Don’t limit firefighters
I was appalled to hear that the Idaho House State Affairs Committee advanced a resolution limiting firefighter negotiations to wages and hours, ignoring critical issues like lifelong health insurance. Even worse, Rep. Robert Beiswenger, R-Horseshoe Bend, admitted he never even spoke to firefighters before pushing this legislation. How can lawmakers make decisions about those who risk their lives daily without consulting them?
Rep. Beiswenger also cited Utah as an example, where firefighter negotiations have been eliminated entirely. Is that really the model Idaho wants to follow? Our firefighters put everything on the line for us. They deserve fair negotiations, especially on essential benefits that protect their longterm health.
This issue isn’t just theoretical; it’s happening now. In Lewiston, our mayor and council have already disregarded established negotiating practices. This sets a dangerous precedent, and if citizens don’t pay attention, more rights will be stripped away.
I really can’t believe they would go after the firefighters. What a disaster that will be. I hope this legislation goes down in flames and the firefighters take a big p--- on it.
Mary Ann Funk
Lewiston
Sort out USAID waste
Talk about one-sided reporting. The article in the Feb. 7 Lewiston Tribune regarding U.S. Agency for International Development spending only pointed out positive things being done by the organization, which there are many. However, it failed to mention the blatant abuse of spending USAID has committed over many years.
It only makes sense to take a pause to sort out the abuse before more funds are distributed. I don’t believe anyone is saying USAID should be permanently closed, as they do provide much-needed resources around the world. What the Tribune failed to mention is the following expenditures by USAID: $20 million for a new “Sesame Street” show in Iraq; $5.5 million to promote LGBTQ+ advocacy in Jamaica and Uganda; $70,000 to produce a diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, musical in Ireland; $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia; $2 million for sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala; $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru; $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt; $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia’s workplaces; hundreds of millions for Federal Emergency Management Agency dollars to migrants; $50 million ... for a grant to an anti-Israel group, $32 million in COVID-19 funding for luxury cars, billions to maintain office buildings ... and the list goes on.
It doesn’t matter if you like or dislike Donald Trump. Common sense tells us that these types of expenses are a waste of taxpayer money while we have so many needs in our own county that are not being met.
Curt Hibbard
Clarkston
