Letters to the editor: Election results, relief payments, Idaho Legislature
Republicans
What ever happened to the Republican party of Eisenhower, Bob Dole, the Bushes, and Reagan who believed in smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and the integrity of our election system. Romney, Sasse and a few others still believe in the rule of law and the oath they took to defend the Constitution. The others, like Cruz, Johnson and Blackburn seem to want to destroy our democracy, especially the confidence in our electoral process, to support a delusional clown, who lost by 7 million votes and who wants to be an autocrat. I don’t know who is more problematic: elected officials who cower in fear of a nasty tweet or those citizens who continue to support the racist, ignorant, lying, narcissist who is doing everything in his power to destroy our democratic republic. Just makes absolutely no sense calling for riots in D.C. on Jan. 6. Sick, sick, sick.
Monroe Bradley, Boise
Relief payments
Dear Senators Crapo and Risch,
Mitch McConnell has all but doomed the chance that Americans will receive direct stimulus payments in the amount of $2,000 as requested by President Trump by insisting that Senate discussion of larger payments be tied to the issues of election security and legal protections for social media platforms. President Trump himself never demanded the issues be bundled. People in Idaho and across this country are in need of help. Please do not deny individuals who may have lost jobs and/or health care the support they need to buy groceries and other essentials, and pay for medical care, the mortgage or the rent. McConnell says Democratic leaders are “trying to pull a fast one on the president,” but he’s wrong. McConnell is trying to pull a fast one on the American public. Shame on him for refusing to add $1,400 more to Americans’ stimulus checks. That amount of money does not go very far these days, but to people scrambling to keep it all together, it would surely mean something. Please speak up for Idahoans and Americans and demand the Senate follow the House and pass legislation to send out bigger checks.
Dawn Matus, McCall
Election fraud
There is ongoing fraud regarding our election; it’s the president’s lies about a “rigged election” and his claims that he won. That so many Americans believe his lies and are willing to throw our democracy down the drain is about the saddest thing I’ve seen in my almost 70 years. Worse still that so many elected officials continue to support the fraudster himself and are willing to throw out millions of ballots and overturn the most secure election in our history. Tragic. Suggestion for Republicans: get your house in order. All our lives depend on your actions for the next four years. Be Americans; reject Trumpism. Come home to sanity. Revere our democracy.
I believe Trump should have to pass his “citizenship” test. If he fails—likely—deport him to a country he’s never been to; thanks to his ongoing grift he’s got enough of his voters’ money to live in any of the countries he so profanely demeaned. Trump can “legally” use that for anything he wants. Another gold toilet or two, maybe a solid gold adult diaper for himself. You have all been defrauded by your “king”. You know what makes a grifter a success? The grifted.
Jefferson Young, Boise
Election
They counted the votes. Biden won.
Winston Cheyney, Boise
Idaho Legislature
Here’s my prediction for the 2021 Idaho Legislative Session: The Joint Session of the legislature will meet on Jan. 11 as required by the Idaho Constitution. Our lawmakers will beat their chests and proclaim they came to the Statehouse to uphold their constitutional responsibility under the most dire of circumstances. Which is interesting because they have a penchant for passing unconstitutional laws that cost taxpayers millions of dollars to fight in court. But, that’s another matter. Once here, they will immediately act on legislation to change the Constitution giving themselves more power during dark times like this by stripping the Governor of his constitutional authority to lead. About one week into the session, legislators will be faced with the full ugly reality of meeting in the middle of a pandemic — no fancy dinners every night with lobbyists. Constitutional responsibility upheld, power grab accomplished, they will skedaddle home faster than chased rabbits.
Bonnie Alexander, Boise