Letters to the editor: Bishop Peter, health care, Eagle, property taxes, Bloomberg

Bishop Peter

Bishop Peter Christensen told a story at Ash Wednesday Mass at Bishop Kelly High School. He had recently returned from the Vatican and met with Pope Francis along with other bishops.

Upon his return to Boise, he went to a local grocery store and chatted with the cashier about how he had just visited Italy. Not recognizing her customer, the cashier volunteered that she was Catholic and wanted to visit the Vatican.

The bishop volunteered that he was the bishop, and the cashier said, “You’re Bishop Peter?” and she started to tear up. Bishop Peter had in his pocket a rosary blessed by Pope Francis and he gave it to the woman and said, “Pope Francis wants you to have this rosary.”

The woman smiled and started sobbing, and the bishop wondered what the folks behind him in line were thinking.

In this Easter season, it is helpful to remember there is nothing more powerful than faith, hope and love. Be present in your interactions with others. Listen more, argue less, find common ground, don’t gossip. Be quick to forgive, overlook faults, fast, pray and prepare because Easter is coming!

Jason Schauer, Boise

Health care

My 28-year old friend — a talented cellist-turned-tireless-high-school-teacher — was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She, like so many other women fighting this disease, is a wonderful person. A person deserving of a full life. A person in a low-income bracket. A person who would have died if she had decided not to get screened because the cost of a doctor’s visit was too high. I am deeply disappointed that this legislature wants to increase barriers to our low-income neighbors and community members getting the health care they need and deserve. No one’s health status should be determined by their zip code or the job they hold and the paycheck they receive. I urge the legislature and everyone in our Idaho community to reject health care inequality and oppose HB525, which seeks to strip public funding from any entity that provides abortion services in Idaho. This means stripping funding from health centers that so many people use for their cancer screenings, birth control, and preventative care. This means telling women in low-income brackets that their safety is not important to us, that their Medicaid can’t be used for life-saving services. We are better than this, Idaho.

Juliette Rubin, Boise

Eagle

I found it interesting that the new mayor of Eagle (considers) City Hall additions as fait accompli, when there has been no data, no public input, no published estimates, no real announcement. I guess we don’t need any of that public process stuff, even though Councilman Pike keeps claiming he’ll dot the T’s and cross the I’s, or, er, well, you get my drift. Oh, and there will be a committee to provide long-term input, undoubtedly stacked with people who backed this heavily funded campaign on social media or at the bank. And this will probably all go down after the Landing is no longer available and before true costs of alternatives are understood. All because the mayor needs money for his own pet projects.

Boyd Marlatt, Eagle

Property taxes

How to raise property taxes, protect your own interests and get away with it in a few easy steps by Representative Mike Moyle:

1. Sponsor a bill to exempt business personal property from taxes in 2015 – win big points with big business.

2. Cap the homeowner’s exemption in 2016 – again win big points with big business while pushing taxes onto residents.

3. Refuse to let schools charge impact fees for new development – win big points with developers while forcing residents to pay more property taxes.

Now it is 2020: Residents are ticked off because they are paying more property taxes while businesses see their tax bills drop. Mike’s Solution: Blame local governments and sponsor a bill to freeze budgets while acknowledging this won’t lower taxes.

Email the Revenue and Tax Chair Collins at gcollins@house.idaho.gov. Tell him you want REAL property tax solutions, like addressing the homeowner’s exemption.

Chris Stokes, Eagle

Bloomberg

As a retired teacher and concerned Idahoan, I have followed the Democratic presidential primary closely. I feel strongly that the most important consideration is determining who can best represent our Democratic values. Mike Bloomberg has been a leader on climate change, gun safety and health care issues. In addition, his experience managing the largest and most diverse city in the country makes him uniquely qualified for president. Mike is a unifier who can bring our country back together. His views on how to best bring our troops currently in the Middle East home in a responsible way is key to maintaining our country’s security. For these important reasons, I am supporting Mike Bloomberg for president.

Geraldine Carver, Boise