Month: October 2024

In the last decade or more our country’s electorate has crossed insidiously precarious lines. The fracturing of our information sources has fueled not just the growing political divide throughout the […]

Mark Sauter wrote Sandpoint Reader October 24, 2024, that he supported women’s health during his time in Boise. Mark did – kinda – the easy votes. Six months of birth […]

Do we want to send our District 1 U.S. Representative to Washington with only 18% of the vote? Under the present system, that is possible this November 5. There are […]

By Timothy Braatz Point 1: The Daily Bee asked Cornel Rasor to name “the most significant issue” for north Idaho voters. He said it was preventing abortions. He means with […]

Closed primaries, in states that are monopolized by one party (like Idaho or Oregon), allow relatively small, highly motivated, extreme groups to dominate their parties by allowing those groups to […]

By Jim Jones JJ Commontater Extreme elements of Idaho’s Republican Party voted in 2011 to close the GOP primary election to purge party ranks of so-called moderates. The strategy has […]

We should be able to count on our Representatives to stand up for us with District issues. Representative Mark Sauter has always been available by phone to discuss issues and […]

It is important for all of us to get out and vote to support both the school M&O replacement levy and the Valley View bond. The replacement levy is necessary […]

I lifted this title of N-words from the disgraced former vice-president who served with Richard Nixon. Just last Tuesday, I attended a meet-and-greet event at the Boundary County Fairgrounds for […]

by Timothy Braatz Do you want greater democracy or less democracy? When an elected legislature votes on a bill, that’s “representative democracy.” But does that legislature actually represent the interests […]

With three excellent letters supporting Mark it is a bit difficult to find much more to say about his attributes. Jeff Hood obviously knows much more than I about Mark’ […]

North Idaho Voter Services (NIVS) supports Proposition One. Voting for Prop One will help restore sanity to our struggling political system. Idaho’s current system of closed primary elections began with […]

By Jim Jones JJ Commontater It is telling that the loudest voices against Prop 1 are those who hold office because of the closed Republican primary in Idaho. Federal and […]

Opponents of Proposition 1 claim it will create a “jungle” primary. Sorry, folks … but we have a jungle primary system now. Both the Democratic and Republican Party(s) have been […]

By Mike Weland Oh, how I’d love to see a return to the halcyon days of American politics when most who sought or held office of public trust recognized that […]

Kathryn Larson’s campaign postcard says it best: “You deserve to be represented.” As many of you already know, Larson is running for District 1 state representative, and hopes to represent […]

By Georgia Earley For as long as I can remember, the economy has been a top voter issue and especially this election year. Since the middle of 2020 we’ve all […]

Regarding your article published October 7, “Commissioners to hear Panhandle Door and Drawer appeal,” the zoning dispute between Panhandle Door Inc. and adjacent neighbors is just that, a zoning dispute, […]

On May 21, I was one of over 7,000 District 1 Republicans who voted for Chuck Lowman for State Representative. Lowman carried Boundary County with just over 53-percent of the […]

I am voting for Mark Sauter for Legislative District 1 Representative 1A. Mark is one of the best legislators ever elected to serve North Idaho. He listens to his constituents, […]

Education is the backbone of our community. Mark Sauter has been consistent in his support of our public schools throughout his service as our District 1 Representative. He has supported […]

Mark Sauter’s record of getting things done for North Idaho needs to continue. In 2024 he voted for six Idaho agriculture related bills that were signed into law. He co-sponsored […]

Has Bonner County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC) Chairman Scott Herndon defected from his own party? Herndon, a newcomer to Idaho politics, first registered to vote in Idaho just eight years […]

A lot of signs are popping up proclaiming “Rigged Choice Voting” and urging voters to vote “no” on Proposition 1. Which election system is “rigged?” Is it “Open Primaries with […]

By Jim Jones JJ Commontater Bryan Smith, an ultra-right Republican and vice chair of the extremist Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF), understands that the Open Primaries Initiative (OPI) will break the […]

Last fall, late-night commentator/entertainer John Oliver mocked Idaho Legislator Mark Sauter for stating in an interview that he only recently had become aware of the pain surrounding issues about abortions. […]

I would like to take a moment and thank all those who make voting in Boundary County a pleasure. From easy to read information, courtesy, notifications and signage it would […]

I hope Boundary and Bonner County residents will join me in voting for Mark Sauter as our District 1 House Legislator. Over the past two years, Mark has demonstrated that […]

We need a new school. The time is now, no more “someday,” no more dreams. It is time for the reality of a new school. This building is cold, with […]

I endorse Steve Johnson for Bonner County Commissioner. Steve’s lifelong ties to our county and his dedication to local values are evident in his campaign promises. He pledges to uphold […]

For months now, Karen Matthee has addressed the loss of our doctors in Idaho. She will do something about it and that’s why I’m voting for her on November 5. […]

Let’s give credit where credit is due Let’s be clear. It was the Democrats in the Idaho Statehouse, and in particular Senator Melissa Wintrow, who deserve credit for working for […]

Representative Mark Sauter is effective and experienced. These qualities make him the best choice to represent the interests and values of District 1. During the 2024 session, Representative Sauter distinguished […]

By Mike Weland My last opinion piece, “Make America Great Again? No, let’s make her ever more perfect,” in which I call former president Donald J. Trump a liar, elicited […]

I was introduced to Mark while he was helping to procure the Bon-Fire Project grant money to better prepare and protect the lives and property of our Mountain Pine Shores […]

By Jim Jones JJ Commontater America has always prided itself on being a bastion of democracy, where all political power emanates from the people, all of whom were “created equal.” […]

Ranked Choice Voting and Open Primaries are on the ballot in fives states and Washington, D.C. this fall. In Idaho, Proposition 1 gives all voters the opportunity to vote in […]

On any given week, my husband and I are working five or six jobs between us to support our family. We get by, and the kids are happy, but we […]

I wish people could see the inside of our school before the teachers come in and cover the cracks. But you never will, because Valley View teachers make their rooms […]

When Benjamin Franklin exited Independence Hall in 1787, he was asked, ‘What do we have, a republic or a monarchy?’ Franklin replied, ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’ A […]

By Mike Weland Most people I know will not long tolerate a liar, yet there are millions today who rally to protect and defend the greatest and most brazen liar […]

By Jim Jordan JJ Commontater The opponents of Proposition 1, the Open Primaries Initiative, have been making uninformed claims about this game-changing voting reform. Dorothy Moon, the head of the […]

Wouldn’t it be great to have political campaigns where all parties and all candidates discussed issues and solutions –rather than indulge in name-calling and mud-slinging? Currently, there’s a debate over […]