Letters to the editor: Visitation, entitlements, Schmid
Editor’s note: The deadline to submit letters to the editor related to the elections is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23.
Visitation
Gov. Little: Our 100-year-old mother has lived at Grace Assisted Living for 10 years. She has tested negative for COVID many times. However due to the stringent quarantine restrictions placed by you and CHD we have not been able to visit her for over eight months. We have complied with the rules and it has been heartbreaking to witness her deterioration, not due to her age, but to her isolation. Her mind has slipped to dementia and her weight is dangerously down to 100 lbs.; she is blind in one eye, cannot hear and is now forced to remain isolated in her room. Residents are now forbidden to eat in the dining room, attend any activity or have contact with anyone outside of Grace Assisted Living. She is in prison without any social contact with anyone or with her family other than the worker attendants. We implore you to be creative and alter these rules of isolation. During this critical time it is paramount that she knows she has a caring family, is not alone, and is surrounded by loved ones. We encourage you to find an acceptable solution to not only avoid the virus, but to avoid the separation and loneliness of the elderly. We are regulated to no visiting of any kind. There has got to be a better answer!
Karen Scott, Kathy Geib, Eagle
Entitlements
I have noticed that people who are on “entitlements” are more likely to be infected and possibly die of COVID-19. Most people who are part of the current administration do not concern themselves with COVID prevention. So I am very concerned that this virus is a gift from Donald’s friends overseas to help reduce the numbers of people in the U.S. who receive entitlements. Most of us who are entitled to Social Security and Medicare have paid into the system for 50 years or more, so we are not “grafters.”
Our Idaho state senators and representatives have been silent about all this COVID prevention strategy, so I can only presume that they are on board with the administration’s plan to reduce the entitlement numbers. What a great way to remove a lot of the people who are draining the (government) system of money that could be spent on raking the federal lands to prevent wildfire or fluffing the orange hair.
Stephen Gross, Boise
Schmid
If you care about the future of Idaho, vote for Allen Schmid. Allen is a native of Idaho. He’s a father, a farmer and a veteran. He believes every child ought to be able to go to a good public school. He believes every person ought to be able to go to the doctor without going bankrupt. He believes that Idaho should do everything it can to promote jobs so our kids don’t have to go out of state to earn a living wage. He believes oil and gas companies should not be able to drill on your land without your consent.
Allen’s opponent is Judy Boyle. She opposes wearing masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus. She voted against a health insurance exchange, against local governments raising the minimum wage, against voting by mail. She voted to repeal academic standards in our schools, supported oil and gas companies being able to drill on your land without your consent, supported the takeover of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge by armed trespassers. She believes in limited government but receives full-time benefits and health insurance from Idaho even though legislators are only part-time employees.
Judy doesn’t represent you. Allen will.
Rebecca Hanson, Caldwell