Letters to the editor: Rep. Giddings, COVID-19 restrictions, Boise police
Rep. Giddings
Rep. Pricilla Giddings professes to favor less government. She voted against accepting federal monies for education, covid testing, and vaccinations in schools, rather than approving the state budget or providing property tax relief. Her position, like the rest of the Redoubt caucus, is based on the flawed notion that Idaho doesn’t need federal money.
Nevertheless, Representative Giddings, who is also a U.S. Air Force officer, feeds at the taxpayer trough. In today’s dollars, the government has likely invested more than $7 million in her training and salaries:
• U.S. Air Force Academy education, $416,000
• A10 fighter training, $5.96 million
• nine years active duty pay, approximately $690,282
• legislator’s salary $18,691 plus expenses
I believe that the least we taxpayers should expect is behavior becoming a legislator and an Air Force officer.
Had Giddings behaved in a manner becoming the officer she was trained to be, she would have defended Jane Doe, offered support, and fought for her privacy. Instead, she behaved exactly like the textbook stereotype of a fighter jock. She should be ashamed. Idaho deserves better.
Nancy Harris, Boise
Censure Giddings
With the recent events at the legislature surrounding Rep. Priscilla Giddings, I feel it necessary to call for her censure. If it is proven that she “outed” the victim, I would call for her outright removal from her office.
Steven Summers, Driggs
Boise police
As a resident of Boise, I am perfectly happy with the Boise Police Department. I implore the mayor and the city council to not go “woke” and defund, reduce, reform or re-imagine the Boise Police Department. Cities nationwide using this approach have seen lots of police officers retire or resign. And, as easily predicted, crime goes up and we have more victims. Let’s support our public safety personnel and keep Boise safe.
John Nerison, Boise
COVID-19 restrictions
Continuing restrictions much longer given today’s environment constitutes governmental overreach. Is there any hard evidence COVID-19 variants evade protections provided by available vaccines? Given the widely available options are effective and deemed safe, it’s up to the individual to determine whether the benefits exceed the risks. The CDC attests it does, but misinformation and concerns over safety will slow our ability to reach herd immunity quickly. Waiting on people who continue to feed into misinformation and are vulnerable to their own confirmation bias impedes the rights of those who are vaccinated. Government and private restrictions hinders freedom of movement, chokes the economy, impacts financial well-being and drives us further into debt as a society. It’s time to set a date upon which all restrictions are lifted. Prior to completely opening, it’s up to the individual to become vaccinated. In the interim, anyone fully vaccinated should not be forced by either public nor private entities to adhere to COVID-19 specific precautions. There are scenarios when the benefits of governmental intervention exceed the cost of sacrificing individual liberty. Until scientific evidence shows COVID-19 variants are deadly to those vaccinated, the pendulum needs to swing back quickly to reclaiming any individual liberty sacrificed.
Douglas O’Coyne Jr., Meridian
Sexual assault
Dear (House Speaker Scott) Bedke:
I am appalled that some of our state representatives disclosed the identity of the alleged sexual assault victim of now former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger. This goes against all appropriate behavior and treatment of sexual assault victims. What are you going to do about this?
If you don’t think this is a big deal, please reach out to the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence: https://idvsa.org, (208) 384-0419.
Gini Van Siclen, Tetonia