Letters to the editor: Price gouging, salmon, Electoral College, initiatives, Interfaith Sanctuary
Price gouging
The recent passage of Senate Bill 1041 by our Idaho Senate usurps the authority or our Attorney General, whose role is to protect consumers. Please join me in contacting your House representatives to protest 1041, quickly, before it passes.
Our Attorney General Lawrence Wasden slapped the three largest local gas retailers, Maverick, Stinker and Jackson’s, for price gouging early in the pandemic after a thorough investigation revealed their margins rose from 10 to 60 cents per gallon. In addition, one of them received CARES act money. They agreed to a nominal fine, cried foul to the Idaho Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association who in turn, lobbied our Legislature to strip the Attorney General of power to cite them for future price gouging during an emergency.
How would you respond if other businesses raised their margins proportionally?
A restaurant making $1 on a burger could charge $6 more.
A car dealer making $1,000 could charge $6,000 more.
A bar making 50 cents on a cocktail could charge $3 more.
Imagine the effect on all of us if other businesses were given a pass on price gouging, by our Legislature.
Dennis Thomsen, Boise
Electoral College
Interesting commentary from Mr. Thode and Mr. Gray the last couple days regarding the Electoral College. Mr. Thode espouses eliminating it, with appropriate safeguards. Mr. Gray responds that it is the only leverage small states have, and eliminating it would result in the disenfranchisement of millions. Let me tell Mr. Gray about disenfranchisement. Every Democrat in a red state like Idaho is disenfranchised by the Electoral College, just as is every Republican in California. Any Democrat voting for president in Idaho is assured that his or her vote will not count, because it is a foregone conclusion the state’s electoral votes will go to the Republican. The same is true for a Republican voter in California. If we had a simple popular vote, every vote would count, not just those in the “swing states” (how I hate that term!) Perhaps then, presidential candidates would show some interest in Idaho voters, rather than passing over this little state already assured of receiving its meager four votes. Unfortunately, the whole argument is moot, because the system favors Republicans and therefore will likely never be changed.
Walter Gammill, Boise
Salmon and dams
As a retired fishery biologist who worked on Snake River salmon and steelhead management for most of my 50-year career, I was struck by Gov. Little’s statement that breaching the Lower Snake River Dams is not a “silver bullet” for salmon recovery. By “silver bullet” I guess he means the only magic solution for Snake River salmon recovery.
The “Governor’s Salmon Workgroup” was an exciting idea, but Gov. Little limited them by forbidding consideration of dam modification. The resulting recommendations, published in December 2020, after a year and a half of meetings and discussions can be summarized as, “Do the same things we have been doing for the past 50 years, only do them more and do them better.” Unfortunately, the many billions of dollars that the region has spent on habitat improvements, hatchery reforms and harvest management have not been sufficient to maintain, salmon and steelhead populations in the Snake River. The reason that well-intended and scientifically based projects have failed is poor survival of Snake River salmon through the dams.
Dam breaching may not be the “silver bullet” in our arsenal, but with the Lower Snake River Dams in place, all of our other bullets are shooting blanks.
Herbert A. Pollard II, Boise
Initiative limits
I opposed SB 1110 because it seeks to suppress issues of public importance; it seeks to subordinate the sovereignty of the people of Idaho. In 1974, Idaho state Rep. Gary Ingram said, “The people of the state of Idaho, in creating the instruments of government that serve them, do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies so created. Therefore, the Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of this state that the formation of public policy is public business ...” What could be more public than a ballot initiative?
No one elected to office is expected to be all-knowing. The business of the state should not be limited to the thinking of legislators, but should include public issues with enough interest to become a ballot initiative. Then, in the arena of public debate let people have a voice and ultimately a vote.
Current requirements are rigorous enough to validate that an initiative has sufficient public interest to reach the ballot. In the words of Steve Jobs (Apple Inc. chairman, CEO and co-founder), “The most important decisions you make are not the things you do but the things you decide not to do.”
Janet Sherman, Boise
Interfaith Sanctuary
I’m writing to refocus the conversation about Interfaith Sanctuary’s proposed move.
Interfaith Sanctuary is Goliath, Boise citizens are David in this story. Interfaith Sanctuary has a connected board and considerable wealth when compared to similar organizations. Interfaith Sanctuary is pushing through a project that brings a mega shelter to our Boise community. Interfaith Sanctuary has more funding, access to city officials, legal representation and the media than any citizen group. All neighborhoods in Boise should be against a mega shelter at their doorstep pushed by a powerful organization. Interfaith Sanctuary is bullying its way through the process.
The negative impacts of Interfaith Sanctuary are very evident to the surrounding area, and must be discussed. Look at the current Interfaith Sanctuary locations, and all the streets, paths and parks in between. We see the negative impacts of Interfaith Sanctuary to the surrounding community. These negative impacts must be discussed. Do any of us in Boise want to see that negative impact grow or be moved to a more residential area? Take a walk, bike or drive through the current Interfaith Sanctuary area, you will see the negative impacts and ask the question, does this belong anywhere in Boise?
Clay Elkin, Boise
This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 12:44 PM.