Letters: Stop making middle school students clean up your dog’s poop. Do it yourself

Dear Boise community,

I am a 7th grader at North Junior High. Unfortunately, I have P.E. every day for first period. It already sucks, but it’s even worse because we have to pick up after you. Before we go out into the field, we have to look for dog poop that you leave behind. Our school is not a dog park. Be a good citizen and clean up after your pets, please. I hope one day this will not be part of our routine any longer.

Jaxon Kirst, Boise

Hope for the future

I was delighted to learn that Mr. Shiva Rajbhandari has been elected to the Boise School Board. This very perceptive and clear-sighted young man is evidently committed to promoting a safe and sane future.

The first political action I participated in, at age 14, was a campaign to end cruel animal acts in circuses in the UK. But I am now 80, so it is quite wonderful to learn that there are intelligent young people in your state actively committed to ensuring that the physical climate remains breathable and the mental climate remains free.

David Bouvier, Gabriola, British Columbia

Ending animal testing

Kudos to U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, R-ID, for co-sponsoring the Food & Drug Administration Modernization Act of 2021, a bill to allow the use of 21st-century test methods for new drugs before they go to market.

Data show that animal tests are unreliable predictors of the human response to drugs. Between 90 and 95 percent of drugs found safe in nonclinical tests fail during human clinical trials due to toxicities not predicted by traditional animal tests or lack of efficacy. Yet the FDA requires animal testing even if there are superior non-animal methods.

Human-relevant cell-based assays, organs-on-a-chip, human-on-a-chip (microphysiological systems) and computer modeling have been developed to more accurately predict human response to new drugs.

It’s time to tweak the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to provide drug sponsors more options for testing the safety and efficacy of drugs to improve clinical-trial attrition rates, cut time to market in half and substantially reduce research and development costs that could cut drug prices five-fold.

Natasha Dolezal, Boise

Blind support for Trump

For all of you blind Trump supporters, here is another reason why he is the worst thing that has ever happened to this country.

Trump and his supporters are sending campaign contribution requests (and propaganda) through email, which is fine. What is not fine is the “unsubscribe” link on his emails takes you only to another survey that is completely biased and meant to stroke Trump’s ego. Having an “Unsubscribe” link on these types of emails is required under the CAN-SPAM Act (look it up instead of relying on FOX News), but as usual Trump believes he is above the law.

I have been a lifelong Democrat, but I will make a pledge right now to Republicans: Remove Donald Trump and his crazy supporters completely from your party, regain your sanity, and I will consider voting red in future elections.

And please quit referring to him as “President” Trump. He is an ex-President, and hopefully never the real thing ever again.

Your policies are not the problem, Mr. Trump; you are the problem.

Christopher Wood, Garden City

Freedom from education

Wow, why didn’t I think of this before the Heritage Foundation? Make Idaho rank higher in education by inventing a ranking system that rewards low education spending and call it “Education Freedom!” Freedom from having to spend actual money to educate our children. Freedom from having to pay our teachers a livable wage. Freedom from having taxpayer money go schools that anyone can attend. Brilliant.

Rick Tholen, Eagle

Failure to fund education

After bragging about the “surplus” in the state coffers, Brad Little lowered taxes for wealthy people and corporations in Idaho. He also boosted funding for education because of pressure from Reclaim Idaho. In spite of these meager funds, however, some rural counties are still now forced to go to a four-day week because of teacher retention problems even though it is detrimental to Idaho students. It seems most states would have a surplus if they failed to properly fund public education. It’s great that Micron will be creating quality high-paying jobs but how many of those jobs will go to Idahoans who graduate from Idaho public schools?

Eileen Schoenfelder, Boise

Bedroom, not kitchen table, issues

I saw Mr. Crapo’s billboard. Tough. Proven. Conservative. Ok. No doubt the rest of Idaho’s delegation would claim the same. As such, I can’t help but wonder if it was Viktor Orban who inspired them to vote against the economic expansion they are patting themselves on their spineless backs for. If you are unaware of Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, please google it. Then google CPAC. Then ask yourself what happened to politics stopping at the water’s edge, and why tough, proven, conservatives concern themselves more with your bedroom than your kitchen table.

Richard Boozel, Star

Dams will come in handy

The latest news reports there is not sufficient electricity in California therefore electric car charging is being restricted and in the current 100-degree heat, electricity for air conditioning is being limited.

Betting California citizens would love to have the stored and dependable electric power provided by the hydroelectric dams located on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

For proponents wanting the dams removed for the possibility of increased fish runs, where are you going to plug in your future electric truck to charge up the battery so you can tow your boat to the river? Casino operations will go dark when electricity runs short.

Do not believe people when they say conservation will make up for the power needs after removal of the dams; they are being dishonest. Remember at best, dam removal might improve fish runs. Dam removal will cause a shortage of electrical power.

Mike Cloke, Clarkston, Washington