's recent editorial, "It's not the time for immigration reform bills in Idaho" - right, it's way past time. Contrary to the Statesman's distortion, the bill focuses on illegals only. The editorial offers several hollow objections:

It's the federal government's job to deal with illegals. Translation: amnesty.

It's unfair to burden employers with verification of legal status. What burden? Using E-verify takes minutes to confirm legal status and is 99.5 percent accurate.

Another concern: the cost of enforcement. It's telling that the Statesman has never addressed Idaho's annual multimillion dollar cost for illegals' education, medical care, social services, etc. Enforcement would involve a fraction of these costs.

Here's the reality: The most effective way to effect illegals returning home is to cut off the jobs. Some states and municipalities have enacted similar laws. The result? A decrease in illegals. Ideally, this is coupled with the elimination of all benefits - and watch the exodus.

Please, no sob stories about breaking up families. The illegals can take their families home with them. With budget shortfalls, rising unemployment and economic pain affecting Idahoans, this bill is critical.

Bulletin to the Statesman: A recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at Idaho Truss freed up 16 jobs held by Mexican illegals. Immediately, unemployed Idaho citizens lined up four deep for those jobs.

PHIL WHITENER, Eagle

IMMUNIZATION

We know from experience: Vaccine injuries are real

My wife screamed! I spun around, and 4-month-old Jessica was hanging limp in her arms, deathly pale, eyes rolled back, not breathing. Our hearts stood still.

My heart stood still again as I read "SIDS explained" (Jan. 6, Life 6).

These articles have the look and feel of vaccine industry news releases. I am weary of medical organizations that you cite as sources, spinning the truth, when it comes to vaccines and SIDS and autism and other legitimate vaccine injuries.

American children are the most vaccinated. Yet we have one in six with a learning disability, one in nine with asthma, one in 100 boys with autism. The Amish don't vaccinate and have no autism.

You imply that every outbreak of childhood disease is the fault of parents who don't vaccinate. The facts don't support that. SIDS deaths spike in correlation to vaccinations. Autism showed up shortly after vaccinations with "additives" began in 1930.

Parents are pressured to vaccinate, and no effort is made to explain their rights or to explain the life-changing risks of vaccines. To know, log on to www.NVIC.org.

Vaccine injuries are real. We know. Since that terrifying day when Renee screamed in terror, we have been caring for little Jessica, who is totally disabled by her vaccinations.

JIM, RENEE AND JESSICA WALKER, Boise

ON THE ROAD

How can we afford another highway just for trucks?

Regarding the letter from Arline Shaul (Dec. 28) on separate roads for trucks. The state doesn't have the money to repair what we have. Where does Ms. Shaul propose we get the money for separate roads?

HARLEY G. LEKVOLD, Mountain Home

State Street needs crossing, but ACHD disagrees

At the corner of State Street and Wylie Lane, many pedestrians cross the street to get to the stores and to the new Boise Public Library branch.

This is a dangerous crossing with no pedestrian light or safety island. Many immigrants live in the apartment complex at that intersection and are on foot.

I have sent a few requests to the Ada County Highway District for a light, either for traffic or pedestrians, and a safety island (like the new one on Ustick near Five Mile). ACHD said that it "impeded the flow of traffic" and "cost too much to bring electricity over the canal" - its staff seemed totally unmotivated.

Additionally, there is a neighborhood farther up Wylie Lane at Wymosa Street. There are many children there, and the only way across State Street, without walking down to the traffic light on Collister, is by running across, hoping a car will miss you.

This is a very dangerous place to cross. It's a tragedy waiting to happen. ACHD only seems to react after somebody dies, as on Eagle Road and Hobble Creek Road a few years back. Again, ACHD chooses budget over safety.

GENE SEDLEWICZ, Boise

TELEVISION

Watching Link TV will expand your perspective

Link TV, "television without borders," is available via DirectTV and Dish Network. Publicly supported, with no corporate control, it provides outstanding and diverse movies, documentaries and news programs from the world at large. Instead of escaping reality, you utilize the medium to become reality-oriented to world as it does exist. You'll be entertained while developing a broader perspective of mankind, its cultures, environment, and problems. Our very lives and planet will depend upon it.

LARRY POLSKY, Boise

STATESMAN

Loss of 'Shoe' comic points to neglect of older readers

We are dismayed at your choice to remove the comic strip "Shoe" from your paper. It's bad enough that you've hidden some of the funniest comics, moving them out of the Life section and making our search for them difficult and tiresome.

Also upsetting to Judie is the removal of the Amy Anderson advice column. She followed the successors to Ann Landers and Dear Abby into oblivion. They gave short, sensible counsel to the questioners instead of the convoluted ramblings of (appropriately named) Carolyn Hax.

It appears that you're trying to appeal to younger readers when it's the older population that still reads newsprint, rather than turning to the TV, Internet and newer forms of communication that the under 50-year-olds favor. You're trying to lose more older readers, in our opinion.

CARLTON AND JUDIE FLETCHER, Cascade

EDUCATION

Direct money and reform at keeping kids in school

I was really encouraged to read the view on education from Holland Johnson (Jan. 6). Finally, somebody who can see where we need the money and changes - not another law school, either public or private, nor a medical school, as three of our practical and distinguished doctors have said, citing the close alliance with the other northwestern states in the education of medical personnel.

We have to stop the exodus from school of students who have no incentive to stay, either because of lack of interest or, as Mr. Johnson said, goals. During the '50s in England, I attended high school. At that time, we were eligible for either a grammar school, which is college prep, or a trade school, where part of the day was actually spent with different companies learning a trade, and also a regular high school that did provide for some training as part of the curriculum. Now, I am not saying that is the way it is now, but we have to change the way we look at educating these young people. We should not have all of the HB12 visas being issued to foreign workers because we are failing to educate our own properly. We should be first in the world of highly educated people.

TONI HEATON, Boise