Remember Veterans Of Korea

Each Memorial Day drives the memory of the Korean War further from us. Most would forget about “The Forgotten War” entirely if it weren’t for Hawkeye, Hot Lips and “M*A*S*H” reruns.

The apathy frustrates Korean War veteran James Wiecks of Post Falls, who remembers the American sacrifice: 54,245 dead, 103,284 wounded and 8,177 missing. Wiecks wrote to remind us about his war and an overdue Korean War memorial that will be dedicated July 27 in Washington, D.C.

We also shouldn’t forget the living memorial left behind: South Korea, a free country whose prosperity shouts volumes against tinhorn dictatorships everywhere, particularly the one across the 38th Parallel. Nor should we forget the epic withdrawal by courageous U.S. Marines from the Chosin Reservoir that freed 91,000 North Koreans.

The North Koreans voted for freedom with their feet.

They and their subsequent families owe much to Korean War veterans.

So do we.

Cap limits budgetary mischief

Athol subscriber Al Hurst questioned my interpretation in Tuesday’s Hot Potatoes of Idaho’s new 3 percent cap on property taxes. As property values skyrocket, he’s worried that the cap can be applied to either the tax rate (which would be devastating) or total dollars gathered. It’s the latter, confirmed tax watchdog Ron Rankin. If necessary, local governments must lower tax rates so the actual dollar increase to individual taxpayers is no more the 3 to 4 1/2 percent - no matter how much their assessments rise. But, warned Rankin, North Idahoans should fight unfair revaluations and make sure next year that legislators don’t loosen the law and apply the increase to the tax rate, too, as they did with the old 5 percent cap. That kind of mischief led to huge tax increases.

Chenoweth not guilty by association

Finally, Sy Thompson of Post Falls was curious about the controversial video circulated by Militia of Montana featuring a 1983 speech by Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth. So, he ordered three copies and gave me one to view.

Political opponents have pointed to the tape as evidence that the Idaho Republican is in cahoots with the militia movement. But Chenoweth didn’t give the Militia of Montana permission to circulate the tape, nor is the militia mentioned in it. Rather, “America in Crisis” is an attack on environmental extremism and regulatory excess that could run verbatim in the conservative National Review magazine.

See for yourself.

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