Letters to the editor: Jan. 6 hearings, affordable housing, Arkoosh for AG

Jan. 6 hearings

One valuable lesson from the ongoing televised congressional January 6 hearings is that there are two distinct kinds of Republicans nowadays. There are those who respect facts and truth, who respect the Constitution and our laws, and respect the institutions on which the country is built, including law enforcement and the military, but also ordinary public servants at all levels, from election officials and teachers and librarians to health care workers and research scientists.

And then there are those who are all too willing to accept and repeat lies whether out of sheer ignorance, or out of spite, bigotry and hatred, or as partisan propaganda, all well represented in the editorial pages of our newspapers, ranging from absurd white supremacist garbage to nonsensical anti-science conspiracies and crackpot election subterfuge.

This latter sort of Republican is also the kind who asserts government’s right to own and control a pregnant woman’s body, to censor history, current events and literature, and to prohibit cannabis while defending discrimination against LGBTQ people.

Rich irony: same people ready to point a gun in your face if you disagree with them insist they are all about “freedom.” Sure, their freedom to take your rights away.

Chris Norden, Moscow

Affordable housing

Kudos to the city of Meridian for allocating $552,000 of American Rescue Plan funds to support the development of affordable housing in Meridian. This housing is urgently needed by hard working Meridian residents who are rapidly being priced out of rental housing due to skyrocketing rents. Affordable housing tenants pay approximately 30% of their income for housing, leaving money in their budgets for groceries, childcare, health care and other necessities. Affordable housing enables people in service jobs to live closer to where they work. A win for workers, a win for employers. It’s even a win for the environment!

A strong community provides opportunities for and protects the interests of all its citizens. I hope Mayor Simison will reevaluate his reluctance to use city funds for affordable housing in the future. No one wins when low-income families fall out of housing and into homelessness. Let’s keep Meridian a great place to live – for everyone.

Lila Fetherolf, Meridian

Arkoosh

Idaho’s Republican Attorney General, Lawrence Wasden, has done an exemplary job. His ability to stay politically neutral has been central to his office’s effectiveness in providing sound advice and representation to our elected officials and state agencies. Thank you, Mr. Wasden, for your many years of dedicated service to the state of Idaho.

The fact that such a competent individual as Mr. Wasden did not win the Republican primary is an alarming indication of the misguided direction our Republican party is pursuing. The office of attorney general is in danger of becoming ineffective and costly for Idaho citizens, if Raul Labrador is elected. This man will politicize the office and twist the law to suit his constituents and friends in the legislature. This will result in invalid legal advice and indefensible lawsuits.

Fortunately, the Democrats are nominating a legitimate candidate for the office, Tom Arkoosh. Tom has 44 years of legal experience with no political motivation for running for office. His sole intent is to keep the attorney general’s office as it should be — politically neutral and capable of providing sound legal representation for the State of Idaho. Please join me in voting for Tom Arkoosh this November.

Shannon Page, Boise