NESSE: Fiscally very responsible

What stops me from voting totally Republican is that although our state debt is low, we are “penny wise and pound foolish.” On the things that really matter, like providing education and decent wages, Idaho ranks very poorly.

Idaho’s average annual wage and amount of disposable income ranks 50th. Our overall education ranking is 48th. We are last in the nation in educational spending and rank 37th of all states in the percentage of college graduates.

Another reason that I frequently vote Democrat is that the significant majority of Democrat candidates are socially concerned for others. Anne Nesse, for example, started the initiative to raise the minimum wage last year. Anne is running for state house of representatives in District 4B. Raising the minimum wage will not benefit Anne personally, as she has advanced degrees in nursing and education, but it will help the estimated 30,000 workers in Idaho who are paid only the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour or less.

One of the main ideas we could all note is that raising the minimum wage in Idaho, to just $9.80 per hour by 2017 would actually increase employment and increase profits of businesses in the community. This is a conservative move and a proven fact in cities and states that have raised their minimum wage. It is the right thing to do morally and is fiscally beneficial for business owners and employees.

Our election Nov. 4 is important. I hope issues like our state wages and educational standing matter to us all. If so, consider that the Democrat Party offers good people seeking to make positive changes in the quality of our lives. Help move Idaho forward, and consider voting for local fiscal conservatives in the Democratic Party like Anne Nesse.

MARY JO KRINGAS

Coeur d’Alene