Letters to the editor: Cheney ouster, executions, Republicans, McGeachin, Caldwell moratorium
Cheney ouster
I do not support the Republican Party’s ouster of Sen. Liz Cheney from her leadership position in the Senate and being one of the few true Republicans left in the Senate, ousted from her position for not kowtowing to the false narrative that Trump won the election.
Not only did her fellow Republicans exhibit their lack of commitment to their vote, they did it by secret vote, which is absolutely pathetic. Quite obvious that freedom of speech and truth isn’t part of the new platform.
I was a committed Republican but will never vote the Republican ticket again.
Claudia Havery, Nampa
Idaho execution
In response to the May 18 article, “Dying Idaho inmate’s execution is canceled...” by Rebecca Boone, I want to express my belief that the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole was correct in its decision to halt Gerald Pizzuto’s June 2 execution date.
As a millennial Catholic and native Idahoan working on the national level to end the death penalty, I have seen firsthand how capital punishment is an affront to human dignity.
Mr. Pizzuto’s execution, in particular, would illustrate the barbarism of capital punishment as he is currently dying from terminal cancer. As noted in the article, Mr. Pizzuto’s “natural death” is imminent; doctors in 2019 expected he wouldn’t live another year. It would be unthinkable for the state to take the life of a person under such circumstances.
When the Commission meets in November to determine if the execution of Gerald Pizzuto should move forward, they should grant clemency. Idaho doesn’t deserve the reputation of being a state that chose to execute a terminally ill man.
After a person is executed, the cause of death listed on their death certificate is “homicide.” I don’t want Mr. Pizzuto’s homicide carried out in my name. Do you?
Emma Tacke, associate director of community engagement, Catholic Mobilizing Network, Washington, D.C.
Republican doctrine
In reviewing Republican basic beliefs, incongruities abound. Heading the list is individual responsibility. Strange, I thought individual responsibility was a product of high self esteem, self-determination and a get-up-and-go attitude, not the result of political party affiliation. Someone contact Sen. Risch for clarification.
Next is family values. Someone contact Donald Trump’s two ex-wives and current wife on this one.
Fiscally conservative. Will someone please send the multitrillion-dollar bill for the Mideast wars to George W. Bush and the Republican Party. Will accept cash only payments, no checks.
Limited government. Since June 21, 1788, the United States has had limited government, as outlined in the Constitution. Unlimited governments are totalitarian governments. Someone cancel Barry Goldwater’s nonsensical political theories.
Deregulation. Will someone please contact all the people who lost their life savings due to Ronald Reagan’s deregulation of the savings and loans and George W. Bush’s easing of regulations with the banks and mortgage brokers, to get their profanity-laced feedback.
Low taxation. Yes, for the rich. The December 2017 tax cut law benefited the wealthiest Americans and corporations. Contact Jeff Bezos aboard his $500 million yacht docked at some duty-free port for the details.
Tom Yount, Boise
McGeachin
Janice McGeachin and the Idaho Freedom Foundation have overplayed their hand. Most Idahoans realize the state needs a governor who reads books, not burns them.
Douglas Siddoway, Ashton
Pause for a cause
Wow! Caldwell, California!
I would never have believed that an Idaho city would start acting like snobby Mill Valley, California! A “pause” to residential development!? In California they called it a moratorium and many cities there decided that this was their salvation and solution to growth.
The difference here seems to be that our lowly regarded Republican Legislature and its changes to our tax code force fast-growing cities like Caldwell to reconsider everything…including residential development and growing in response to market pressures. How California!
These California development moratoriums years ago aggravated already inflated housing prices. Their legacy today is the acceleration of Californians migrating to Idaho for housing they can afford and the Idaho lifestyle they hope to remake.
We have an unmet affordable housing need for lower income Idaho families of about 23,000 units. Years of neglect by our legislature that provides zero funding for affordable housing leaves us with this deficit. Hopefully, Idaho cities caught in this fiscal bind will settle on the wiser choice of at least exempting affordable housing development from their California-like “pauses.”
Gary Hanes, Boise