'FRINGE': Here's what we believe

While it would be interesting to analyze how any school district can justify paying a teacher a salary of $174,000/year let alone that much pension, I will confine myself to some comments made by Tad Leach.

What I take exception to is the term "fringe element." I consider myself to be a mainstream Republican. I support the Idaho Republican Party Platform without exception and have consistently worked to further Republican causes in Idaho. Yet I am confident that some would consider me to be a part of that "fringe."

So, let us look at this a little closer. For a long time the more liberal element of our county has been in control of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, and the more conservative have had little voice.

So, a small group organized to change that, with limited success. When those people were elected to the Central Committee what happened to the more liberal element? Many of them just disappeared. Some have attended few if any Central Committee meetings since then.

Now that is the strange part. When they were "running things" we worked hard for their candidates even when we did not always agree with them. Could not we expect they would do likewise?

So, what does this fringe believe that is considered so "unreasonable." First, I would say that almost without exception they support the Republican Party Platform, and have worked to improve it. (As an opening statement last Monday the preamble to the Idaho Republican Party Platform was read.)

Further, and even more basic, they are strong supporters of the U.S. and Idaho Constitutions. While that may sound unreasonable to some, it is in fact the remedy that will put our country back on a strong solid footing again. As a part of that they have pushed for legislation supporting the Ninth and Tenth Amendments. They maintain that the states are not just lower levels of the Federal Government, but sovereign entities that have rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

What I would suggest for those who are seeking more "reasonable candidates" is that they simply show us where we are wrong. We believe that we are right, but if we are wrong we definitely want to know it and to make those changes that will put us in line with the Republican Party and the Constitution. Comments: [email protected]

JIM HOLLINGSWORTH

Coeur d'Alene