“Goose hunt was ‘an absolute blast’?”...
Barbs: • It’s always infuriating when I hear far-right Idaho lawmakers campaign on “freedom” and “rights for the people,” then juxtapose those rallying cries with what they’re actually doing to the people of Idaho (as well as their counterparts in the rest of the nation), which is blatantly reducing rights. The Idaho GOP is currently trying to limit the requirements for people to vote in Republican primaries, taking away the right for voters to use student IDs to vote and severely restricting the right for people to vote using absentee ballots (read more about that on Page 22). They have banned abortions in Idaho and are attempting to eliminate rape and incest provisions as well. They are trying to make it a felony to provide health care to transgender youths, as well as criminalizing the act of transporting a minor to another state to obtain an abortion. They are introducing bills that make subjective calls on what books libraries won’t be able to carry. They are attempting to eliminate Medicaid expansion, which 61% of voters supported in 2018. They are promoting bills that eliminate sex education before fifth grade, as well as promoting the so-called “school choice” campaign backed by billionaires who want to do away with public education funding. The list goes on and on. I don’t see an expansion of rights here. I see rights being taken away from Idahoans at an alarming pace. And it’s not just here. Look at what Gov. Ron DeSantis is doing in Florida for a glimpse of what’s to come in the Gem State. Whether it’s the “Don’t Say Gay” bill or the failed attempt to force student athletes to report their menstrual histories on highschool medical forms, this is not what a government by the people, for the people is supposed to be about. If we aren’t able to stand up to these extremists and vote them out of office, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble in the years to come. If someone campaigns on the premise of supporting your rights, ask for the receipts, don’t just believe their tired slogans and empty words. We’re smarter than this. 8 / R / February 16, 2023
Dear editor, I read with interest the article in the February 9th issue of the Reader concerning the City Beach goose hunt. The whole idea of having a hunt at the beach is disturbing to me, but reading the article made me feel even more disturbed. Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon gave a report to the City Council on the mid-December to mid-January hunt. He stated, “those guys had an absolute blast.” This comment shocked me, actually, as it seems so cavalier. Not being a hunter myself I looked up what is ethical hunting? A Google search yielded this definition. In part it said, “...show respect for all wildlife.” Police Chief Coon’s comment certainly lacked any respect for the life or lives taken. This is disheartening. Cynthia Mason Hope
A glimpse into the GOP’s future for Idaho… Dear editor, Let’s see how Coeur d’Alene Republican Rep. Joe Alfieri’s anti-voting push could play out over the next election and afterward. Jumping in our time machine, we see these headlines in future editions of the Reader: “Idaho Republican Party to Eliminate Primaries for all State Elections.” Since only candidates approved by the Republican Central Committees are to be voted on, the cost and time invested in a primary is a complete waste of time. Two weeks later: “GOP Decides to Eliminate General.” Since it is a foregone conclusion that the Republican candidates will be elected, they will automatically take seats in Boise. Also, it has been decided that there will no longer be absentee ballots, as they present too many chances for fraudulent non-Republican-approved candidates to get unapproved votes. Jumping to January 2025: “Legislature Decides all Citizen Ballot Measures Need Legislative Approval.” Other stories: “Idaho Senate President Forms ‘Citizens Morals Committee’ Chaired by Sen. Scott Herndon.” A month later, this edict is published in all Idaho newspapers: “Henceforth, only books approved by a simple majority of
both chambers of the Idaho Legislature will be placed in tax-supported libraries. Furthermore, cable, satellite and streaming providers, and movie theaters will be required to present their programming schedule to the state for approval.” Examples of TV programs not meeting the Morals Committee standards: The Andy Griffith Show, because the deputy officer is presented in an incompetent manner while the sheriff does not carry a firearm nor uses body armor. Other shows banned: M*A*S*H, as it rebels against authority figures; The Twilight Zone, as it makes too many people think outside the boundaries of accepted norms; and Star Trek, which encourages a “woke” sense of diversity. A full list of other banned shows and movies will be posted on the state’s website. Lawrence Fury Sandpoint
Senate bill would give Boise control over Priest River’s future… Dear editor, I oppose Idaho Senate Bill 1021. Written by Scott Herndon and pushed with no consultation among numerous stakeholders or state management agencies, SB1021 is sponsored largely by out-of-state, deep-pocketed seasonal visitors to Priest Lake. Many have never visited the 45-mile-long Priest River, which this bill will impact. I’ve lived on the Priest River for 45 years, watching the river change drastically for the worse. Around July 4, 2021, water temperatures rose to 83 degrees. The 2021 warmup resulted in a fish kill. Rotten fish washed up at our spot, disgusting, bacteria-ridden and stinking. In 2001, brown rock-snot, (didymo) began to cover the entire length and width on our span of the river. In 2005, IDEQ’s Glenn Rothrock said this was the result of warm temperature and sediment loading, saying IDEQ and IDFG did not have resources to mitigate unless citizens demanded it. He feared that would take too long, making the problem irreversible. People are finally getting informed and want to save the river. Grassroots organization Priest River Watershed Group, with Trout Unlimited, has formed to advocate this. The cold water bypass from Priest Lake, proposed by IDFG, is the best hope for the fish, animals, benthic invertebrates and other creatures needing a healthy river.
After decades of research, IDFG, Portland State University, McMillen Jacobs Associates and Advance Eco-Solutions have determined that no negative impacts to Priest Lake would occur from a CWB. SB1021 would give Boise control over this. There already exists a strong network of state control with various agencies that regulate water quality. More state control removes North Idaho citizens’ right to address local issues. This will be voted upon soon. Please contact the Idaho Resource and Conservation Committee at 208-332-1136 or hres@house.idaho.gov. Tell them to oppose SB1021. Locals don’t need more government interference. Betty Gardner Priest River
Scheming power brokers… Dear editor, Make no mistake, right-wing power brokers are scheming to “sunset”/cut/eliminate Social Security and Medicare. “Oh but, there appeared to be consensus to the contrary during Biden’s State of the Union speech.” You can take that to the bank, I guess. However, recent events make me doubt that conclusion. Need proof? You need to look no further than the Supreme Court’s decision that elim-
inated 50 years of the protections “Roe v. Wade” provided. So don’t relax. Those power brokers are clever, determined and above all patient, as the court’s “Roe/Dobbs” decision proves. Shannon May Sandpoint
Idaho Republicans’ agenda is radical… Dear editor, Another bill sponsored by Rep. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d’Alene, regarding pornography in our libraries has again made front-page news. No matter that the wording has changed, the bottom line I question is why should library employees be held responsible for what minor children read? Where are the parents of these minors? I can hardly wait for the next issue of front-page news citing what other Republicans have on their agenda. I’m sure Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle, will be jumping on this bandwagon (or perhaps not, as he is too busy pushing for the right to carry guns at the Festival at Sandpoint), along with the rest of his radical self-imposed control over individuals’ rights — or lack thereof. Thank you! Jo Reitan Sandpoint