Ed funding is abysmal

I have to take issue with Bob Hassoldt’s editorial on Proposition 1 (Aug. 11).

The fact that Idaho ranks dead last on education funding per student must not seem urgent to him. What he describes as a woefully unjustified escalation of corporate taxes would actually be a return to the rate Idaho assessed back in more enlightened times (1987 to 2000). He goes on to make the point that we’ve had a surplus, albeit largely COVID-19 money, which the Legislature could have directed toward education if the voting public applied a little leverage. Voila — problem solved while leaving the tax structure alone.

Count me skeptical: Does the voting public care enough to exert such pressure? If such a surplus magically materializes each year can we count on the Legislature to direct those monies toward education when they’ve been demonstrating no such inclination? Are we really content with attempting to pay for our inadequately funded schools with the failed-levy business model which is becoming the norm?

So now we’re adopting four-day school weeks to save a few dollars and dropping electives and extracurricular activities.

I’ll be running, not walking to the polls to vote yes on this initiative.

Larry Nims

Kamiah

Smaller plane went poof

Do not believe KLEW or the Lewiston airport board. The only reason they are getting a larger plane is because the CRJ 200 is being retired. Nothing more.

Robert Rustebakke

Clarkston

Idaho’s economy thudding

According to Gov. Brad Little, Idaho’s economy is booming. With a projected $2 billion state government budget surplus, how could anyone argue otherwise?

Yet, all this self-aggrandizing talk is really nothing more than a huckster’s shell game, because while the state government’s budget is booming, many other important budgets in Idaho are not.

Is your personal budget booming? How about the budgets of cities, counties and school districts in Idaho?

Little and the Idaho Legislature are quick to pat themselves on the back for “historic steps taken to support schools and cut taxes.” Yet, Idaho schools are still woefully behind all other states when it comes to adequate funding.

Furthermore, the individual tax rebates are a joke, with most citizens getting not enough to pay even one month’s electric bill. The “tax cuts” largely benefit corporations, while most Idaho citizens pay more taxes locally for a zero gain or even a loss to our own bottom lines.

Now they want a special session, right before the Nov. 8 election when all 105 legislative seats are up. They want to toss us some more crumbs while doling out more huge tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy so they can crow about it just before the election and rake in massive campaign contributions.

The “boom” sounds more like a “thud” when it comes to the average Idaho citizen who continually has to shoulder more of the burden to keep other budgets solvent.

Russell Gee

Lewiston

Teamwork makes the dream work

By now, the community has been awash with a dog hoarding situation where 25 Great Danes lived in unsafe and squalid conditions. Idaho Animal Rescue Network, working in collaboration with a number of local law enforcement agencies and the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office, leapt into action and rescued these animals. This is the type of collaboration our community should applaud and appreciate. Plus, I am a dog lover, so there is that.

Another example of collaboration would be the agreement between the City of Lewiston and the county, announced last Monday, to purchase land from an architectural firm to build the new courthouse and allow for parking of city staff.

These kinds of collaborations between social service agencies, governmental entities and local officials are crucial to benefit our community and I do so hope more of them come soon.

Gabriel Iacoboni

Lewiston