Social programs in Idaho

Shawn Vestal’s column on August 8 (“Expanded Medicaid coverage is sensible”) lamented the fact Idaho has not participated in the federal Medicaid expansion and hopes their voters approve expansion with this upcoming November’s ballot issue. As an occasional employee and frequent Idaho visitor, I urge to not approve this expansion.

When you subsidize something you tend to get more of it. Washington, Oregon and California all have supposedly wonderful and ever-increasing programs for expansion of Medicaid, homeless programs, free housing sites, empathetic panhandler programs, sanctuary city programs to welcome immigrants who have misplaced their paperwork, safe drug use zones, safe needle programs, clean out our jail programs and other wonderful social justice programs.

I don’t think Idaho is missing much by refusing to join in with these wonderful programs found in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and even downtown Spokane.

I would tell Idaho voters to let the outsiders criticize you while you raise your families in peace, safety and happiness.

Ken Hills

Spokane