MY TURN: Time for greater diversity
OK, here’s my question: How is it that the same issues with ready-made solutions suddenly appear across the country in the states with Republican-controlled state legislatures? The public schools are failing; the country needs school vouchers sent directly to families; that will solve the problem! Then the Republican legislators from North Idaho all act in unison to implement this idea from the Heritage Foundation without much debate or even public awareness. Public libraries across the country are accused of distributing sexually explicit material to young children! Really! Now! Who? Where? When? What is inappropriate sexual material for a 6-year-old? A 17-year-old? Who decides? The Idaho Legislature responds by decreeing any parent can sue a library if they deem their child was allowed to check out a pornographic book. One Idaho public library has decided to protect itself by prohibiting children from using their library altogether!
Where do these ideas come from and how do Republican legislatures across the country all pick them up at the same time? There is no public debate ahead of time and there is no disagreement among Republican officeholders. Then we read about Project 2025 put forth by the Heritage Foundation and a group of witch doctors who served in Trump’s cabinet. Republican state legislatures and county groups, including Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, pick up these ideas and move quickly to implement them, beginning with taking over the board of North Idaho College, then parent vouchers for the public schools and then attacks on public libraries. The latest idea seems to be no funding for public education institutions post high school — no NIC, U of Idaho, or any other state school. (The Heritage Foundation doesn’t really like the idea of anything “public.”)
Of course, all our North Idaho legislators support all these ideas. (It has occurred to me since our legislators always vote in unison and don’t have any independent ideas, we should just send one down at a time and that one could cast the votes for all of them as well as attend all the committee meetings.) Maybe it’s time for some greater diversity among our local representatives who would reflect local ideas and concerns.
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Richard Cripe is a Coeur d'Alene resident.