Letters to the editor: Legislators, Eagle, property taxes, mining
Legislators
Education Week gave Idaho’s K-12 system a D-plus for 2019 (same as 2018) and ranked Idaho 31st in K-12 achievement.
What have Republican legislators done about education? Repealed K-12 academic standards in math, English, and science, though most public testimony favored retaining the standards.
SPAN Idaho says suicide is the second leading cause of death for Idahoans age 15-34. Idaho has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation.
What have Republican legislators done about adolescent suicide? When Education Superintendent Sheri Ybarra asked for teacher training funding for at-risk students, Republicans were openly hostile.
Idaho housing prices are skyrocketing, while wages have been stagnant since the early 1990s.
What have Republican legislators done about wages? Nothing.
Democrats have tried repeatedly to add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the state’s human rights act.
What have Republicans in the Idaho legislature done about discrimination? Proposed legislation to keep transgender students from competing in sports and to get rid of affirmative action in state hiring.
What have Republican legislators done for the people of Idaho? Nothing.
What can we do? Vote for change. And to those of you who don’t vote, vote for a change!
Lisa Theobald, Boise
Property taxes
With property taxes seemingly out of control and the schools all asking for levies to maintain and operate, which amounted statewide to $214 million last year, we need to insist that the Legislature honor the 2006 summer emergency session of the legislature. They were called into session to deal with this issue and raised the sales tax by 1% to pay for the maintenance and operations of our schools, but these funds were never used for the schools. The sales tax was raised to 6%, and the schools never got the funds. It simply raised the sales tax and they have spent the extra 1% income on other things for which it was not authorized.
We should now require the Legislature to take 1% of the current sales tax collections, which were meant for the M&O and give it to the schools as the 2006 special session intended. That 1% of the sales tax was over $316 million last year. This would reduce our taxes statewide by the $214 million and leave the extra $102 million for state use. Doing so would eliminate school levies. As of now the state is collecting internet sales tax and pooling it.
Ron Harriman, Nampa
Eagle
The Eagle Landing meeting of Feb.18 has to be addressed. Under contention is acquisition by previous mayor and council of a three-building site, providing for the Parks Department and Historical Museum, both in outgrown situations, and a community center -- all citizen- or city-requested for years. There was a slight error in pace, but I believe steps requiring legal opinion were referred to the city lawyer, now under review to reverse the purchase and approved budgeting.
Numerous testimonies reflected animosity, alternate facts, unwarranted and unsubstantiated attacks on character, the process and the site. A recent comprehensive plan meeting also had a similar form. Is this a new way from a power group that feels emboldened, needing no level of decorum? Past meetings resulting in much larger impacts didn’t degrade to such level or tactics. There is much talk of false social media smearing.
Public comment had closed, yet a standing group interrupted council deliberations, recognized by Councilman Pike. His stance then continued with their statement as his centerpiece, a 440-signature petition, not validated or verified. Mayor Pierce expressed continual adamant desire to sell, even rebuking council’s just approved motion for a three-month citizen panel of selling or retaining. Concern of readied, predetermined buyer?
Barb Jekel, Eagle
Free gold
Midas/Barrick isn’t in Idaho just to help clean up the mess at Stibnite and to love salmon, as their public relations people would lead us to believe. They are here to take advantage of our hopelessly antiquated 1872 Mining Law and to make money.
Canada, where Midas has its headquarters, imposes royalties on hardrock minerals mined from public lands. But not the U.S. We just give the stuff away in keeping with the 1872 Mining Law that has been on the books for almost 150 years.
Our Congress seems unable to comprehend that this is no longer the Wild West and that the frontier days are long gone. The law needs to be revised, and brought up to date in keeping with today’s reality.
Midas states that they have plans to mine in excess of 4 million ounces of gold during the 12-year life of the mine. Currently the spot price of gold is hovering around $1,500/ oz. This is a lot of money to be giving away free of charge to a foreign mining company!
Earl Dodds, McCall