Letters to the editor: Ballot harvesting, silver, property takings and Legislature
Ballot harvesting
I was amazed and amused to read about the bill prohibiting so-called “ballot harvesting.” It would make me a criminal.
Last November, I deposited three ballots — mine, my wife’s and my daughter’s — in the secure drop box at the Boise City Hall set up specifically for that purpose. I thought I was being considerate. Under the terms of this legislation, I would be a law breaker. It prevents family members from delivering more than two ballots.
I’ve heard about rampant and villainous voter fraud that supposedly took place during the election. Thank goodness this bill will curb my outrageous abuse. The bill is the perfect example of legislators trying to solve problems that simply don’t exist.
William Rice, Boise
Idaho Legislature
Can the Republican-controlled Idaho Legislature get any more ridiculous? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Every year it gets worse. This year they are only interested in securing more power for themselves. They don’t like the Attorney General’s opinions so they shop for an attorney to get the opinions they want. It’s easy to do. Of course we pay for it all.
Too many stupid proposals have been presented this year to list them all. There’s nothing about providing adequate school funding to stop school bonds from being shoved down our throats and nothing about the inequities of the residential property tax system. Nothing!
Please, will some respectable Republicans step forward in future Republican primaries to run against these clowns? For a party that preaches protection of individual rights and for the government to be more locally controlled, these Republicans take away rights and try to micromanage everything. They don’t even listen to people that testify during public hearings unless it’s favorable to their position.
Wake up, voters. Take back control of your government. I am a native Idahoan and for numerous reasons I am an embarrassed and disappointed registered Republican.
Clarence Orton, Meridian
Buy silver
I support Rep. Ron Nate’s proposed legislation to allow our state Treasurer to invest in gold and silver, and propose that the state purchase silver — in a massive quantity — right now! Why silver? And why right now? Because the Commodities Exchange (COMEX) silver market, probably the most egregiously manipulated market on earth, is running short of silver. Anyone trying to purchase silver coins and bars recently has seen that the retail market is running dry, and the COMEX market is beginning to feel the heat as well. If just a few institutional investors began vying for what remains of physical silver usually traded in paper COMEX contracts, they could break the eight concentrated COMEX silver short sellers, stop the price suppression, and allow silver to rise to its true free market value. Some estimate that silver would rocket to $600-$1,000 per ounce. Overwhelming the COMEX shorts would easily and rapidly bring massive profits to the state and well earned windfalls to residents who have prudently invested in silver, which has for decades been the world’s cheapest and most undervalued commodity. Will our legislators kindly consider my proposal and give it a try?
Jennifer Christiano, Boise
Property takings bill
Property owners who have irrigation ditches owned by someone else crossing their property need to be aware of a bill that is being considered by the Idaho State Legislature. Senate Bill 1074 would substantially expand the rights that ditch owners have when their ditches cross another’s property. The proposed legislation would allow ditch owners to do whatever they wish to “maintain” a ditch “embankment”, without input from the landowner. There is no distinction between small ditches versus large ditches and no quantification of the embankment. The proposed bill gives the ditch owner explicit rights to enter the landowner’s property during any season, regardless of ground conditions (snow, mud, etc.,) even if there is no water in the ditch. Furthermore, the ditch owner would have the right to remove material from the landowner’s property without prior permission. This would render the ditch embankment a source of firewood, fill dirt, or landscaping rock for the ditch owner to remove, while the landowner would have no recourse. Additionally, Bill 1074 removes a section of Title 42 that ensures landowners may use water from streams on their own property. This bill constitutes a “takings” of private land and should be opposed.
Gayle B. Poorman, Meridian