IdahoStatesman.com Opinion

West Views: Opinions from newspapers in Idaho and the West commenting on Western issues

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Our take: From Editorial Page Editor Kevin Richert's column: Talk of a tax increase is a non-starter at the 2010 Legislature - but it could at least force an unpleasant talk about budget realities.

Linda Jensen: Now, more than ever, Idaho must invest in kids' futures

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

What are Idaho kids thinking about these days? Chances are that many, if not most, are worrying about today, tomorrow and the future. As jobs remain scarce and families continue to lose their homes, the collateral damage of the Great Recession is being felt by our smallest and most vulnerable citizens: our children.

Letters to the Editor

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

We all know the president has been talking about volunteering. If you do volunteer, put your heart into it. Do some extra work or donate to charities. Do a little more than you have to. There are lots of volunteering opportunities to try, like helping at the food bank. Just starting? How about trying your local church or school. So remember - do a little more and we'll all be better off!

Letters to the editor

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

The homeless really need more help! But people out here in Boise cannot get work with any kind of criminal background. Right down to a misdemeanor charge. People pay their fines, do time in jail and whatever else the judge says, but are being discriminated against. We spend millions of dollars to rehabilitate people who make mistakes, yet when and after they pay their debt to society they are still rejected. They are not allowed certain jobs, not allowed to possess certain medication for certain charges, not allowed to be with their own families due to family members who have been in trouble or because of where or what city they live in.

BSU shows innovative approach to raising cash

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Things could be riskier for fans who want "stock" in the Broncos. Their investment's value could rise and fall based on the mind-numbing vagaries of the BCS.

Workers' comp has lessons for health reform

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Regarding the health insurance debate, the questions lately seem to be: Should we have a public option, and should health insurance be mandatory? Opponents have said that the government should not force us to do anything or that a public option insurance program is a race to socialism.

Letters to the Editor health care

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

The current system of employer "sometime provided" health insurance has not brought down health care costs, nor has it increased the number insured. Quite the opposite. Granting health insurance companies immunity from anti-trust laws has only worsened the situation.

Kevin Richert: Could tax talk fix attention on budget realities?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, floated a politically doomed idea the other day.

Jamie MacMillan: Better education is the key to Idaho's future success

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

In 2007, Gov. Butch Otter addressed the Idaho Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (IBCEE) and gave them a monumental task: Broaden your outreach and bring to reality a vision that makes Idaho a global leader in providing the best education possible to its citizens.

Letters to the Editor

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

I am writing regarding the stretch of Idaho 16 between Gem and Ada counties. I am very concerned about the safety of this roadway, and I am very discouraged that little has been done to improve it.

Our View: More city bungling undermines P.R. contract

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

When the bidding for a public relations contract becomes its own P.R. problem, then you know you've got trouble.

Letters to the Editor

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

On behalf of our members and supporters throughout Idaho, we wish a speedy recovery to Jordan, the English pointer who recently survived a 270-foot fall while hunting.

Letters to the Editor

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Is our governor really for Idaho? He asks the public to buy Idaho, but then when furnishing the new governor's mansion he buys Utah. If he could not at least buy Idaho, how about American?

Our View: Public school flunks the transparency test

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

If nothing else, the educators at Nampa Classical Academy could use a remedial course in open records law.

Letters to the Editor

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Why would the city of Boise persecute homeless people by outlawing camping in the area? Even though I don't like to see them begging on the streets, what are they supposed to do and where are they supposed to go?

Kevin Richert: How will Minnick's abortion vote play out in '10?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Rep. Walt Minnick may well have alienated some of his Democratic allies by opposing the health care reform bill that passed the House on Nov. 7.

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Paul Hamilton's letter (Nov. 3) deriding "evolution science" follows standard creationist templates. Begin by disclaiming abundant scientific evidence supporting evolution, support that denial by citing a single study that agrees with the writer's own disbelief of overwhelming evidence for evolution, and then declare (through inference using the sole dissenting study for support) that all science opposed to the writer's beliefs is "science fiction."

Our View: Lawmakers can't ignore any way to save money

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

In February, the Legislature's hired auditors waded into the issue of streamlining Idaho's school system. The auditors deliberately focused their attention on consolidating services - such as transportation, office materials and professional development. They didn't say much about a touchier topic: trimming administration.

Stephen Hartgen: Don't force small school districts to consolidate

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Now that the 2010 legislative session is two short months away, Idaho's newspapers have turned to their favorite late fall sport: telling legislators what to do come January. Among the suggestions is that old standby hue and cry: Consolidate school districts to save some superintendent salaries and maybe improve school quality in the process.

Letters to the Editor � Online

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Years ago when I was a kid we lived in Boise and hunted quail, pheasant, ducks and geese. As an adult, I realize killing for pleasure is not the most satisfying view of how to enjoy nature. I also believe if anyone wants to hunt, maybe a rifle that doesn't have the firepower and scope to kill an unsuspecting animal of any kind miles away would show some kind of fair play.

Letters to the Editor

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Can someone explain the difference between the performance of the Bush administration's response to national disaster Katrina and the performance of the Obama administration's response to the H1N1 national emergency (as declared by Obama)?

Being energy-efficient does more than save you money

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

The need for electricity is universal. Despite not being able to hear, smell or touch it, electricity is an integral part of our everyday lives. To be able to flip a switch, push a button or have the needed assurance your refrigerator will operate throughout the day is an often overlooked convenience.

WestViews Opinions from newspapers in Idaho and the West commenting on Western issues

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

A man who harasses and stalks a former girlfriend shouldn't be guiding one of this nation's major political organizations.