Letters for June 24

Sportsmanship vs. citizenship

While I agree with Marlene Larson’s point (“Please douse your negativity,” June 19) that “hurling stones at the winner demonstrates a lack of good sportsmanship,” I challenge her analogy. Good sportsmanship is a positive value in sports, but when it comes to politics, it is not applicable. Rep. Baumgartner didn’t win a high school basketball game; he is the representative of all the people in the 5th Congressional District of Washington. Our job as spectators at a game is to be good sports. Our job when it comes to the decisions our representative makes for us is to let them know when we agree or disagree with those decisions. That’s not bad sportsmanship. It’s good citizenship.

Mike Herzog

Spokane

Voucher program

Dennis DeMattia believes that since parents pay taxes their tax money should pay for private schools (“We paid for those vouchers,” June 20). Let’s take this a step further: Private roads, private (restricted) libraries, private parks, septic systems (no sewer), private golf courses, etc.

The ultimate goal of the voucher program is to do away with public education, no question.

Ted Wert

Sagle, Idaho

Government budget should align with our morals

We must fund public schools, so people learn how government works and understand the Constitution’s mandate for the separation of church and state. As Dennis DeMattia notes (“We paid for those vouchers,” June 20), his parents paid taxes for public schools because they provide public value – even though they chose a religious school for him. That’s their right, but tax dollars should not fund religious schools. Would they support public funds going to Muslim, Hindu or Voodoo schools?

Taxes for public schools aren’t like Social Security. Schools serve the entire community by educating future citizens, sustaining democracy, and preparing a capable workforce. Public education is a cornerstone of civilization – everyone benefits, whether or not they have children in school.

My two kids attended private schools – one religious, one not. I don’t oppose private schools, but public money shouldn’t pay for them. Private schools aren’t accountable like public schools. We paid $15,000 a year and saw uncertified teachers, weak math instruction, and poorly equipped science labs.

This isn’t about politics; it’s about right and wrong. Let’s demand our tax dollars support what strengthens us all: public schools, social services, and parks. Contact your elected officials and insist that they fund these vital community services rather than divert money to private interests. As I learned in public school from reading Albert Einstein: “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

Lisa Bessen

Spokane

Keep public lands in public hands

As a fourth-generation Idahoan, I’ve grown up knowing that public lands aren’t just open space. They’re a public good. They are where we hike, raft, fish, reflect and hunt. They connect us not only to the land but to one another. That’s why I’m alarmed by the Senate’s so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which proposes selling off millions of acres of BLM and Forest Service land, including Idaho.

Supporters claim these sales will make land available for housing and development, but this logic reduces our shared commons to a line item. These lands were never meant to be sold; they were meant to be stewarded. Privatization pushes access further out of reach, especially for working-class families who rely on public lands for affordable recreation and peace of mind.

While it’s encouraging that both of Idaho’s U.S. senators say they oppose the bill, we can’t treat that as a done deal. We need to call them. Every day. Because without sustained pressure from Idahoans, opposition can fade into compromise, and compromise here means irreversible loss.

Public land is not surplus. It is sacred, grounding and necessary. Let’s keep it in public hands.

Devon Van Kleek

Boise