Editorials
LISTENING TO IDAHO AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the bedrock of many Idaho communities and plays an important role in most. As such, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the programs it oversees affect virtually the entire state. When agriculture industries show signs of success or failure, it stands to reason that those most directly affected by Farm Bill policy should be the ones to offer support or constructive criticism.Idahoans had a unique opportunity to do just that first hand this past week at the Eastern Idaho State F… Continue Reading
September 02, 2005
HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
Itâ??s jarring to see pictures of devastation similar to the tsunami in Southeast Asia last winter taken here in the United States in places like New Orleans and Biloxi. Undoubtedly, this is one of the worst natural disasters our nation has ever experienced in such a concentrated area. In Idaho, weâ??ve seen the utter destruction that a forest fire can bring, and many remember the Teton Dam disaster. Yet, flood waters, wind and rain of this magnitude exceed even these events, bringing disease, l… Continue Reading
September 01, 2005
A DISTINGUISHED HISTORY
On a chilly September day, in a 40-square foot room in the Philadelphia State House, 52 highly-educated men ranging in age from 28 to 81, signed a document intended to create a unified country out of a hodge-podge of independent states. The well-known painting of the signing of the Constitution gives us a romantic view of that moment, but the reality was a little different, yet eerily familiar to those of us who stand in the shadows of those great men 218 years later. Our Constitution was not cr… Continue Reading
August 17, 2005
WISE CONSERVATION AT WORK
Conservation is happening all the time on both public and private lands. I like to remind people that when it comes to preservation of land, water and wildlife resources, the Farm Bill contains some of our most important environmental programs. Farmers and ranchers understand and appreciate preserving and improving the land for the beneficial use of future generations. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a useful tool for land preservation and, over the past 20 years, it has been utilized … Continue Reading
August 10, 2005
FINALLY--A PLAN THAT WORKS
FINALLYâ??A PLAN THAT WORKSGuest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoLast fall, I wrote that the United States needed to find cost-effective ways to access and exploit diverse energy sources while promoting energy conservation by individuals and industry. At that time we were facing exorbitant gasoline prices and climbing natural gas prices. In nine months, the situation has only worsened. And as I noted then, this crisis reveals a growing divide between supply and demand that threatens… Continue Reading
August 03, 2005
FOOD, FUN AND GOOD HEALTH AT THE FAIR
FOOD, FUN AND GOOD HEALTH AT THE FAIRGuest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoAugust and early September means many things across Idaho: harvest, outdoor recreation, fall and school year preparations, summer projects, and in many communities across Idaho, a local, county or regional fair. The fair is a time of family, friends, friendly competition, smells (good and bad!), rides, games and celebration. What better time to think about the importance of good health? With that in mind, I i… Continue Reading
July 27, 2005
FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN
Horrific crimes shrivel our souls and evoke a range of emotionsâ??shock, anguish, despair, frustration, anger. The closer it hits to home, the harsher these feelings become and no matter how hard I try, I cannot fathom the utter evil that these crimes bespeak. This summer Idaho felt this to its very foundation, most particularly Coeur dâ??Alene. Children, once secure in the safety of their homes and neighborhoods now ask parents if doors and windows are locked. Adults share grief and fear in pub… Continue Reading
July 14, 2005
AMATEUR RADIO: A VOICE IN THE STORM
Communication has taken many forms: beacon fires alerting assassins to Agamemnonâ??s return to Mycenae; a lone Athenian runner covering 150 miles in two days to request help from Sparta; Genghis Khanâ??s invention of the â??Pony Express;â?? Morse Code, the telegraph, telephone, radio, television; and now the Internet and increasing types of wireless communications. Perhaps most striking are the massive and complex changes that communication has undergone in the past century. It boggles the mind … Continue Reading
July 13, 2005
FIRE PREVENTION SEASON
FIRE PREVENTION SEASONGuest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoYou might be surprised to learn that 348 wildland fires have already been contained nationwide in the 2005 fire season. Over half a million acres are burning. For the Northwest, additional vegetation from our wet spring is becoming potential fire fuel through persistent drought conditions. The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise predicts a higher than normal fire risk into late July and August. This is the perfect opp… Continue Reading
June 29, 2005
A DECLARATION AND A NEW COUNTRY
A DECLARATION AND A NEW COUNTRY Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoJust after World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill remarked in a speech in Fulton Missouri, that â??America sits at the pinnacle of the world.â?? And he later added, that he could think of no better country to occupy that position. It was a glowing and warm compliment. Today, many years after Churchill offered those words, Americaâ??s position as a world leader has only solidified. Itâ??s a remarkab… Continue Reading
June 22, 2005
A TALE OF TWO ECONOMIES
â??A TALE OF TWO ECONOMIESâ?? Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoIn many years of commuting between Washington, D.C. and Idaho, Iâ??ve never tired of the view as Snake River Plain drops away below the airplane, giving way to the Tetons and the Sawtooth National Forest. From the perspective of 20,000 feet, the sharp contrast of high plateau and densely-forested mountains brings to mind another contrast increasingly endemic to Idahoâ??the widening economic gap between urban and rur… Continue Reading
June 15, 2005
NOT SO DIFFERENT
NOT SO DIFFERENT Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoFrequently we define ourselves in terms of what makes us unique as individuals or a group: men/ women, liberal/conservative, rural/urban, Idahoan, American. In a world of dichotomies, itâ??s easy to lose sight of what unifies us. The terror attacks on New York and Washington and subsequent events call to mind what unites us as a human raceâ??the natural inclination of the human spirit to reach for freedom.Since September 11, dis… Continue Reading
June 08, 2005
ACT NOW FOR FUTURE SAVINGS
ACT NOW FOR FUTURE SAVINGS Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoAs tedious or complicated as tax law may seem, our country must confront far-reaching decisions regarding the federal income tax. A lesser-known aspect of the tax code that needs repeal is the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The AMT is additional tax assessed when the government determines, through a complicated formula, that you havenâ??t paid enough federal income tax. The AMT was formulated in 1969 to target 155 (yes… Continue Reading
June 01, 2005
EMBLEM OF FREEDOM
EMBLEM OF FREEDOM Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike CrapoThe American Bald Eagle is a fitting symbol of American pride and patriotism. Many will remember the eagles that were superimposed over photos and drawings of the New York City skyline and the Pentagon after September 11. The freedom, nobility and grandeur of a soaring eagle evoke powerful images. For me, the bald eagle is both a remarkable creation of Godâ??s and a symbol of what America means: freedom, strength and peace.Over… Continue Reading
May 25, 2005
RULES FOR THE SANDBOX
About 20 years ago, â??All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergartenâ?? hit the bestseller list. Robert Fulghum compiled observations about life, demonstrating that values we learned as children in the â??sandboxâ?? were principles upon which to build harmonious and successful adult relationships. Around the same time, another book, â??Getting to Yes,â?? gained an extensive following. It discusses â??principled negotiationâ?? which includes reaching agreement by focusing on interests rathe… Continue Reading
May 18, 2005
NOTES OF REMEMBRANCE
Sixty seconds; 24 haunting notes; shorter than most pieces of music, but more powerful in its simplicity and clarity than possibly any other musical composition in America, and more familiar. Taps stops people, literally or figuratively, in their tracks, calling up memories of those who fought for our country and have since passed on. Two years ago, on a chilly April day, these notes drifted across Arlington National Cemetery as an Idaho family and friends bid farewell to a father lost in the fi… Continue Reading
May 11, 2005
IN VALOR THERE IS HOPE
In Washington, D.C., among the granite monoliths, bronze statues and marble columns commemorating people and events throughout our nationâ??s 230-year history, some of the most compelling commemorations can be found off the beaten track. At the Judiciary Square Metro stop, you will find the National Law Enforcement Memorial, a beautiful and solemn courtyard amidst the tangle of office buildings, people and traffic that constitute the capital of the worldâ??s most powerful nation. The memorial is… Continue Reading
May 11, 2005
IN VALOR THERE IS HOPE
In Washington, D.C., among the granite monoliths, bronze statues and marble columns commemorating people and events throughout our nationâ??s 230-year history, some of the most compelling commemorations can be found off the beaten track. At the Judiciary Square Metro stop, you will find the National Law Enforcement Memorial, a beautiful and solemn courtyard amidst the tangle of office buildings, people and traffic that constitute the capital of the worldâ??s most powerful nation. The memorial is… Continue Reading
April 20, 2005
TAX REFORM PART ONE: A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM
In 1914, the first year income tax was collected, Americans paid an average per capita tax of 41 cents--and of the 99 million people in the United States, only one percent of the population was obligated to pay taxes at all. Fast forward 90 years: In 2004, 62 percent of our 292 million citizens filed as individual taxpayers. In almost a century, weâ??ve had close to a 300 percent increase in population and a far greater increase in the number of individual income taxpayers.Setting aside the subj… Continue Reading
April 13, 2005
WE CAN ALL SPEAK OUT
Many adults carry the emotional scars of a terrible crime hidden from family and friends for decades. It may have started when they were very young and touched inappropriately. They may have been date-raped as a teenager. They may have been sexually assaulted by a trusted authority figure.Chances are you know someone who has been affected by this crime. Whether it was the trauma of personal experience or the aftermath of it happening to a family member or a friend, this exists in every community… Continue Reading
