GOP: Yep, it's a mess

“A meltdown” is how Republican leaders described their own convention in Moscow this last weekend, June 12-14. “Absolutely no business was accomplished. “

“Is it a mess? Yes. That’s my quote,” a frustrated Bedke said moments after U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, unexpectedly adjourned the biennial convention.

Well, if they cannot meet and solve problems within their own convention, how are they going to solve problems in our state legislature? And we are sitting right on a precipice folks. We are about to drive even farther off another cliff! Idaho is at the bottom of several cliffs already, having the lowest median wages in the nation. Our cost of living here is at least 93 percent of average, and rents and taxes especially high for young people. We are sitting right at the bottom of the cliff in educational investments, especially for training workers in educational trades that are in demand for the future. There are several other cliffs we are at the bottom of as well.

We desperately need to elect a lot more Democrats into the mix to represent us more positively in Boise. Democrats that are positive about more directed educational funding and who are business friendly. Democrats who can compromise with the moderate Republicans. Get rid of that negative “Tea Party,” “Tin Foil Hat” group. They seem to be negative about everything.

You can only solve Idaho’s problems with some positive ideas that are doable; negative ideas never work where leadership is concerned. We need more positive Democrats and Republicans in our state house to prevent us from this “continual negative cliff drive downward.”

BRUCE HANSEN

Coeur d’Alene