Term-Limits Opponents Don’t Know When To Stop

Sooner or later, you knew southern Idaho legislators were going to attack term limits. After all, the clock is ticking on their control of state government. House Speaker Mike Simpson and Jerry Twiggs, president pro tem of the Idaho Senate, fired the first salvos last week when they questioned the constitutionality of a 1996 initiative that requires a candidate’s position on term limits to be placed on the ballot. If Twiggs had stopped there, he’d have been OK. The measure probably is illegal. However, he also suggested that solons consider overturning a 1994 initiative that limited terms of school trustees, county commissioners, sheriffs and other elected officials, including legislators. A simple majority of the Legislature could overturn the clear will of the people. Said Twiggs: “A new Legislature is not bound by anything that’s been done before.” I don’t support term limits. But I realize I’m in the minority here. Twiggs should, too.

Poachers needn’t worry with this judge

Sometimes, you wonder what goes through a judge’s head before he or she passes sentence. If anything. Take Magistrate Fred Snook, for instance. Ple-e-ease. The Salmon-area black robe fined three poachers a combined $16,257 for illegally killing seven elk and one deer, suspended a 90-day jail sentence and stripped them of their hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for six years. All this happened a month after two of the three bozos - Keith Hescock of Idaho Falls and Duane Christendon of Garland, Utah - had lost their hunting licenses for (drum roll, please) poaching. You couldhear here-come-duh judge’s slap on their wrist all across Idaho. A little jail time was in order for the two, two-time losers. Sometimes, justice is stupid, as well as blind.

NIC sports plan doesn’t make sense

Jonathan Hay, a North Idaho College Sentinel columnist, opined last month that NIC trustees would be nuts to cut track to achieve gender equity in sports funding. I agree. The college is trying to find funds for a women’s softball program. Track, however, is the only program that consists mainly of local athletes - and the one with the most female participants. Track coach Mike Bundy summed the situation up best for Hay when he said that “to eliminate gender equitable programs, such as track, in the name of gender equity is unreasonable.” On the other hand, reason often suffers when quotas and political correctness have to be satisfied. In this case, unfortunately, deserving local females will suffer, too, unless wisdom prevails. Take this one back to the drawing board.

, DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125, or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.