State candidates critical of federal government
Kootenai County Republican candidates for statewide offices emphasized the importance of protecting against federal government overreach in a forum Tuesday night.
Kathy Sims, former state representative from District 4, said she was heartened by Donald Trump’s election and believes citizens are standing up to big government.
“I think quite possibly the feeling in the land — and especially in the west — is that we won’t be controlled by the east and the government in the east,” Sims said.
On the topic of managing federal forests and lands, incumbent State Sen. Mary Souza from District 4 said Idaho schools were losing money because of federal negligence.
“We’ve lived through these terrible fires, all of us,” Souza said. “We have seen, literally, going up in smoke are education dollars.”
Doug Okuniewicz, candidate for the District 2, position B state representative seat, said the state usually bears the financial burden left behind by the federal government.
“We end up spending more fixing their problems than we would if we had control of that land,” Okuniewicz said. “We could take care of those lands better, and actually make some money with it.”
Tony Wisniewski, who is opposed by Sims for the District 3 House seat now hold by Don Cheatham, said the federal government needs to return land ownership to the individual states. Cheatham is running for election to the Idaho Senate in that district.
“As the country has become more progressive, we have seen a higher and higher reneging of the federal government in turning over the lands that it controls,” Wisniewski said. “The title should be extinguished and turned over to the states.”
Several candidates spoke passionately about preventing Idaho’s culture from being corrupted by transplants from other states.
John Green, a candidate for state representative in District 2, position B, noted he had several friends in the audience from California, but warned that some new Idahoans move to the Gem State with bad intentions in mind.
“There are people who come to Idaho with a specific intent of changing Idaho into something it’s not,” Green said. “They want us to be like every other place in the world. They want us to be not Idahoans, not Americans — they want us to be world citizens.”
Roger Garlock, who is challenging incumbent Paul Amador for District 4, position B state representative, said new residents must adopt rather than change Idaho culture.
“Everyone is welcomed here, as they are in any state, but there is a culture aspect,” Garlock said. “I think our representatives can help preserve that culture.”
State Rep. Vito Barbieri — the incumbent from District 2, position A — said elected officials need to grab the reins of the sanctuary city issue.
“Everyone [state legislators and governor] is pointing the finger back to the feds and saying, ‘We don’t have any control over that.’ Take control,” Barbieri said to applause.
Also present at the forum was Fritz Wiedenhoff, challenger to Barbieri for state representative in District 2, position A.
Rep. Amador and Michael Pereira — challenger to Souza for District 4 state senator — were invited but unable to attend.
Republicans running unopposed and Democratic candidates were not involved in the program.
The event was hosted by Candlelight Christian Fellowship, and co-sponsored by the North West Property Owners Alliance, Kootenai-Shoshone Farm Bureau and Coeur d’Alene Lakeshore Owners Association.
Primary elections will be held on May 15.