Letters to the editor: Opening schools, Idaho education, Census work
Open schools
We closed schools to save lives. Can we expect kids to learn math or chemistry on a computer screen? What about discipline and social interaction? What about those with learning difficulties?
Do we cram kids into daycare while parents work? Should parents stay home to school the kids? Most lower income workers don’t have the luxury of working from home.
Put COVID-19 risk in perspective. 1000 children drown annually. We don’t lock kids up to prevent this. On average, flu kills 550 children annually, despite a vaccine. Yet, we don’t close schools. Through last week, COVID-19 killed 36 children 14 and younger. All CDC statistics for the U.S. A study from Sweden found not one case of a student transmitting COVID-19 to a teacher.
We’re scared and trying to save lives. We’re destroying the lives and futures of millions of children to save a few thousand lives. To save lives, ban the wheel — cars, bicycles, engines. Thousands die annually because of the wheel. Ban doctors and hospitals. Thousands die annually from medical mistakes. Ridiculous ideas. Stop piously saying we must save lives. We are still “killing” children. “Killing” their spirit, personalities, and futures.
Open schools NOW!
Alan Coleman, Meridian
Idaho education
Gov. Little seems to have won his battle against adequate funding for Idaho schools. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his request to block Reclaim Idaho from gathering signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot that, if approved, would have increased funding for K–12 education through small tax increases on high earners and corporations.
Idaho’s currently ranks dead last nationally in funding per pupil: $7,459 per student versus a national average of $12,994. Reclaim Idaho’s modest proposal would have increased per-student spending by roughly $600, thus raising Idaho from dead last to…still dead last. We’re so underfunded that even Utah, the second-from-last spender, spends $700 more per student.
Gov. Little already cut $99 million from our schools’ budgets in May. While he returned a fraction of that amount ($50 million) to fund coronavirus protections, this appears to have been done primarily to pressure a return to in-person instruction even as cases of the virus are spiking across the state. Ironically, after successfully quashing public funding for education, Little posted a Tweet asking Idahoans to donate their old computers to local schools. Apparently, he does believe in Idahoans paying for education; just not his wealthy donors.
Ryan Urie, Moscow
Census work
I read in the Statesman this morning of a Census worker being blocked from doing their job. Harassed by supposedly the landowners and not properly respected by the Canyon County sheriff deputies. First although temporary, the Census people are federal employees doing a constitutionally mandated job which is by the way is a very expensive endeavor. Mail in forms are sent to most households, still a great percentage has to be done in person, go figure. The personal information collected cannot be released for 72 years. I am curious if the workers got their required information in this fracas. In this the deputy should have assisted in seeing she got it. Second, if the article is accurate the deputies should be reprimanded for not supporting the Census worker first, since their job vow’s required them to defend the Constitution in which Census is clearly required. I did this work in past Census and know personally that many people who claim they are Constitutionalists refuse to provide information to Census workers or at least make the job very difficult. As to the information provided in this article, shame on the road blockers and a bigger shame on the Sheriff deputies.
John Firby, Weiser