Idaho Republican Party is considering ways to disenfranchise thousands of voters | Opinion
GOP rules
The Idaho Republican Party is considering several ways to disenfranchise thousands of Idaho voters. In the party leadership’s eyes, there are many voters who are not “Republican enough” to be worthy to vote in the Republican Primary, the de facto election in many, many races in this highly Republican-dominated state.
Now, at the highest level of the party organization, the leaders are also considering stripping voting power from women and youth members of the Executive Committee. Women and youth apparently are not “Republican enough” to be trusted with the privilege of helping to make leadership decisions.
Crudely outspoken conspiracy-theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia has been invited to be the face of Republicanism in Idaho, so it looks as though even the most elite of the elite (Idaho Republican men) are not “Republican enough” to truly represent the party.
If you still have any illusions that Republican leadership in this state has your interests at heart, please consider the previous paragraphs and elect candidates who believe in participatory democracy and will stand up for you, their constituents.
Claudia Moberly, Middleton
Public education
K-12 education is a cornerstone of our democracy. It ensures everyone has an equal start to leading a successful and rewarding life.
But now, in the name of personal freedom, the haves want more and are prepared to leave the have-nots with an inferior education to get it.
They claim that basic public education can survive and even thrive without the public money that would be transferred with so-called vouchers so the haves can attend private schools. That is a lie!
Study after study has shown that diminishing school enrollment is a death knell for schools because the majority of school costs are fixed. The cost of heating, cooling and maintaining buildings and school grounds are a huge part of the cost of educating our children. Those costs don’t change with fewer students.
Here in Idaho, public schools have been consistently underfunded. Underfunding leads to fewer skilled teachers and more dilapidated buildings and grounds. The notion that we can have it both ways, as suggested by the Mountain States Policy Center in their opinion, is only true in states that value K-12 education enough to adequately fund it, even with fewer students. Idaho, unfortunately, isn’t one of those states.
Rick Tholen, Eagle
Change in voting rules
In 1960, as a 21-year-old college senior, I proudly exercised my right to vote for the first time.
In subsequent years, while serving as a U.S. Marine, I have voted by absentee ballot from the deck of a Navy ship off the coast of Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis, from Okinawa and Vietnam.
Upon moving to Idaho in 1981, one of the first things my wife and I did was register to vote.
We have always viewed our right and privilege to vote as our obligation as U.S. citizens.
The proposal by some in the Idaho Republican Party to further restrict our right to vote in primary elections goes against everything I thought I was protecting during more than 20 years of active duty as a Marine.
In any election funded by the citizens of Idaho, all citizens who are legally registered to vote must be allowed to vote.
Our elected officials must realize that they are asking to represent all of us.
If a political party wishes to go back to the days of smoke-filled rooms and the good old boys selecting our candidates, don’t attempt to disguise it as an election.
Keith E. Carlson, Lewiston
Assessor sends his thanks
As I leave the office for the last time, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of indebtedness to the citizens of Ada County who have trusted me with the office of assessor for the last 28 years. I have loved serving the citizens of this county and hope I have done so with honor and integrity. I want to thank my family for being a part of this journey with me; and for all the employees of the assessor’s office who have shared my commitment to “Superior Public Service.” God bless you all, and Happy New Year!
Robert McQuade, Boise, former Ada County assessor
Climate change
The Idaho Climate Justice League pushed the Boise School District for two years to commit to 100% clean energy by 2050. In November 2021, the Boise School District passed the “Collective Commitment on Clean Energy,” yet failed to establish time-bound commitments. With that, students voiced their disappointment and demanded more decisive climate action from the district.
In August, we made history by electing our first student, Shiva Rajbhandari, to the school board. We thought having a student on the board would sway the district to take sustainability seriously, but we’ve heard nothing from Rajbhandari since September. Failing to see action translates to diminishing confidence in the board and district.
Drafting a successful commitment can take time, so we must start now before it becomes too late. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work in the beginning steps of the climate roadmap, but I am waiting to see more tangible action. The greenwashing and vagueness behind the commitment feels like a slap in the face for us students and exacerbates the climate anxiety many of us face. It is time for Boise schools to create a comprehensive climate action plan, set an example and ensure there is “a better tomorrow.”
Sneha Sharma, Boise
Today’s GOP
The National Republican Party leader, Donald Trump, amplifies QAnon messaging, thinks Putin is a genius for attacking Ukraine and dines with white supremacists. The Idaho Republican Party chairperson, Dorothy Moon, supports outlandish conspiracy theories, the Panhandle Patriots, and other anti-government groups. It is disheartening that this is the current platform of the Republican Party. Our country is in a dark place.
Tom Haddock, Star