Letters for Jan. 25, 2023
Flawed moral values
As Barb Beck describes in her letter on Jan. 17 (“Not an honorable man”), newly “elected” Speaker of the House McCarthy has masterfully demonstrated how dishonorable he is. Even though vote after losing vote could not win him the speaker position, he finally resorted to bribery to gain the number of votes he needed to win. And those who accepted the bribes are just as guilty of being dishonest as he is.
McCarthy has further demonstrated his flawed moral values in his dealings with the newly elected Representative George Santos, whose entire campaign was based on lies. McCarthy says he had “a few questions” about Santos, yet he did not have the integrity to ask. Was that possibly because he needed Santo’s vote to win the speakership?
I have a feeling we will see many such questionable happenings in the future.
Norman Coffman
Spokane
Idaho Freedom Caucus’s Medicaid misleads
“The governor completely ignores the Medicaid budget monster that is now the biggest spending hole in Idaho. Idaho spends more on Medicaid and welfare programs than education and even pays many who don’t qualify. The governor is oblivious to this $4.6 billion snapping dragon.”
Idaho won’t pay $4.6 billion for Medicaid. H077 “budget” is $4.11 billion, but Idaho doesn’t “pay” this amount. A federal and state partnership, Medicaid’s total cost is a partner split. Fed’s share goes into Idaho trust, shown in Medicaid’s budget. Health and Welfare uses trust funds and state’s share to pay full Medicaid cost.
Simplifying, two split percentages for federal/state cost division: core Medicaid (about 75% federal/ 25% state; $2.12 billion/$1.15 billion = $3.27 billion) and expanded Medicaid (90% fed/10% state; $0.65 billion federal/$0.19 billion state = $0.84 billion). The total Idaho Medicaid budget of $4.11 billion paid, $2.77 billion federal and $1.34 billion state. IFC $2.77 billion mislead, whopper.
Medicaid $1 cut means $3 less (expanded $9 less) of fed money in Idaho economy. Easy potential for loss multiple thousands of Idaho jobs.
Rep. Kingsley (Idaho Freedom Caucus and Health and Welfare committee) knows this and that all current Medicaid recipients qualified until fed-Covid emergency ends late spring (1/4 of 90/10 group may go).
Idaho Freedom Caucus should focus on decreasing the federal budget equitably, don’t gut Idaho citizens.
Eric K. Peterson
Lewiston
Abortion needs to stay accessible
People often think of abortion only as terminating unplanned pregnancies but the situation is far more complicated. Abortion is often considered a moral question and the morality behind abortion depends on the morality or “personhood” of the fetus.
Dobbs v. Jackson, a recent supreme court case overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case putting guidelines in place for how states addressed abortion. This has currently led to 13 states completely banning abortion and five more to put heavy restrictions in place. The protection of access to abortion should be addressed nationally.
Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, 92.7% of abortions took place in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Restrictions on abortion don’t completely stop them from happening but delays them instead. When Tennessee implemented the 24 hour waiting period in 2015, second trimester abortion rates increased by 21%. Procedures for later stage abortions increase risk for the mother and the debate around morality increases when abortions are completed after the first trimester.
We need to take action to see change. Abortion should be accessible to anyone wherever they are and for whatever situation requires it. I urge you to vote for people who will fight to protect the right to abortion and push for it to be accessible to anyone. Go to house.gov to find your local and federal representatives and let them know how important this issue is.
Howl Hall
Spokane