Letters to the editor: Republican legislators, marijuana amendment, stimulus payments, vaccines

Republican legislators

As I watch the legislators with their “priority” bills, I am sickened by the complete disregard to the people of Idaho.

Your lack of concern for members of your own legislative bodies and protection for compromised immune systems was jaw dropping.

Trying to take constitutional rights of the governor, to keep people of the state safe from pandemics, has reached a new low. Making pot illegal a constitutional amendment, stops any future legislature, or the people of the state to see a benefit for veterans to the use of pot for anxiety or pain relief. Or others who suffer from deep pain or anxiety issues.

Please have someone in your office read this letter to you and explain any big words. I will end by thanking you for opening the door to ensure the future voting of Idaho will be primarily Democratic. Any Republican with morals and ethics will not remain in the new Republican party. I know as I am carrying my new Democratic voting card.

Ronda Thompson, Boise

Marijuana amendment

Sen. Scott Grow and the 23 other senators who voted in favor of SJR101, you need to read Constitutional Law for Dummies because you clearly have no understanding of the function of the Idaho Constitution. Senator Grow’s proposal to freeze in-place the laws of our state concerning psychoactive drugs through an amendment to our Constitution is insulting to the intelligence of anyone who has ever taken a high school government class. I could forgive one misinformed senator, but I hold accountable all of the senators who chose to defile our Constitution for their own personal agendas. I am embarrassed for all of you.

Bonnie Alexander, Boise

Stimulus payments

It appears that there is no agreement between the Republicans and the Democrats when dealing with the stimulus. So I feel that the best solution is to only provide the stimulus money to the Democratic states. If your Republican representatives say not to give you anything, nothing to the cities or the states, nothing for schools for fighting the virus, then they are representing you.

Is this your feeling? Do you not want any stimulus to help you during this time? Do you refuse to have help with the schools, city and county government and providing vaccine for the virus? Then you might want to contact your senators and representatives who only want stimulus to corporations, banks and Wall Street.

Jerry Johnson, Payette

Vaccine thank you

I’m writing to thank the Saint Alphonsus nurses and other volunteers who were so kind and worked tirelessly administering the COVID-19 vaccine last week.

Saint Alphonsus is rescheduling appointments that were canceled because the supply ran out. Now these disappointed people won’t have to start all over when more vaccine arrives. Thank you so much for doing the right thing.

Linda Squyres, Boise

Political labels

Labels are dividing America: name calling, hate letters, partisanship. Democrats label Republicans power-hungry; Republicans call Dems socialists. We will destroy our Republic if we won’t compromise and stop the divisiveness.

It’s obvious that the rich are richer and the poor are poorer. Giving up our biases would allow us to see the big picture and see what is destroying us.

The big picture? Follow the money. The number of million-billionaires has tipped the balance of a vital democracy and raises the specter of a plutocracy -- the wealthy calling the shots.

So what’s the problem? That skewed distribution of wealth escalates poverty! The 99%, the producers, are not receiving their share of the wealth in order to live a quality life: choices -- pay rent or buy food, incur big medical bills or be sick, higher ed or the factory?

We can no longer afford partisanship. Together we can bring about equality, not just in race and gender but in economics. No one deserves billions of dollars!

We can come together to take back what we deserve. We can pressure our government and corporations for more wealth taxes, higher wages, and -- not support corporations such as Walmart and Amazon.

For our good -- the 99%.

Lois Morgan, Boise

Thank you for help at DMV

I wish to thank all the people who were standing in line at the Meridian DMV a cold morning in February. When I arrived at the DMV, early in the morning. there were maybe twenty people in line. Being in my upper eighties, my balance isn’t great. I decided to leave and come back with a walker and told the man in front of me. The nice man said he would hold my place in line while I sat in my car.

I moved the car closer to the DMV and the man told me that the people ahead of him had given permission for me to move to the front of the line. He had gone down the line to explain my situation.

I was able to move to the front and inside the waiting room, helped by an extremely pleasant lady and all was taken care of.

This was probably my last trip to the DMV as I won’t be driving much longer. My sincere thanks go to all those standing in line and especially the gentleman who helped me so very much! Idaho is a great state with many kind and helpful people

Ann Gage, Meridian

Vaccine clinic

I had the pleasure of working at a community wide vaccination clinic in Cascade yesterday organized by Cascade Medical Center. Kudos to Tom Reinhardt, Teri, RN, Sam, EMT-P and all the others from Cascade Medical Center who organized and worked along with volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps. We vaccinated close to 500 people.

Firefighters, forest service workers, child care workers, teachers, and many over 65 from Valley County came. They were the happiest patients I have seen in years. They are starting to feel liberated.

Idaho is 51st in the percentage of folks vaccinated. Gov. Little, get the vaccine to Idaho and people will come, communities will organize, and health care workers will volunteer to get folks vaccinated. Idahoans are ready!

Mark Mering, Boise