Letters to the editor

AP intimidated by Trump?

Earlier this year, a weekly roundup of “Not Real News” was included in Inland 360. It debunked “widely reported but false or inaccurate reports” from social media and was produced by The Associated Press (AP). This summer it began to vanish with a notation that the AP had not supplied the section that week. Then, on Sept. 26, the notation read that the insert would “resume after the Nov. 5 elections.”

This is most curious. The time leading up to an election is when it is most important for people to separate fact from fiction. What’s happening? It is clear that the AP is scared. They must fear retribution if they anger Trump by debunking one of his lies. He has clearly stated he will go after people he doesn’t agree with. Looks like Trump’s threats are driving one more nail into the coffin silencing our free press.

Steve Flint

Pullman

Dawes, Parker are true freedom champions

Approachable, empathic, a former K-12 science teacher, Kathy Dawes is ideal for Idaho House seat 6B, opposing Mitchell whose signs say “freedom counts.”

“Whose?”

Delivering the freedom of homelessness: Mitchell sponsored HB545, now law, allowing landlords unlimited power to raise rents and fees, and reject federal rent vouchers held by the needy.

When the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children’s three-year, $18 million federal grant for preschoolers — which had a successful first year in communities like Kendrick — needed a state nod to move on to year two, Mitchell’s “no” was one of two that killed it, helping ensure freedom from education. His vote saved the taxpayers nothing — the money was already granted to be spent on the kids. Poof ! to $12 million.

With his vote for the Dan Foreman-sponsored bill criminalizing abortion health care, Mitchell helped strip freedom and equal protection under the law from all Idaho women, provoking the gynecologist exodus.

Foreman, opposed by Democrat Julia Parker, voted no to the Education Department budget and many other education funding bills, from 4-H to Idaho Launch; yet he co-sponsored SB1038 for publicly funded vouchers to private religious schools, blurring the separation of church and state.

Julia first impressed me with her gentle nature, her commitment to civil discourse. Subsequently, I’ve found her incisive, well-spoken and inspiring. More info, and Foreman’s voting record, are at votejuliaparkerforidaho.com.

I choose Kathy and Julia. Both speak for the dignity, rights and freedoms of all, including protecting Mother Earth.

Karen Schumaker

Deary

Backing Parker, Dawes, Peterson

I’m writing in support of Julia Parker, Kathy Dawes and Kaylee Peterson in the upcoming election. These candidates are honest, intelligent and committed to making life better for all Idahoans. They will stand up for Idahoans’ reproductive rights, freedom to vote, and access to quality education and health care.

The incumbent Republicans they are running against, on the other hand, support forcing victims of incest and rape to carry resulting pregnancies to term. They support life-at-conception policies that would make IVF treatments for infertile couples illegal. And they even want to remove Idaho citizens’ right to elect their own U.S. senators. And, naturally, they want to limit our constitutional right to citizen initiatives — God forbid citizens take part in their own government! The Idaho GOP platform further advocates religious education in publics schools, seeks to prohibit gay marriage, and advocates handing over public lands to private interests. As usual, it’s all about small government and individual rights ... right up until someone uses those rights in a way GOP politicians disapprove of — then it’s more government the better.

If you want political representatives who will work on Idaho’s actual challenges and protect our freedoms, rather than using government power to advance right-wing culture war nonsense, vote for Julia, Kathy and Kaylee. And go ahead and vote for other Democrats and independents as well. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. It’s time to break the Republican monopoly and restore sanity to Idaho’s politics.

Ryan Urie

Moscow

Questions about Idaho Prop 1

Of the 872,794 registered voters in Idaho, 308,874 weren’t affiliated with a political party, according to our Secretary of State’s 2022 website.

But because of a restrictive 2011 Idaho law, Idaho voters must declare allegiance to a political party to vote in its closed primaries. This blocks many Idahoans from participating in these elections, yet all pay for elections with their taxes.

Wouldn’t we have a more representative slate of candidates in November if more voices were heard in the primaries? Wouldn’t this make elected representatives accountable to a broader array of voters on issues of local importance? Idaho’s Proposition 1 would do this.

Wouldn’t it be better for our state if we could rank our choices for office no matter the political party, rather than having to choose just one candidate nominated by one of the two established parties? Eighty percent of voters in Utah and Alaska (both ranked-choice states) find the process “simple and easy to understand,” according to the Idaho Voter Guide.

Let’s reinstate open primaries, allow ranked-choice voting, and give all Idaho voters a meaningful say in our elections. Spread the word: There is strong opposition from vested interests; understanding and supporting Proposition 1 is critical.

Mary DuPree

Moscow

Trump is my pick

I support Donald J. Trump for president. He actually did a good job when he was president before. His idea to build a wall was wise. Now Harris has supported filling in parts of the wall.

Mr. Trump has campaigned courageously in spite of the lawfare waged against him. Trump will be less likely to continue the ballooning spending that has bankrupted the nation. Trump helped weaken Iran economically when he was president. This made it less of a military threat. Iran has become stronger under Biden.

Harris was ranked as third-most liberal senator from 2017-19. From 2019-21, she was the second-most liberal senator. Now she’s pretending to be a conservative.

Lois Johnston

Moscow