Letters to the editor: Legislature safety, vaccine rollout, emergency orders, health board

Legislature safety

I do not understand this at all. There is no reason Rep. Davis could not participate or vote virtually, based on the parameters determined and the technological improvements made.

One lawmaker stated, “... the rules haven’t changed.” No, they haven’t, but the environment has and so have many lives, livelihoods and methods and application in working and communicating.

This feels like nothing more than a spiteful move. A simple display of power with a heavy hand. To prove they can.

The lack of kindness and compassion and simple human consideration is stunning and only demonstrates the character — or lack thereof — of those who voted No. Shame on you!

People, listen and watch! If they won’t consider helping one of their own, whom they know and see daily for three months or more during the year, what makes you think they would ever consider helping you?

They do not represent the Idaho I know.

Ellen Spencer, Eagle

Vaccine rollout

Gov. Little claimed in the 2021 State of the State address that, as far as COVID-19 is concerned, we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The vaccines are on the way! The truth is that by receiving only 20,000 doses a week and everyone needing 2 doses to be fully immunized it will take over three years to vaccinate the population of Idaho. Most Idahoans believe that we will be vaccinated by August, but in order for that to happen Idaho would need to receive over 140,000 doses every week.

The governors of Texas and California are speaking out and demanding more vaccines immediately. I am disturbed that Gov. Little believes that a timetable of over three years to completion is acceptable for COVID-19 immunization. Over 500 people in Idaho get sick with COVID-19 every day. Over 1,600 Idahoans have died. Any delay in vaccinating our communities will result in more unnecessary and preventable sickness and deaths. Governor Little, you need to do better.

Kathryn Taghon, Meridian

Emergency powers

I was saddened, but not surprised, to read that legislators are trying to roll back the governor’s powers during a crisis – powers that are meant to keep all Idahoans safe. However, I was deeply and incredibly disappointed to read Rep. Brent Crane’s statement, “We all probably know somebody at this point that has died as a result of the coronavirus, and it’s sad…Life does have risk. And we have to get life back to normal, and that’s what we’re intending to do.” He’s right that life has risk, but if we listened to the governor, wore our masks, and practiced social distancing, the risk that we pose to one another would be reduced. More businesses could stay open, more people could be back at work, and most importantly, so many of those deaths could have been avoided. I’d like him, and other members of our legislature, to talk to the friends and family members of the 1,607 Idahoans to date who have died from the coronavirus, and ask them if their lives are, as yet, “back to normal.”

Lisa Nelson, Boise

Health board

I was alarmed to see that Raúl Labrador had been appointed to the Central Health District without public comment. Mr. Labrador is a science denier who opposes mask wearing. Like some others in Idaho, this is against what doctors have begged us to do all along. Look where our COVID-19 infections and deaths are today as a result.

Our Republican legislators are no better. Besides not requiring basic precautions during this session, they denied requests by two at-risk members to work in their capitol offices and participate on Zoom. Many citizens have been doing that since March.

Republicans want to strip the governor’s ability to declare emergencies and limit such declarations to 30 days requiring legislature review. If a crisis happens after session closure how long will it take to get them back to address it?

We need to make careful selections of people to serve us in the future. If we don’t put our little freedoms aside for a while, who will Republicans have to rule? This virus kills and leaves dangerous side effects.

Deborah D. Gold, Boise