Solution seeking problem
Rep. Tina Lambert, a Republican from Caldwell who identifies herself as a retired home-educator, is concerned that “students from border communities, where they vote by mail, may come over here with their student ID and vote in person and then fill our their ballot in another state, thereby voting twice.”
She doesn’t know that it’s a challenge to get students to vote even once.
Secretary of State Phil McGrane notes that in the 2022 election, 104 student IDs were used statewide. One would hope none committed a felony by voting twice.
Without any proof that this is an existing problem, Lambert is certain that young people will break the law.
Therefore, she proposes legislation that will not allow students to use their student ID cards as a valid form of identification at the polls. And by the way, her legislation would remove the option of signing an affidavit instead of showing photo ID to verify your identity at the polls.
The House State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to introduce the legislation.
Lambert suffers from the Republican disease that causes them to worry about voter fraud that doesn’t exist.
One can understand their concern — with seven Democrats in the Senate and 11 in the House, cheating must be rampant.
Shirley Ringo
Moscow
Raising taxes
Thanks to the politicians in control in Olympia, there is no chance for tax relief for Washington state taxpayers like 49 other states have done.
Now the state politicians are trying to create an income tax. And if you believe it will only be for the super wealthy, I have some beach front property for sale in Nevada.
Now comes the local bureaucrats and politicians with the snazzy name, “CHS Yes,” asking us taxpayers (you renters will get to pay in the form of higher rent) a new unneeded high school.
I’m guessing the school board is looking across the river at the new Lewiston High School and saying, “Well, we want one too.”
I’ll bet they hire the same huckster who sold that expense to the Idaho taxpayers. Now, the morning after, these Idaho taxpayers complain about their property taxes being unaffordable.
I have seen the tax increases and it is substantial.
I sent emails to the Clarkston School Board, asking, “how much” and they are not saying.
Last time, it was $70 million.
I’m betting they want to strangle the citizens of the Clarkston School District with $100 million or more this time.
This amount of property tax is not sustainable.
Mike Cloke
Clarkston
Kingsley has a conflict
Red flags are waving over the Pinecrest Charter School. The first cautionary signal: Mike Kingsley is a board member.
This is a flagrant conflict of interest. Kingsley is a representative in the Legislature. He has taken an oath to uphold the Idaho Constitution, which mandates adequate funding for Idaho’s public schools.
Idahoans are united in the desire for increased public school money to meet the challenges of this century. The current per-student amount is stiflingly unacceptable. (Charter schools may receive public money but are not public schools.) With its enrollment goal of 240 students, Pinecrest could siphon $960,000 from Lewiston schools.
Does this make “cents”?
Kingsley should focus on expanded funding for public schools in his district. Interestingly, the Lewiston School District sponsors an annual pre-legislation meeting so regional representatives and school board members can discuss various issues.
Kingsley was a no-show.
The second warning indicator is false advertising. Pinecrest’s verbal steam touting STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) courses as its specialty “option” evaporates with this fact: Lewiston schools already offer science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs — with better facilities and equipment. Technology has been embedded in classes from grade school to graduation.
What’s really different about Pinecrest?
Perhaps the answer circles back to Kingsley. His supra-conservative bent and affiliation with the anti-public education Idaho Freedom Foundation is well known and a possible hint that Pinecrest’s “option” is a covert conservative curriculum.
Pinecrest is neither unique nor needed. ...
Shelley Dumas
Grangeville
