Author: Mike Weland

By Jim Jones JJ Commontater The extremist branch of Idaho’s Republican Party, presided over by Dorothy Moon, has been feeling its oats after the 2024 elections. They defeated a number […]

By Mike Weland “The people have spoken.” Yes, they have, and much the same as they did for Hitler and the Third Reich in the 1930s. And now, ten years […]

When casting your vote, remember that there is significant evidence that preborn children can feel pain even within the first trimester. If these are not people, what are they? Fetus […]

Donald Trump’s vision for a second term as President promises to push America towards renewed heights of prosperity and unity. ~ Dorothy Moon … We’re going on 10 years of Trump and to date, we haven’t seen his true colors. That’s about to change. ~ Mike Weland

I recently read an interesting op/ed that speculated that at no other time in our nation’s history does the US have 1) the largest number of “stupid” legislators in elected […]

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 […]

A vote to re-elect Mark Sauter as Representative for District 1 House Seat A will support women’s health and access to health care services in rural Idaho. He is driven […]

I’m a proud Democrat. I have lived in Idaho for over 50 years and in Bonner County for the past 38 years. Democrats live here and have for generations. We […]

In the coming election I will be proud to cast my vote for Kathryn Larson for Idaho State Representative from District 1B. Kathryn is intelligent, thoughtful, positive and energetic. She […]

f you’ve never been in Valley View or Mt. Hall, you should go on their scheduled tours. They are 70-plus year old buildings that were built with used cement blocks […]

Heaven help us if there are too many people in our country like you. What a rambling opinion of a man I for one of many consider a savior of our country from the communist left. ~ Marsha Travis — While I do respect your and other’s right to your own opinion, it pains me that so many are so scared that they choose to believe the lies of a conman. ~ Mike Weland

Remember when 8,219 North Idahoans voted Scott Herndon out of office in the May Primary? Fifty-two percent of District 1 voters sent a message to Mr. Herndon that he was […]

By Mike Weland I am a proud never-Trumper who’s spent the past decade shouting warning that our 45th president was  and is a menace, a clear and present danger to […]

By Jim Jones JJ Commontater The extremist branch of the Idaho Republican Party is in an absolute panic about the Open Primaries Initiative (OPI), which will give every Idaho voter […]

Isn’t it about time Idahoans have a more equitable, a more transparent way to vote? Isn’t it about time all Idahoans regardless of their political affiliation have the opportunity to […]

I have been working with Karen Matthee, candidate for Representative running against Mark Sauter, for 10 months now. She inspires me everyday with her drive to help make lives better […]

By Jim Jones JJ Commontater Republicans for Open Primaries formed in 2023 to reform Idaho’s election system. It does so by eliminating closed party primary elections, allowing every voter to […]

By Lauren Necochea Idaho Democratic Party Chair When it comes to politics, character matters. It’s not about style; it’s about values like integrity, honesty, empathy, and respect. Character is what […]

I encourage you to vote for Karen Matthee for Legislative District 1 House Seat A. Karen is a good listener and through her experience as a journalist knows the necessity […]

Karen Matthee puts her values into action. One example is the July 1, 2024, library rally that she organized to call attention to HB 710. This law states that school […]

By Gregory Graf Political Potatoes Dorothy Moon, chairwoman of the new Idaho Republican Party, recently called anyone supporting Proposition 1 her “mortal enemy.” To make her point, she’s put up […]