Commentary
Joe Biden’s ‘most egregious and tyrannical’ action may actually help GOP governors save lives
A convergence of three unsettling headlines appeared for my morning reading the day before the nation observed the 20-year commemoration of the tragic deaths of almost 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001. The very day of the remembrance ceremonies, the 7-day average for loss of American lives to the ongoing COVID-19 catastrophe was 1,666, as […]
Remembering 9/11 and America’s response to tragedy
There are moments that define a generation. If you’re over the age of about 25, you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing during the unthinkable attacks on our country on September 11, 2001. When I heard that the second plane hit the Twin Towers, I was headed back to Emmett from […]
We’ve put a lot of work into building relationships in Afghanistan, and we can’t stop now
Shona ba shona. When Master Sgt. Robert Holmes was a Marine in Afghanistan, this is the phrase he would use again and again to strengthen relationships with his Afghan counterparts: interpreters, military police and Afghan service members. Holmes said they all wanted the same thing: to make whole a country at war for longer than […]
Words of advice to my brothers and sisters who served in Afghanistan
Originally published on Aug. 21, 2021 in The Hill Having served in Vietnam in 1968-1969 and had my heart broken by the precipitous fall of the South Vietnamese government in 1975, I have a sense of how our veterans who served in Afghanistan must be feeling now. How could a good and generous country like […]
Recreation tips: How to keep our popular South Fork Boise River corridor clean and beautiful
The South Fork of the Boise River is a scenic and popular place to go fishing, camping and whitewater rafting. It’s got a blue-ribbon rainbow trout fishery, lots of camp sites, and a challenging whitewater canyon. With a steady stream of new people moving into the greater Boise area, public use is increasing in the […]
30 Idaho health organizations: Our health care workers can do this, but we need your help.
Idahoans, we need your help. On behalf of 30 health care groups representing thousands of providers at every level across the state, we want to express our alarm at what we are witnessing now, and let you know what you can do to help. First, health care providers are a diverse group of people. Some […]
$1.4B surplus is Idaho’s ‘historic opportunity’ to fund education, build skilled workforce
What if one of Idaho’s companies received a $1.4 billion windfall? Many business leaders would invest it to make their companies more profitable for years to come. Well, Idaho is sitting on a $1.4 billion-surplus, and it has a historic opportunity to invest that money to create greater prosperity for this and future generations of […]
Idaho’s defense of unconstitutional initiative bill cost taxpayers another third-to-half a million
The Idaho Supreme Court delivered a resounding blow for democracy of, by and for the people on Aug. 23, declaring the Legislature’s bill to throttle the initiative and referendum to be unconstitutional. Although many people, including five former Idaho attorneys general, had warned that the legislation, Senate Bill 1110, was violative of the Idaho Constitution, […]
Redistricting process may put Southern Idaho Democrats — especially in Blaine County — at risk
The new census data for Idaho was released this month, and for Southern Idaho, there’s likely to be more pressure on the Democratic island of Blaine County and District 26 which could well tip to Republicans in coming elections. The reason is in the numbers. The Wood River Valley, with its traditional Democratic representation in […]
Idahoans are tough. We can protect our freedoms by fighting our common enemy: the coronavirus.
The valiant struggle of today’s health care workers against the coronavirus hearkens back to one of the toughest enemies George Washington faced while fighting for American independence: variola, the smallpox virus. Smallpox was decimating the ranks of the Continentals in 1776, threatening our fight for freedom. Despite misgivings of the Continental Congress, Washington ordered a […]
FDA approval of COVID-19 vaccine may prevent looming hospital capacity crisis
Late last week, Idaho stood up its first Medical Operations Coordination Cell calls in response to COVID-19. The name may sound innocuous, but it could be the most ominous action taken so far by our health care system during this pandemic. To deal with the expanding overflow of patients, hospitals and EMS leaders are working […]
The content of Simpson’s salmon plan has been at forefront. But its character may matter even more.
Editor’s note: This piece includes numbered footnotes (*1, *2, *3, etc.) to maintain the structural integrity of the guest columnist’s original work. You can find the corresponding information at the end of this column. The beat goes on to salmon extinction in Idaho and northeast Oregon. New evidence is constant. A few Snake River sockeye […]