Displeased with Fulcher
Congressman Russ Fulcher, I want to take this time to express my displeasure with how you and your fellow members of Congress are skewing data in order to protect the lower Snake River dams while simultaneously discounting the importance of salmon in Idaho. ...
The survival values you report of 95 percent at each dam is misleading. That may sound good, but a 5 percent loss at each project in addition to an 8 percent loss in each reservoir accounts for a total loss of more than 40 percent of all juvenile salmon originating from Idaho before they even get to the Columbia River. ...
Almost half of the juvenile salmon that come from Idaho perish due to the four lower Snake River dams that you fight so hard to protect. Do you think that your constituency, especially those in communities along the Clearwater, Snake and Salmon rivers who rely on salmon and steelhead for income appreciate your disregard for their economic well-being? ...
Barging of grain through the lower Snake River relies on tens of millions of dollars annually of taxpayer-funded programs to maintain a viable passage route. ...
If farmers on the Palouse had to foot the bill themselves, ... they would never break even. ...
Power generation during a given year from these dams accounts for about 5 percent of the total energy produced in the Pacific Northwest. ...
In fact, ... the majority of power that is generated from our region is exported. ...
Thomas Biladeau
Moscow
Show us the money, IFF
Idaho has intelligent legislators and voters.
Then why are there so many dysfunctional bills?
The worm poisoning our legislative apple is the Idaho Freedom Foundation, funded by dark money from right-wing corporate extremist groups such as the State Policy Network, the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Koch Foundation, and the Franklin Center.
Their bill mills write legislation and instruct our elected officials to promote their extremist agenda.
Why does this matter? These corporate billionaires don’t share Idaho values or care about us. They use disinformation and scare tactics to mask the intent of bills that increase their profits and reduce their taxes. They want to privatize everything and divide voters.
So the IFF attacks issues such as public education, social justice and Medicaid, and uses language to get us to hate and fear our neighbors.
IFF cozies up to officials from Sen. Jim Risch to county commissioners and mayors. Although it claims nonprofit status, the IFF lobbies (if it walks like a duck), promotes corporate bills and uses an index to “persuade” legislators to vote “right.”
Requiring legislators and IFF to disclose their financial interests would make this issue more transparent.
Lois Morgan
Boise
If only pigs could fly
Salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin do not have the 10 years time to implement Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson‘s plan to breach the four lower Snake River dams, a man-made impediment to their future existence, let alone endure the Pacific region’s stakeholders’ endless bickering — the cacophony of which equals that of seagulls, cormorants and terns feasting on endangered anadromous fish smolts in the slackwater river plain.
Paying the price of a few hogs to be let loose on the notorious problem islands of the Columbia River basin to fatten up on nesting predatory seabird eggs and disrupt this man-made problem is a proven solution.
Now if only pigs could fly and do the same on the near-ocean Oregon bridges and the new problem islands of predatory birds — also man-made — then our sacred fish might have some hope.
Seeking visionary solutions such as Simpson’s is a far cry better option than to do nothing but watch our supposed leaders bicker the fish to extinction.
Dan Anduiza
Riggins
