Letters to the editor: Early childhood education grant, vaccine, death penalty, changing Boise

Early childhood education grant

The Idaho 2021 legislature ended, leaving SB 1193 to languish. The House recessed without voting on it. SB1193 is the $6 million federal grant given by the Trump administration to fund early childhood education and liked by both Idaho senators and Gov. Brad Little. Idaho is one of four states that have no public early childhood education. This grant would help prepare children for kindergarten and promote early literacy. Some of the legislators cited unfounded concerns of “indoctrination” and “social justice theory” despite the fact that the grant would be under local control and no evidence that this would occur.

Do Idahoans want to turn down $6 million of federal funding for pre-K education? The National Institute for Early Education Research has shown that early childhood education has a positive impact on all children but especially low-income families. Families that have more means often pay for early education. All Idahoans, regardless of income, should have access to pre-K.

Call the governor and your legislator and ask them why SB 1193 was not voted on.

Linda Beebe, Boise

COVID-19 vaccine

Flood warnings were issued. Police drove through the area and found an older man standing in water to his ankles. They offered to take him to higher ground. Her refused, saying that God would protect him. Water got to the man’s waist. A boat came through and offered him a ride to safety. Again he said the Lord would protect him. Water continued to rise and got to his chin. A helicopter flew over and dropped a rope but again he refused. Water got high enough to drown the man. When he got to heaven he found the lord and he asked why he had been abandoned in his hour of need. The Lord replied, “I sent you a car, a boat and a helicopter. What more could I have done?”

If you haven’t gotten your COVID-19 shots yet, you are like this old guy in the flood. God sent people smart enough to produce a vaccine that has inoculated over 150 million people in the U.S. alone. It is safe, effective and free. Is God going to be asking you what more he could have done for you, too?

Richard P. Ringelstetter, Boise

Changing Boise

No one has asked me if I want to see Boise become a forest of towers. No one has asked me if I think it is a good idea to build towers that encroach on established neighborhoods. And why in our current push to find affordable housing does Boise need ten to sixteen story towers that have five to seven stories for retail space and parking? When I read about the variances, zone changes, and traffic modifications being made to advance a developer project, sometimes over the objections of impacted neighborhoods or staff recommendations, it bothers me. How are these decisions being made, who is in charge? It took the people of Boise several decades to build this magnificent city that we enjoy. If we are not careful how we manage its future development, we may live to regret what we bring about.

John A. Nordin, Boise

Death penalty

Anne Frank Memorial Park in downtown Boise is dedicated to supporting the dignity of the human person. Close by is our state capital building. One would hope that both locations are of one mind set. The fact that Idaho is one of the 27 states that still have a death penalty is proof that this is not always the case. Just recently, a judges issued a warrant which set an execution date for Gerald Pizzuto

Gerald Pizzuto was convicted and sentenced to death in 1986 for the terrible crime of shooting Berta Herndon, 58, and beating Del Herndon, 37, to death. Since then, for the past 35 years he has lived at Idaho’s death row in a 12 by 7 ft. cell. During these years his health has failed, resulting in his being placed in hospice care. Suffering from advanced bladder tumors, Type 2 diabetes, and a variety of heart and lung diseases, Gerald has received his second death sentence.

Upon receiving his execution date, Gerald partitioned the Idaho Pardons & Parole Commission for clemency. I only hope it is granted, saving our state the expense and embarrassment of executing a dying man.

Henry Krewer, Garden City