FEDS: Abolish 'em - and suffer

It seems that most people in Idaho would rid Idaho of the federal government entirely. Here's what would happen: Idaho would have to maintain its own interstate highway system resulting in a huge tax increase, ditto for education, Idaho would have to support education, both K-12 and college 100 percent or just let it go by the wayside and everyone could homeschool their kids. Grandma and grandpa and Aunt Mary would be thrown out of the nursing home and their kids would have to provide for them whether they had room and means or not. Many people without families would be thrown into the streets, both special need, disabled and elderly. If anyone had a special needs child, that child would no longer be provided with special services and education which could render him or her independent with a job for life. That child would not learn those skills and would be at home with the parent until the parent dies. What happens to that child later would be anybody's guess.

No one would fight forest fires - Idaho would be on its own. No one would protect the international border, Idaho would have to do it resulting in another tax increase. No one would be able to cross a state line to recover and/or prosecute a kidnapping. Child molesters could merely flee the state to avoid prosecution; Idaho would have no jurisdiction in another state. If you get fired for your race or your religion, there would be no higher court where you could appeal beyond the state. If the USA is invaded, Idaho would have to provide soldiers at their own expense to fight off the invaders. Ditto for drug cartels - Idaho would be on its own.

Your drinking water would no longer be protected unless the state could pick up the bill, ditto for sewage, resulting in a huge tax increase, if Idaho should decide to do this. If not, sewage would probably go back into the rivers and the lakes just as it did in the 1800s and early part of the 1900s. The Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act would no longer exist leaving anyone to do what they please to the water and air. There would be no inspection of vegetables and meat unless Idaho wanted to foot the bill for that also. Also, on the public health front, if there is an epidemic, Idaho would be on its own to buy and distribute vaccines and open emergency centers.

Power companies either would or would not provide power to rural Idaho. If it is not cost effective, they may not. Idaho would be solely responsible for illegal guns, drugs and crimes committed involving drugs and guns, resulting in another big tax increase. There would be no federal prisons, so Idaho would immediately have to build more prisons resulting in another huge tax increase. There would be no air traffic controllers leaving either the state or locals to do that job or planes would just be grounded.

There would be no mandatory inspection schedule for airplanes belonging to major airlines. Industrial plants could pollute the ground air and water unless Idaho decided to foot the bill to hire inspectors and hire prosecutors which would result in another huge tax increase. In a huge emergency, such as a huge blizzard, forest fire, earthquake, with no emergency warning system, Idaho would be on its own to take care of the emergency and to clean up afterward. We must give some thought to what we wish for.

DONNA HARVEY

Hayden