Mitchell would be breath of fresh air
The regular Democratic luncheon at the Iron Horse restaurant, Friday, July 25, featured as speaker Nels Mitchell, candidate for the U.S. Senate, running in opposition to Republican Senator James Risch, pointing out to the attendees that the citizens of the State of Idaho needed a senator who would have the welfare of its citizens at heart and would work on their behalf - that is, a Senator for Idaho and not merely from Idaho.
It was like a breath of fresh air when Nels Mitchell gave several statistical illustrations about Jim Risch's Idaho leadership in our race to the bottom. Only Mississippi is keeping us from the cellar in education.
The difference between Mitchell and Risch is night and day. Nels Mitchell is for a "living wage," and the passage of "Violence Against Women Act," while Risch voted against renewal of the Violence Against Women Act! Mitchell announced that Idaho was not for sale. That was in reference to the public lands exchange to LLC for land already stripped of its trees. The LLC doesn't want to preserve it, they want to log it! He indicated that there was a better way to handle that situation which would not cost the taxpayers a great deal of money.
It was an embarrassment to Idaho last year when Jim Risch joined with two other Senators, one being Ted Cruz, to shut down the Federal Government (in effect, placing the United States in the position of abrogating its responsibility to pay its already due-and-payable debts). Wages, jobs and research, to name a few, suffered. Too many people were hurt.
In order to bring good-paying jobs to Idaho two things must be in place. First, a living wage and second, an educated work force. How can that happen when Idaho is ranked 49th in money spent on schools. Adding to that, Idaho is ranked second in the most "minimum wage" jobs in the state.
Idaho, with its unenviable position of being the state with the second-lowest wage level in the U.S., together with its abysmal support for education, needs a Senator who will work for the people and will support the interests of the people rather than those of corporations.
Mitchell is in favor of a law introduced in the Senate last February: the Bring Jobs Home Act, which amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny a tax deduction for outsourcing a United States business. Guess where Jim Risch stands on this proposal?
It is truly time for Idaho Democrats and Independents to unite. Mitchell pointed out that "In a recent poll of 773 Idaho voters, Public Policy Polling found that only 36 percent of Idaho voters would vote for Jim Risch, while 48 percent think it is time for someone new in the Senate." Nels Mitchell would be a breath of fresh air!
Larry Telles is a Dalton Gardens resident.