WOLVES: Spending on wrong priority

The Idaho Legislature has approved spending $400,000 to kill wolves. Really? The same funding the Idaho Depredation Board was given last year: $400,000 annually to track, chase by helicopter and kill wolves in the wilderness and other public lands to protect Idaho welfare ranchers?

Wealthy Idaho ranchers enjoy the largess of the taxpayers by grazing at subsidized rates on public lands. They also benefit from other government-paid services like predator and weed control, not to mention the cost of ameliorating the negative impacts of livestock on water, plants and wildlife.

These protected millionaire and billionaire ranchers, including the Koch brothers, the Hiltons, Ted Turner, are collecting massive subsidies from the federal government, i.e. U.S. taxpayers.

For more detailed information go to: http://bit.ly/1c5KCMO

Could our tax dollars be used to sponsor better education and our state parks?

Legislation focused on matters that would positively impact the life of many common citizens instead of only the wealthy should be the business of our legislators.

CECILIA NOLTHENIUS

Coeur d’Alene