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| Letters |
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September 25 |
 Beware
the Durst 'resignation:' I was so grateful to read
that Branden Durst appeared to be stepping down as superintendent
of Priest River Schools after a brief but vexing and tumultuous
tenure that I, like many pundits, failed to thoroughly read the
letter he submitted today to the West Bonner County School Board
and the general public, via what was once Twitter. Reasonable
people bravely hoped the man had an epiphany ... That he saw the
errors of his ways and was ready to atone. On second reading, I
fear it's not so. By Mike Weland |
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September 23 |
 KCRCC’s
“vetting” scam: Yes, I’m back at it after a wonderful
summer of family celebrations and travel. It has been great to
ignore the political angst and focus on what is truly important in
life. We are so blessed to live in Idaho! But now we are
approaching the election season again. The November 7 elections
will include city councils and school boards, but not NIC, as they
are next year. By Mary Souza |
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September 22 |
 Extreme
right-wing radicals stick together like flies on a dead fish:
Brandon Durst and other members of the radical Idaho Freedom
Foundation must be defeated. Durst is a long-time member of IFF,
serving as their senior analyst for education policy. Senator
Scott Herndon is a charter member of the Idaho Freedom Caucus and
is Idaho’s top ranked senator, according to Idaho Freedom
Foundation. Durst, Herndon and the IFF saw WBCSD as their test
cast to dismantle a public school district. By Tony McDermott |
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Correcting lies
in Perez letter: During last week’s signature
gathering, Michael Perez came up to me, introduced himself as the
author of a letter to the editor in the Bonners Ferry Herald
claiming that “the vast majority of funding (of Reclaim Idaho, the
main grass-roots citizens group supporting the Open Primaries
Initiative) comes from out-of-state Democratic Party interests.” I
said that was wrong, and he replied that he had “done the
research” to back up his statement in his letter. By Clarice
M. McKenney |
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September 21 |
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Closed primaries
deprive vets of voting rights: According to the VA,
there are nearly 128,000 military veterans in Idaho. We represent
nine percent of Idaho’s adult population, which is one of the
highest rates in the U.S. Some Idaho vets come from families that
have been here for generations, and some settled in Idaho after
their service. We are as diverse and independent as our fellow
Idahoans and care deeply about this great state. By Todd
Achilles et al |
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September 20 |
 The
battle for the soul of the Idaho Republican Party has been joined:
Those who keep abreast of Idaho politics are aware that there are
presently two major factions of Idaho’s Republican Party. There
are the traditionalists, who have a conservative outlook but
believe in reasonable, problem-solving government. Then there are
the upstarts, who seem to believe that government is inherently
bad, unless it is serving their narrow interests. By Jim Jones |
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September 19 |
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It's National
Voter Registration Day: September 19 is National
Voter Registration Day. In my opinion, because one in four
American citizens is not registered to vote, every day should be
voter registration day. I learned first-hand leading Boundary Team
of volunteers getting signatures to qualify the Open Primaries
Initiative for the ballot in November of ’24. Before any Boundary
County signature is qualified, the voter must be registered in our
county. By Clarice McKenney |
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September 14 |
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No,
Dorothy, the Open Primaries Initiative is not a liberal plot:
Dorothy Moon, the head of the dysfunctional branch of Idaho’s
Republican Party, has declared war on the Open Primaries
Initiative. She’s made false claims that it will be confusing to
voters, give rise to voter fraud, turn Idaho liberal, reduce voter
turnout and destroy the Republican Party. The initiative is
modeled after the Alaska system which worked very well in last
year’s elections. By Jim Jones |
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September 13 |
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Good to see GOP
support of Open Primary Initiative: I'm glad to see
the long list of Republican supporters for the Open Primary
Initiative. That underscores GOP or Government of the People. In
his Farewell Address, George Washington warned of two grave
dangers to the US. One was political parties having too much
power. By Mary Ollie |
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Idaho GOP
disappointed in so-called Republicans: It is with
great disappointment that we address the statement made today by
former Governor Butch Otter, in which he expressed his support for
the Reclaim Idaho initiative, a radical leftist push for ranked
choice voting and a blanket top-four primary in Idaho. It is
essential to recognize the ramifications of such a statement.
Idaho Republican Party |
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September 12 |
 Lies
or truth? Which will prevail? This is a fight. The
radicals have so declared. No logic or reason or common sense will
dissuade them. The rational have one slim hope left; the elections
process. November 7, 2023, and November 5, 2024. Stand and vote
resoundingly against authoritarians, against the MAGA promise of
fascism. Or let liars prevail. By Mike Weland |
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September 10 |
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Open primary for
Idaho: Imagine going to an Idaho Primary election,
where regardless of your political viewpoint, any registered voter
could vote for any candidate on the ballot. Republican, Democrat,
Independent or Libertarian – all on the same ballot! We could vote
for Republicans for some offices; Democrats for others, if we
choose. That would be more in line with the beliefs of our first
president, who warned of political parties gaining too much power.
By Don Jordan |
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September 7 |
 GOP
defends truth and childhood innocence against woke culture:
We all feel that summer is coming to an end, and fall is nearly
upon us. School has begun, temperatures are finally coming down,
and apples are ripening on the trees. But just as sure as the
leaves change color, so too will the banners of Boise turn to an
unrelenting parade of rainbows. “Pride” is more than just a month
these days, it’s the fifth season! By Dorothy Moon |
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September 5 |
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Bonner County voters
show how to stand up for public education: Having
followed public affairs in the Gem State since 1966, I have always
believed that most Idahoans are practical people who appreciate
and support reasonable, pragmatic political leaders. They
generally can see through those who seek to gain political power
by stoking fear and outrage, which is the hallmark of the
dark-money supported Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF). By Jim
Jones |
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September 1 |
 Should
the integrity of an election be questioned? "9B.News
-- Should the integrity of an election be questioned or not? It
can’t be both," Tom wrote. "Why is it that a democrat can question
it and not see a day in court, but when a republican questions it,
they get prosecuted? I feel like you are very one sided and not
trying to see both sides of the spectrum." Thank you for writing,
Tom, and I say absolutely! A contested election should be
challenged. And they have been all down through this nation's
history, by both parties. By Mike Weland |
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August 28 |
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Bad
news keeps coming for the extremist branch of the GOP:
The past few weeks have not been kind to the Dorothy Moon faction
of the Idaho Republican Party, which has taken over party control
since the GOP primary was closed in 2012. Reasonable Republicans
have chafed at censures handed out for not going along with
extremist ideas, the extremist structure has had to deal with the
growing popularity of the Open Primaries Initiative and the
extremists’ newly-elected Attorney General has suffered some
remarkable defeats in federal and state courts. By Jim Jones |
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Consider signing
Open Primaries Initiative: The Idahoans for Open
Primaries initiative is finally out in the community for
signatures, thanks to our Supreme Court taking a strong stand for
clear and accurate language. I have to say, I’m excited. Look,
primaries everywhere aren’t particularly high turnout most of the
time (we’re no exception). But if you do go to the trouble of
voting in the Idaho primary, you can only vote in one party’s
primary. And that’s the problem for me; I like political
independence. By Hal Gates |
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August 25 |
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Sign the Open
Primaries Petition: Are you tired of minority rule?
We here in Idaho, especially here in the north, are aware that
whoever wins the primary election will go on to win the general
election. Most of our elections go unopposed by a diversity of
parties, for a myriad of reasons. If you are registered as
unaffiliated, you are no longer allowed to vote in the Republican
primary. All of this guarantees low voter turnout and minority
rule. By Sylvia Humes |
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Fair
warning to public school patrons across the Gem State:
The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) may be coming to your school
district to carry out its publicly-proclaimed goal of getting the
government out of the business of educating our kids. Just witness
the disintegration of the West Bonner County School District
(WBCSD) in Priest River at the hands of an extremist-controlled
school board. Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown were elected to the
school board in 2021 with IFF’s support. By Jim Jones |
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August 24 |
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Republican primary
debate highlights party strength: Republicans have
never been afraid of debating the issues. Unlike the other side,
which conspires to silence and censor anyone who disagrees with
them, Republicans embrace the marketplace of ideas. By Dorothy
Moon ... Rebut
part doh: :I do my best to filter lies, even in
opinion pieces, but there are times, such as this, when the lies
are so blatantly ridiculous I feel compelled to publish. By
Mike Weland |
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August 23 |
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Idaho
GOP denounces persecution of Donald Trump: The unjust
targeting of President Donald J. Trump for political reasons has
raised significant alarm. It is evident that the principles of a
fair and transparent electoral process have been greatly
compromised, as President Trump has become the victim of unlawful
and corrupt investigations and indictments aimed at curbing his
campaign for President. By Dorothy Moon
Elections don't protect the
indicted ... a rebuttal by Mike Weland |
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August 20 |
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What
the 2022 Alaska elections can tell us about ranked-choice voting:
The Dorothy Moon faction of the Republican Party enlisted Sarah
Palin to speak in Idaho Falls on August 19 about the supposed
evils of ranked-choice voting. Palin’s 2022 loss of her statewide
race for Congress should provide a ray of hope to the vast number
of reasonable, pragmatic Idaho Republicans who feel they have been
pushed out of their party by Moon’s narrow, super-committed
extremist branch of the GOP. By Jim Jones |
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August 13 |
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Who's to fill the
menial manual jobs if we won't? We have to find a way
to fill these menial jobs no American wants to do with American
workers. I therefore and with all due respect propose that all
U.S. citizens, from all walks of life be required, beginning at
age 18, to serve one year in any branch of the U.S. military
following basic and advanced training; serve two years in an
entry-level governmental public service position or two years
doing one of the jobs migrants risk their lives and often die for
trying to come here to do. By Mike Weland |
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The American tragedy
of Lahaina, Maui: The horror unfolding before our
eyes in Lahaina, Maui, in America’s 50th state, has now become the
largest loss of life due to a wildfire in U.S. recent history. The
loss is not just an Hawaiian loss. It’s truly an American loss and
a foreboding event providing a cautionary warning for the rest of
rural America today facing unchecked wild fire risks. By crafting
forest management policy for years through the lens of so-called
“environmental consciousness,” America has curtailed and
erroneously inhibited wise management of America’s national
forests. By Darrell Kerby |
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August 10 |
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We must stand up
and say 'enough:' People assume by my writings since
2015 that I hate Trump and conservatives and Republicans. But they
miss the message I've been trying to convey for years; let's stop
this hyper-partisan inane destruction. Let's shut down and shut up
the contingent fomenting self centered politics and "wokism."
Let's stand up and say "this is enough." Bring the pendulum back
toward center, where the focus is again on issues rather than
personalities, where the objective is public service rather than
self aggrandizement. By Mike Weland |
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A
law firm should not malign the judge for its own bad lawyering:
The publicist for Attorney General Labrador recently maligned
federal judge Lynn Winmill for his July 31 decision prohibiting
the AG from prosecuting doctors who refer patients to other states
for abortion pills and services. Labrador sent an opinion letter
to a legislator on March 27, saying that Idaho doctors could be
charged with a felony for doing so. For reasons unknown, Labrador
withdrew the letter seven days later. By Jim Jones |
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August 8 |
 Why
is the bleacher fund nickel and diming me? ... It's not:
"I am so confused," a reader responded when I posted my BFHS Kenny
Mendenhall Stadium Bleacher Fund graphic to Facebook Sunday. "I
thought the school levy ran on the campaign argument that school
sports were not going to be funded if the people didn't vote yes
for a levy? Now that they got their Levy where is the funding for
school sports???? More money. More money. More money!!! My pockets
are empty. Everyone is nickel and diming me!" By Mike Weland
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GOP fixing primary
gaffe: During the last legislative session, Secretary
of State Phil McGrane pushed legislation to move the presidential
primary from March to May. Unfortunately, the bill was poorly
drafted and what it really did was to eliminate Idaho’s
presidential primary entirely. Despite this flaw, the governor
signed the bill, which disenfranchised every Idaho citizen from
expressing their preference for the nominee for the general
election in November. By Brent Regan |
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August 7 |
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Four things you can do
to fight against the American Library Association:
Our local libraries have been treasured community spaces for
learning, research and connecting with others ... a haven where
children can safely explore and learn. Sadly, today’s libraries
differ from those we grew up with. The American Library
Association, led by a self-professed Marxist, has embraced a
radical agenda that undermines the traditional family values of
the communities they serve. From the Idaho Freedom Caucus |
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Let Jim Woodward
know we need him: Most Idaho voters value
truthfulness. Idaho State Senator Scott Herndon lied about our
excellent incumbent state senator in the primary campaign, and
with the help of his out-of-state financial backers, Herndon
replaced Senator Jim Woodward, and Herndon’s unethical behavior in
office has been jeopardizing our democracy ever since. By
Clarice McKenney |
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Why are taxes buying
equipment for private company? Boundary Ambulance,
you are a private company paid for by the residents of Boundary
County. A few years back, didn’t your company quietly spearhead a
drive for a multi-million-dollar 24/7 facility behind the armory?
At residents expense of course. Didn’t you recently receive a new
ambulance from Commissioners? Haven’t commissioners voted to
furnish that same new ambulance? By Rosanne Smith |
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August 2 |
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A hard question, to
nobly save or meanly lose, placed in our hands: "I
find that hard to believe beings I've never seen one story about
the sleazeball con man in office now," Erik Olson wrote me today
on Facebook. "No.. its Trump this and Trump that. You seethe with
hate and rage when it comes to him. Anyone reading your opinions
can tell. It erodes your journalistic integrity. Do better."
By Mike Weland |
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July 31 |
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Idaho's
legislators mock constitutional mandate on education:
It is long past time that the Idaho legislature lives up to its
constitutional duty "to establish and maintain a general, uniform,
and thorough system of public, free common schools.” It is time
now for our legislators, all of them, to stop bickering and just
get to the clearly mandated job at hand. It is time to shut up on
the unfounded idiocies of "parental choice," "CRT" and "woke," to
end the cavalierly insistent notion that the burden of public
education in each school district belongs on the shoulders of
local taxpayers. It does not. By Mike Weland |
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July 24 |
 Sign
a property owner's right: It's time for the billboard
to be changed, says one of the local residents and Trump haters in
last week's Herald. Well I disagree. The correct time to remove
the billboard identifying this as Trump country is when the owner
of the sign wants it removed and not a minute before. It's a
private sign owned by a private individual on their own private
property and expresses sentiments of their own which no one else
has to agree with. By Bob Vickaryous ... Comment added |
 In
response to Brent Regan: Brent Regan mischaracterizes
several things in an attempt to discredit me, as well as local
Republicans and their conservative events. And when I say
“mischaracterize,” I really mean he states falsehoods. Regan’s
column itself is perplexing. Regan suggests public accountability
is “blackmail.” All Republicans should take note Regan uses the
term “so-called Republican” as though traditional Republicans are
not, in fact, Republicans. By Christa Hazel |
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July 23 |
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Be
unbiased, Mike, tell both sides of the story: I was
asked of late when I'll start writing about the "Biden crime
family" the same way I go after Trump, and I very much appreciate
the question. I will start by asking who it is who called it the
corrupt Biden Crime family? Whose administration's DOJ began
investigating? Whose sycophants are now holding congressional
hearings to uphold the allegations but presenting zero evidence?
Who has been indicted? By Mike Weland |
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Preserve our
freedoms, return to open primaries: I have lived in
Boundary County since 1979 and until only 12 years ago we had open
primaries here. Idaho citizens had always been able to vote freely
for candidates of any party based on their qualifications and
accomplishments, which is especially important for local
positions. But in 2011 our leaders closed our Idaho primaries. And
since then Idahoans have been restricted to vote in the primaries
for only candidates of the same party affiliation. By Georgia
Earley |
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July 22 |
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Giving voters
choice undermines the extremists: Idaho Republican
Party Chairperson Dorothy Moon doesn’t like the open primary
initiative for good reason: Giving the broadest swath of voters a
choice over who governs in the Gem State is going to send a lot of
GOP extremists — Moon in particular — back to political exile. If
passed by the voters next year, the measure would replace the
closed GOP primary — which puts most of the political power in the
hands of a sliver of registered Republican voters. By Luke
Mayville |
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July 21 |
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My turn:
I would like to thank Ken Carpenter for his many years of service
to our community. Yes, the pro-Trump billboard needs to be
changed. Common sense values have always been our hallmark. Donald
Trump has served as a cancer on the soul of America. That is
given. What bothers me more is how the leadership, elected
officials and rank-and-file members of the Republican Party, in
large numbers, are willing to follow him right over the cliff.
By Gerald Higgs |
 'Republican'
is a brand: The Idaho Republican Party is in the
midst of a shift from the established power elites to the
grassroots base. The reason for this is simple; the voters have
had enough abuse. Whether it’s forced medical mandates, exposing
children to harmful material in our libraries, cancel culture,
embarrassment on the national stage, video surveillance on every
corner, trampling of our fundamental rights, denial of due process
or drag queens waving their diaphanously covered genitals in
children’s faces, good Idahoans have had enough and are demanding
an end to the abuses. By Brent Regan |
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July 20 |
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Unprecedented
cultural and political upheaval grips the nation:
It’s a new day in America, and the rapid shift of our culture and
society is deeply concerning. This past week, we witnessed a
surprising turn of events at the box office. A classic summer
blockbuster had its opening weekend overtaken by a film exposing
child sex abuse and trafficking. "Sound of Freedom," a movie
shedding light on the horrific child sex trafficking trade,
triumphed over the latest installment of the iconic Indiana Jones
franchise. By Dorothy Moon |
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July 18 |
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Leveraging power
with much ado about nothing: It seems that an
off-the-cuff snarky remark made over a decade ago has been picked
up and magnified by Idaho extremist -- "we've never seen a
conspiracy theory we don't like" outlets. Words of alarm are
spreading faster than herpes through a whorehouse as groups from
the Idaho Freedom Foundation, the Idaho wingnut fraternity known
as Idaho Freedom Caucus (with the nonlocal DC address), and the
very local Boundary County Watchman are sounding the warnings.
By Mary Ollie |
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The
extremist branch of the Idaho GOP tightens its grip on power:
Despite the fact that Idaho is a Republican stronghold and will
likely remain such for the foreseeable future, the group that
calls the shots for the party, that wields power over who gets
elected, is a small bunch of extremists. GOP chair Dorothy Moon
and a group of like-minded culture warriors are working diligently
to tighten their control over the entire Republican Party
apparatus. By Jim Jones |
 Who
gets tax breaks in Idaho? The Idaho Legislature
grants over $3-billion in tax breaks each year. This is larger
than the state’s annual education budget. In 2020, I co-sponsored
a bi-partisan project with former Representative Rick Youngblood
(R-Nampa) to review these tax breaks (referred to as “tax
preferences”). Tax breaks per se are not the problem. The problem
is they are never reviewed. By Steve Berch |
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July 15 |
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What illness has
infected our government? How is it possible that our
nation's Grand Old Party, founded in 1854 by anti-slavery
activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for
the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western
territories, has fallen so far away from its founding principles?
How is it possible that the party of Lincoln, founded in truth,
has today become the party of extremists who embrace lies? By
Mike Weland |
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July 13 |
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Kari
Lake Joins the Idaho GOP for an exciting event:
Idahoans are buzzing with excitement as renowned journalist and
Republican political figure Kari Lake prepares to join the Idaho
Republican Party at a highly anticipated event in Meridian on
Friday, July 28. With a distinguished background in journalism and
a passion for grassroots involvement, Lake's appearance serves as
a catalyst for energizing local grassroots Republicans. By
Dorothy Moon |
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July 11 |
 It's
all about education and health care: The last survey
results are in and the overwhelming concern is about the defunding
of public education and health care for women and children. That’s
not too much of a surprise as education is in the news everywhere;
especially here in North Idaho. North Idaho Voter Services is all
about electing qualified candidates to serve on our community
boards. |
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July 10 |
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Why
file a lawsuit over deceptive initiative titles? It
is said that you can’t judge a book by its cover, which often
turns out to be true, but you have to read the book to learn the
truth. However, if the cover is the only thing you ever see, it
can give you a false impression as to the content of the book. The
same thing happens when voters are asked to sign an initiative
petition. The titles, which Idaho law requires to be true and
impartial, may well influence whether voters will add their
signature to the petition or vote for it on election day. By
Jim Jones |
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July 9 |
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May
the rational stand and be heard: A cult leader is
always a charismatic and narcissistic individual willing and able
to convince a group of followers of the "truth and sanctity" of
their contrived moral precepts and to nefariously engender a sense
of belonging, security, acceptance. Those enthralled by or
complicit in propagating the blandishments of the cult leader can
be defined as belonging to or being in a "cult," a group of people
brainwashed to enrich or empower their leader. By Mike Weland |
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July 8 |
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The
dark deception behind privatizing public education:
The 2023 legislative session is over, but one must step back to
see the bigger picture. One clear observation stands out: there
are powerful forces out to destroy Idaho’s public education
system. As a member of the House Education Committee, I
specifically focus on Idaho’s education landscape. To see how
these forces are trying to privatize public education, you need to
connect the dots. By Steve Berch ... Comment added |
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July 6 |
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Labrador’s
shoot-first style does not serve his or Idaho’s best interests:
Idaho’s new Attorney General seems to envision himself as a
crusading law enforcement officer, cleaning up the government with
a shoot-first-ask-questions-later style. In actuality, his brash,
guns-blazing behavior is contrary to his role as the lawyer
required by law to represent state agencies. It is also violative
of lawyer conflict-of-interest rules and will likely prove costly
to the State of Idaho. By Jim Jones |
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Newsom’s
visit to Idaho foreshadows the fight to come: The
ideological chaos that has consumed California and other coastal
liberal states is steadily creeping inland. This past week,
California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom visited Boise to stump
for Joe Biden and his destructive democrat policies. Gavin
Newsom’s visit to Boise is a foreshadow of the fight that is to
come. By Dorothy Moon |
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July 4 |
|
Let
us stand firm; we are all of us equal: On this day
247 years ago, the 13 United States of America declared their
independence from the governance of England, saying that
governments derive their powers by the consent of the governed.
That when any form of government becomes destructive of those
ends, it is the right of the people to abolish it. By feats of
arms, this nation's ties with England were severed, new
constitution adopted, a new nation born. By Mike Weland |
