Editorials
AFTER THE FIRE
In early August, I toured active fire sites in Idaho. Even then, before increased fire activity late in the month, it was easy to predict what September would look like: the fires multiplied and are still burning today. These disasters reinforce the fact that responsible forest management must happen before and after the fires. Idaho and the West are experiencing the worst fire season on record. Idahoâ??s rainfall is less this year than any year since recordkeeping began in 1895. As of September… Continue Reading
September 13, 2006
A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY
Is September 17th marked on your calendar as a special day in the history of our country? A day to celebrate? Presumably, for most it is not, but this September 17th marks the 219th birthday of the Constitution of the United States of America. It is interesting, considering the centrality of the Constitution to our nationâ??s heritage and future, that its birthday isnâ??t celebrated nearly as expansively as other national holidays. Heralding our countryâ??s independence is worth every last firec… Continue Reading
September 06, 2006
A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES
What entity serves two-thirds of the United Statesâ?? population expending less than two percent of all tax dollars? Hereâ??s a hint: there are more of them than there are McDonaldâ??s restaurants. With a Borders, Barnes and Noble and/or Hastings in each of Idahoâ??s major cities, and a wide variety of home entertainment accessible by cable, satellite or the Internet, you might be surprised to learn that Americans visit public libraries 1.2 billion times a year, borrowing over two billion books,… Continue Reading
August 02, 2006
FAIR TIME: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HEALTH
Six years ago, I started the Mike Crapo Health Awareness Booth at the Western Idaho Fair. Since then, the booth has been expanded to fairs in Filer, Blackfoot and Coeur dâ??Alene. I have partnered with regional medical centers, local nurses and physicians and others in the public, private and non-profit health care field to make these important screening centers a reality. I can personally attest to the importance of health screenings, as my own encounter with prostate cancer came from a similar… Continue Reading
July 26, 2006
FARM POLICY: WHERE CAN WE IMPROVE?
The Farm Bill is one of the most significant economic and environmental public policy initiatives in our nation today. With the current farm bill set to expire next year, Congress is gathering information on farm policy effectiveness and taking suggestions for improvements. This is a great opportunity for Idahoans to, once again this year, be part of this historical process.The 2002 Farm Bill, drafted in early 2001, was written at a time when our nation was anticipating a significant budget surp… Continue Reading
July 19, 2006
IDAHO'S GUNFIGHTERS: FREEDOM'S VANGUARD
Next year marks a centennial for the United States Air Force. In August 1907, the U.S. Army Signal Corps established an aeronautical division to oversee â??military ballooning, air machines and all kindred subjects.â?? Forty years and two World Wars later, the United States Air Force became the newest branch of the United States Military, created by Congress to â??be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations.â?? â??[It] shall be re… Continue Reading
July 12, 2006
DECISION IN SEARCH OF A RATIONALE
What would you say if you heard there was a question about the safety and security of one of the Inland Northwestâ??s primary transportation hubs? If the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pushes ahead with its current proposal to co-locate Boise Airportâ??s TRACON facility to Salt Lake City, there are many airport users, including pilots and air industry experts, who believe that the safety, security and efficiency of the airport will be compromised. Unbeknownst to airport officials and user… Continue Reading
July 05, 2006
NEVER AGAIN
On July 8, 2006, Senator Mike Crapo delivered the keynote address at the 2006 Minidoka Pilgrimage at the Minidoka Internment National Monument. Excerpts of his remarks follow:We cherish freedom, but often take it for granted. The Minidoka Internment National Monument reminds us to actively promote fundamental equalities and freedoms that this nation represents. Because of these immutable values, we can stand here in the name of healing and hope for the future, gathered together to proclaim â??ne… Continue Reading
June 28, 2006
WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS
In the movie National Treasure, Nicholas Cage plays a man obsessively searching for a treasure hidden away by a secret society in the 1700s. His quest leads him to a map supposedly printed (in invisible ink, of course) on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Predictably, National Archives officials are disinclined to a) believe the story and, b) check the back of the fragile document. Cageâ??s character decides to â??borrowâ?? it; the bad guy gets the same idea; and, both descend upon th… Continue Reading
June 21, 2006
FACING OUR FISCAL REALITY
Fiscal health requires lowered taxes and reduced spending. Congress has taken steps toward the first, now we must turn our attention to the second. For this reason, Iâ??ve joined my colleagues in the Senate to introduce the Stop Over-Spending Act of 2006, or the S.O.S. Act. This legislation, intended to curtail dangerous spending habits that our nation has acquired in recent years, has cleared the Budget Committee and is on its way to the floor for consideration by the full Senate. Our budget pr… Continue Reading
June 14, 2006
A YELLOW RIBBON
I see them most often when driving. Yellow ribbons adorning vehicles and windowsâ??a reminder that fellow American men and women are going about routines far more dangerous than our usual drive to work or trip to the store. We hear intermittent success stories and regrettably more doom and gloom in our media about the progress of the rebuilding and emergence of democracy in places far from home. These reports depict single observations of events and trends. Each may be valid, but should be consi… Continue Reading
June 07, 2006
NOTHING BUT OUR BARE HANDS
â??In order to save anything at all we had to begin firing the buildings on the outskirts of the town, and then the terrible work of forcing the backfire towards the big blaze began. I will never forget the sight. An impassable wall of fire was eating its way down the hillside. Our backfire, which had assumed huge proportions, was creeping up towards it. In exactly four and one-half minutes after we started our fire, the two met. Never have I seen anything like it plunging at each other like two… Continue Reading
May 31, 2006
RE-DISCOVERING LEWIS AND CLARK
â??On September 1, 1805, the party set out, traveling cross-country over high, rugged hills, to todayâ??s North Fork of the Salmon Riverâ?¦They were entering mountains far more difficult to pass than any American had ever attemptedâ??steep and massive peaks thrust up by tectonic forces deep within the earth, thickly timbered in pineâ?¦The confusion of creeks and ravines cutting through deep mountainsides has made the route the expedition used the most disputed of the entire journey. Clark descri… Continue Reading
May 24, 2006
THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
Not for fame or reward, not for place or for rank, not lured by ambition or goaded by necessity, but in simple obedience to duty as they understood it, these men suffered all, sacrificed all, daredall, and died.-Inscription at Arlington National CemeteryIs the car packed? Someone taking care of the animals? Reservations made? Is the salad finished? Kids ready? Is there charcoal for the grill? Enough soda, chips and dip? These questions may sound familiar this time of year as we celebrate the Mem… Continue Reading
May 17, 2006
DON'T TALK TO (OR EMAIL) STRANGERS
Donâ??t talk to strangers. Most of us have heard these words time and again. In our cyber age, this advice takes a slightly different form, but the sentiment remains the same--we must teach our children to use the web safely and responsibly. 2003 Census data showed that 56 percent of Idaho households had Internet access. The Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor estimates a 10 percent increase since that time. With the State Legislatureâ??s recent approval of $5 million in matching funds for ru… Continue Reading
May 10, 2006
A TRIP TO OUR NATION'S CAPITAL
When visiting Washington, D.C., the White House, Washington Monument, Capitol, and the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials tend to be the main attractions to tourists. After spending considerable time here over the past 14 years, Iâ??ve learned about an entirely different Washington, one that includes these important monuments and memorials to our celebrated political and military history, but one that also caters to specific interests of many different people. The worldâ??s most-visited museum, the… Continue Reading
May 04, 2006
EDUCATION 2005
May 03, 2006
HEROES AMONG US
On a chilly November day in Shelley in 1914, newly-hired Village Marshal Lafayette Hampton left his wife and two daughters to work his 17th day of duty. Little did his family know that their husband and father would not return home. Called to stop a robbery at a local shop, the 28-year-old marshal pursued the thief to the outskirts of town and was gunned down. Now, almost a century later, Hampton will be rightfully accorded a place of honor along with his fellow fallen officers at the National P… Continue Reading
April 27, 2006
SIGNS OF GROWTH
With recent upbeat news about the economy both in Idaho and nationwide, weâ??re hearing terms like unemployment rate, gross domestic product (GDP), durable goods, consumer confidence, housing starts and new home sales, to name a few. These different components of the overall economy, evaluated comprehensively, create an encouraging financial outlook. Idahoâ??s unemployment rate, the percentage of the population unemployed who actively looked for work, fell to 3.2 percent in March, the lowest sin… Continue Reading
April 19, 2006
HEALTHY FOODS = HEALTHY KIDS
FOR RELEASE CONTACT: Susan Wheeler (202) 224-5150Week of April 23, 2006 Laura Thurston Goodroe (202) 224-7500HEALTH = FRUIT AND VEGIES ²Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoIn 2002, the Outdoor Industry Association ranked Idahoans, 16 and older, as top in the nation in percentage of the population participation in outdoor activities. It makes sense, considering the beauty and accessibility of our natural recreation resources and the many local and state initiatives which have furt… Continue Reading
