STRANSKY: For issues that matter

Well it’s been an entertaining political year in our beautiful state. From the wacky governors primary, where one candidate emerged from his ex-wife’s basement just long enough to run, through the juvenile attempt by some fake candidates to take over the Democratic Central Committee, we have made the news for every wrong reason.

But now it’s time for the animals in the legislature to be let out of the zoo and returned to the wild. As disinterested as we have been as voters we are still their keepers, though you wouldn’t know it listening to incumbent Vito Barbieri, who has referred to Idaho citizens as “creatures of the state who must be protected from their own decisions.”

From advocating for repeal of the 17th amendment to voting NO on funding for Mental Health Crisis Centers, Mr. Barbieri has applied the same bandage to every wound.

Where we have needed smart decisions we have instead gotten an angry rant.

This community needs a dose of normal. And we are fortunate to have it in the person of Cheryl Stransky. During her career she guided countless students through their adolescence, working to ensure that education would remain “the great equalizer.”

She brought in millions of dollars in scholarships so our students might have a leg up on life. She didn’t do that based on their politics. She did it because she knows that education is at the heart of an effective life.

It’s time to retire the rant. It’s time to get off the floor and recognize that when we work together we bring the entire community up. Personal responsibility and civic awareness go hand in hand.

Vote for the candidate who is focused on Idaho, not Washington DC. Cast your vote in Legislative District 2A for Cheryl Stransky.

STEPHEN D. BRUNO

Hayden