LEGISLATORS: Ignorance unmasked

My wife and I are new to Coeur d’Alene and Idaho as of this past September. We had no insight into the Idaho Legislature until the current legislative session. We fled Washington state and all of its idiotic state and local laws, policies, politicians, inept legislation and, not to mention, ignoring the public safety.

We are smiling in our minds with The Press’ Saturday front-page headline of “COVID shuts down Idaho Legislature,” which follows previous Press articles in 2021 about members of the Idaho Legislature not adhering to mask mandates in 2020 and 2021 because these members believe it is their freedom of rights not to follow rules, including common sense.

Our Legislature seems to favor ignoring our governor’s mask guidance and health agencies’ advice in our state as well as other states, federal advisories and the WHO advisories.

The Press reported in Sunday’s paper that in Idaho there are 177,421 COVID cases and 1,941 deaths due to COVID since the siege began in 2020. Federal statistics show almost 30 million COVID cases since inception including almost 550,000 deaths.

It appears our Idaho Legislature thumbs its nose at COVID and various health regulations/organizations. Simply amazing! Our legislators remind me of a famous line from the movie Forrest Gump, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Is it any wonder that most politicians in the USA are disrespected and ill-thought of?

JOSEF KARL VERNER

Coeur d’Alene