Idaho Protection the Federal Way

It defies logic that this administration’s strong point is protecting us from terrorism.

In 2005, The Boyd Group (http://www.aviationplanning.com/asrc11.htm) reported:

• “The United States is just as vulnerable as it was on 9/11...very little fundamental progress has been made in light of five years of trying.

• The Transportation Security Administration is a raging failure, run at the top by patronage appointees who have no fear of accountability.

• The proof for these conclusions is overwhelming - GAO reports, instances of major security breaches, instances of near-zero security on major airport ramps, and what is outright confusion on the part of Homeland Security. Further, note that in nearly every case where there's been a failure, the TSA never admits mistakes or faults.”

Meanwhile, Idaho’s own airborne threat does not seem to be of major concern to many local governments.

A Times-News editorial on Nov. 13, 2003 protested the state’s failure to notify news agencies for two weeks that the first human case of West Nile had been identified in Twin Falls. Rather than allow the potato vine to spread the news, they felt people should know it was not a public health threat.

In August 2004 the arrival of West Nile in Idaho was confirmed in a dead magpie; followed by infection of a Gooding County man and six Gooding horses in September 2004.

The adult Culex species of mosquito and any virus they carry are capable of surviving winter. Also, while resistance can build as the virus wends its way through birds, animals and humans, it is also true that the virus can replicate and become more virulent to overcome that resistance.

Gooding County Commission candidate Troy Hurd recently presented an emergency petition to county commissioners for creation of a mosquito abatement district. The commission has failed to take action.

Stan Metcalf
Gooding

Submitted 10/22/06

Hey, there are a whole lot of Idahoans who don't get it, Jack.

Submitted to Times-News 10/19/06

October 15-21 has been declared “National Character Counts Week” by President Bush.

Given what this administration has done to America, if it showed character for even one week, it would be an improvement. But knowing Bush’s tendency to misspeak, I fear he likely thought he was proclaiming it “Only By Being a National Character Do you Count Week.” We all know who our national characters are, don’t we.

Bush proclaimed that “by demonstrating values such as integrity, courage, honesty, and patriotism, all Americans can help our children develop strength and character.” Hmmm. I wonder if his proclamation included the usual signing statement; backdated to forgive former lapses, of course.

Jack Cafferty opened his Broken Government special on Oct. 19 by saying, “Our leaders lie to us and steal from us and do it all with a straight face. They think we just don’t get it.”

My response? “Hey, there are a whole lot of Idahoans who don’t get it, Jack!”

So those who want to jump on the Times-News website and spout support for Bushco and their flying monkeys, go right ahead. If you haven’t figure out by now what has been done to your country, your constitution, and your future, the day is looming when you won’t be able to cover your ears with your hands and chant nanananana any more.

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi writes, “The Republicans who control this Congress are revolutionaries.... In the past six years they have castrated the political minority, abdicated their oversight responsibilities mandated by the Constitution, enacted a conscious policy of massive borrowing and unrestrained spending, and installed a host of semipermanent mechanisms for transferring legislative power to commercial interests. They aimed far lower than any other Congress has ever aimed, and they nailed their target.”

Sharon Metcalf
Gooding

Twin Falls, ID resident sings R-E-S-P-E-C-T

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/10/06/news_letters/opinion_letters.5.txt

Disagree with leaders, but don’t disrespect them
By ROBERT B. NORTON
Twin Falls

I do not respect anyone, nor will I read an article when they demean the office of the president of the United States. Calling our president (whether a Democrat or Republican) any type of name except Mr. President is not acceptable in my opinion.

I had the privilege to provide security for a past president of the United States. Did I agree with all he did? No. Did I call him anything but Mr. President, hell no! Did I like or respect what President Clinton did with a certain intern and the way he disgraced the office of the president of the United States? No, but I will never call President Clinton anything but sir or Mr. President. It’s not the man I always respect, but the office he holds.

I spent many a time with President Reagan. President Reagan overhead me say, under my breath, that a certain senator was a “member of the jackass family” after I overhead the senator say something I felt was not proper outside ear shot of the president.

The president told me in no uncertain terms that I was to always respect any senator of the United States and never refer to him or her as anything but Mr. or Ms. Senator. The president said that to do otherwise was not acceptable, and that it just diminished my ability to convey my point of view.

I knew the president was correct, and I never again (in public) showed disrespect for that senator or any other person that held that privileged office.

So when people feel the need to express their opinion on how the country should be governed by the president of the United States, I hope they do not belittle themselves or their views by also being a member of that jackass family.

REPLY SUBMITTED 10/6/06

Stop reading right here, Robert Norton, because I have just about as much respect for the members of this administration, especially the president, as they do for the American people. The latest scandal oozing out of Washington is just a small example of how they operate. Look like you’re doing what the people want but if you’re caught with your pants down (figure of speech), lie, spin, lie again, blame the Dems, blame the victims until everyone gets fed up with hearing about it.

Besides, what’s the big deal? So there will be some emotional scars from working in Washington. Many young people only a year or two older than the retired pages contacted by Foley but working in Iraq will not come home at all, will come home without parts of their bodies and/or with physical and/or emotional scars. Just imagine how much spin that generates by these idiots to justify their lack of concern for America’s soldiers.

Twenty-one killed in the first 6 days of October. But the fearless leader won’t consider leaving. He’s too busy learning those canned “cut and run” messages so he can continue to preach to his 30-something percent approval. Pathetic.

Aimee New