Brilliant

Biden pledges New Deal-like Economic Agenda, (July 10). Great. I just hope the AP and the Idaho Press will also publish excerpts from the candidates Unity-Task Force Recommendations, released on Wednesday. In the Protecting Communities by Reforming our Criminal Justice System section, Lines 2-3 of the second paragraph on page 8, state: We believe that if you arent old enough to drink, you arent old enough to be sentenced to life without parole. If that had been the law in Colorado in April 1999 (Columbine High School massacre), maybe Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris would be paroled by now. Brilliant.

Jody Millette-Larned, Eagle

Utopia?

The leftists and mainstream media are using Nazi tactics to push their utopia society. Silence people from speaking freely (the lefists call what they disagree with hate speech and therefore must be abolished), burn books (remove content from the internet thereby obliterating ideas), reframe history to support their ideology (use Wikipedia and text books to slant narratives about moral views and historical facts), shame people into complying, and get the populace to tattle-tell on each other.

Tom Buuck, Nampa

Americans first

I was disappointed to read in the July 4 edition of the Idaho Press that an African American Chamber of Commerce is being created for the State of Idaho in the Treasure Valley. This would seem to be counter-productive to race relations as it serves to segregate business based upon race . Are the existing Chamber of Commerces in the Valley excluding Black Americans? There was no mention in the article of this, only subjective reasons based upon feelings and emotions.

What are we to conclude then? Either the existing Chamber of Commerces in the state are practicing discrimination, Black Americans need special help to run a successful business for some reason, or the Aftrican American business community is seeking special privileges. But business is business; the color of ones skin does not affect whether a business succeeds or fails. Businesses must assess the market for their products and services, create a viable business model, and manage their cash flow to be successful. I thought that the existing Chambers of Commerce already provide resources to help with these things for any business in their geographical area.

It is time to stop dividing people by race and focus on integrating them around common goals. Especially at this time in American history we all need to come together and identify simply as Americans, independent of race.

Scott White, Caldwell

Not so

I must respond to the article titled, Nampa proposes no property tax rate increase in $202M budget, ran in the Thursday, July 9, 2020 Idaho Press.

I feel it is totally wrong to not cover the REAL property tax issue. As I understand, the rate increase is limited to 3% per year, HOWEVER, the property evaluations are NOT. We have personally witnessed 20% to 30% evaluation increases in the last 3 years on our 50 year old manufactured home which we had to declare as real property in 2008. Lets be honest with the public and address the REAL property tax increases.

With all the new housing construction, why must our homes continually be hit with such large tax increases due to the evaluation increases. I was once told by the city that since everyones evaluations increase the effective rate would be decreased. This just IS NOT SO.

Lynn Robinson, Nampa

Do you LOVE local news? Get Local News Headlines in your inbox daily.

Thanks! You'll start receiving the headlines tomorrow!

The same

In response to Ted Evans of Meridian (July 11), you clearly dont get it do you? I want to make sure I get this straight. You wont support Black Lives Matter because there is some rioting going on by people OF ALL COLOR?

MLK once said in a speech, The Other America given at Stanford, April 1967, riots do not develop out of thin air A riot is the language of the unheard. Maybe you should stop and listen, and then there would be no riots. Maybe you should ask them how they feel, and there would be no riots. Maybe you should understand what it is like to be a person of color in this county, and there would be no riots. YOU are the reason society cannot move on. This is no longer your daddys white America.

You stated at the end of your letter to the editor, Dont expect me as a white man to support them until they get their act together. Then dont expect me as a human to support you until you do the same.

Ryan Blaine, Kuna

Explanation needed

The incredible rant by an ultra leftist member of the Boise City Council, to wit; Lisa Sanchez, as published in the Idaho Press on July 11th, relating to the Michal Wallace incident, establishes what many Boise residents have suspected for some time. Ms. Sanchez is arguably and evidently a white hating racist. If not, she must explain herself. I quote from her published Facebook statement addressed to Wallaces parents: You and your son won the Race Lottery! Many Black and Brown families do not enjoy the same experience. . . He tested the boundries of his white supremacy and privilege etc, etc. Statements regarding white supremacy are generally thrown at Nazis not 18 year olds who may have fired a weapon into the ground by accident as far as we know. Wallaces misdemeanor case has yet to be litigated. If such statements were made by a white Counsel Member and directed at a black or brown citizen (regardless that the target of the attack was previously charged with a misdemeanor), the current social justice mob would call for the tar and feathering of such a white bigot! Ms. Sanchez should reign or be re-called unless she can somehow defend such language. Her obvious bias and interference in a pending criminal case will cost the taxpayers tax dollars in all likelihood, based on the necessity to move the case to another entity for prosecution. Regardless of the facts, there is simply no excuse for such demeaning bigotry being aimed at citizens in the Treasure Valley, even if they happen to be white.

Jim Harris, Boise

More here:

Letters to the editor, July 15, 2020 - Idaho Press-Tribune