Issues that matter

AARP has a simple but powerful message for everyone in state government.

"Our members pay a heck of a lot of attention to the candidates," said David Irwin, director of communications and government affairs for AARP Idaho. "All they're asking is that the candidates pay attention to them."

Irwin launched a political information campaign Monday in Coeur d'Alene, drawing attention to AARP's intensive effort to gather information from state office candidates and share it with AARP membership. It's a membership that politicians should ignore at their own peril.

According to Irwin:

* There are more than 185,000 AARP members in Idaho.

* Of all the votes cast in the Nov. 2 general election, 56 percent - well over half - will come from citizens age 50 and older.

* Many candidates are talking about what they want to discuss, not what their constituents want them to discuss.

Hot-button issues, Irwin said during a meeting with the newspaper's editorial board Monday afternoon, include long-standing topics like state budget and funding, particularly debates over the state's many tax exemptions. But the hottest of the buttons include last session's adoption of the Idaho conscience law, a controversial piece of legislation which allows the moral beliefs of caregivers to potentially outweigh the wishes of patients; campaign finance, which currently places few restrictions on key aspects of campaign contributions; and Idaho's physician shortage, which is one of the worst in the nation.

AARP isn't just whistling on the sidelines, either. The organization is distributing voter guides to many of its members through local senior citizen centers and offers to share its information with anybody visiting its website (go to www.aarp.org/yourvote).

We appreciate this active organization's efforts to provide important information to voters. We also urge those conducting candidate forums throughout North Idaho to ensure these topics are raised and the questions answered by candidates for appropriate state offices. Finally, we're fortunate to live in a state and a region where many candidates go door to door to introduce themselves and share some of their literature. Use that chance to find out where the candidates stand on these important issues, and then vote accordingly.

The Hagadone News Network welcomes your opinions.

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. Mail to Readers Write, The Press, 201 N. Second St., Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814

. Fax to (208) 664-0212

. E-mail to:

mpatrick@cdapress.com