OPINION: Idaho’s course correction

What do you see in Idaho’s future?

The different political parties have their own different road maps for where they want to take us. 

Democrats would like to preserve our remarkable environment, encourage all children to achieve educational excellence, protect your access to health care, and make North Idaho a place where families of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds can thrive. 

Unfortunately, this is not the future that Republicans envision. 

People are unhappy with Idaho laws on women's health care, libraries, and loss of public lands for recreation and hunting. In addition, current lawmakers have normalized the chronically poor funding of everything including schools, infrastructure, medical and mental health services. 

If you want a future that holds all of these things, it is not wise to continue to elect Republicans. 

Republicans have controlled Idaho for the last 30 years and they alone are responsible for the problems we have.

To understand how the Idaho GOP envisions your future, it is important to look at the party’s platform. It is crucial to understand that the Republican Party demands strict loyalty to their platform by legislators.

The 18-page Idaho Republican Party platform (https://bit.ly/IDGOPPlatform) reflects the policies and positions of an extreme group which has taken over control of the GOP in the last decade or so. 

The platform calls for privatizing Social Security, eliminating income taxes, and appointing rather than electing U.S. senators. Their platform limits same sex marriages, and states that abortion is murder regardless of rape and incest. As of June, it also states that taxpayer money should not be used for higher education — a sizable percentage of all education funding in Idaho. 

The GOP also passed a resolution that all elections in Idaho become partisan (with the exception of judges) including highway districts, city councils, school boards, etc. 

In contrast, the two-page Democratic Party platform (https://bit.ly/IDDemsPlatform) promotes reasonable policies such as “A quality education for every Idaho student, An economy that works for all, Equity, justice and opportunity for all, Strengthening democracy, fighting extremism, and ending corruption, and Protecting our natural resources.” 

These are all positions supported by the majority of Idahoans.

It is past time for people to take a look again at the Idaho Democratic Party and its candidates. There is an old saying with a significant degree of truth, that an “Idaho Democrat is a Republican in any other state.” 

Most Idaho Democrats are moderate people who reflect the values of the community that they live in. They support what is best: good schools, infrastructure, economic development, etc. These local candidates often have deep multigenerational roots in Idaho, and are not the far left people characterized by some of the media, pundits or politicians. 

Many Idaho Democratic candidates have a long record of service to their communities in nonprofit organizations, local and statewide boards, and elected offices. They support law enforcement, they are business owners, and they are gun owners. 

Politics in Idaho needs balance. Any state, red or blue, where one party has a total grip on all political power is going to have many problems. The values of many of its citizens won’t be represented. Diversity of opinion in government and business or community organizations is a strength, not a weakness. Organizations in government or the private sector are stronger when the views of all persons are respectfully considered.

People will not hear ugly rhetoric from the local Idaho Democratic Party. We welcome other viewpoints, don’t require loyalty oaths, and are here to be of help and service to our communities. 

When we prioritize people over politics, and a future filled with hope, we build a More Perfect Union in North Idaho.

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Evan Koch is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.