Commentary on HB 115
To the esteemed members of the House,
I have one simple question to ask of all of you. How does Idaho manage to service almost twice as many residents with a budget of just $3.3 billion? I will give you that we have a much larger landmass (though I would hazard our infrastructure is no larger than theirs), so let us say you deserve another 25 percent for that. I still do not see how the budget should be over $4.5 billion.
The saying goes, "War is the health of the state." In this case I think a budget crisis is the health of the state. The Legislature was happy to stand up and accept accolades when they were spending like drunken sailors. Now I think it is time to swallow the bitter pill and say, "I am sorry, this is unsustainable and we cannot afford everything we promised."
I cannot lose 50 percent of my income and continue to spend 90 percent of what I used to make. This is how the real world functions. Government is always rapacious and will grow without limit. That is what you are there for, to make hard decisions. If you need help, pull a copy of the 2008 budget off the shelf and blow the dust off it.
"… I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
— Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush, Sept. 23, 1800
The people are watching to see what kind of fortitude and courage you actually have.
— Josh Blake
Wasilla
Peace an extremist threat?
It is disturbing to read that Russia apparently intends to ban Jehovah's Witnesses as dangerous "extremists." One must wonder how can a religious sect preaching, and more importantly, practicing, the Bible principles of pacifism and "love thy neighbor as thyself" threaten the Russian government? Lots of ways, it seems.
John and Yoko once presented peace as a franchise, much like McDonald's — Give Peace a Chance. This was an intimidating idea for societies based on the acceptance of the inevitable necessity for war. A short synopsis of Mahatma Gandhi in India reveals the British Empire crumbling in the face of nonviolent protest. The pacifist Dalai Lama is an outlaw to Chinese authority. Divest, boycott and sanctions is a nonviolent economic movement to protest the demolition of and the confiscation of Palestinian homes and lands by Israel, an effort that has caused major and undue backlash accusations of anti-Semitism.
It is important to recognize that JWs were persecuted and suffered along with Jews and gypsies in the Holocaust. Not everyone believes in the JWs' vision of a perfect world of peace and harmony, but pragmatic societies have the duty to accept and respect those who do.
If peace is considered an extremist threat, it would appear that the world is in more trouble than just from climate change deniers.
— Ken Green
Cooper Landing
Firearm article was on target
The article by Steve Meyer regarding firearms for personal protection was outstanding. Meyer touched on almost every topic needing attention when considering whether to purchase and keep a firearm for home protection. In particular, I found his treatment of having firearms around children refreshing.
Of primary importance is the willingness to actually use a firearm to apply deadly force. The very first day of instruction at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center academy I attended, my class coordinator told us that if we were not willing to use a firearm to neutralize a threat, we needed to resign immediately. The same thought process needs to be utilized when considering keeping a firearm.
I was impressed by Meyer's advice as to the type of firearm he recommended for home defense. I have given exactly the same advice to almost everyone who has ever asked me what kind of firearm to purchase for home defense. This is the kind of article that will keep me reading this paper.
— Joel W. Baldwin
Fairbanks
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