Letters to the editor: Dam removal, vaccines, state parks, the internet war
More state parks
Rep. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, proposes to double fees for out-of-state campers so Idahoans have a better chance of getting reservations in state park campgrounds. The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution may come into play here.
Such a law, if it held up, would likely give Idahoans a better chance of getting a camping reservation. But it sidesteps the problem. Idaho hasn’t opened a new camping park since 2003 when Castle Rocks State Park opened south of Albion.
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation has quit promoting campgrounds because they are so often full. In 2020, our state parks hosted a record 7.5 million visitors. More than 647,000 of them were campers.
When Castle Rocks opened, there were 1.35 million people in Idaho. Today, the population is about 1.8 million. That’s a 33 percent increase in less than 20 years.
A 2016 economic impact study conducted by Boise State University showed that park visitors spent more than $127 million per year, on which the state collected more than $14 million in taxes. Parks bring in more money to the state of Idaho than they cost. Few state services can claim that. We need more Idaho state parks.
Rick Just, Boise
The new war
After reading the article in the Feb. 4 Statesman titled, “How the Qanon Conspiracy Seduces Everyday People” written by Faye Flam from Bloomberg, it became even more obvious who or what Qanon is and what its overall mission is. Ms. Flam states that Qanon is highly sophisticated and a masterpiece of propaganda intended to manipulate people.
Watching the news sure proves that out! The only question left is why. I think the why is quite obvious, to sow discord and inflame America’s prejudices. Not only to incite violence but also to deepen the political divisions. To destabilize our government in order to weaken our standing in the world.
The point made by Ms. Flam that Q is highly sophisticated leads me to believe that Q is more than one person but really a group of highly educated psychologically astute people.
And there is no one more sophisticated and manipulative than the KGB.
We know Russia has been attacking by way of the internet for years. Yes, the Cold War has been over for several decades. We need to wake up to the new war (the internet war). People are dying.
God, please help Americans to wake up!
James R. Thaner, Meridian
Remove the dams
Rep. Mike Simpson hit a home run.
Sunday’s article about Simpson’s plan for removal of the four dams on the Lower Snake River was a welcome relief to litigated study after litigated study to save our salmon runs. Simpson’s is a well thought-out plan and it was very astute of him to work with all the stakeholder groups to determine their needs without the dams. Doing so can only increase support for the plan. Yes, It will be costly, but Simpson is right that the existing efforts are very costly and are not working. I only hope the plan can be implemented in time.
Registered Idaho Republican.
Noel Schoneman, Star
Idaho vaccination debacle
Vaccination appointments are filled within minutes. People must click through the same questions endlessly. Just to get, “Sorry, no appointments available-try again later,” with no information provided on when appointments might be available. And most providers are only serving their own patients.
As a result, Idaho is next to last in percent of people fully vaccinated (NY Times Vaccine Tracker).
Governor Little: Current providers are clearly not sufficient. Where is “Prepmod”? Where are mass vaccination sites? Where is your urgency?
Further delay is an open door to more aggressive variants that make the vaccine less effective (e.g. AstraZeneca is minimally effective vs. the South African variant). Life, health and economic recovery are at stake. Stop passing the buck down the line. Do something different!
At the very least, please start waiting lists to save citizens hundreds of hours of frustration. If the governor, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Central District Health or any providers really cared, or had a brain, they would make that simple change. Clearly, nobody in charge has tried to get an appointment!
A true debacle.
Richard Hardy, Boise