My Turn
See the latest My Turn columns here!
MY TURN: North Idaho College is proof voting works
There will always be a need to safeguard the gemstone of our community.
Time to reach out to other cultures
Imagine my shock, that after a lifetime of admiration for the principles on which America was founded, proudly serving the U.S. military during Operation Iraqi Freedom, being kidnapped, tortured and left for dead b…
Be careful with wishes
As a bit of a student of history I look at our current election cycle with more than a little bit of fear. The children of Israel kept asking God to give them a king. Pretty soon he tired of their pleading and did …
Playing the health insurance shell game
Last Wednesday, we were treated to another nonsensical "My Turn" by Chuck Malloy, where he started off by thanking goodness for insurance. He went on to say that he needed to purchase an insulin pen and the cost of…
Downside to deer trapping in Dalton
This is an open letter to the residents of Dalton Gardens to inform you that the City Council is seriously considering continuing the "trial" trap and transfer program again this year. While many might think this p…
Let Planned Parenthood pay for abortion college
After the recent revelation of multiple "undercover" videos that show the underbelly and reality of the daily activities of Planned Parenthood, it appears this U.S. Government-subsidized entity may be breaking laws…
You see, government does work
On July 5 of this year a strong wind pushed a fire over a ridge and took aim at Bayview, Idaho. In a span of just over a week, it burned more than 1,300 acres and destroyed six homes. The response from the local fi…
'Grace' goes both ways
The July 26 Press Editorial suggested "Grace" should be employed to resolve differences created by recently enacted laws. I agree, but there has been a chasm created between those who want Civil Rights and those wh…
The Medicaid debate: Is health insurance a right?
Thank goodness for health insurance.
Trading four wheels for two
I used to work for an alternative newsweekly, and through my work there I learned about Rails-to-Trails efforts, local construction of bike lanes and efforts to increase bike safety. After a couple of years of read…
Where evolution, atheism and science really end up
Since I was a child raised in the California Coast Ranges, I have enjoyed science, history, and learning. Oh, the excitement when I found an obsidian arrowhead in the hills; or when I was able to call in a fox and …
Get rid of unneeded traffic controls
Although no one can condone vandalism, I understand the frustration of the perpetrator who cut down the stop signs on Rimrock Road. Those of us who use Upper Hayden Lake Road are now having to deal with a totally u…
Living in the real world
Judging from Bonnie Bogart-Brown's July 28 My Turn [When Human Management Isn't Such a Good Thing], she'd be just as happy living in a cave. More power to her, but most of us - me included - aren't interested in ro…
And the next president of the U.S. is ...
We are either blessed or cursed right now, depending on your point of view, with the most unpredictable presidential election in at least 100 years. I am a political junkie who grew up in a family of Democrats. My …
When is a tax not a tax?
Cities and counties use a method allowed by law to impose or increase taxes without asking the tax payers permission. It is entitled "Tax Increment Funding" or TIF. TIF is the funding mechanism used by Urban Renewa…
This nice guy deserves to finish first
Ben Ysursa had big plans when he retired this year as secretary of state - including traveling with his wife, Penny, spending time with his grandchildren and playing golf with friends at Plantation Country Club. No…