Letters to the editor: climate change, crossover Republicans and China competition
Climate change
As a student at Boise High and a member of the Idaho Climate Justice League, I am disappointed by Boise Schools’ leaders’ lack of interest in protecting students’ collective future. Climate change is the single greatest threat to humanity today. It is the greatest challenge our species has ever faced. While our school district leads the state in preparing students to face the climate crisis with a thorough climate education, our leaders fail to face the climate crisis on their own.
In November, the Statesman reported on students’ efforts to enact a clean energy commitment and long-term sustainability plan for the Boise School District. While board members did pass a resolution entitled “Collective Commitment on Clean Energy,” it was nothing close to what students asked for. The document had no mention of district clean energy targets or any timetable for action. It was simply greenwashing.
However, we students will not give up in the face of abject contempt from board members and district leadership. Now is the time for Boise Schools to take leadership on fighting climate change. We demand a comprehensive climate action plan with time-bound commitments. Boise Schools must act today for a better tomorrow.
FIona Michael, Boise
Crossover Republicans
Dear fellow Republicans: I am now a crossover Republican, but need your help to weed out the wacko’s in your party as you requested.
Governor: At the moment, Ammon Bundy is not in jail, and certainly not performing any real community service, but if there ever was someone who deserves the “Lock ‘im up” chant, he’s the man. Then there’s Janice McGeachin who certainly has tried to outdo Bundy with her own brand of wackiness: Outing a victim of sexual harassment, conducting a wild goose chase on non-existent school indoctrination, and attempting to have taxpayers pay for her bad decisions. Then we have Brad Little who has recently signed into law an anti-abortion bill that criminalizes behavior that Republicans just don’t like. I think that if you have to criminalize a non-criminal activity to convince someone else not to do what you don’t want them to do; you’ve lost the argument of reasonable discourse, never mind that you are denying rights to your fellow citizens. Little must be extremely embarrassed that the governors of Washington and Oregon have had to come to the aid of his female constituents.
Idaho Republicans, is this the best you have?
Tom Beatty, Boise
China Competition
Countries like China are jeopardizing the United States’ standing as a global economic leader, in large part because of their ability to build a 21st century, STEM-oriented workforce. While the U.S. leads the way in educating some of the greatest talent, many of these individuals take their skills elsewhere due to immigration barriers to stay in the U.S. The Reagan Institute found that, from 2007-2018, the share of Chinese students returning to China after studying abroad increased from 30 to 78 percent.
If America is going to harness international talent to advance industries critical to our national security and economic leadership, then we need policies like the America COMPETES Act to allow foreign-born STEM professionals to remain in the country and work. Limiting green cards for foreign-born STEM professionals will not increase national security, properly vetting and funding the intelligence community with skilled professionals will.
Senator Crapo wasn’t wrong in calling out China as a threat to American innovation during his address on the Senate version of the America COMPETES Act, the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). I urge Senators Crapo and Risch to keep critical immigration provisions in the final version of the America COMPETES Act.
David Cahoon, Nampa