Letters to the editor: Mask burning, initiatives, Idaho Public Television, Interfaith Sanctuary, preschool grant, housing
Mask burning
I come from a long line of proud residents of Idaho, although I now live in Eastern Oregon. They lived in Blackfoot, Soda Springs, Twin Falls and Boise. Oregon’s governor has been vilified for her restrictions requiring face masks to curb the spread of COVID. It is working. Many of our counties are being allowed to open up more. Not wide open with no restrictions, but with guidelines that allow more flexibility than we had before. Oregon is 49th out of 50 states in the spread of COVID.
It is shocking to see Idahoans, fatigued by the mask restrictions, burning their masks and encouraging their children to burn their masks. It is shocking, because 25% of all COVID tests in Idaho are coming back positive. It bodes ill for people I consider to be my fellow Idahoans.
What are you thinking? Or are you just determined to defy government at any cost, like dying from COVID? I cannot understand this, but I will not be coming to Idaho as long there is a blatant disregard for other people and a selfish “it’s all about me” attitude. Sad to watch, really sad for what it teaches the kids.
Dave Stalker, Bend, Oregon
Initiative measure
The Idaho Secretary of State’s website reflects 20,850 registered voters in Idaho’s Legislative District 27. Senate Bill 1110 requires 6% of the registered voters in each of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts to sign a petition in favor of any proposed citizen’s initiative in order for that initiative to be put to a statewide vote.
Six percent of District 27’s voters equal 1,251 voters. If only 5% of District 27’s voters signed the petition (1,042 voters), that citizen’s initiative would fail in all 35 rural and urban districts. The 209 voters short of the required 6% in District 27 who chose not to involve themselves in the petition, no matter the subject of the petition, would result in all 1,056,796 of Idaho’s rural and urban voters not having any vote on the citizen’s initiative.
Senate Bill 1110, being marketed as protecting our rural population’s right to be heard, is nothing more than a sham by Idaho’s Legislature to virtually kill our constitutional right to a citizens initiative. SB1110 represents our authoritarian legislature’s continual efforts to deny Idaho’s citizens’ rights.
Tom Newton, Caldwell
Idaho Public Television
Rep. Priscilla Giddings proposed defunding Idaho Public Television because she objects to content that addresses race issues and climate change. What is next, Representative Giddings? Will you propose pulling all books from the Boise Public Library that discuss race, racial inequities and injustices or climate change?
If so, what will you want to do with the books? Have a public book burning?
Private citizens donate considerable amounts of money each year to Idaho Public Television and Boise State Public Radio. We believe in science, truth and balanced news that are presented in these. There is very little opinion and, when there is, the stations announce it as such, unlike many commercial stations.
William Brudenell, Boise
Interfaith Sanctuary move
Interfaith Sanctuary’s short-sighted and rushed plan to double their occupancy and open one of the largest congregate housing facilities in a low-income neighborhood is bad for the homeless, the surrounding neighborhoods and for Boise.
The targeted neighborhood already supports three non-traditional housing facilities, and more low-income housing than any area outside of downtown, overburdening a community where 21-40% are living below poverty level.
Megashelters that warehouse the homeless into cramped spaces are antiquated and contrary to Mayor McLean’s Housing First Plan to end homelessness by 2025.
“We now know that model is not safe, not healthy, and not effective. Communities that have honed the ‘housing-first’ approach have built relationships with landlords so they can move them immediately into housing,” Steve Berg, V.P. National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Valor Pointe, Boise’s premier Housing First project for veterans, is located across the street from the proposed facility. Adding 300+ very low-income neighbors will strain Valor Pointe, its residents and neighborhood resources.
Now is an important opportunity for Interfaith and the city to utilize a fair share approach that avoids concentrating poverty into one zip code and to “reimagine” shelter that allows our homeless neighbors private, dignified spaces that congregate housing cannot provide.
Kerrie Weppner, Boise
Preschool development grant
We are the proud parents to two amazing boys. One being Leland, our 5 year old. He has struggled with some emotional behavioral challenges.
With the training/education he has been receiving from Get Ready to Learn, Kuna!, we have noticed improvement with our bright son.
Thanks to this free high quality preschool he has been able to attend, we believe he will be much better prepared for kindergarten this coming August.
Loving parents,
B.J. and Jacqueline Henningfeld, Kuna
Housing supply
It seems like every week there is an article on the front page talking about the explosion in housing prices and rents in Idaho, and especially the Treasure Valley. We don’t have to read about it to know it’s happening, all of us feel it every day. While it’s fun for long-term homeowners, it unfortunately is pricing many people out of the market, and if left unchecked could cause bigger problems in the long term.
We know it’s a supply issue, and we know it’s not just an Idaho problem. There are less than half as many homes for sale nationwide today as there were in 2019. If we’re ever going to slow this trend down, we need to be building more aggressively. The crash in 2008 very justifiably slowed down building, but lingering fears have kept it too low, and we’re starting to see the consequences.
Governments are going to have to allow more building and smarter building. Bankers are going to have to provide capital, and builders are going to have to take risks. If they do, they’ll be rewarded and we might just see these trends slow down to reasonable levels.
James Petzke, Meridian