Idaho governor’s school building proposal doesn’t address future needs | Opinion

School buildings

No other state spends less per student yearly to educate their children than Idaho. No other state spends less per student yearly on public school facilities than Idaho. Idaho law allows a 34% minority of district school bond voters to deny a 66% majority of bond voters to build better schools for their children. Idaho has no system, or agency, that monitors the physical conditions of Idaho’s public school buildings. The last legislative assessment of Idaho public school facilities was 30 years ago in 1993. A recent 2022 legislative survey of Idaho’s 115 school districts, of which only 77 districts (67%) responded, estimated that 59% of schools in those 77 districts need between $1 billion and $2 billion in major building repairs and replacements NOW. What repair dollars are needed in the 38 districts (33%) that didn’t respond to the survey? The governor’s proposed $200 million a year for 10 years, if passed by the Republican legislature, doesn’t address the increasing school repairs needed in the future. A legislative assessment of all Idaho school facilities and a system to monitor future school building repairs is needed now to protect the safety and positive learning environment that Idaho’s public school students deserve.

Steven Shake, Caldwell

Private schools

I’m writing to express my extreme disgust and disappointment with the latest proposal for a private school tax credit. In no way, shape, or form should taxpayer dollars subsidize private schools. The sponsors of this proposal, Rep. Wendy Horman and Sen. Lori Den Hartog, keep touting “choice” and “helping parents choose what’s best for their family.” The families that send their kids to private school already made their “choice” and they did so without any promise of a subsidy. Taxpayers should not have to now help pay for it. They also argue that these families are paying for public schools they don’t use. That’s their choice. I have zero desire to fund their kids’ private school education. The Idaho public education system is in tough enough shape as it is. Most organizations have Idaho ranked in the bottom half of the states in terms of quality public education. This proposal would exacerbate that issue. And if choice is so important, why did each of these sponsors vote for House Bill 71, a law (thankfully stayed) that strips families of transgender children of the ability to make choices that are right for their families? The hypocrisy is maddening.

Brian Hollingsworth, Caldwell

Mask mandate

It cannot be only me who recognizes the astonishing hypocrisy of Rep. Jacyn Gallagher, R-Weiser, to introduce bills limiting the ability of public health officials to declare mask mandates. Gallagher told lawmakers, “I want to go to my doctor to tell me what to do with my body instead of a health district telling me what I can or cannot do.” She added later that the purpose was to provide “more individual choice.” Rep. Gallagher believes she should be able to go to her doctor for health advice except when it concerns pregnancies. She doesn’t even pretend to hide this glaring hypocrisy. You can even be pro-birth and recognize this discrepancy. Once again, the arrogance of our Republican legislators to think they always know what’s best for “us” leaves me almost speechless. Almost.

Donna M. Carlson, Boise

Bounty bills

Dear legislators, I write to encourage you to be proactive against any bill that includes financial incentives to sue and inform on each other. You took an oath to defend the Constitution and that includes separation of church and state. Please make decisions based on freedom for all. Don’t allow unconstitutional religious zealotry or the Idaho Freedom Foundation to dictate how legislators should vote! If you believe citizens should be financially incentivized to “inform” on each other, IFF to dictate what we can believe, read, think or to die from lack of health care, you may belong in church but not the legislature.

Sheila Robbins, Boise

IRS funding

A few months ago I asked Sen. Mike Crapo through his website if he considered tax cheating to be a significant problem and if so how he thought it could best be addressed. I did so because he had spoken in opposition to funding the IRS to enable it to pursue tax cheats more effectively. So far I have received no reply. Please sir, honor me and the honest taxpayers of Idaho with a response.

Philip R. Ehrnstein, Meridian

Labrador

I am stunned to read that Attorney General Raul Labrador equates gender-affirming medical care of minors with eugenics, the practice of selective breeding of human beings, the elimination of the “unworthy,” and practiced by Hitler’s Nazi regime in pursuit of a “master race.” Either Mr. Labrador is seriously ignorant or deluded and somehow believes what he says or he is cynically promulgating a lie created to appeal to ignorant people’s prejudice. In either case he shows himself to be unqualified to hold the important office of Attorney General.

Brian Goller, Boise

Legislature

Now that the Christmas wrap has been put away, it’s time to try the new games that arrived: Let’s all play Boogeyman!

The aim of the game is to come up with a three-letter combination that represents a boogeyman. Never mind that the boogeyman is nonexistent. It serves only to inspire fear and anger. Extra points are earned by conjuring up an “extra scary” boogeyman because those suck all rational thought out of the brain. Bonus points can be earned by coming up with a boogeyman that is beneficial.

The following examples will help players get started:

CRT – critical race theory; a graduate level systems approach not taught in K-12 schools.

SEL – social emotional learning; the deportment side of the old-fashioned report card.

ESG – environmental, social, governance; considerations for investing that follows prudent investing principles.

RCV – ranked choice voting; allows for an instant runoff so the winning candidate has the support of the largest number of voters.

DEI – diversity, equity, inclusion; principles underlying progress, invention, and survival.

And … IFF – the Idaho Freedom Foundation? Now that’s a real threat.

For 2024 it’s game on! How many boogeymen can you find?

Mary Ollie, Bonners Ferry