Presidents don’t matter? Maybe if all you care about is stocks. What about democracy? | Opinion
Wall Street might not care about elections, but you should
Peter Crabb, in his July 17 op-ed regarding the presidential election not really affecting many of us, focuses on Wall Street. There are other voices claiming the same — namely Wall Street bankers, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, etc. However, at issue in this election is something more pernicious that will affect many, many of us.
Crabb does mention, though very briefly and in almost a whisper, that the executive branch has become more powerful than it should be. Has he not familiarized himself with the people Trump would bring into that branch? Start with J.D. Vance and Stephen Miller and the Heritage Foundation fellas. Does Crabb not worry about Trump’s affinity with autocrats? Is Crabb not concerned about our allies’ fears?
Wall Street, Dr. Crabb, may be OK regardless of the outcome. We, on Main Street, have more serious concerns.
Steve Rostron, Boise
More lanes on State Street
I am writing to express support for 5 lanes of traffic on State Street between N 8th and N 14th streets. This is a main corridor in and out of downtown Boise and is heavily traveled by commuters and residents daily.
Creating 5 lanes of traffic to include dedicated turning lanes at the intersections with arrowed lights is the safest option. Flashing lights around the Walk/Don’t Walk signal can increase the awareness of pedestrian presence. Diverting bicycles to alternative streets like Jefferson or Bannock and adding bike lanes to discourage them from using State Street or its sidewalks.
If State Street is reduced effectively to 2 lanes of traffic, it will create a significant bottleneck, drivers will get frustrated, and commute time would significantly increase. It will also make it very difficult for emergency vehicles if there are fewer lanes because cars will have difficulty pulling over to let them through. Motorists may decide to avoid State Street and congest side streets, which will not make it safer for bicyclists, pedestrians, children, or animals. Please consider all of the people adversely impacted if the lanes are reduced on State Street.
Mary Armstrong, Boise
You know a person’s character by their friends
Where has our morality gone? How do we justify a vote for a convicted felon as our leader of this great country?
Trump has the highest turnover in Presidential history. Fourteen Trump aides, donors, advisors have been indicted or imprisoned. He is the only president who has been associated with convicted criminals and now a criminal himself found guilty of 34 counts by his own peers!
His associates in legal trouble include Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Rudy Guiliani, Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Peter Navarro, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell and many more. Are these the kind of people we want in out government? Taking down our democracy?
Think hard when you vote. It is not the man but the good competent people around him that make him great. Joe Biden might be aging but he knows government and is an honorable man and he has very qualified moral people working for him and the American people. Save America vote Biden/Harris.
Cory Samson, Boise
Private property rights are paramount
Many people have recently moved to this valley and built homes and subdivisions next to or on farm ground. Now some of those same people are protesting the Powers Butte Solar Project in Canyon and Ada counties, saying they want to “Save our Farms.” This isn’t “our” farm, it’s mine. And my family has the right to sell our land investment just as everyone else has the right to sell their investments.
I’ve been in the dairy business since we moved to Kuna in 1958. It’s been a good life. We’ve seen lots of changes and improvements throughout the years. But I am 81 years old.
We decided to sell our land now because land prices are strong. We chose to sell to Savion Energy rather than to residential developers because they made a good offer and because we felt it would be better for the community. A solar plant doesn’t impact the schools, traffic, or water table like a residential development would.
Property rights are held in the highest regard in Idaho. Some people’s “preference” for what my land looks like now should not impact my family’s fundamental right to develop our land as regulations permit us to do.
Steve Beus, Kuna
Anyone under 75 for president
It’s time to take the car away from grandpa. This is a tough decision, but it’s one thousands of families face every year. Grandpa has always been a careful and considerate driver,and he would never want to hurt anyone. But he’s showing his age – he’s less focused, his vision has blind spots,and his reflexes are no longer sharp. It would be ideal if grandpa realized this and voluntarily surrendered his car keys.
But he’s stubborn and proud. So it’s the family’s job to tell him he can no longer be a responsible driver.
This is the situation both political parties face today. There’s buzz that the Democrats may seek to oust President Biden as their nominee. They should. Unfortunately, there’s no talk about cutting Donald Trump’s run short. If Joe Biden drops out, Trump will be the oldest person to ever run for president – older than Biden when he was elected in 2020. America deserves better than two old men well past their prime running for the most important job in the U.S. and the world.
William Rice, Boise
If Trump wins, get ready for the return of graft
The recent decision by the United States Supreme Court to hold former president Donald Trump immune from prosecution for actions taken as part of his official duties is tantamount to approval of all the plans for the dismantling of the U.S. government as set forth in the Project 2025.
This makes a mockery of all the lives sacrificed to free people from autocratic dictators in the American Revolution that freed us from the tyranny of a king, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm and the War on Terror.
This also removes the separation of powers that the founders of this country kept at the forefront of their efforts in the establishment of our great country.
Project 2025 is a blueprint, generated by former staffers of the former Trump administration, for either elimination of the regulatory agencies or for replacing the staffing with Trump loyalists. These will be people with no expertise in the areas covered by the agencies. The experts that have been running these agencies will be replaced by political appointees. Could this also apply to the U.S. military?
William Brudenell, Boise