Letters to the editor: Taxes, Eagle, transgender rights
Transgender rights
The 2020 Idaho legislative session so far has featured a number of ugly attacks against transgender Idahoans.
H0465 would make providing gender-affirming health care to minors a felony; this includes puberty blockers, which temporarily pause the process of puberty for young people who need time to decide whether they want to medically transition. This bill criminalizes important medical choices for trans youth.
H0500 would exclude transgender girls from participating in school sports by forcing them off women’s sports teams.
H0509 would make it illegal for transgender people to change gender markers on birth certificates. Updating identifying documents to match a person’s gender identity protects them from harassment, discrimination, and even incarceration if asked to produce identifying documents while traveling in certain countries.
These bills maliciously persecute a vulnerable community, one already targeted for hate-based violence at much higher levels than the general population. Meanwhile, legislation that protects LGBTQ+ Idahoans (such as S1226, “Add The Words” and H0482, a ban on subjecting minors to the discredited and harmful practice of conversion therapy) stalls in the statehouse year after year.
Friends and allies of LGBTQ+ Idahoans: We urgently need your help. Show up and ask your legislators to oppose these hateful bills.
Joshua Hayes-Fugal, Boise
Taxes
We need property tax relief! My family settled here from Gooding in 1947, and I still live on the same property. My house is paid for, yet I’m being priced out of it by increasing taxes. At 80 years young, I have been able to make my very limited income stretch to cover essentials by being conservative. I pay my bills and help others as I can, and do not want public assistance, e.g. food stamps, even though my income would qualify.
In the last five years, my property taxes have increased 76%, while my income has increased only 4%! There needs to be correction in the taxation of home owners who become victims of encroaching population and prosperity! I believe the home-owners exemption should be doubled, or a provision made to limit increases for long-term residents.
Charlotte Hudson, Boise
Eagle
As a resident of the Eagle community for 45 years, I was happy to see the city of Eagle purchase and provide a community center at the Landing. This venue is the perfect place for our citizens to gather and meet and for the Eagle Historical Museum to have a space.The Eagle Parks and Rec department is a vital source for our community and also needs the space. I urge the Eagle City Council to keep this unique gem, The Landing, for the benefit of our community and for present and future citizens.
Glida Bothwell, Eagle
Property taxes
Property taxes should be based on purchased value. Why does my tax go up with the estimated value of my house? So if my house didn’t go up in value, cities, schools, fire departments, etc., wouldn’t need more money? Of course they would. They would just change their magical multiplier number to get as much as they can. My property tax stayed around $1,000 a year from 1995 to 2013, and now my bill is nearly $1,900. How does that even make any sense, especially with all those new houses to tax! Are you telling me that in the last five years, it cost nearly twice as much to put a fire out, teach our children, enforce our laws, etc.?
Brian Honkoski, Meridian