Letters to the editor: Crapo ad, critical race theory, legislative session

Crapo ad

Sen. Crapo’s political ad in the Sunday paper states, “But Congress is considering massive tax increases on businesses, and the results would be devastating for Idaho manufacturers, destroying millions of American jobs.” That is blatantly misleading. Congress plans on reinstating half of the tax cut previously given to corporations and the wealthy. The corporate rate was 35% and was cut to 21% by the previous Congress. Congress proposes adding back half of that cut, 7%, to make it 28%, leaving them with a 7% reduction in the previous rate. And only those families earning more than $400,000 would see any increase in taxes. The added tax funds would help fund sorely needed improvements in our national infrastructure and create good jobs in the process.

Bill Burns, Boise

Critical race theory

I didn’t understand the current Idaho legislature’s fixation on critical race theory. Isn’t the goal of critical race theory to give everyone, no matter race, color or creed, an equal chance at success? That is what I thought until I read an excellent article in the March 2021 Imprimis publication describing critical race theory. I learned the goal of critical race theory is equity not equality.

The equity goal would make everyone arrive in the same economic place regardless of their effort, skill or luck. In short, critical race theory is a rebranding of the Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”

An equity-based form of government would mean the end of private property rights and freedom of speech. I now understand the legislature’s fixation on keeping our kids from being indoctrinated in this philosophy. However, in their enthusiasm to avoid indoctrination, the legislature appears to be limiting the exploration of different ideas in our public schools. I would prefer our legislature more clearly espouse an open dialogue of ideas in schools. As a rebranding of a tried and failed economic system, critical race theory should lose the debate.

Richard Haener, Boise

Legislative session

I am writing to share my utter frustration and horror at the agenda pursued by the Republican majority in our state legislature. I thought that the House Republicans killing the bill for a $6 million federal preschool grant would be a low. These subsequent weeks have brought more appalling and vindictive moves to further deny public health officials the ability to effectively fight a pandemic. This is in addition to denying public teachers desperately needed pay raises, cutting higher education budgets and attempts to forbid local communities from deciding to remove offensive and racially offensive material from public spaces. These are all transparently cynical moves to appease the loudest of their constituents, yet deny local governments and municipalities the ability to govern and do the hard work of dealing with problems facing their communities (Typically hypocritical given local control was once a key Republican belief).

I am so deeply ashamed of our state. It seems to me we are at the bottom of the barrel politics favoring worship of guns over our children’s future, and conspiracy over reality. We should be able to be and do better.

Samuel Paden, Garden City

Ashamed of Legislature

There have been moments when the Republican Party’s supermajority has been a source of embarrassment to Idahoans of good sense. For example, the mistaken belief expressed by a certain representative that gynecological exams involved swallowing a camera. There have also been decisions by that body that have rightly caused indignant anger in anyone who believes in freedom – true freedom founded in human rights, not the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s Jefferson Davis knock-off brand. The constant refusal to add the words “sexual orientation and gender identity” to the state’s civil rights law comes to mind. This latest session, however, has gone quite a bit further. We are not just embarrassed; we are not just angry; we are ashamed.

We are ashamed that many of our representatives stand in the public forum and declare that social justice is not welcome here. We are ashamed of the willful deception and deliberate fear-mongering coming from the statehouse. We are ashamed that the Republican Party has so wholeheartedly embraced the authoritarian ideology of racist oppression which has disgraced this country for too long.

We are ashamed that the free government of a free people has stopped acting like one.

Ben Satterlee, Boise