Letters to the editor: Voting, legislative power, tax cuts, Interfaith Sanctuary
Voting limits
Idaho voters, fasten your seat belts and hang onto your voting rights. Frankly, if I were still a Republican, I would be embarrassed and ashamed to admit it. Are you paying attention to how Republican legislatures across the U.S. are attempting to grab power and limit voting rights in their states? Recently, in one short day, a bill was fast-tracked through both houses of the Georgia general assembly and signed by the governor with lightning speed. Republicans there have drastically gerrymandered their legislative districts and, because they didn’t like the outcome of the 2020 election, have used their ill-gotten majority to give themselves nearly unlimited power to manipulate voting in their favor. This legislation also changes vote-by-mail, restricts the number/placement of drop boxes for absentee voting, imposes restrictive voter ID requirements, and even criminalizes giving water to voters who are standing in line to vote. Don’t think it can’t happen right here in Idaho. Our Republican-majority legislature is already proposing unnecessarily restrictive voting measures. We can’t let that happen. Please! Fight like hell to stop these power grabs. And tell Senators Crapo and Risch to support the For the People Act that is before them in the U.S. Senate.
Pat Entwistle, Boise
Power play
When will our legislators prove that they want a better Idaho?
A better Idaho would be one that funds our schools, so that our children get the best education possible. Instead we still rank last in per student spending. House Bill 332, turning away Powerball funds, and refusing federal money for early childhood education proves that our legislators don’t really care about the children in our state. If they did, they would want them to have the best schooling possible.
They claim to want autonomy, pushing away what they call federal overreach, but they want to control how Boise runs its own city. Hypocrisy at the highest level. We strive for fair rental housing here, so they want to strip that away. They want the right to control how we vote for our own city council and have basically said they will gerrymander to get the results they want.
That is not freedom; that is control.
Our current legislators have forgotten they’re supposed to work for Idahoans, all Idahoans. Take care of our kids and leave our local governments alone.
GiGi Huntley, Boise
Interfaith Sanctuary
As a member of a church in Veterans Park Neighborhood, I support Interfaith Sanctuary’s relocation to the State Street Salvation Army Store location. For many years pre-pandemic I volunteered at Interfaith and donated many items and dollars to help support the organization. I enjoyed interacting with the residents and didn’t feel fearful. Some had substance abuse issues, but many are in treatment programs. No job with a livable wage is the reason most are homeless.
Recently, Interfaith has been running four shelters with one hotel shelter allowing space for families, pre-school and parenting classes and spaces for vulnerable seniors with medical issues or hospice services.
Another hotel housed those positive with COVID-19.
The new facility will allow Sanctuary to serve 60 to 100 more residents than possible at the River Street location. Having more space will allow more daytime programming, becoming a sanctuary of learning, recovery, searching for employment and housing, moving toward a productive life.
The larger space will allow expanded programming. Hopefully as the economy rebounds, more will be employed at a wage high enough to pay for housing.
We must stand up for vulnerable people. Please consider and support the homeless.
Gayle Wilde, Boise
Tax cut plan
I have only two words for our Legislature: please reconsider. Passing House Bill 332 (tax cut bill) clearly will verify to me the continued marginalization of people who need help the most and a need to get support from those who will help each legislator’s next election.
Responsible fiscal stewardship means making decisions that reflect all income levels and each legislator’s ability to let their personal ego, bios and fear take back stage to what is right and just for Idaho’s people and help fulfill the oath that was taken; making decisions that could affect our ability to receive the same financial support other states will get just to prove our independence to me reflects an outright fiduciary failure.
Bob Howard, Boise