Letters to the editor: embarrassing Bundy, response to Kustra, good luck and others
Embarrassing Bundy
Ammon Bundy is a supreme embarrassment to Idaho. It’s about time he’s sent to jail — too bad it’s only for 10 days. He’s a spoiled brat, but this is not funny. He and his family continue to steal millions of dollars from the United States by refusing to pay their grazing fees, continue to flout the law, and encourage others to bully and intimidate law-abiding citizens. Perhaps if we started protesting in front of his house every day, he and his family would leave.
Rachel A. Johnson, Boise
Response to Kustra
First off, unless Luci Willits went along with every bad idea the left-leaning partisans, like the mayor and certain city councilors proposed, she will be bashed repeatedly by Kustra and every other leftist in Boise. Luci is tough. She can take it.
To say that mayoral and city council elections are non-partisan is not true. There always have been and always will be candidates who are Democrat or Republican, left-leaning or right-leaning. To pretend otherwise is simply stupid. It’s time Boise residents are represented by a broader pool of candidates from each district in this ever growing city. To have a mayor and city council dominated by north, west and east -enders is simply not a good representation of the diverse population of Boise.
The Republican Party is more energized than it has been in a very long time. There are far more Republican precinct committeemen and women compared to Democrats. Republicans will continue to ramp up activism and grassroots efforts to share the truth about what the Republican Party and the great men and women who are running for public office stand for.
Stanley Roach, Boise
Interfaith Sanctuary
As the Veterans Park Neighborhood Association prepares for round two, they have to persuade the city council that the planning and zoning commission’s 5-1 decision of denial to Interfaith Sanctuary’s State Street location was correct and is based on merit.
It is of interest to think about the recent homeless protest staged next to our Capitol, which was recently disbanded. Gov. Little along with Attorney General Lawrence Wasden filed a lawsuit preventing the protesters from camping on state grounds. It was reported to them that maintenance crews had picked up several hypodermic needles, bottles of urine and viewed police photos of human waste. There were 71 citations issued and 14 arrests made by the time the protest ended. It required six police officers overseeing workers dressed in hazmat suits to remove the remaining trash left behind.
This protest may have had good intentions. However, this is what the VPNA fears, as the inevitable infiltration of the homeless filters into the surrounding neighborhoods. The VPNA will not have the governor to remove them nor be able to hire a hazmat company to clean up the mess left behind.
Protesters couldn’t have made it any clearer.
David Bergerud, Boise
Wasden disappointing
I am shocked and very disappointed to see that Lawrence Wasden, attorney general of Idaho, signed on to a letter from Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas, opposing the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court “because of her unconscionable leniency toward criminals who possess, publish, and produce child pornography — or, more accurately, images of child rape. Judge Jackson hasn’t merely erred on the more forgiving end of a spectrum of available”.
This is a totally false claim. As Andrew McCarthy stated in the National Review: “I want to discuss the claim by Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) that Judge Jackson is appallingly soft on child-pornography offenders. The allegation appears meritless to the point of demagoguery.”
In the past I have had a great deal of respect for Lawrence Wasden, believing him to be a very principled AG. Is he now so afraid of the upcoming election that he will sign up for such tactics? Very disturbing.
Steven D Simpson, Boise
Good luck
Thank you for your article about Ammon Bundy. I saw your article online and as a resident of Oregon, I was disgusted and appalled that anybody could steal, abuse, and destroy public assets without consequence. Every resident of Oregon had to pay for his childish behavior, and your state now has the same problem. Use of public lands is a privilege, not a right. Government management is necessary to ensure greedy individuals don’t destroy future generations’ birthright. I wish you the best and hope you find a better solution than we did.
Brion Kimmel, Portland
Smear campaign
Do not fall for the slick out-of-state smear campaign against Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden. The organization of Americans for Limited Government claims are inaccurate and misleading. Wasden has repeatedly stood up to those that want to trample on the Idaho Constitution.
A radical right-wing group of Idaho politicians and out-of-state interests want to manipulate state laws for their own benefit. They resent that Wasden has repeatedly and successfully defended the interest of the citizens of Idaho.
Support Idaho and common sense. Vote to re-elect Lawrence Wasden.
Lawrence and Tina Flournoy, Twin Falls
Wolf population
The Idaho wolf depredation law forces the Idaho wolf population to one animal off the endangered species list. The bill signed by Gov. Brad Little sought to reduce Idaho’s Wolf population in 2015 by 90%. This law should be removed and the mass amounts of money poured into this issue and law should be used to help conservation groups, as well as ranchers and herders to safely protect their sheep and the wolf packs to help wolves, and humans coexist.
Many proponents of the wolf deprivation law argue that wolves kill too many sheep and are a danger to society. It is true that wolves can kill livestock. Moreover, we cannot turn a blind eye to the generations of herders who rely on wild areas for grazing and to continue their way of life.
However, there is a new technology that protects herds and wolves safely. Examples of nonlethal methods are spotlights, noisemakers, and temporary electric fences for nighttime. As a result, livestock holders can protect their animals and continue to use the same lands they have been using for generations. In turn, wolves can be safe from harmful and deadly methods and coexist.
Anika Vandenburgh, Hailey