Letters: Moscow killing gag order serves a purpose. It should remain in place | Opinion

Keep gag order on Moscow killings

A recent front-page article in the Idaho Statesman describes media efforts to file legal action to eliminate the ongoing gag order for the mass shooting at the University of Idaho. I feel gag orders are beneficial to the success of the rightful prosecution of those found guilty. The more the public knows, the more rumors spread, the more it gives the defense attorneys knowledge as to what info the authorities know in finding the suspects. All too often defense attorneys use false evidence generated by public opinion to get cases thrown out. Legal loopholes get too many felons off the hook. Keep the order in place. On a side note: If the current suspect is found guilty, I wonder how long it will take for the ACLU to come to his rescue, especially now that the state of Idaho has just instituted the firing squad.

Jack Oberti, McCall

You don’t benefit from corporate tax cuts

Not wealthy people vote against their interests and support tax breaks for corporations because of a lack of understanding of how corporations work. If you know someone who thinks that corporate tax breaks help the average person, show them this.

A corporation cannot lower prices or raise wages unless doing so benefits the shareholders by generating more profits. Passing along a break to the workers or consumers because you have the money is a breach of the fiduciary duty owed to the shareholders. Meaning if you do it, you get sued. The $500 bonus some workers received after this massive tax cut was something shiny to distract people.

A corporation will create jobs with excess cash only if doing so will generate a rate of return better than paying dividends, paying down debt, or investing in other companies. If expanding makes sense, financing to achieve it generally is possible and usually part of the plan rather than depleting cash reserves.

So, when you give a corporation a tax break, you are just giving them money, and that money is only going to their shareholders no matter how you slice it. Most people are not shareholders of any corporation.

Arthur Bistline, Sandpoint

Keep grizzlies a protected species

I was reading about the push by Gov. Little and the delegation from Idaho and how they are trying to get the Grizzly bears in Idaho delisted by claiming they have the ability to manage them. “Manage them” in Idaho usually means getting rid of as many as possible just like they are doing to wolves. Gov. Little and the state of Idaho are simply showing their blood lust when it comes to wolves or grizzly bears. You can see how the State of Idaho “manages” delisted species, by aerial killing by the Wildlife Services and trapping, etc. in Idaho. We need to get and keep wolves and grizzly bears protected and the main body they need protection from is Gov. Little and the bloodthirsty elected officials in Idaho

Julian Matthews, Lapwai

The primary doesn’t work for the people

Idaho Republican Party Chair, Dorothy Moon, incorrectly wrote that Idaho’s election system works for its people. It’s not true. The Republican closed primary worked for the party. It worked to foster political domination. A one-party system is not a system for the people. Our previous open primary system better served all voters.

Their closed primary excluded independent, thoughtful, reasoned, non-partisan patriots ― people wishing the best for the state and nation. It gave rise to The New Right. Their extremist mindset does not allow for freedom of ideas that differ from the predetermined policy agenda. The bills they are pushing into law are written by those that own the Party. Those people are definitely not the better angels among us.

We keep hearing, “Idaho is too great for hate.” No, it isn’t. Hate, anger, fear of and frustration with “the enemy” have been planted, fertilized, and cultivated here. It’s produced laws that dominate and discriminate.

People are telling independent, non-conformists to simply leave Idaho if they don’t like its laws. But have Idahoans considered that perhaps the people being driven away are peace-loving, compassionate individuals ― the type of people that can make communities better?

Victoria M. Young, Caldwell