Democrats 
Letters To The Editor
DEMOCRATS: New Voices Needed To Fill Void Published in Coeur d'Alene Press Well, folks, it's past time for a little heart-to-heart reality therapy on
the status of democracy in the state of Idaho. There are hundreds of thousands
of Idahoans who have little or no representation in Congress. Those concerned
with our massive national debt, tax breaks for the wealthy and corporate
interests at the expense of the struggling poor, passing the costs of the Iraq
war to future generations, and laws that erode civil liberties, are ignored. And what about our state government? Idaho happens to have the most
lopsided Legislature in the U.S., with a 57-13 Republican majority in the House
of Representatives, and a 28-7 Republican majority in the Senate. Top that off
with a Republican governor, and you have a one-sided closed system. It may surprise those who think the system is just fine the way it is to
learn that former Republican Gov. Phil Batt remarked that while he was governor,
the Legislature was less one-sided than it is now and that the Legislature was
unfairly unbalanced, and did not represent good government. Unchallenged power
tends to generate arrogance and stagnation. New, imaginative, creative voices are needed to confront the problems
facing Idaho, reducing the gap between rich and poor, better access to health
care and educational opportunities, striving for livable wages for adult workers
and crime prevention programs rather than continuing to build more prisons, are
examples of what could be done. As Thomas Jefferson wisely observed, extended control by one party negates
the principles of true democracy. There are some excellent democratic candidates
who care very much about Idaho and its future. If we elect more Democrats, we'll
have good debate and better solutions.
by Buell Hollister
Nov 5, 2006
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